What Would Kiki Wear – California Edition

Earlier this year, I traveled to DFW (Texas) for my brother and sister in law’s baby shower. They welcomed a healthy baby boy in early March. Fun fact: baby boy shares a birthday with our maternal grandpa, Bumpy! (IYKYK!) Ideally, we wanted to fly to Texas this summer to meet Baby but buying three plane tickets is a little expensive + my brother, SIL, and baby are flying to Ohio this summer for July 4th weekend and again in September for a wedding. So I’ll get to spend time with them a couple of times this year, which made me feel better about this decision. We found reallllly inexpensive rates to LAX through Spirit Airlines – Thurs night – Tues afternoon. I’ve never flown them before and flying with a toddler on low budget airline made me a little nervous due to their flight schedules (only about one flight a day so if anything happens – flight delays, miss connecting flight, etc…. you’re kind of stuck at the airport until the next flight/next day. Just my thoughts). Luckily these flights were direct both ways so I felt more comfortable booking and not being stranded in another state/another airport I’m unfamiliar with.

My uncle and aunt live in Long Beach, CA and will be retiring to Spain soon. We absolutely must visit them in Spain, too, but I haven’t been out to visit them in CA and they have the cutest bungalow house with the best backyard patio. Plus, enough space for the three of us to visit for a couple of days – we had to take advantage!

We didn’t have a lot of plans, we just wanted to see their CA lifestyle, tour Long Beach, visit some beaches, eat good food… and then my aunt brought up Disneyland for our toddler!! We were able to reserve tickets (everything is online now and it’s a little annoying that the ticket prices aren’t a flat rate. It’s based on day and projected volume. We planned to go on a Monday so the tickets were pretty much what you’d predict to pay).

So now that we had a couple of ideas for activities and events to do during our trip… time to pack!

I’ll admit that I am an overpacker! Through Spirit, we paid for one check on bag. ONE. BAG. This would need to fit my clothes/shoes/toiletry, Max, and Olivia’s items… so this was a challenge. I knew that Long Beach is known for being comfortable, casual, liveable… think skateboarders… For a casual outfit, I couldn’t resist color. I brought a short, flirty, oversized dress with a tropical print from the Jojo Fletcher x Resa collab vs a pink, floral, strapless midi dress for a more fitted look. The temps in LBC dropped from what apple weather was showing as we packed. Luckily I brought a jean jacket to pair with dresses because it was colder than I prepared for.

Not that we actually had plans for a “date night” since we traveled with our toddler, but a nice dinner out was a possibility. Maxi dresses can be dressed up or down and figured they are a safe choice. A bold print would mean minimal jewelry so packed these two options for our trip. The green tropical print is another Jojo Fletcher x Resa collab and the other dress is an Amazon find. The material is a thicker, sweater style fabric. Perfect for a cool California night.

What’s Long Beach without going to… the Beach?! But actually, I text my Aunt to ask if locals went to the beach or if that was too touristy. LOL. She said locals do go to the beach and she recommended Seal Beach for families (She also grew up going there). I have a hard time deciding between a colorful suit & coverup or sticking to the basic neutral…. What’s your vote?!

Last, but not least, what’s California without a trip to… DISNEYLAND?! This wasn’t the objective of our trip, but since we had a free week day, we decided to purchase a one day ticket to Disney. I’ve been to Disney World, but never Disneyland. I hesitated thinking Olivia would be too young, but she’s so into princesses right now, I really wanted her to experience this. We’ll save the Disney World plans for when she’s a little older, but DisneyLand is perfect for now because we aren’t planning on visiting the park for more than one day.Olivia’s favorite ride was The Little Mermaid. A lot of the rides were identical to Disney World. But such a fun experience!! We didn’t bring a stroller and planned to rent one, but when Olivia was ready for a nap, I searched on the app and the stroller rentals were alllll the way at the entrance. We were in Toon Town at the very back of the park. Ugh. So Max and I grabbed a snack, sat on a bench, and to my surprise, Olivia laid down on my lap and napped!! When she woke up, we were walking through Mickey’s house and he was saying Hi to her, haha. She actually still talks about this trip and asks to go back. So special.

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What Would Kiki Wear to Texas

Hey y’all! First trip of 2023 and I’m headed to Dallas/Fort Worth Texas for my sister-in-law’s baby shower! We have some extended family who live in Dallas so we plan to grab lunch with them the day we arrive. Traveling together from Columbus to Dallas is my mom, aunt, and cousin! This is about to be an epic girls weekend!

I’ve only been to TX once, when my brother lived in San Antonio. He and his wife recently moved to the Dallas area to start their own lawncare company. *Shameless Plug here* Lawn Treatment Programs – Greenskeeper Lawns (greenskeeperlawnsllc.com)

Sooo… HELP ME PACK! I feel like everywhere in TX has their own vibe and since i’ve never been to the Dallas area, i’m picturing it being faaaancy; But in Fort Worth, I picture wearing my Texas best aka western wear.

Other plans include the baby shower on Saturday. Can’t decide if I want to wear BLUE for baby boy or ORANGE to match the theme (A Cutie is on the way..). Saturday night we will grab some dinner somewhere. Recs? Sunday is brunch at T.Garcia’s hosted by the mom-and-dad-to-be. This will be in Fort Worth so we will have the rest of the day to explore the Stockyards! YEE HAW!

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What Would Kiki Wear to Spain

Hi friends! If you’re new here, I traveled to Spain in June to celebrate the beautiful wedding of my brother and sister-in-law!

Leading up to the wedding I think we were all complaining about traveling international and everything that entails but after the event, we were all healthy and safe and had THE. BEST. TIME! We quickly changed our tune and thankful for all of the planning they out into their wedding + accommodations.

My favorite part of planning was… the outfits. The wedding was postponed a year so I had a lot of time to shop and find exactly what I wanted for the different wedding events. I wanted to share the collages I created and put up on IG for votes. It was so fun to see what other people like/dislike and read their messages of advice. I’ve been continuing with the collages for other trips/events I’ve had this summer. Sorry for the delay on getting these posted but I’m going to work on getting those blog posts published over the next few weeks. Stay tuned! And let me know in the comments which outfits you like or didn’t like 🙂

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Moms Love Rosé in the Park

This is the first Mother’s Day since I’ve been a mama where we had beautiful weather!! We live in Ohio where April showers bring more May showers. It actually rained Saturday and stayed overcast. We got lucky on Sunday!

Last year, we did breakfast in bed and I thought that might be a new tradition. Nearby, we had a new market that opened with a few food vendors, a bar, speak easy, and an event center all in one building! The grand opened was last weekend (we didn’t go because, I’m not gonna lie, prefer being out in public when there aren’t big crowds. We showed up exactly at 11AM when it opened. Ordered some food and waited with mimosas on the outdoor patio. We were back at home in time for Olivia’s nap and that’s when I got our picnic basket ready: Rosé, black truffle guyere cheese, pepperoni wrapped white cheddar, wheat crackers, and dried fruit. I know these aren’t perfect pairings to rose, but it’s all about Mom and what she wants.

Truthfully, I’ve never been on a picnic. So my vision for a picnic experience might be shaped by images I’ve seen going viral, setups on TV, and on advertisements. I pictured romantic, florals, gingham, feminine…. so this dress was perfect for my vision. The right about of girly, ruffles, Peter Pan collars, pastels… everything but the gingham print (didn’t want to clash with the blanket). This dress is more of a splurge, but if you’re lucky enough to find it on a resell website, they are more affordable! I’m in between an XS/S and I’m wearing a small. The length is not too short, even with heels! It is a little looser up top and the tie string doesn’t do much to adjust that. The buttons are functional and there’s also a silver zip closure on the side.

Speaking of heels.. while it did look silly to chase my toddler around the park in heels and a dress…. how good is this combo? These suede lace up heels match the pastel florals perfectly and complete this outfit with a nice pop of color. This is my fourth time wearing these shoes and they’re extremely comfortable! I think they fit TTS.

I was able to link a very similar, if not the same picnic basket on my LTK page. This was a bridal shower gift years ago and I’ve been dying to use it! We’ve packed it on our beach vacations every year, but have only used it to carry wine to and from the beach at sunset and use the plastic cups, lol. It is a whole table setting for two – plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, s&p shakers, plus the washable blanket. Good amount of space inside too. Makes a great bridal shower, wedding, anniversary, birthday, or Mother’s Day gift!

Highly recommend a picnic in the park this Spring! It was really relaxing to sit around drinking rose in the sun. Let me know how in the comments how you celebrated and what your ideas are for Father’s Day, too! xoxo

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What I Would Have Worn in Austin TX (if my flight didn’t get canceled)

Hiiiii! Already behind on my blog! Not that there’s too much going on right now – Ohio is starting to thaw out from Winter. It’s finally Spring, but we get beautiful & sunny 70* days during the week and cold, rainy 50* days on the weekend. So annoying…

Anyways.. My husband and I had a weekend trip planned to Austin, TX. We wanted to travel to a warmer climate and LA, Sedona, and Austin made our top 3. We decided on Austin for an end of Feb trip. Side note: Sedona is still my #1 – I’ve never been to Arizona before – but it’s pricey! From what I researched, a flight to Phoenix and then renting a car and driving to Sedona is the easiest option. It didn’t seem very convenient for a weekend trip.

Fast forward to the week or two before our trip and me constantly watching the weather! The temps in Austin were dropping from 80 to 30 degrees, WHAT?! It was looking like the weather was going to be just as cold and rainy as Ohio :(. I knew I’d be chilly on our trip but it was a vacation and I wanted to wear the outfits I picked! Read on below for how and when I”d style these outfits.

To wrap up this story, the day of our trip (Thursday), our flight from Columbus to Dallas straight up canceled. There was an ICE STORM in Dallas and all flights in and out were canceled. We were able to rebook through Charlotte for about the same times as our original flight so all was saved.. right? As we both got the car loaded and were about to drive off, we got a notification our flight from Columbus to Charlotte was delayed an hour. We had a tight connection so with this delay, we were going to miss our flight. Back inside to call the airline! There weren’t any other flights out that would get us to Austin earlier than 9pm so we were already missing our half day in TX. If we rebooked for Friday, we’d get in at 4pm. Our returning flights were scheduled for 6am Sunday, so our weekend trip would have ended up being 24 hours of fun! We opted to get our flights reimbursed and we’ll book for another time. But by then, it will be a different season & different outfits!

Thursday dinner – we had reservations for a BBQ restaurant:

I realized I didn’t get a pic of the back of this top. It buttons behind your neck (you will need help with this – cannot button alone, kind of annoying) and then ties around your waist, leaving an open gap on your back. Very pretty and flattering fit. Wearing an XS.

Friday Shopping Outfit: South Congress & lunch at La Perla’s oyster bar

I purchased this dress from Pink Lily when it was on final sale at the end of 2021. I love the muted colors, soft print, and flowy fit of this dress! I had been waiting for a chance to wear it and thought shopping around South Congress would be perfect! Unfortunately, I don’t think this dress is available anymore but they do carry similar styles.

Friday Night Date Night: Reservations at Aba

Ahhh this top! I fell in love with it when I saw it online. The print and the color reminded me of a tropical vacation (or a Tex-Mex restaurant in TX). I had to have it, I had to try it on. How does it even stay in place?? I picked up some fashion tape to be extra prepared.Spolier alert, I definitely needed the tape! There is just this open gap going diagonal in the front of the shirt. Very fun top. Definitely a splurge and not something I’d wear very often at all, but it’s fun for a special occasion/vacation.

Saturday Day outfit: No official plans/Brewery Hopping

I was the most excited for this chambray jumpsuit! When we first made the decision to travel to Austin, my vision was a denim jumpsuit. There were a couple I had saved to favorites on Revolve’s website (tagged below), but I couldn’t pull the trigger on a $300 outfit… yikes. When I saw this pop up on Like to Know it, I have never swiped up faster!! I found it on an Indianapolis Boutique I’d never shopped before (Magnolia Boutique). Cuuuute items!! I actually ordered this jumpsuit, a green dress (appearing later), and a green tea piece top/skirt I’m planning to wear for our anniversary dinner.

This is the green dress I mentioned above. How cute is the back?! It’s so comfortable and I love it even more on than on the website. How cute are these white western boots with the studs? Literally had the hardest time choosing shoes!! I wanted to bring every pair of boots I own – especially with the colder temps.

A few weeks later, my cousin invited us to a themed “TX BBQ” party – and I was thrilled! I had several outfits to choose from, thanks to this trip :). Spoiler alert, I ended up wearing the jumpsuit!

We also celebrated my daughter’s second birthday. Stay tuned for that post next. XOXO.

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I’m Dreaming of a White…Sequins outfit for NYE

Hopping on to share the last post of 2021! This was my Christmas outfit but it also makes the perfect NYE outfit. I’ve worn everything from jeans and sweaters to Dresses to sequins joggers on Christmas. I’ve seen a trend over the last two years where, whenever I leave the house, I get as glam as possible, haha! Plus, I set the bar pretty high when I wore a skirt for Thanksgiving… I can’t be dressier for Thanksgiving than on Christmas, can I? I absolutely think you should wear whatever you’re comfortable in because that’s when you’re most confident! Confidence is always the top priority.

This off the shoulder sweater actually appeared on one of my IG ads. I thought it was a dress so I clicked on it to find it was two pieces (sold separately). I immediately pictured the sweater with a sequins skirt and did a quick search to see what I would find. I never dreamed of finding THIS perfect skirt – the color, the length, the quality, the slit. Everything about it is perfect! It’s even the same label as the sweater, coincidentally. Definitely a splurge, but I don’t have anything in my closet like this and think I’d absolutely be able to re-wear this for NYE or another holiday. I’m also a BIG fan of the graphic tee + sequins skirt + tennis shoe trend. Add a bold lip and you look so chic. That’s an outfit I could wear for a lunch or a dinner and feel more comfortable being in public.

The sweater is so soft and a cropped fit. You can front tuck it or not and either way still has a nice fit. It’s a boatneck neckline and can be worn on or off the shoulder. I love how the model wears it off the shoulder but wish I would have sized up one to achieve that a little easier. I ordered a Small and think it was a little tight to wear it off the shoulder all night. So size up if you like the off the shoulder look. I also ordered a Small in the skirt and it’s the perfect fit. Bonus, it’s fully lined! I was worried about the slit being too high but it’s conservative enough where I didn’t feel like i’d have to wear a slip or shorts underneath. I did see a trick on TikTok to wear a tulle skirt underneath something with a high slit and it looked really pretty! Might only work with a skirt more A-line or full but worth a try if you’re feeling uncomfortable.

Anyway, both the sweater and the skirt are FREE two day shipping! Still time to order and arrive before NYE… just saying 🙂 xoxo Happy New Year!!

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Last Minute Holiday Outfit

Only TWO more sleeps until Christmas Day!! Hopefully gifts are purchased & wrapped, meals are planned, and houses are cleaned. As an adult, it’s so stressful during this time! I’m so excited to see Christmas through my toddlers eyes. She reminds me it’s a magical time! Another stress point is.. WHAT TO WEAR. I definitely wait until the last minute to decide, search through my closet, find nothing, and panic! Luckily one of my favorite retailers offers two day shipping for FREE! If you’re in need of a last minute Holiday outfit (Christmas or NYE), I’ve linked a few of my favorites, including this dress!

This dress is a whole VIBE! I was worried this dress would either be too short or too puffy. I’ve never heard of this brand before but it’s started by one of the Co-Founders of Wildfox. I love this crimson color with the green and white florals. It’s red and green but not in your face Christmas-y. Perfect to wear after the holidays too. I took a chance and ordered an XS – a) it was the only size available and b) it was listed as a size 4 so I assumed it would fit but it was tight. A small would have been more comfortable. However, the length is perfect (I’m 5’2″) and still looks fine paired with nude heels. The organza fabric give this dress the perfect shape and the elastic trim on the sleeves isn’t restricting. My favorite part is the neckline – it’s so feminine. Makes me feel so glam…

I’ll be sharing one more Christmas look… it’s pretty extra but will be perfect for NYE, too. For now, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!! xoxo

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Christmas Family Photos 2021

One of my favorite Black Friday deals is from CVS! They offer 50% off photo orders so I use that as an opportunity to upgrade to the gold foil option. I discovered this deal last year and was excited to see the deal return this year, too. I used our fall family photos because, at the time, I didn’t know we were getting these Christmas photos.

My husband and I both work for Corporate Retail and his employer offered these free 10 minute photo sessions. It cracks me up that she didn’t want to smile in any of these pics! She’s still so adorable. It was such a beautiful setup! And while we waited for our turn, they had a coffee bar and Cheryl’s cookies available outside. We lucked out with a sunny day, too! Which was very fortunate since it was about a 30 minute wait and I was in a mini skirt.

I wasn’t sure what the background setting was going to look like, but I knew Olivia was going to wear this ivory dress with a fur collar. So I based my outfit around the same colors. I ordered this leather skirt in fall 2020. It’s out of stock now, but I did link a similar one from another retailer! The sweater was a last purchase from Revolve. Thank goodness for their two day shipping times. It was actually on sale when I ordered it but I see it’s back to full price. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to wear this, but I wanted to option. I love the shoulder and back cutout! It turns an a sophisticated ivory turtleneck sweater into something sexy. I normally order a S in sweaters because I don’t like them tight but they only had an XS available. It fits well but it is shorter or more cropped than I expected. Maybe the S would have been a better length but I plan to wear this sweater with skirts and high waisted jeans anyway.

Olivia’s been pretty opinionated about everything she wears: hats, shoes, mittens, coats, pajamas, and every day outfits. I gave her a choice of this white dress or a green velvet jumpsuit with gold embroidery and a fur coat. Tried the jumpsuit first but she didn’t even want to put it on. But had no problem with this dress. I think I saw Sarah Knuth post about this: she picks out two clothing options she likes and then lets her kids choose the outfit. Going to try that from now on. Any other mamas have any tips for opinionated toddlers 🙂

More Holiday content coming your way next week… xoxo

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West Coast but make it freezing

In early July, we flew for the first time since August 2019! We love to travel and fly several times a year. We still aren’t feeling 100% flying again but one of my husbands best friends was getting married in Portland so we made the journey. We wore our masks the entire time, which was tough because we had not one but TWO connecting flights in the way there. It was our first time to Portland and Oregon so we were excited for a new state to explore.

When I think of Oregon, I’m picturing earth tones so I packed a lot of browns and greens. Well, except for the coral dress I wore at the actual wedding haha. When I saw this sea foam dress online, I knew it would be perfect for the Oregon coast! The jersey material is relaxed and comfortable. I paired it with flat sandals to match the relaxed vibe of the fishing town. The material is extremely soft! How flattering is this one shoulder? I can see the color and style of this dress being a great transitional piece. I had wanted to purchase the XS but it wasn’t available. I ordered the small and it actually fit perfectly! I don’t think I would have been comfortable in a tighter fit. I purchased the dress full price, but it’s ON SALE for under $50. Check out my link above.

On the flight there, I actually told max “I forgot my swimsuit!” He then assured me the beach wouldn’t be a place to layout. But neither of us were ready for the freezing temperatures on the coast (Exhibit A – my face should be proof of how unexpectedly chilly it was, LOL)! We rented a car and drove from Portland to Yachtas (with a few stops in between) and watched the temp fall 20 Degrees. Lawwwwd!

Yachtas was recommended to us by the groom. He said it’s a quaint little fishing town with a brewery. We arrived in Yachtas an hour after the brewery closed, boooo. We really didn’t do our homework before this trip. The only thing we planned was our stay at the Overleaf Lodge. I absolutely loved our hotel! At check in, we got to choose from a selection of adult beverages! We stayed on the first floor and had a walkout patio with two adorandack chairs that overlooked the ocean. We were on a path to the downtown area but it was so windy and chilly outside that we took the first stop off the path we found. It was the next door hotel but it had a restaurant. We sat indoors by the window and ate terrific seafood. It was too cold to enjoy a bottle of wine on our hotel room patio, which was the intent. Instead we drank wine indoors with the window open so we could hear the waves breaking. Same same but different.

The next day we explored the walking path while we still had the warmth of the sun. Then we grabbed coffee/pastries from a local coffee shop and headed back to Portland with a stop in Willamette Valley. We had a whole day to explore because we were on a red eye back to Ohio. That part of the trip is next on What Kiki Wore 🙂

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Patriotic style

Land of the FREE because of the brave! To our fallen soldiers, your sacrifice is appreciated, not only on Memorial Day but every day.

We had a very quiet Memorial Day. The weather all weekend was pretty chilly – when is the last time Memorial Day Weekend has been cold?! It actually made it tough to dress for the weather, ha! It warmed up to high 70’s on Monday so we headed to a nearby brewery and enjoyed a beer on the patio.

I love how you can’t tell this set is two pieces! This cami top with a cowl neck is extremely flattering. The fabric is lightweight and very comfortable. Unfortunately, the top and shorts are sold separately. The reviews on this set almost scared me away, some comments mentioned how oversized, baggy, and one even mentioned the set looked like pajamas. I sized down in both pieces and think they fit great! The shorts have an elastic waistband which, again, makes this very comfortable. They’re flowy and have a beautiful ruffle hem – which almost can pass as a skirt. I paired this rattan belt around the waistband to make the look even more seamless. I liked the look without the belt too (I’ll share a photo below). I also grabbed a denim jacket before walking out the door. Final accessory was red lipstick to keep up with the red, white, and blue theme! This is cute inspo for both July 4th and Labor Day.

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