Last Sunday, I was at Soho House enjoying what was an amazing Birthday brunch with several friends and family. The manager came over and asked if we would like to participate in” My Intent”…. an organization headed by Chris Pan (yes, the same Chris Pan of Facebook fame) and have our Word stamped onto a bracelet. With a resounding yes… we stampeded over to meet Chris and find out more about this incredible movement. In 2013…. Chris, for his 36th birthday had a friend offer to make him an “intention bracelet” by choosing a word that would be a reminder to live a better and more meaningful life. His first word? “Impact” because he wanted to remind himself to make an impact with his life…. and there my people… the “My Intent Program” was born. Us girls all chose our words and Chris stamped each one by hand in our presence. I chose “Protect as the mother in me came out at that moment and I decided that as the matriarch of my family that I would be reminded on a daily basis that protecting my family is one of my priorities. Since that Sunday…. I have come up with 100 different words that have come out of 100 different situations. But “protect” is my first with many more to come….
So easy to get your own Intent stamped… just go to www.myintent.org, choose your word and order. The easiest way to be reminded on a daily basis on how to live a better life….
One of the hottest trends this Fall 2015/16 is the boot. Take it all the way the thigh… and we have a sizzling hot 2015-16 trend. Dior did a patent leather sky high, thigh high that’s a serious fashion rage this fall and was my inspiration for today’s post. While googling leather gloves…. I somehow stumbled upon these faux patent leather socks that I wear in today’s photos. They are a tight fitting faux patent leather, thigh high sock…. that when worn with a platform pump gives the illusion of a thigh high boot. So much so that the 3 people that were at the shoot…. thought that I had on an amazing pair of boots. One even asked if it was the Dior. It’s not until you get up close that you realize that it’s actually a shoe…. and even then it just looks like a really cool shoe boot. Again…. another way to wear a shorter skirt with the ability to hide most of the leg. Great for older legs, tan-less legs or legs you just don’t feel like showing off.
Worn with a Peter Piloto skirt from last year, my all time favorite Cosabella bodysuit (more on this body suit next week), a YSL tuxedo jacket from my closet and around my neck is an amazing crystal Prada statement necklace from 6 years ago.
With some sky high love,
Laura Dunn
xoxo
Check out these amazing thigh high options and be sure to visit our Boutique page for more goodies!
The Fringed Cape is here for Fall 2015! I was so excited to put this look together…. as it’s one that I wore back in my high school days. Suede fringed jacket with my bellbottoms and Kork-ease…. I was quite the fashion-ista! It’s back again…. only this time a little more refined. A Zara fringed cape at $129.00 replaces my fringe suede jacket, which many, many years ago cost in the $450.00. Paired with Frame blue washed bell bottoms (replacing my Levis) a white silk blouse by Equipment (replacing a Led Zeppelin tee shirt)…. a pair of metallic gold Prada gloves…. and a pair of Fernando Pensato cork wedges (replacing my Kork-ease). I adore this look and you will be seeing a lot of fringe from us… this Fall of the Fringe 2015!!
One of my favorite transition looks for summer going into fall 2015…. The Shirt Dress. This is such a comfortable and easy look and most every designer has at least one this fall season. I counted 100 shirt dresses on Net-A-Porter alone! The beauty of this easy to wear design is the fact that by throwing on a chunky knit sweater and a pair of boots… I have a great cold weather look. My Ann Demeulemeester Black Lucia shirt dress was from last season, but with the change of a shoe… I will be able to wear it into spring 2016. I wore it with a pair of seriously embellished gladiator flats that I purchased in London this past summer and while I absolutely adore the gladiator…. my serious warning about the ankle gladiator flat is…. the fact that this shoe can cut our leg off at the ankle making any leg look a tad bit stubby. With fall on it’s way…. this little issue is something we won’t have to worry about for a little while.
Click the links below for great outfit ideas or you can always visit our Boutique page!
I found this white button down at one of my favorite Pennies & Posh stores… Forever21. Coming in at 19.00 it’s a great value and the bold black graphic writing gives it fun edge to a plain white shirt. I am the biggest fan of the white shirt as I have written about before (and I am sure I’ll write about it again in the future) but white is our best shade to wear on top…. as it acts like a reflector and gives every skin tone a nice glow. I paired it with one of my favorite denim brands… One Teaspoon. This distressed One Teaspoon skirt was my “go to” skirt over the summer…. and I will be wearing it to transition into fall with some chunky knit sweaters…. but for now…. I’ll just tie up my white shirt and dream of cooler days!!
Lots of Crisp Collared Love,
Laura Dunn xoxo
p.s. Check out the links below or visit our Boutique page for ways to shop this look! The One Teaspoon skirt was actually just marked down this week for Pre-Fall sales!
Please bear with us while we deconstruct FABULOUS365 in preparation of the brand new site….. with a brand new name!!
We wanted to end summer on a high note…. so we let Barbara Gallardo of Barneys New York, style us for this fun, flirty, floral fable. Barbara…. our Barney’s “go to” for anything fabulous….. hand picked this amazing floral Stella McCartney appliquéd silk crepe de chine jumpsuit. As breezy as butterfly wings, patterned organza appliqués were a major motif in Stella McCartney’s Spring/Summer ’15 collection. Made in Italy, this cloud print jumpsuit has beautiful wings that drape and flow with the wind.
We paired the Stella McCartney Jumpsuit with Phill’s Ice Cream to say Good Bye to Summer 2015…. and Hello to Fall.
We wish you the Happiest Labor Day and so look forward to the fun Fall ahead…..
Moral of the story:
Shop
WWW.BARNEYS.COM and don’t forget to ask for Barbara!
Lots of Labor Day Love,
Laura Dunn
p.s. There are a TON of amazing Labor Day Sales going on right now! Be sure to click the links below or check out our Boutique page for awesome deals and discounts! xoxo
This edition of Pennies & Posh brings us back to The Jumpsuit…. which is still going very, very strong for fall 2015. My sleeveless Forever21 black jumpsuit could not be a better transition piece… as it can be worn “as is” in September in Los Angeles. September is typically our hottest month with temperatures soaring up to 110 degrees! So dressing for fall when it’s that hot… can be a bit of an issue. This light weight jumpsuit is the perfect choice…. then I throw a little white button down under…. or a tee shirt with a cardigan on top… and it’s a great summer to fall transition piece for when the weather gets a bit cooler. At $19.00 even if I only wore it once it’s a steal! I added in another one of my favorite new looks… the gold metal belt. This stunner is is seriously a lot of look for a seriously little amount of money. I have seen several of these metal belts in the $500 to $1000.00 range and I actually paid $59.00 for the one I am wearing. I threw in the studded Christian Louboutin flats, a vintage Chanel Logo C necklace and Hermes leather bracelet to add the Posh factor…. and VIOLA! The Pennies & Posh…. Summer to Fall Transition Jumpsuit!
With Lots of Pennies and Posh Love,
Laura Dunn
P.S. The beauty of this jumpsuit is that any size, height, or age will look good in it! A total keeper! Great to wear with flats, heels or platforms
I bought my “Sheer and Now” Mesh Black Midi skirt at Express a month ago when it first came out and had to hold the story because the it sold out in days. It cost in the $89.00 range and for a skirt in this price range… it was like gold! The quality is way out of that league. So what’s a girl to do with a sold out skirt? Can’t write a story about it. Then I am perusing LuLu’s.… my favorite Pennies & Posh site only to find it! YAY! In stock and in white also. Can’t write about the skirt unless I see it…. so I order both. VIOLA! Same skirt… same quality…. Not same price! The one on LuLu‘s is only $56.00. So now we have a real Pennies & Posh love story…. featuring the lovely “Sheer and Now!”
www.lulus.com
I Posh-ed it out with my all time favorite platform pump… The Tribute by YSL. I bought this oh so classic pump almost 5 years ago and I am telling you…. if you buy expensive classics…. you will be sitting pretty. This 5 year old shoe looks almost exactly the same….. as the day I bought it. And if I tell you I have worn it over 100 times…. would you believe me? True true… Now the updated Tribute Two is out!
It’s officially here…. The Fall 2015 Shoe Trend of…. Fur Shoes! This trend has been hovering around the fashion arena for a couple of years, but 2015 is making it official. I found these amazing Simone Rocha fur trimmed shoes in London this past summer and I squealed with joy upon trying them on!
Two serious trends in one…. Men’s lace up’s and fur. You can’t go wrong with either in fall of 2015….. and in fact worn together they are a serious fashion statement. Which brings us to the question…. Why is fashion so important for us as women? Fashion shows the world who we are…. and who we would like to be. It’s one of the most powerful and empowering arts there is. Think of the amount time, manpower and money that went into the making of my silly fur shoe. How many people were employed in the process…. and how many were employed in the process of selling that shoe. Fashion is a daily way for us to embrace art, express ourselves and feel good about ourselves.
Is the Fur Shoe Movement for you?
When I booked our last minute trip to Kauai (we had to cancel a planned trip to Istanbul) I was not expecting much…nor was I planning on writing about the trip. I have been to Hawaii 18 times and many of them were on photo shoots. The last time I was in Kauai was so many years ago…. that I won’t even go there. To be frankly honest…. our last trip to Lanai was such a disaster we made a vow to never return to Hawaii. The Four Seasons on Lanai was so tired and so old that we all felt they should have burned it to the ground (it’s under new ownership now and it’s being completely renovated… yay!). When we arrived on Kauai and I had forgotten just how stunningly beautiful this island is. I was not expecting much in the resort department and I am glad I didn’t. That’s not what this island is about. This island is about beaches, outdoor adventure and the sheer beauty of this magnificent island. With all that said…. I want to give you a few must Do’s and must See’s on this ever so magical island of Kauai.
We drove past Nana’s 3 times expecting… I don’t know what…. but something a little bigger that the tiny little trailer that was present in the strip mall parking lot it resided in. Finally we found the Yelp “5 star” Nana’s Snack Shack. Nana had just gotten there and she didn’t skip a beat when we ordered our 18 items. Starting with the best smoothies and acai bowls my family has ever tasted, on to the waffle hot dog (a hot dog baked into a waffle) which my husband Steve, said it was the best hot dog he has ever had. My teriyaki chicken sandwich on Hawaiian sweet bread was so good that I think I moaned. A wrap, another sandwich and finishing off with Nana’s chocolate Kit Kat covered frozen banana…. Giving Nana’s 5 stars would be an insult… this little roadside stand is such a gem we went twice and everyone wanted to go everyday! Nana is culinary roadside genius!!
4-971 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746
Going on a helicopter tour was the last thing I wanted to do on the perfect mid-trip day. Beach yes! Out-voted yes! So helicopter we did…. and OMG I am so happy I was out-voted! To see Kauai by helicopter is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. Beau’s fiancé James, grew up flying in helicopters all over New Zealand and at one point told our captain it was the most beautiful scenery he has ever experienced. I had to agree. I can’t even verbalize the vivid visual beauty we witnessed. There are 14 amazing waterfalls on Kauai and seeing them from a helicopter is like a beautiful dream. Add in the fact that we had to go through training with Blue Hawainan to board that copter… and I would have to say it was the best and safest helicopter experience of my life.
www.bluehawaiian.com
Tunnels is the most beautiful snorkeling experience on the Na Pali Coast (north island) with a beautiful natural reef. I laid on the beach while my people snorkeled. The 360 degree view was absolutely stunning with a mountain range sitting just behind the ocean… making it a surreal backdrop. To see the most fish…. head to Lawai Beach aka: the Beach House in PoiPu. There is also a great restaurant also called the Beach House with fabulous lunch right next to the beach.
Chickens where everywhere! Hahahaha I have never in my life have I seen so many chickens running around any island. Adorable, but they have fleas so enjoy from afar! My chicken photo op turned into flea bite city.
We found the the best Shave Ice on the way to Princeville from Poipu (south to north). Wailua Shave Ice uses the finest Japanese ice grinder to finely shave their ice… and use only real fruit and fruit juices. Add in some milk and Viola!… the perfect shaved ice! To say we were in shave ice heaven is an understatement.
I just switched out “Shaved Ice” for “Shave Ice” after we were informed by “Shave” in our comment section. Thank you so much for letting us know! I had no idea!!
xoxox
The best dinner on the island comes from Merriman’s Fish House. Don’t let the fact that this farm fresh to table restaurant is in a cute little mall confuse you. We discovered Marriman’s 2 nights before we were leaving and managed to squeeze in 3 dinners (one on the way to the airport)… it was that good! Everything we ate at Merriman’s was amazing. From the Kalua Pig Quesodilla to the fresh beet salad that tasted like it was just pulled from the ground. There is a casual restaurant below the finer dining option below that serves gourmet burgers and pizza. AMAZING!
2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Rd, Koloa, HI 96756
Phone:(808) 742-8385
Ask me to off road…. Never. Ask me to go with other people on a tour… Never. Ask me to purposely get filthy dirty… Never. I guess never say never as somehow I ended up with my family at Kipu Ranch one beautiful afternoon. We went on a group off road adventure through a massive cattle ranch and I must say we had a blast! My husband was kind enough to let me drive so I could feel in control as a few times I wasn’t sure how we were going to make it out alive. Exciting… fun and really really dirty!
235 Kipu Rd, Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 246-9288
The Blue Hole Sea Caves and The Queens Bath Princeville are two of the most important visual wonders on Kauai. We saw both from the air, but due to weather conditions we were unable to see by foot or boat. A visit to both will be first up on our next Kauai adventure.
There are so many beautiful and swimmable beaches in Kauai, that my feeling is to look a few up on The Beaches Map and just go for it.
Any one of the many, many roadside juice stands will have a fresh chilled coconut for your hydrating pleasure!
p.s. Renting a car, suv or jeep on Kauai is essential. Plan on driving around and exploring this island for at least half of your trip. There is just way too much beauty to miss if you don’t.
