California Crop Top

Can you believe that September is almost over and in a few days it will be the first day of fall!? It’s crazy because in LA it still feels like summertime.

It’s been consistently in the 80’s or high 70’s these days. That’s why the outfit shown below is perfect for a sunny, September day.

I wore a blue crop top with the word California on it, adorbly decorated with flowers and butterflies. I paired my crop top with denim cut-off shorts and yellow Vans to accent the flowers in my top.

My top is $15 from Topshop, my shorts were $20 from Forever 21 and my Vans were a gift!

I recently realized that I don’t smile often in my pictures, so I made the decision to smile during every photosession from now on. I can have more serious photos taken as well, but I want to make sure I get a few smiling shots in the mix since it is outside of my comfort zone.

I love my smile, but for some reason I just don’t feel like I photograph well when I’m smiling, so I want to break down that wall I have on myself and challenge myself to embrace my smile more in pictures.

I posted the pictures featured in this post on IG @coralbuttons, so if you follow me you saw my caption saying: “Smile more, #lifeisgood” and it’s true so smile and make the most out of your day everybody!

Is there something you want to improve on when it comes to your style or your photos? Let me know in the comments below!

Exploring Santa Monica

Before I get into my Santa Monica exploration, I wanted to say Happy May!

I can’t believe its already been 6, going on 7 months since I’ve been living in LA. I decided that May, and going forward, I want to take more time to explore what California has to offer me!

Since Santa Monica Pier is a hotspot, I made that my first exploration spot for May. Santa Monica is lined with cool shops and restaurants, a lovely beach and the pier full of rides, food spots, and attractions.

The view from the pier is so amazing!

My boyfriend, friends, and I walked the boardwalk and admired the ocean view. We rode the ferris wheel and also ate at Bubba Gump’s; it was my first time ever eating there and it was delicious.

We didn’t swim, but we definitely enjoyed the water and sand on our feet.

I paired a bathing suit top, worn as a crop top, with shorts from Forever 21 and bright yellow Birkenstocks I got from Nordstrom.

It was a perfect beach day outfit. I definitely recommend visiting Santa Monica Pier if you are vacationing to Los Angeles or California.

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Paris Fashion Week Inspired Photoshoot

In honor of Paris Fashion Week (pfw), since I can’t physically be there i had my own pfw inspired photoshoot.

It’s still warm for Fall here in Baltimore so I went with a summery look under a jacket that is perfect for Fall weather.

My crop top is from an online designer named Rhiverxx. The shirt says Melanin Goddess which I love because it embraces my love for being a beautiful, strong, black woman.

The croptop is lightweight and has a racerback. I also love it because, as you may not notice from the pictures, I can go braless while wearing it!

Paired with my top I wore black shorts with a white floral print. I purchased them from Forever 21 on sale for only like 5 bucks!! A great deal if I do say so myself.

The sandals that I am wearing are from Payless, an affordable store with some stylish shoes!

The duster/bomber jacket is from the lovely Zendaya’s clothing line, Daya by Zendaya. This rose gold color was definitely on trend this summer so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it make its way into fall clothing as well.

Since I was channeling paris fashion week vibes, I tried out a few different poses and angles and I think the shoot turned out quite well.

Sometimes you have to imagine yourself in the environment you eventually want to be in at some point in your life. Just because you couldn’t make something happen this year doesn’t mean give up on your dreams or goals.

I’ll be at Paris Fashion Week one day, whether modeling clothes, being a stylist for the models, hosting the backstage action or the show itself, or maybe being one of the designers. I may not be exactly sure where I will end up, but I know my future is bright.

Keep envisioning yourself where you want to be. Live life to the fullest. I believe in you!

Enjoy your Sunday lovelies!

Francesca’s Fun Floral Display – Embrace the Creativity Around You

Happy May everyone!

I hope that you are having a great week so far. For an assignment for my Parsons x Teen Vogue fashion class, I had to take a shot of  window display at a retail store that I thought was pretty interesting.

I went to my local mall, also the mall I currently work at and looked around at numerous displays. The one shown below at Francesca’s caught my eye because it epitomizes spring.

. The store had beautiful potted plants along the base of the mannequins possibly representing flowers blossoming in the springtime. The colors were varying shades of pinks, blues, and whites.

My favorite outfit displayed was the pink choker top with the blue shorts. In the background you can also see that throughout some of the store the visual merchandising team kept up with the floral and pastel colors and potted plants theme displayed in the window.

I think that this is a great example of a creative and informative window display. Every once in a while I think that you should go to a place you never been or a place you don’t frequent often and just take in your surroundings.

A lot of creative statues, buildings, parks, and people are right in your hometown or neighborhood. Try to meet some of those creative people and visit some of those beautiful places, because you will never know what will inspire you.

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies, you will be hearing from me again soon! ❤

Summer Ready

6 days ago was the official first day of summer! So exciting!

I am more of a spring girl, but I do love bright, beautiful summer days as well. With summer here, that means extra hot days.

As the days get hotter, the clothes get shorter….appropriately of course!

Today, I paired a mint and floral crop top with high-waist, lightwashed jean shorts. I love this top because the colors are very bold and bright.

My shorts are actually my first pair of high-waisted items I brought. I love that I can dress the shorts up and down depending on what top I pair with it.

To finish off my look I wore a pair of Steve Madden black ballet flats. ❤

Don’t melt in this summer heat and enjoy your summer everyone! 

Spring Essentials!

The weather is getting warmer here in Maryland and actually staying warm! I am so excited that I can walk outside without layers.

Spring is definitely in the air! So here’s a list of essential items you need for this lovely spring weather ^-^

Sundresses

Sundresses are perfect for warmer weather because they are usually made from lightweight fabric and are loose fitting. These dresses are feminine, flirty and come in a variety of styles and patterns. Colorful, floral prints are perfect patterns for the spring because you will match the beautiful flowers that are starting to blossom. Sundresses can be worn with flip flops for a more casual look or pair the dress with heels or wedges for a classier look.

Sandals

There are a numerous options to choose from when you are trying to find the perfect spring sandal. There are gladiator sandals, which go all the way to your knee and you lace them up. There’s also ankle strap sandals which usually have sometime of buckle around the ankle to keep the sandal on. If you like traditional sandals better, you can always wear the classic open thong sandals which are pretty much more sophisticated flip flops. Perfect sandal colors for the spring are pastel colors such as light pink, yellow, and blue or different shades of tan/brown.

Sunglasses

Since the weather is becoming beautiful again, we can all expect a lot of sun. Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from harmful sun rays, but they also make you look super stylish. These glasses are worn more as a fashion trends nowadays. There are so many styles and shapes too choose from such as round, cat eye, oval, and butterfly shaped. Sunglasses are perfect for days at the beach, but can also be worn on sunny days when you are just taking a stroll in a park.

 Shorts

Shorts are perfect for the girls who don’t really like dresses or skirts, but still want to be cool on a warm spring day. Whether it’s Bermuda shorts, gym shorts, cut-off shorts, or culotte shorts, all of them work perfectly for the spring. Shorts also come in a variety of colors and patterns such as denim, plaid, khaki and even floral. You can pair shorts with a tank top, a loose-fitting blouse, a crop top, or even a bandeau top. Add sandals to that look and you will have lovely and fashion-forward spring outfit.

Hats

The best hat styles for spring are oversized floppy hats, colorful fedoras, and straw hats. These hats are perfect for spring because they can block out the sun, are lightweight, and add a pop of color and style to any outfit. You can pair these hats with shorts and a tank top or even a sundress. If you really want to step outside of the box and try something new, try wearing a cute, patterned baseball cap. Add the cap to a white top, cut off shorts, and Converses to create a chic, but edgier look.

I hope you feel more prepared for spring now ❤