Bold Color Blocking

I snapped these photos last month while looking for summer outfit inspiration in a local mall.  Color blocking is one of my favorite summer 2011 trends. It's a great way to make a statement with solids, especially if you shy away from prints.  Lately I've been stocking up on wardrobe staples in all colors of the rainbow in order to create an endless array of color blocking options. My two favorite three-color combinations are kelly green, lemon yellow, and bright pink, or royal blue, bold orange, and sky blue. And to think that there was once a day when I would never wear lemon yellow, bright orange, or hot pink.

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Celebrating the Solstice

The Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival are always on my summer to-do list. What better way to celebrate the official start of summer than to watch a fun and eclectic parade, enjoy some refreshments, admire the floats, and browse the vendors who set up shop in the park?  Everyone seems to be so happy and friendly, perhaps because they know the beautiful southern California summer is upon us.  My favorite aspect of the festival is watching the wide variety of fun costumes and vibrant adornments that the spectators and parade participants wear, such as: fairy wings, zebra prints, flower garlands, streamers, metallic capes, confetti, rainbow stripes, and tie-dye.  It's quite a colorful feast for the eyes. 

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Central Coasting

I took a few days last week to get out of town on a short road trip to the Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo area. Admittedly, being the shopaholic that I am, I did not refrain from shopping.  In addition to discovering some well-stocked thrift stores in Santa Maria and Grover Beach, I visited the largest Forever 21 store that I've ever experienced. At over 100,000 square feet, the San Luis Obispo Forever 21, located in a building previously occupied by Gottschalks, was a bit overwhelming. The advantage of such a large store, however, is the lack of overstuffed racks, crowded aisles, and disorganized merchandising. It was odd but extremely pleasant having plenty of room to walk between the racks of clothing. I managed to score two pairs of ankle boots from previous seasons on sale, and they'll be perfect for pairing with cutoffs and maxi dresses for the cool June gloom weather that characterizes southern California summers.

Apart from the tranquil ocean views of Pismo Beach, the charming boutiques of Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo, and the cool weather, the best part of the trip was stopping in Solvang on the way back to pick up decadently delicious Danish cookies from Mortensen's Bakery.  Sometimes the best vacations are short and sweet.

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