Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle. – Page 244 – As told by Jessica Steele. Based in NYC.

March 13, 2013March 7, 2015

Modern Art.

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(Ruche Dress; American Eagle Jacket; DV by Dolce Vita shoes)

I apologize for the absence over the past couple of days – but I think everyone would agree that best friends trump blogging. Wondering where I’ve been?…

Well, all over Los Angeles really. But on Monday I managed to get out of work early and spent the afternoon at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Along with two of my best friends (one lives here in LA, the other was visiting from New York) we’ve been lucky enough to wander among some of the most incredible art in the world together (the Louvre in Paris, the Tate Modern in London, Casa Batllo in Barcelona and – in the days when we all three lived in New York – the Met was a favorite). Life’s problems seem smaller somehow in the shadow of a masterpiece or two. One of my favorite things about LACMA is the great display of outdoor art. I won’t pretend to tell you what these yellow plastic tubes signify – but they were fun to run through. And these street lamps (which were all once used to light downtown LA over the course of the twentieth century), made for a perfect backdrop.

March 8, 2013March 7, 2015

Slumber Party.

My best friend from New York is coming in to town for the weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. Now, all that stands between me and a laughter filled weekend of staying up late talking, eating good food (that’s probably bad for you), shopping and running around LA is an 8 hour work day. Hope you have plans that you’re just as eager to get to. Happy Friday!

(Wildfox Lookbook; Print)

March 7, 2013March 7, 2015

Chameleon Cool.

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(H&M Sweater – similar here; Urban Outfitters Vest, Necklace from boutique in Austin, TX; Madewell Jeans – similar here on sale!; DV by Dolce Vita Boots – similar here)

I’m not sure if it was the military style vest or the abstract printed denim, or the ankle boots that matched the sidewalk, but I felt like I was dressed in urban camo once I left the house dressed in this. (Editor’s Note: The term ‘urban camo’ makes me think of that incredibly unsightly snow leopard colored camouflage.. so I took some liberties and named this post ‘Chameleon Cool’ instead)…

This vest (last seen here), though a little bit more rugged than my usual style has pretty much carried me through the Southern California winter. It’s the perfect layering piece to add a bit of warmth without a lot of bulk. And these printed jeans, while I originally thought may be too crazy, have proved surprisingly versatile. I wear them like they’re regular jeans, paired with t-shirts, sweaters, and chambray – they work just the same. I wore this look for a morning of flea market shopping (which if you follow me on instagram, you’d know proved to be quite a successful day) until the winter sun turned too warm and I had to change. The life of a chameleon.. I mean blogger.

March 6, 2013March 7, 2015

Mellow Yellow.

His-and-hers-fashion-mens-womens-style-post

(Him: Pac Sun Shirt; J.Crew Factory Jeans; Marc by Marc Jacobs socks – similar here; Aldo Sneakers) (Her: Topshop Shirt; Madewell Skirt; H&M Bag; Zara Heels)

So you might not be quite ready for the neon brights of summer, but you want to breathe some life back into your wardrobe as we wait (impatiently) for Spring? Go with yellow…

It looks refreshing, yet somehow seasonless when paired with a palette of greys, black and white. And especially cool when mixed with prints and textures. For him, that means a cotton shirt with subtle contrast (I love the grey stripes on this one) matched with vintage wash black denim. Pair it with one small pop of color (like a fun bright yellow sock that will peek out when seated) and then ground the outfit with an interesting yet simple black sneaker (the leather and suede duo stands out just enough on these). For her, mix textures and patterns a bit more fearlessly by pairing a boucle knit tee with a floral print cutaway skirt that features a similar greyscale. The leather and suede clutch is a nod to his sneakers and the two tone ankle strap heels tie the whole look together. Give yellow a try today and with any luck, the sun will come out tomorrow.

March 5, 2013March 7, 2015

Instagram Wall Art.

Almost as soon as we moved in to our current townhouse, I knew I wanted to create some sort of art using the Instagram photos I had taken along our cross country road trip this past summer. Not only are they graphic and colorful, but each photo reminds us of where we came from and the journey it took to get us where we are today. So, armed with this inspiration from blog ‘A Beautiful Mess’, the boy and I set about creating our own Instagram Wall Art…

The entire project ended up being easy and affordable (the best kind of DIY, right?). To save money we printed the Instagram photos ourselves on heavy photo paper at Staples rather then ordering prints (added bonus, they have super sharp paper cutters available for free use at Staples). The only initial hang up was finding the metal alligator clips – but in the end, Ikea pulled through on these. Everything else was found easily at Home Depot. The results are exactly as I imagined and I couldn’t be happier. It’s only been hanging a few nights and already several dinner conversations have turned to a particular picture and laughing about the memories that photo holds. (Follow me on Instagram to get a closer look at these photos and many more!)