Guest Post: Garden to Fashion by Starlet

Hi everyone, my name is Starlet, and I am guest posting on The Marin Scoop today. I blog at Can You Come Home and I run an online handbag shop, Meridian110. I write about garden to fashion where I take elements from the garden and bring out the fashion in them.  I love connecting the two worlds, nature and fashion, as a part of our lifestyle.

Today I want to share with you a rich and fun fashion trend that I spotted in the garden. Or rather, a wonder of nature spotted in our style world =)

One color blocking, so many ways! 



When I saw this adorable mini pansies in the Berkeley Botanical Garden, I immediately knew that I had to do a fashion spread for it. Another proof of nature being the inspiration of our fashion trend! So cool, no?

Do you dare dress up in color block?

1. Giambattita Valli color-block dress $1635 $818 from My Theresa 
2. Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique S/L Drape Sleeve V-Neck Color Block Dress $80.99 from 6PM 
3. Runway Zuzanna color-blocked dress $478 from BCBG 
4. Reverse Color Block dress $62 from Singer22 
5. Coco Love Pleats Excuse Me Dress $57.99 from ModCloth  my pick!

I love the bold contrast between the purple and electrified yellow. It's so fun and unexpected. While BCBG is always my go-to, in this round up, the pleat dress from ModCloth is my favorite. It's an effortless and cute way to take color blocking from day to night.

Accessorize in Color Block

1. DVF Mimosa Snake Embossed Clutch $475 from Nordstrom 
2. Irene Color Block Hobo Bags $148 $88.80 from Hobo 
3. Asos Priscilla Platform Color Block Leather High Shoes $146.59 $72.43 from Asos
4. Gianvito Rossi yellow purple contrast-trim suede shoes $1016 $847 from Matches
5. Genuine Rare Ametrine Diamond Ring $1799 $949 from FineJewelers super popular (other style has been sold out, and I can definitely relate why!)
6. Purple and Gold Stripe Self Tie Bow Tie by Elite $45 from Ties.com 

To ease the fear factor of working with bold colors, you can inject them in limited amount with accessories. Match with any neutral colors or pair with same-family-hues, you can create a gorgeous ensemble that will catch the eye.

There you have it: color blocking in garden inspired fashion. Thanks Sophie for having me today. I really enjoyed hunting these fashionable pieces, there were plenty that it was hard to narrow it down! (Plus, I cannot say no to bold electrified hues!). So, let us know, which one of these contrasting color pieces is your favorite? 

Amy's Fashion Postcard

I’m so thrilled to be guest posting on my friend Sophie’s blog today. We know each other from our years working in the fashion industry in London. I am now full-time Mum to a 3 year old, Noah, and I also pen a style blog over in the UK called; Simple Style Notebook. It is all about confident, modern, pared down dressing for the real world. My theory is that our lives are complicated enough, most of us are juggling children, and demanding jobs or businesses so our style shouldn’t be.

Last week we took our first holiday for 2 years to the beautiful Mediterranean Island of Menorca. It was such a joy to be by the azure sea with the sun on our faces [it has been the wettest summer since records began in the UK!]. Noah loved sitting on the beach, building sand castles and splashing in the pool. I enjoyed exploring some of the pretty back streets in the nearest town, Ciutadella where I discovered some cute little boutiques full of vintage inspired fashion and boho jewellery, perfect for the Balearic vibe.

Packing for a short vacation can be a challenge especially if you’re travelling with kids and your baggage allowance is limited, as we were on our budget flight. So the trick is to take versatile pieces that can work together. My tip is to stick with neutral colors with the odd bright splash to add personality. Here are some of my favorite holiday wardrobe pieces.

1.     White cropped jeans, Madewell

2.     Paisley bikini, J Crew at Net-a-Porter

3.     Bracelet, Anthropologie

4.     Grey jersey tube skirt, Old Navy

5.     White cotton tank, Club Monaco

6.     White canvas pumps, Supergra

7.     Striped t-shirt dress, Banana Republic

White jeans are one of my staples in the summer. They can be so easily dressed up for the evening with a beautiful printed blouse and decorative earrings [gold always looks great with white and a tan!], or you can match it with a simple tank like this one from Club Monaco for day.

The jersey maxi skirt is another brilliant summer piece that is great for day or night, you can even wear it as a beach cover-up pulled up over your bikini. I’m a stickler for tan lines so much prefer a bandeau style bikini for the beach, this bikini top even looks good worn under a light cotton shirt or smock instead of a bra.

I think dresses are one of the simplest ways to stylish dressing. You can throw one on and look instantly put together so I always travel with a few. A t-shirt dress like this one from Banana Republic is light, comfortable, and could even work for travelling in.

Wardrobe sorted we had plenty of time for relaxing and fun. I always travel with my trusty DSLR and a notebook, I found these cute notebooks in TK Maxx for a few pounds here in the UK and we made one into Noah’s holiday journal. This is such a great way to keep special memories and Noah enjoyed taking it to pre-school to show his friends and teachers what he’d got up to.

We also enjoyed making a passport for Noah’s bears from a free printable at Pretty Blog: 

Wherever you’re off to this summer I hope you have a lovely time, and I hope you can visit me over at my Simple Style Notebook blog.

Kid's Storage Solutions

My friend Sam Howe is a mother of two young boys and in the middle of house and garden renovation in Southern Marin. You can follow her progress and home decor inspiration in her blog The Renovation Diaries.

Sam is sharing some of her storage tips with us for children’s rooms this week:

Kid’s Storage Solutions

“If your kids are anything like mine then they already own mountains of toys, books and clothes and it’s up to us moms to stay on top of it so the home doesn’t become one giant playroom.  So good storage is critical but there’s no reason why it can’t be a design feature or a stylish accent piece in your home - functional doesn’t always have to mean boring!

Here are a few of my favorite storage ideas that can be a focal point in your kid’s room, rather than being hidden away!

I love these zigzagging baskets by Land of Nod as a way to bring a bold pattern into your child’s room. Don’t be afraid to experiment with accessories and mix patterns & color – it’s an easier way to update a room than painting a wall and is less commitment!

Land of Nod zigzag storage boxes

These amazing LEGO boxes available at The Container Store will have your kids excited to clean up after they’ve played with their toys, plus they look pretty fantastic when out too!

LEGO storage boxes by The Container Store

This adorable bench by The Company Store is not only a stylish piece of furniture but it can hold a mountain of larger toys too – just perfect for your little princess’ room!

Hand-made by artisans in Africa these bright baskets by Serena and Lily add a nice twist to the usual plastic buckets for all your little ones belongings, they will grow with your child and they make great laundry bins too!

Serena and Lily storage baskets

Create a photo ledge/bookshelf as a way to showcase your little ones favorite books – this makes a great wall feature and is easy for them to engage with. IKEA has great cheap options.

Honey & Fitz Blog image

Finally if you have a simple storage unit and want the boxes to go in it then think about adding some color into the mix to make a statement – this rainbow storage idea from the Land of Nod is simply stunning and so easy to do!

Land of Nod storage units