Link Love

We are halfway through the week! If nothing else, that gives us something to celebrate on this dreary morning (at least it is dreary here in D.C.).  First things first, today I am channeling The Glamourai with this outfit. Instead of that great biker inspired jacket, I paired it with a blazer and a pair of black pumps to make it a little more Cubicle friendly. 

Second, blogger is giving me a little trouble with posting pictures so instead of doing my first recipe post as I had originally planned, I thought a mid week pick me up was is order with a little link love.  So here are some fabulous links to inspire your Wednesday:

1. Great steals on some pastels for spring:

http://www.thebudgetbabe.com/archives/3780-8-Pretty-Pastel-Finds-Under-100.html#extended

2. I don’t know what the weather looks like where you are – but here in D.C. it is gloomy and rainy. Perfect day for the perfect trench -find which trench suits your style best:

http://www.refinery29.com/10-perfect-raincoats-for-every-type-of-girl

3. Vogue exhibits some spring trends (I HAVE to have that trench vest!)  

http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/five-days-five-looks-one-girl-sylvana-ward-durrett-met-gala/

4. Are you in DC this week/weekend? If so eat at one of BEST restaurants in the city. Washingtonian Magazine conveniently maintains a list of D.C. top 100 restaurants.

http://www.washingtonian.com/sections/restaurants/100best/index.html

5. In case you forgot, Mothers Day is right around the corner (May 8^th!) Here is a great gift guide to inspire some lovely gifts for Mom this year.

http://www.refinery29.com/los-angeles-mother-s-day-2011-gift-guide-1

6. Lauren Conrad recent launched a new website called The Beauty Department. They cover everything from hair, makeup, fashion and even some great “How To” Tutorials. Check it out!

http://thebeautydepartment.com/

Are you guys getting as excited as I am for the Royal Wedding? Call me crazy but my alarm clock will be set for 3:00 am Friday so I can catch the LIVE event!!

Bright Bottomed Girls

Happy Monday all! It sure came quickly didn’t it? But, I have a 3 day weekend to look forward to at the end of the week! Confession time – I have had a great pair of purple skinny jeans sitting in my closet longer than I care to admit.  I scored them at F21 awhile back and I love them – but every time I go to put them on I chicken out.  While I am no stranger to some of the bolder trends of the season (I proudly sported the faux fur leopard print jacket from Anthropologie this winter), I have this foreboding  anxiety that creeps up whenever I pull them from my closet.  I can’t quite put my finger on why – but I have made the executive decision that I will put my fear to rest and they will be worn THIS week! So to that end – I am seeking styling inspiration from these fabulous bright bottomed girls!

pictues from zara.com and people.com

The Start of Something Great

After what seemed like the busiest week I’ve had in quite awhile, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have absolutely nothing pressing on my to do list this weekend! I spent the day doing some shopping (more on some of my great finds in the coming days), and catching up on some reading. I wanted to share this wonderful little find that I discovered buried in the archives of New York Magazine.  It brought a smile to my face – I hope it does the same for you : ) Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Also, I am now on bloglovin - so feel free to follow me there as well!

Reflections on Coachella

I couldn’t help but realize what a good week I picked to start my blog.  With Coachella having ended a few days ago I have had this past week to sift through all the wonderful pictures out there.  Coachella has been dubbed “the most fashionable music festival” so naturally, there was an unending amount of California chic styles to be seen. This quickly led me to the realization that my spring/summer wardrobe is seriously lacking!  So an impromptu shopping trip is most definitely in order this weekend!

While, I would have LOVED to have had the opportunity to be at Coachella in person, I was practically chained to The Cubicle last week….and this week (funny how that always seems to happen at the most inconvenient of times, huh?). Well, in spite of the fact that I couldn’t enjoy the lovely California sunshine and uhhh-mazing music at Coachella, I found the following pictures to be very inspiring.  So, hop into iTunes and pick out a few great songs, open your blinds to let the sunshine in, and enjoy the following pictures from Coachella.

 

*all pictures from blog.freepeople.com and refinery29.com

Lovely Lace - I love that there was so many lace peices to be seen at Coachella - it is so girly and feminine, add a pair of leather boots and you have the perfect combination.



To the Max - Maxi skirts and dresses were everywhere at Coachella - so on trend for this sping and summer!



Hello from Washington D.C.!!

I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog for quite some time.  However, the intimidation factor has made me put it off.  Day after day, week after week, month after month, I continued to make excuses (“I don’t have time”, “no one will read it” etc. etc.); and sharing the blogosphere with so many other amazing bloggers was, well, daunting.  Nevertheless, I have concluded that there is no better time than now to get my blog rolling – carpe diem, right?!!?

By the way of background, I am a 23 year old Californian transplanted into the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C.  Having lived in D.C. for years, the California girl in me still struggles with the cold, harsh winters (Seasonal Affective Disorder anyone?!?) and sweltering, clammy summers (aka flat lifeless hair or the Dianna Summers fro, take your pick because I involuntarily frequent both hairstyle from June to August).  All of that being said, I love my life, and seek to fill it with all things lovely, hence the name of my blog “La Belle Vie in DC”.  I spend most of my waking hours in my office, or as I fondly refer to it, “The Cubicle”, where I work in marketing and business development for a government contractor.  My job is not the most inspiring (let’s call a spade a spade, at times, it gets monotonous) which is why I fill my free time with things that infuse my life with creativity.  So in my spare time you will find me on the streets of Georgetown with a ZARA, Anthropologie, or J.Crew bag (or 2 or 3 or 4…what can I say, I’m addicted); attempting to cook/ bake fun new recipes; any DIY project, jewelry, furniture, you name it, I’ll try it; huffing and puffing my way down the streets in my neighborhood or on my treadmill (I am training for the Marine Corp Marathon this October); obsessively reading Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, and insert any other fashion publication here; or lounging around D.C. with my friends.  A few things I love:

·         My sister – my best friend, my #1 cheerleader, shopping partner and workout buddy.  I couldn’t have picked a better sister myself!

·         My mom- what a great lady! I often catch myself doing or saying something that she does, that I once upon a time, swore to myself I would never ever do! If I can be half as wonderful as she is, I will count myself a raving success!

·         My boyfriend –my better half, my inspiration, my encouragement to keep smiling, even when I am having a bad day, the greatest guy a girl could dream of!

·         My roommate – my fellow government contractor, he keeps me sane when my job drives me crazy.  He also puts up with my incessant cleaning, midnight vacuuming frenzies, and my “no food on the couch” rule. What more could a girl ask for : )

·         Burritos from Chipotle – need I say more?

·         Commas – Yes, I know. It is strange to love a grammatical marker, but I feel like I should preface my writing with a warning – I love commas and use them entirely too much. I think any good grammatical issue can be solved with a comma.  What can I say – it’s how I write :)

So with all of that, I introduce to you, “La Belle Vie in DC”.  I hope it will be a small space, a brief respite, a break in the day, to inspire you with living the lovely life. I hope you enjoy.