Work It Wear Wednesdays- Dreaming of Blue

Dress: Cache Similar Similar Similar

Heels: Brian Atwood Similar 

Earrings: Ralph Lauren

Shawl Wrap Sweater: Forever 21 Similar

Handbag:  Anne Klein

Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

Happy Wednesday to you!  Many changes come with the waking of Spring.  Have you begun something new?  Have you cleaned out and reorganized your closet? or car trunk? LOL  (mine needs cleaning).  Have you bought any new make up or clothes in a Springy palette?  With the change of weather, I decided to cut my hair :)  I think I cut like 3 or 4" off.  I needed a lift.  Having a lot of hair isn't always nice.  It takes longer to wash and style and maintain on a daily basis.  Also, the weather has been very hot here and the extra hair was starting to become uncomfortable.  I like wearing my hair down most of the time, not in a ponytail all that much, so here it is.  What do you think?

Today, I am wearing a blue dress from Cache.  Unfortunately, they have closed their brick and mortar stores where I am and will now be selling online (or so I was told).  I love this dress as with most dresses from this company.  They fit like a glove and always have many flattering feminine styles.  My dad even gave me a compliment once wearing one of their dresses and he doesn't talk that much, so it meant a lot to me to hear him say that I looked nice in one of their dresses.  If I wear this to work, I normally wear some sort of cardigan like this one from Forever 21.  I love everything about it from the rouched shoulders, to the tailored sleeves, and peplum tie waist.  This bag by Anne Klein is my everyday work satchel right now.  It's medium sized and fits everything I need in it.  It even comes with a cross-body strap if I want to wear it on my shoulder, so I can shop "hands-free" yay!  I bought these Brian Atwood heels at Nordstrom.  They had a sale and I couldn't resist.  These were gorgeous platform heels that added at least 4" to my height, so it was a done deal.

Hope you have a great rest of  the week!

XO Joanna

Work It Wear Wednesdays- Red, White, and Blue

Sweater: Charter Club @ Macy's

Shoes: Karen Scott @ Macy's

Handbag: Christian Dior (vintage)

Earrings: Vintage

Necklace: St. Thomas

Glasses: Gucci

Belt: St. John Knits

Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

Happy Wednesday to you!  Hope everyone's week is going well.  I am still recovering from a cold that took me down for a couple of days and is still lingering for two weeks now.  Haven't posted as much because of it :(  Also, my credit card got stolen last week.  So, not having the greatest time lately.  Even still, I am trying to focus on the positive.  My life has been very stressful over the past few years, but starting this blog has helped me with that stress immensely.  Does blogging relax you?  I didn't expect blogging to relax me as much as it did, but it does.  Has anyone else had this experience?  

Today, I am wearing blue and red with a touch of white with my favorite belt from St. John Knits.  Dressing up, putting on make-up and lipstick even when I am not feeling my best, really helps get me through the day.  I give presentations a lot for work, so I always have to make sure I dress up for the office a little bit more on a daily-basis.  At the moment, I am looking for more cute but comfortable work heels for the office, does anyone have any recommendations?

Wishing you a Well Wednesday!

XO Joanna 

Artsy Los Angeles

\

Sunglasses: Gucci

Shoes: Ralph Lauren

Pants: Shinestar

Necklace: Liz Claiborne

Sweater: Charter Club

Belt: Master Design

Coffee Cup: Daiso
Hair: Heather Smith @The Drybar, Fashion Island, Newport Beach
Makeup: Francisco Estrada
Photography: Franz Swantko

Today, I am wearing a yellow floral and tan look for Spring.  I wanted to add this big bold white bead statement necklace to pop the whole outfit.  I'm also loving this belt, because with it, I can dress an outfit up or down, and it gives a cinched waist look.  These soft yellow shoes by Ralph Lauren are so classic and are the perfect shade for the Spring season.  How do you feel about wearing yellow? I used to avoid yellow because I didn't want to wear something super bright, but it's all about finding the right shade of yellow that looks good on your skin tone and also one that you feel comfortable wearing.

Have you ever visited Los Angeles?  Travelling around the city streets of Los Angeles, you are no doubt going to stumble upon artistic painted murals on the sides of city walls, fences, sidewalks, etc.  Almost everywhere you look, there is some sort of artwork staring you in the face with bright colors, begging to be seen.  Most of the time, the colors are bold and attention grabbing.  I can only assume that the artists who draw or paint these pieces of artwork want their work to be seen and not go unnoticed by passersby.  How do you feel about bright artwork and clothes?  I think bright colors are so cheery!  I would consider myself an artist also,  and I know many artists who prefer a particular drink.  That drink of choice is...you guessed it COFFEE!  Artists in LA love to hang out in coffee shops :)  It's particularly fun hanging out in coffee shops where I can see up and coming artists showcasing a song or poem on "Open Mic Nights".  Those are really fun evenings to go to a coffee house and see who may be the next big thing.  Do you enjoy attending Open Mic Nights? Seeing all of those talented people performing week after week, makes me want to get up there and sing too!  I miss singing.  I used to sing all the time, but now I just work, blog, and shop lol.  My background is in classical voice, but I do other artsy stuff too.  

What kind of talent do you possess?  Do you have a talent that you aren't using? Do you sing, dance, paint, craft, sketch, sew, blog, design...?  If you aren't using it, then I encourage you to start using it.  I've noticed that the number one reason that most people who have talent, and don't actively engage in it, is because they are...you guessed it, too busy and they don't make time.  In my opinion, it's a shame to receive gifts of talent and not use them.  Gifts are meant to be shared with the world. When you don't share your gifts, the whole world misses out on something special too.  

Hope you have a joyful week full of dancing, sewing, doing DIY projects, designing, crafting, painting,  poetry readings, writing, blogging, taking photos, singing, showcasing, and sharing your music and art!

XO Joanna

My Most-Loved Secret Hair Care Product by Hayashi

Hayashi System 911 Emergency Reconstructor 
for 
Dry, Damaged, and Over-Processed Hair

                                                                       

Hayashi System 911 Reconstructor for Damaged Hair

Do you have Dry, Damaged, or Over-Processed Hair?  

Problem Solved!

This post is going up because I have been getting a lot of compliments on my hair since I started this blog, but that wasn't always the case.  Over the years, I used to dye, bleach, and fry my hair with hot curling and straightening irons.  Like I had stated in my previous posts, my hair had actually started to fall out because of all of the damage done by these harsh hair products.  That's when I started to look into professional hair care lines and found Hayashi.  This is my favorite and most-loved product to use to repair my hair because it actually heals the damage already done and saves it from further damage.  I still dye my hair, but my hair stylist is always amazed that it has remained in such healthy condition over the years.  Honestly, I have been using Hayashi hair products over the past 10 years and have fallen in love with the entire line.  If you have a hair emergency, I recommend this product!

Here is a description of this product directly from the Hayashi website:

SYSTEM 911: Products that address the "special needs" of the hair and scalp. A unique reconstructive conditioning system that makes a lasting improvement in your hair's condition, leaving it silky, shiny and manageable

Deep reconstructor. Instant relief for hair that is extremely damaged, dry, brittle, over processed, permed or color treated. Amazing, fast-acting, reconstructive formula, won't build-up or over proteinize.

I hope you buy this product because it is the best hair product I have found to date.  I have tried other hair products, but I always keep coming back to my first love...Hayashi!

Hope you enjoyed this post, and always remember to look for your JOY!

XO Joanna Joy

Meaningful Mondays Quote "Don't Give Up"

“Don’t give up what you want most, for what you want now.”

—Unknown

Are the things you are doing now setting you up for what you want for yourself in the future?  Are you living your life without taking risks, or taking too many risks?  Are you saving up for something special, or spending recklessly?  Are you staying home and watching shows and playing computer games by yourself all the time, instead of going out and meeting new people or socializing?  Are you eating healthy and exercising, or living sedentary and eating unhealthy?  A lot of us live in a society of instant gratification, but sometimes the lifestyle choices we are making today, don't line up with where we see ourselves in the future.  If today, you aren't living in a way that is helping you attain your future life goals to be the person you want to be, and to live the life you've always imagined; you may want to look into the reasons that are stopping you.

Hope you have a Monday full of Joy!

xo Joanna 

Casual Easter Weekend in Mint and Taupe

\

Tote: Anne Klein

Sweater: Talbots Similar Similar Similar

Belt: Master Design Similar

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch Similar Similar Similar Similar

Heels: Bandolino Similar Similar Similar

Hair: Heather Smith @ The Drybar Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

How was everyone's Easter Weekend?  What did you do?  This weekend was fun.  It was  nice to get a chance to spend some time with my family and catch up with everyone.  We usually have potluck gatherings.  I always look forward to that because everyone cooks and makes all sorts of delicious food to eat.  

Today, I am wearing mint jeans and a cream sweater with taupe accents. I wanted to be comfortable this weekend, but I usually bring at least half of my life with me in my handbag haha, so sometimes I like to bring a bigger tote with me if I am going to be gone for an extended period of time.  Since mint is in, I thought I'd give these jeans from Abercrombie and Fitch a try.  Really loving this bag I bought from Anne Klein.  I have so many of their purses because they are so classically beautiful and feminine.  Anne Klein really knows how to accent a handbag perfectly with these nice gold details and fringe tassels.  This bag is so versatile.  It can be used as a work bag or a everyday bag.  This color is nice too because it can go with just about anything.  It's actually perfect for Spring!  

Have you bought anything in Mint yet?  

Meaningful Mondays Quote By Ralph Lauren

"I don't design clothes. I design dreams." 

—Ralph Lauren

Work It Wear Wednesdays-Polka Dots and Ruffles

Shirt: Yanyifang  Similar Similar Similar

Skirt: Tattered Boutique Similar Similar

Purse: Vintage Similar Similar 

Shoes: Vintage Similar Similar

Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

Polka Dots and Ruffles

Do you like to wear polka dots and ruffles?  If you do, then we have something in common.  Polka dots are a fun way to dress up a mundane work week.  I like to wear polka dots to work to put some pep in my step.  I've noticed that more people smile at you when you wear polka dots.  Have you? Maybe it's because it reminds them of clowns at the circus lol, or just looks fun and whimsy.  Whatever the case may be, I would say that polka dots are probably more of a bold and daring print to wear.  Since I was feeling daring with my big print polka dots and ruffles, I decided to go with a bright red pencil skirt because I love the black, white, and red color combo so much.  As for ruffles, now don't get me started on that.  Ruffles are so feminine and I have a hard time passing up anything with a ruffle trim or design.  

Just curious... Would you wear this to work?  

Hope you have some fun this week wearing Polka Dots and Ruffles :)

XO Joanna