LA weather is really trying to challenge us die-hard fashion fanatics these past few days. As a general rule of thumb, a true fashionaholic will check the weather before planning an outfit. Is it a moto jacket and jeans kind of day? Or a skirt with white pumps? Are we feeling casual and cozy, or chic and elegant? While I will admit that in LA it can be cool one day and then extremely hot the next, lately it's been going back and forth in the same day! I will wake up and June gloom will be in full effect (and yes, I am aware it's still May). By the afternoon it's sweltering in the sun. And in the evening it's chilly where I even consider wearing a vest to walk Luca (but let's be honest, I'm from MTL so I end up in a t-shirt).
So how does one dress for such odd temperatures? Layering. It's absolutely key. I cannot stress it enough. This look is my go-to look for days like this. It's also my go-to look when I have meetings all day. Offices tend to blast the AC and then when you go outside it's a million degrees. Invest in some good basics, like this Three Dots cardigan and white tank. The best part of layering is that you can mix and match.
My mom and her puppy, Henry, are coming to visit tomorrow for the weekend. I can't wait!! Get ready for tons of Instagram story videos xoxo
I hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend! Ray and I went to the desert. As I mentioned in my post last week, this was a last minute decision. We knew we wanted to do something, we just weren't sure what that something was. We also knew we wanted to book our hotel on points. We had a budget for the trip and knowing how we eat (and more specifically) how we drink on vacation, we needed to get the hotel for free. Surprisingly enough, our cheapest option was to stay at the Ritz (or a Westin golf course but, no thanks). Our stay was incredible. It was just what we needed. After we checked in, settled down and went to the pool, Ray was saying how we really make ourselves known in hotels. I said there was no point not to, you need to make the most of your vacation. In other words, Ray was saying that we rarely settle and always try and get the most we can. It's not that we're cheap (although it can be looked at that way). It's that when you are spending soo much on a hotel, or soo many points for your stay, you want to maximize and make the most of it. I'm sharing my tips for making the most of your stay below.
Never settle for the first room. This is something I learned from my dad and for some, may seem obnoxious. I remember when I first started dating Ray he would get kind of embarrassed but would do it for me. Now he is a pro and believes in this whole heartedly. The fact is, hotels normally have many different types of rooms and are rarely full to capacity. Moreover, they want you to be happy (and don't want bad yelp or trip advisor reviews). This trip our first room was terrible! Well, terrible for us. It was an "upgrade". There was a front patio with a fire pit that was very charming. But there were crying children on both sides (we're not there yet), the room overlooked the pool so zero privacy and it was pretty dark. I remember walking into the room and thinking this is not going to be good. We went back to the front desk and the woman was sooo understanding and helpful. She said she had a room she thought we would love and it would be ready in an hour or so. When we finally got to our room we were in awe. It was a totally different experience then the first. It was quiet, on the third floor with the most incredible view of the desert, bright and beautiful. Not to mention they had rose petals all over the bed. It is not a lot to them to give you a better room (even if it's an upgrade of an upgrade) if the room is vacant. To me, it's always worth the try. Always tip the person at the front desk. This goes hand in hand with never settle for the first room. if you plan on playing musical rooms as I call it, you need to tip. We generally give $20. And don't get cheap here. If you want a better room you need to give something. Have one less shot, use that money here and you'll thank me later. If your celebrating an occasion, mention it. Always mention if you're celebrating an anniversary or birthday. Even mention if you're just trying to enjoy a special couples weekend. Good hotels will generally do something about it (rose petals on the bed, free champagne or fruit in the room, a better room etc). Negotiate at the spa. We really wanted to use the spa services but massages were so expensive! We went into the spa and asked if they had any promotions. They had two for May: a prenatal massage or Mother's day massage- very helpful for a couple with no kids. I said something along the lines that there was nothing for couples, only for mothers? (in a polite way). But I mean, c'mon. The woman at the front desk said hold on, went to the back and came out with $25 gift vouchers per massage. Had I not said anything, we likely would not have received those. There are always promotions/offers so just ask. * I wore this outfit on our getaway. In love with the grey & white combo.
Living in Los Angeles has its perks and its downsides (although I will admit, those are very few and far between). One of the downsides is obvious and that's living so far from our family and many of our friends. With our limited vacation (the US needs to catch up with Canada in terms of work-life balance), we generally use the time to visit family. That means trips to Montreal and Miami. While I love visiting home, spending time with family and just relaxing, it's not exactly a romantic vacation with my husband reminiscing about our good times, planning the future, dreaming of what's next and just having fun. I really think it's important to change up the routine, travel, experience new things together and getaway from daily stresses for a bit. Since lately we have spent most of our real vacation (all 2 weeks) with family, I thought it was particularly important to try and go away the 2 of us this Memorial Day. We've been talking about it for over a month but only booked this week. Below I'm describing our tips for last minute trips.
P.S. how amazing is this Storets top?? In love.
Points. When we moved to the US Ray became obsessed with collecting credit card points. He started reading all of these blogs about it, keeping track and researching every new card. In Canada, the credit card/points system is pretty limited. In the US, there are constantly new cards with spending bonuses. So, for example, if you spend $3,000 in the first three months you get a points bonus of 100,000. We've done this several times. 100,000 points is a roundtrip to Europe for 2 (or a gorgeous hotel for a few nights).
Some cards have high fees while others don't have any the first year (so just cancel them once you've made the bonus and redeemed the points). But even those with fees can be really worth it. For example, my American Express Platinum has a fee of $450 a year. But it gave me 100,000 points, which covered both of our flights to London and return when we went in April (which would have cost over $1,000 for sure). It also has other perks, like $15 uber credit a month, free airport lounge access, $200 airline fee credit and so on. Not to mention the concierge service, which I take full advantage of. Anyway, when looking for a last minute trip, use points. Hotels tend to be so expensive if you don't book early (Parker in Palm Springs was almost $1,000/night for Memorial Day weekend!)
Hoteltonight.com. We've used this app a few times. The good thing is you could catch a really good deal. The bad thing is it is super last minute and you don't know what hotel will be available. Sometimes the one you want pops up and other times its all chains you're not interested in (that happened to us for this weekend).
Price Match. Check out all the sites like Expedia, Priceline and Orbitz. See which one offers the best deal (beware that some include tax in the price and others don't, which can be deceiving). Then call up the hotel and see if they have any special offers and if they would be willing to price match (a lot of them will).
Bargain directly at the hotel. Okay, so this one may be more relevant for Southeast Asia then, let's say, Palm Springs. When we went on our honeymoon in Bali someone gave us the advice not to book any hotels in advance and to negotiate when you get there. This was the smartest advice because more often than not, hotels have empty rooms and they definitely want to fill up as much as possible. We were able to get villas with pools for 1/5 the price. You may not get the same bargain in the US, but it still can be worth the try.
Hope you guys have an amazing Memorial Day weekend. Follow along on my Instagram story to see where we ended up booking, on points ;) xoxox
This weekend was the first weekend in LA that felt like summer. I know you are probably thinking that it's gorgeous all year in LA, but the past few days have truly felt like summer. What I mean is that you can take long walks at night in only a t-shirt and still be warm, go for early morning runs and feel the warmth of the sun...that kind of thing. I had a fun photoshoot on Saturday and also finished redecorating our guest bedroom. Can't wait to share!
We're trying to decide if we should go away for Memorial Day and if so, where we should go. I think it's important to travel and change it up in order to really relax and rejuvenate. We were thinking of maybe Palm Springs or Vegas (although Vegas might not be the most relaxing, lol!). If we don't get away we'll do a staycation here in the city (the Ivy and Polo lounge would definitely be on the list). Have a great week! xox
A white dress is one of the best investments you could make for summer. There are a million variations of outfits you can put together. You can pair it with a denim jacket, khaki or army jacket, cardigan or moto jacket. You can wear it with black booties for an edgier look, wedges for a summer look or pretty flats for a casual look. It is one of the easiest items to throw on when you're in a rush and still look put together and chic.
The one I am wearing is from Show Me Your Mumu. I've linked it, as well as some of my other favorite white dresses below. I've received so many compliments on these wedges on Instagram. They are from Forever 21! They were so cheap but I bought them a few years ago. I always say this but I will say it again, you DO NOT need to splurge on wedges. Most of the cheap brands make such cute variations. Save it for a Manolo or Dior pump! xoxo
I hope you had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day! Saturday was Luca's 8th birthday. I can't believe he is already 8! I got him when I was 20, living alone in NYC. He has been there through EVERYTHING with me (three degrees, two bars, getting engaged, getting married, living in NYC, MTL and LA...) I feel so lucky to get to be his mom. It's so funny because people constantly ask us when we're going to have kids and we're always like, "we already have one...duh" ;).
We decided to take Luca to Malibu for the day. We started the morning by a trip to the pet store (think dog doughnuts and tennis balls) and then made our way to Malibu. We had lunch at the deli in the Country Mart. If you've never been I highly recommend it. You have to be patient but it's worth the wait. After lunch we browsed the shops and then headed home for some rosé and a rom com.
Anyway, let's get to this look. As you can probably tell I live in denim shorts and comfy sweaters/tees. It's such an easy and cute outfit. I'll link some of my favorite combos below. FYI, some of the clothes I wear are old and no longer in stock. I always link my favorite variations that are currently in stock to give you some options xox
