Apple Crazed

October 28, 2014 Kelly Donohue

October 27, 2014

Julian Orchard, CA.

Apple picking. Could there be a more perfect autumn ritual? And oh what lovely things come with it! Fiery fall foliage, round-red apples, and crisp fall air… well those were all the things that came along with fall trips on the farm in New Hampshire growing up. But now that I’ve found myself in Los Angeles, the season-less land of sunshine and sand, I have had to venture elsewhere to get my fill of festive harvest fun. Luckily, there are several quaint “apple towns” just a couple hours outside the city that have a far-away country feel.

In years past, I’ve spent time visiting an orchard called Oak Glen, but this year I decided to change things up and try out a little town, just an hour outside of San Diego called Julian. Lovely and not-so little, this place was full of things to do! We could have definitely spent another day there to be honest. Complete with apple orchards, candy stores, hard cider stands, wine tasting rooms, unique shops, vintage-style diners, pie shops, pumpkin patches and even chillier air, it made us all a bit more excited about the season ahead!

For my day at Julian, I decided to wear a breezy burgundy floral capped sleeve dress (on sale now!) from Forever 21 with some deep brown Charming Charlie leggings and ivory combat boots. This look was fun and femme while still ultra comfy and cozy- especially with the addition of the open-knit cardigan.

Dress: Forever 21 (ON SALE NOW!)

Open Knit Cardigan: Forever 21 (Similar/ exact is sold out)

Combat Boots: Forever 21

Leggings: c/o Charming Charlie

Home sweet home. The little town was full of adorable nooks, with a timeless old school charm waiting to be discovered around every corner.

While I don’t love buying apples from the grocery store, there is just something that makes handpicked fruit taste oh so much sweeter. Right?

Mom’s is a must. It’s full of delicious treats. We stopped in for apple pie and candied apples but they also have just about everything else that is yummy like apple cider and warmed baked treats- YUM!

Blue Door Winery was a favorite among our many stops. Not only did it have an adorable outdoor seating area, but it also had some of the tastiest sangria I’ve tried since Barcelona!

...And then this happened while I was walking down the street. I mean, who doesn't love a lama on the loose?

Oh what fun!

Shop This Look!

Photos By: Courtney Locks (who is also in some photos this week!)

Reunited.

June 18, 2014 Kelly Donohue

June 18, 2014

UCLA.

I remember the first time I walked around the campus at UCLA like it was yesterday. Some of the things that immediately stood out were: the pristine palm tree-lined walkways, Bruin-Walk’s never-ending flight of stairs that led to some gorgeous views of Los Angeles, sorority houses similar to some of the mansions I’d seen on that MTV show, Cribs, large iconic brick buildings that seemed to take up even more space than the small New Hampshire town that I grew up in, and a lawn that was suitable to layout on in between classes. It certainly was the most beautiful campus I had the opportunity of visiting during my college search, and although I eventually acclimated myself to my surroundings, I really never quite got used to it. Perhaps it was simply because it was so different from the world I had grown up in, or because it’s the college that I’d seen depicted in so many movies growing up- either way, UCLA was a place that was and always will be very close and dear to my heart. I’m a proud Bruin and always will be!

That being said, while pretty buildings, warm weather and tall trees certainly make the living easy, the real beauty of college, aside from the world of knowledge you are intending to gather, of course, is the friendships you make. While I was at UCLA, I was lucky enough to meet the beautiful, talented, and brilliant ladies pictured in today’s post, and I’ve been even luckier to call them my friends. All UCLA alums, we each have unique stories and backgrounds, but this campus has unified us all. Since graduation, while we remain close, we’ve continued to follow our own creative paths: Alisha is a wildly talented singer and is well on her way to stardom (her EP just dropped a couple days ago- check it out here!), Lauren is about the tie the knot with her longtime love in a couple months, Espi just got back from staring in a film in New Mexico last month, and Sylvia, a fellow fashionista, is the creator of one of my favorite fashion boutiques and blogs, Mickey’s Girl!

It has been way too long since we have been back on campus and we figured, in honor of UCLA’s graduation weekend, we’d make this a perfect excuse to finally get back to our old stomping grounds, pretend we were new graduates, and pickup some leftover diplomas. Ha! I’m kidding about the diplomas, but it was really great to get back there. And the best part was that because everyone else was graduating, they thought we were taking an obscene amount of photos because we were graduates too! People walking by congratulated us, cheered us on, and I think we even got a couple high fives, which only added to the fun of the day. Who doesn’t love a little time machine action, right? We just took a quick ride back to our heydays of college graduation and we enjoyed every second of it. Can you blame us?!

Mickey’s Girl is an adorable boutique with clothing and accessories that stay ahead of the current trends. Today for our UCLA reunion, the whole gang is dressed almost exclusively in clothing and accessories from our pal, Sylvia’s shop. Like our differing personalities, we’re each able to exude our own personal style, which shows the versatility of these pieces from her latest summer collection. Collaborating with Mickey’s Girl for this shoot was a dream. Not only was it great to work with a dear friend, but I also love how the clothes maintain a touch of Sylvia’s Southern California vibe, one that represents where we all met, and a place that we’ve all come to love.

Sylvia's Look:

Blooming Jumpsuit: c/o Mickey's Girl

Neon Tassel Necklace: c/o Mickey's Girl COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this new summer item!)

Alisha's Look:

Slit Chiffon Skirt : c/o Mickey's Girl

Sun & Moon Crop Tank: c/o Mickey's Girl
COMING SOON! (Similar tank here)

Espi's Look:

Pocket Button Down Tank: c/o Mickey's Girl

Black & Neon Print Pants: c/o Mickey's Girl COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this item!)

Lauren's Look:

Neon Embellished Bib Necklace: c/o Mickey's Girl

Chambray Crop Top: c/o Mickey's Girl

Ivory Lace Wide-leg Pants: c/o Mickey's Girl

Kelly's Look:

Peach Baby-Doll Dress: c/o Mickey's Girl

COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this new summer item!)

Photos taken by: Courtney Locks

Courtney, who usually takes all of the photos for my blog, is our dear friend and fellow UCLA alum, and even though she insisted on remaining behind the camera for today’s shoot, I managed to steal this quick shot of her. She too is clad in Mickey’s Girl, sporting this adorable grey and white striped maxi-dress from behind the lens.

T.G.I.F.

May 2, 2014 Kelly Donohue

May 2, 2014

Fryman Cyn. Studio City, CA.

Every once and a while it’s good to get away. Sometimes that means exploring some place new with friends for the weekend, sometimes it’s hopping on a plane and taking trip to another country, and sometimes it simply means taking an hour out of the day to enjoy the quiet breeze away from the city traffic. For me, (and most everyone else in LA) hiking the canyons around Los Angeles have become a wonderful escape from the bustle of the city. Whether I’m blasting Beyonce and attempting to jog up parts of the trail on solo exercise runs, or catching up with friends while trying to conceal my huffing and puffing between laughter and talking, I am so grateful for the many trails that overlook this beautiful city.

As cliché as most people think it can be to “go hiking” here, it’s always a place where I can go and feel free, relaxed, and appreciative of everything this great city has to offer. Looking past the smog at all the tall buildings, lavish homes, and private pools, it’s hard to imagine that Hollywood is just a couple minutes away from the oasis provided by these natural trails. Sometimes it even feels like I’m back home in New Hampshire with all the greenery, wildlife and flowers, but regardless, I have always found these hikes to provide a retreat of sorts from the chaos of the city, which can be found just a couple miles away.

Courtney and I went this morning to Fryman, which is closer to the Valley and a little quieter than some of the trails near Hollywood. Even though we started pretty early, we couldn’t escape this incredible heat and roasted up there! It was still great though and I must say, it is always my favorite way to start out the day. Oh and look at all the beautiful yellow flowers! They were absolutely everywhere- glad Court wasn’t wearing yellow or else I would’ve lost her!

Anyways, I hope you are all able to do something fun this weekend. Whether you try out a new lunch spot or get out of town, it’s always important to recharge your soul. TGIF!

I got all my workout gear from Forever21. They really have the cutest options and of course, they’re incredibly affordable! Who wants to break the bank in something they’re going to be sweating in anyways?