Last month, a few influencers traveled to Litchfield, Arizona to support a beautiful local farm called Blue Sky Organic Farms. Leased farmland is quickly being sold for housing and retail development, so farms like Blue Sky Organic Farms needs support through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture subscription) or through their amazing Farm Store.
The Farms Store sells lots of fantastic local and regional brands. I purchased a bag of Noble Bread and garlic seasoning by Molly’s Mills, along with a Blue Sky Organic Farms hemp tote and coffee mug. After seeing the goodies I brought home, my husband wants to return to purchase some other produce and spices!
To further support local farmland, we were treated to a bag of Spud Buds potatoes. Spud Buds is a three-generation family potato farm from Idaho, and they deliver to Maricopa and Pinal counties, right here in Arizona! I will cover a few recipes we made with Spud Buds golden potatoes in a future post, and they were absolutely delicious!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Spud Buds created Spud Funds to assist organizations with reaching their fund raising goals by having access to restaurant quality potatoes. Check out their site for more information on how you can help!
Thank you to Swell Video for bringing together a few influencers to raise awareness in helping to support local & regional farms!
As an influencer, I have been so lucky to have met and interacted with amazing local brands and businesses, both in San Diego and now that we live in Arizona. In addition to fashion, I’ve become a part of an incredible network of foodies who care about patronizing and promoting local eateries.
I posted this on my Instagram today, because there are those who are unable to have the regular income that some of us are able to have during this uncertain time. Many are in the food & beverage industry, so a group of foodie friends and I are banding together to help raise funds to provide to some of our favorite eateries in The Valley area of Arizona.
Please see the information below, which includes a link to a site where you can donate, which is powered by Avontage.
Local Phoenix influencers are uniting to make a difference!
Due to the current financial climate of the world and the impact that the COVID-19 quarantine has had on small businesses and their staff. We are rallying our resources to support these workers struggling to provide for their families.
We would love your support as well!
Whether a:
⁃ donation through the @avontage link (see below); or ⁃ support of your resources; or ⁃ a share of our efforts;
We ask that you join us in easing this financial strain for thousands of Arizonans out of work. We have chosen 35 local small businesses to support!
Join us in our mission to support the Phoenix food & beverage industry in these uncertain times!
Have you heard of the app Think Dirty? One of my co-workers recently turned me on to it, and the concept behind it is that it allows you to scan beauty and personal care products to understand the potentially toxic ingredients in the products we use everyday. Recently, I found out that most of my products rate at a 7 or higher! Products that rate anywhere in the 7-10 range contain ingredients that have potential serious negative long-term health effects.
That same week, Kali of In Spades mentioned she would be at Credo Beauty in Westfield UTC for a beauty event. “All of the brands we carry at Credo must pass our screening process proving they use only safe ingredients (nothing harmful or toxic), are cruelty-free and committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable production.” What a wonderful coincidence that the day after I discover the Think Dirty app I end up at a beauty event featuring #CleanBeauty products!
One of the lines carried there is called Nu Evolution, which is a green make-up and beauty company owned by two sisters Kali met during NYFW. I received this beautiful lip gloss called “Bliss” in the gift bag from Credo. Their products are gluten and cruelty free, made with all natural and organic ingredients such as Cocoa & Shea Butter, Coconut, Castor & Jojoba Oil. This gloss is rich and non-sticky and “Bliss” is a lovely high-gloss pink, that still appears subtle on the lips.
Innersense is a green hair care line whose products all rate at 0-3 on the Think Dirty app, and I got the chance to chat with one of the founders, Greg Starkman, at the event. My hair is quite thick and coarse, and requires nourishment because it can easily dry out, or overly greasy when unwashed. I purchased their Hairbath (shampoo) and conditioner, and received the leave-in conditioner as a gift. My hair is in dire need of repair, and I already feel the wonderful effect of using an all natural product. My hair is softer and takes product well after use.
Thank you Kali for letting me know about the event, and thanks to Diane, Store Manager at Credo Beauty. She really spent some time with me to explain their concept and product lines, and introduced me to my new favorite deodorant by AER, sold exclusively at Credo. I tend to get irritated under my arms, and I needed a totally clean deodorant that would help to calm the irritation but provide the protection I need. Bonus: it comes in a Blood Orange scent!
This week is National Dog Week and what better way to celebrate than to do a blog post inspired by PuppySpot, about how our awesome little rescue, Joey, has impacted our lives and how dogs can not only improve our emotional health, but also our physical health as well.
The biggest impact Joey has had on our lives is that he has not only brought us happiness, but he has become a part of our family. He is with us in our day-to-day routine, but he is also with us at important gatherings like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. Joey brings us true joy, especially when he interacts with our son, Dominic. Those two are inseparable!
PuppySpot created the graphic below, showing how pups improve our health through our hearts, minds and bodies. How has your dog impacted your life? Let me know in the comments below!
My friends, family and co-workers often comment on my style, saying that I’m daring and different, which I really take as a compliment. There isn’t much I won’t wear, but whatever it is that I’m trying out for the first time has to fit my edgy style. I’m no stranger to solid leggings, denim “jeggings” or printed jeans (see posts here, here and here), but I haven’t worn any kind of brightly patterned leggings since the bold floral ones I wore in high school. I think I feared that a printed legging was too “revealing” because although they were technically pants, they were very form-fitting and felt like tights that should be worn under a long knee-length tunic or dress. Leggings just hug everything, and maybe they weren’t supposed to be worn by a 40-something-year-old like me and should be left to those leggy supermodels! Black leggings are easy to wear because they are, you know: black. But printed leggings were a bit of a conundrum for me because I wasn’t entirely sure if I loved them enough to wear them outside of a yoga class or at-home-lounge-wear. The athleisure trend is growing more and more in popularity, so integrating leggings into one’s wardrobe has become part of the norm. After promoting Elastic Wonder’s newest venture (blog post here), and being inspired by the “Try-Day Friday” initiative from plus size clothing company Dia&Co, I thought I’d finally put up this outfit post.
I worked on this outfit post with my sister months ago, when one of my friends asked me to try LulaRoe leggings because she was one of their “Retailers” at the time. I decided to finally figure out what all the hype was about because so many of my friends were telling me how soft they were and that the prints were fun. Being the kind of fashion blogger that I am, I just couldn’t picture myself in kinds of whimsical prints that were available through the collection she presented in her online trunk show. After viewing many-a-legging later, I finally found a pair that I felt I could style: star printed leggings.
Truth be told, the LulaRoe leggings are very soft and the elastic is comfortable on the waist. Really, I chose these leggings not only for the star print, but because there were only three distinct colors: silver, yellow and black. I know that the attraction to these leggings are that their prints are unique and bold, but I would rather wear leggings in a variety of bright solid colors, or a simple bold houndstooth or checker print.
I’d like to say a special thanks to Dia&Co for the inspiration to finally have a reason to share these pictures, not only because we should all dare to try something new, but because I really loved the location my sister and I picked to do this photo shoot: Albert Einstein Academics in South Park. Let me know if there are any fashion fears you are willing to face and try out on a “Try-Day Friday” in the comments below. Cheers and have a great weekend!
Outfit: Forever 21 sweatshirt; LulaRoe leggings; Bodhi “Safety Pin” purse; Altuzurra for Target ankle boots; BonLook “Keiko” sunglasses; Leather wrap Depeche Mode bracelet by Little Treasures by Mir; rings by Wendy Brandes; Earrings c/o Kendra Scott (here); Karl Lagerfeld Watch
Fashion powerhouse Balenciaga introduced the “Cosmetic Pantashoes” taking the thigh-high boot to a new level by creating a legging/boot hybrid. I love the look, and it can be worn so many ways, as in the images below from The Daily Mail (article here). While the look is sleek and very fashion forward, the price tag of $2,850 may be a little more than most of us can afford.
Balenciaga’s Pantashoes
Elastic Wonder’s LeggingShoes™
One of my favorite designers, Idil Vice (see posts here, here and here of her rock inspired designs), has a second company called Elastic Wonder, showcasing her amazing spandex clothing line. To expand her current line, Idil has a Kickstarter project that will offer a more affordable version of the Pantashoe called the LeggingShoes™.
In addition to the fabulous LeggingShoes™, her new Kickstarter project also features 80 fabulous solid colors of her spandex leggings and tights, as seen in the images below. With fall just around the corner, these leggings, tights and LeggingShoes™ will brighten up any wardrobe!
There are 15 different ways to back this fantastic project, and you know I’ll also be supporting it as well. Click the link below for the Kickstarter campaign, and check out samples of the the colors Idil will offer of the leggings and tights, including a color card of all of the colors that will be available at Elastic Wonder once we help her hit her goal!
It’s been a busy year for The Chen Family! From getting new jobs to graduating college, we’ve been busy bees since the start of 2017. As a blogger, I do have the occasional post that I’m required to upload no matter what, but there are also many events that I get invited to that I share mostly on my social media platforms. Outside of those required posts, I’ve finally found time to post a few catch up posts of all the wonderful events I’ve attended in the first six months of this year.
Cheers!
Louis Vuitton x Unicef – 1/12/17
One of my blogger friends, Ashley Pöppe, works at Louis Vuitton at Fashion Valley and occasionally invites fellow bloggers and stylists to events there. At the Louis Vuitton x Unicef, a specially designed Lockit pendant and bracelet that was created to help children in urgent need was presented for purchase. For each sale, $200 was donated to UNICEF.
This wonderful bootie is called “The Ranger”
Easily my favorite set of pictures from that night! Kali from In Spades is a lovely friend and a blogger who I’ve come to know better in this interesting and creative world of blogging. There was a person stationed at this picture spot who just made us crack up as he was taking our picture, and we loved that he captured every giggle-filled moment!
Grand Opening of Flourish By Blues & Shoes – 2/18/17
Flourish by Blues & Shoes opened in February of this year where The Beat Clothing used to be in Carlsbad. Although I will miss The Beat dearly (see posts here and here), Flourish is a unique bohemian shopping experience with beautiful clothing, accessories and home goods!
Malia Designs Spring Collection 2017 – 3/16/17
I was introduced to Malia Designs two years ago (posts here and here), and I do everything I can to laud their cause, as they support the fight against human trafficking. They introduced their spring collection earlier this year at the Rigby & Pellar store in Fashion Valley.
It’s always fun to attend runway shows when I can, even when I arrive late! I attended the Primavera Fashion Show at Fashion Valley in celebration of the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and caught this video capture that I shared on my Instastories, as I arrived “fashionably late” from my office in Carlsbad.
Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer Collection 2017 – 3/31/17
Maria Von Losch is a stylist, author and blogger of Savvynista who I’ve also come to know. I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to a few of her events, including this one at Macy’s in Fashion Valley. During this showcase, she featured festival style, showing multiple ways of wearing the same piece.
A Stargazer Brunch at Vocabulary Boutique – 5/7/17
Cecilia Church, owner of Vocabulary Boutique, always has wonderful events either on location at her shop in Little Italy, or somewhere fabulous in San Diego. I’ll put up a full post of her most recent event on a catamaran (yes, shopping on a boat), but I also attended their delightful “A Stargazing Brunch” the day before my birthday back in May, complete with celestial cookies and a Tarot card reader!
How fabulous are these cookies?
I adore my Taurus necklace, a gift from Vocabulary Boutique!
Fashion Week San Diego Spring Showcase 2017 – 5/13/17
Fashion Week San Diego celebrates their 10th year anniversary this year, and I have been attending since 2013. Back in May, I attended the FWSD Spring Showcase 2017, which is the kickoff event to all of the celebrations leading up to the runway shows in October.
With Fatsani of Tasanni, one of the designers featured in FWSD 2015
I purchased a fabulous leather cuff from Alber Rezko (a jewelry designer who showed at FWSD 2014 & 2015) and a FWSD bomber jacket!
Natuzzi Italia Collection at Hold It Home – 5/18/17
Hold It Contemporary Home in Mission Valley had a VIP celebration back in May because they added luxury brand Natuzzi Italia to their showroom. Pasquale Natuzzi founded The Natuzzi Italia Group in 1959, and is Italy’s largest furniture house. The designs are beautiful, sleek, and meticulously designed and the event was fun to attend!
Sips & Sparkle with Art In The Find and Touchstone Crystal – 6/15/17
Conni of the blog Art in the Find had a fun event in June with Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski at the beautiful Bay Club Carmel Valley. Touchstone Crystal is a more contemporary arm of Swarovski, allowing more casual designs with the same quality crystals, that can be worn everyday.
Delicious drinks and appetizers provided by Bay Club Carmel Valley
We each got to take home a beautiful tennis bracelet by Touchstone Crystal
If you’re a regular follower of San Diego Style Bloggers by blog or Instagram, then you would have already heard about the event tomorrow night! I’m so excited because it’s in conjunction with Malia Designs, who I first heard about during an event I attended last year for Daisy Mae PR (I bought a scarf from them, post here).
Malia Designs has beautiful items made by Fair Trade producer groups, and “was formed to increase economic opportunity for women in Cambodia and to support organizations that fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia.”
If you would like to attend, please be sure to RSVP to [email protected] and I’ll see you tomorrow night!
I have voted in every election since I was 18 years old, whether it be a local election, primary and major presidential election. This was instilled in me by my father, who I watched participate as a poll worker at every election, whether it be local, a primary or a major presidential election.
More than ever, this election year is one of the most important I have seen so far in my lifetime. If you haven’t gone out to vote, especially in the West Coast, get out there because this is the time to really make it count.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to share my story about being a career woman, wife, mom and blogger while styling some looks at Wysh Boutique in Carlsbad, for the Elite Networking Group. As I mentioned previously, I have been a part of the Elite Networking Group for over a year, and it has allowed me to meet and mingle with so many great women who are from various backgrounds whether they own their own businesses or maybe belong to a great organization for a worthy cause. In fact, one of the ladies I met that evening recently interviewed me and included me in her “Woman Crush Wednesday” feature, and I’ll post about that next week!
Carlsbad has become one of my favorite places to frequent. I discovered Gaia Gelato and Wysh Boutique when I attended a media event at the Carlsbad Village Faire last year (post here). I’ve been back up there a few times with my family and I’ve seen Paola, one of the owners of Gaia Gelato at several events in the Carlsbad area. I took quite a few pictures of the evening, and you can also check out Cindy’s Facebook page for more!
I would love to thank the beautiful Cindy Matalucci creator of The Pulse (San Diego’s only interview style video marketing company) and the founder of the Elite Networking Group, for allowing me to share my story and introduce my blog to a growing audience! I would also like to thank Mogjan from Wysh Boutique for her always being so kind, and for allowing me to style some of the great clothing and accessories from her lovely store!
Spirits provided by California Fruit Wine Co. I’ve had their wine at several events, and they are so refreshing and light!
Light snacks provided by Hands On Pasta. I’m not sure what that dish right above is called, but they were like light little pizza puffs. I easily ate ten of those that night, I’m sure of it!
Photo courtesy of Gaia Gelato; everything they create is simply delicious!
Mojgan, owner of Wysh Boutique, spoke first and told us her story of wanting to bring together a little bit of home goods, fragrances, accessories and clothing all in one elegant boutique.
The looks I styled with merchandise directly from Wysh Boutique. Mogjan has so many great items, it was easy to create some great summer-to-fall transitional looks! I bought that sweater by Lush, one of my favorite brands, because the color is great for fall with a unique neckline.
I’m standing next to a favorite look I styled: A wrap blouse with high-waisted flared jeans and a hat from San Diego Hat Company. I actually had to keep replacing the blouse because it kept getting shopped! In fact, I heard from Mogjan that they sold out of the outfit and I saw on Facebook that they recently restocked it. I need to go back and pick it up!
Sugarzuly is a fantastic line of purses & bags by a lovely lady named Monica and her sister, who created the weekender bag above, and the one I styled with the sweater and frayed-edge jeans. They are up-cycled from Huipil fabric, from her native Guatemala and Central America.
I have collaborated with Sugarzuly by styling one of the purses from their newest line. Be on the lookout for that outfit post soon!
The great thing about being a part of a networking group is meeting new people. Here I am with Ashley Poppe of AshPoppe – From Wear to Where, a blogger who recently moved here from Seattle!
With Cindy from The Pulse and founder of the Elite Networking Group!
