If it makes you happy, wear it!

Hope you enjoyed your Valentine’s Day, whether single or in a relationship! I actually love Valentine’s Day. A lot of people think I love the holiday because I’ve been in a relationship for a few years now, but I’ve actually loved it since I was younger.

As a young girl I watched wedding shows sometimes more than cartoons…I know, weird right. I was the student who wanted to give Valentine’s candy and cards to all of my classmates growing up. I just always loved the idea of love.

I know some people believe that Valentine’s Day is just a superficial and commercialized holiday, but I see it as a special day to go all out for your signifcant other in a different way than the other 364 days of the year.

And if you are single, practicing self-love and taking yourself on a date that makes you feel beautiful, confident, and happy is also a perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day.

Yesterday, Shawn and I actually had a very lowkey Valentine’s Day. It was a rainy LA day so we decided to stay in and catch up on all of our tv shows, which was fun and relaxing.

I only left my apartment to take the pictures you see in this post and then went back to the comfort of my bed, blankets, and snacks.

A few days ago I was trying so hard to figure out what to wear on Valentine’s Day just in case we went out somewhere. I was thinking about buying a pink skirt or a cute red dress to wear, but I honestly wasn’t feeling pink or red this year for the holiday.

I felt like every year I aimed for something pink, red, or white in my outfit to match the usual theme of the holiday, so I switched it up this time for a less bright and less girly look and I loved it.

Don’t get so tied up on themes or what other people are wearing, wear what makes you happy. For my non-traditional Valentine’s Day outfit, I decided to wear navy and black!

I wore a navy blazer from H&M and paired it with a black Topshop bralette, black FashionNova jeans, and black dress shoes from Nordstrom Rack. I felt like this outfit was sexy enough for the lovey dovey holiday while still being simple and stylish.

As I mentioned earlier, it was a rainy day, so I was excited to add my umbrella to my outfit. My umbrella has pink and white polka dots on it, which added a nice pop of color to my Valentine’s Day look.

If dresses make you happy, wear them. If crop tops make you happy, wear them. If you don’t feel comfortable in shorts and they make you unhappy, don’t wear them.

Anybody can wear anything that makes them feel confident and happy. All bodies are good bodies!

Have a lovely weekend!! 🙂

Find Fun Walls

Hey hey! Hope your week is going well. Today I will be showcasing an outfit and giving a tip I learned that can help take your pictures to the next level.

My tip: find fun walls that make your outfit and picture stand out.

Walls come in all shapes and sizes. There’s the traditional stone and brick walls, but there are also walls that are colorful and highly decorated. I love finding walls that compliment my outfit.

 

LA has a lot of cool street art throughout the city so it’s easy to find a patterned wall to use as a background. I actually found this wall on the side of a parking garage near Melrose. I chose this wall because the red and black pattern on it was bright and looked edgy.

I wore a striped button up shirt from FashionNova that I knotted in the front and black Topshop pants. To finish off my look, I wore teal, velvet heels.

I like versatile outfits and pieces that I can rewear multiple ways. If I throw on some flats with this outfit it works for a casual, everyday look. If I button up my shirt and throw on a blazer, it’s a professional look.

What pieces do you have in your closet that you love to rewear? Where are some good picture locations in your city? Let me know in the comments below and enjoy the rest of your week!

Rocking a Topshop Hoodie Dress and Vans for a Casual Slay

Hey hey! I hope your week has been fun and productive so far. It’s been a chilly and rainy few days here in LA, so after work I’ve been staying warm and cozy inside my apartment, doing yoga, catching up on a few of my favorite podcasts, and reading.

When it gets chilly in LA is definitely nothing compared to chilly in Baltimore, but i still try to dress appropriate for the weather. LA chilly is around 50ish degrees and requires a light jacket or sweater.

Some of the LA natives would call 50ish degrees cold but thats because they never felt 20 degree Baltimore or east coast weather lol.

I love dresses more than any article of clothing. Anytime i get to wear one I will. I recently found a great deal on this topshop hoodie dress.

Right when i saw it I knew I had to have it in my closet. It comes in a dusty rose pink color and the bright red color I purchased. I purchased it in red because I actually don’t own a lot of red and I loved how bright it was. I love having a colorful wardrobe!

Now some might say that this dress is outside my normal dress attire and they would be correct. My dresses are normally fit and flare, bodycon, or maxi dresses. Having it be so different from what I already own is one of the main reasons I wanted to buy it.

I paired this dress with gray and white checkerboard Vans that have red roses on them. The red in the shoes popped along with the red dress. I wanted this look to be casual, but still stylish as well. Buying a dress that is super comfortable and cute is a great find! Throw on some boots or heels with this dress and you have a cute brunch outfit or party outfit.

Aside from loving dresses, I also love fun walls! That’s why I was so excited when I found this wall near my job. The wall is green plants in a wooden pot fixture in the shape of arrows. I didn’t realize how cool the wall looked with my outfit until I saw the pics.

Visit my Instagram page @coralbuttons to see more pictures and to get some style inspo. Let me know in the comments below if you would rock a hoodie dress and if you would wear it more casual, dressed up, or both. Have a lovely rest of your week!

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!

Little Red Dress From Express

Happy Monday, hope your week is off to a great start.

Today’s featured look is a little red dress from Express. This is actually the dress I purchased for my college graduation 2 years ago and it still fits great and is in perfect condition.

I’m obsessed with the side cutout detail on this dress because it adds just the right amount of sexy. I paired this dress with my Topshop mules for a simple, sophisticated look.

I found this wooden structure in a walkway near my job and I had to get a picture in front of it. I like choosing artistic backgrounds for my pictures because i feel like the scenery is just as important as the pose and outfit.

Of course, the wooden structure allowed me to try new poses as well which was fun. What do you think of this look and background?

How important is scenery for you in your photos? Let me know in the comments below and have a great week lovelies!

Green is my color for 2018!

Happy Friday lovelies!

Hope you had a great week and I hope you are still going strong with Motivational March. I’ve recently fallen in love with the color green and noticed that a lot of the clothes I’ve been purchasing have been green!

My friends and coworkers tell me that shades of green such as olive and emerald look great on me, so I am starting to embrace the color. Be prepared to see a lot of green on my blog this year!

For the outfit featured in this post, I paired a green crop top from Forever 21 with a pair of black, ribbed knit flare pants from Topshop.

I love Topshop because their clothes are super trendy and comfortable. These pants have a lot of stretch in them and makes my legs and booty look great. To finish off my green look, I wore lime hightop converses.

I would consider this look sporty chic with a dash of cozy. Do you have a color set for your 2018 wardrobe?

And I didn’t forget today’s goal for day 16 of Motivational March: work towards breaking a bad habit and starting a new good habit!

Tell me what bad habit you are breaking and replacing with a good habit and your color for 2018 in the comments below!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Be Happy!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Today is Day 4 of Motivational March and my goals for today were simply be happy and smile often.

Somtimes we get too caught up in the negative or superficial aspects of our lives and we don’t appreciate the simple things.

I recently purchased this Topshop shirt that has rainbow stripes and the words “Be Happy” on it.

This was a great investment for me because it’s a reminder that everything is going to be ok and that I need to take things one day at a time.

I paired my shirt with simple black leggings and teal Vince Camuto chunky heels.

Let my #ootd be an inspiration to you this week. Be Happy!

Stay tuned for more Motivational March posts and let me know in the comments below if you are down to take the challenge as well.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Date 💕💞

On Valentine’s Day, Shawn and I took a trip to the Natural History Museum of LA and it was wonderful.

There are so many exhibits to explore and sights and activities to partake in, it is truly perfect for any couples, friends, or families who want to have some educational fun.

I’ll be showing pics from a few of my favorite exhibits and pictures of my outfit of course!

Age of Mammals and African Mammals Exhibit

Dinosaur Hall

Gems and Minerals Exhibit

Tattoo Exhibit

 If you are looking for an affordable and fun date in LA, definitely visit the Natural History Museum. We will be back because even though we seen all the exhibits pictured above, there’s even more exhibits to see!

Now for my outfit! I wore a white Misguided blazer dress which I adored.

The dress had gold buttons which popped against the crisp white dress. I paired this look with pearl bracelets and earrings, MAC lipstick, and my red Topshop mules.

 Have you ever visited this museum? Would you rock a blazer dress? Let me know in the comments below and have a wonderful week lovelies!

Visiting the Love Wall in Beverly Hills

Valentine’s Day is almost here so I recently went to Beverly Hills to get a pic in front of the super artistic and gorgeous Love Wall.

The wall makes for a perfect backdrop for a Valentine’s themed post. To visit the wall, I wore a cropped Topshop sweater paired with highwaist jeans from ASOS. I completed the outfit with sparkly TOMS.

I love that there is so much street art scattered all throughout LA. I hope to share some more pics in front of creative street drawings in the future!

Sometimes holidays make people feel lonely and sad because they either don’t have anyone to celebrate with, the holiday brings up bad memories, or a multitude of other reasons.

I’m here to tell you about a little mantra that helps me get through rough times that I learned from a Youtuber and that is Positive Mental Attitude.

Repeat that a few times and it will help you get into a better and happier mindset. So if you are alone on Valentine’s Day or in a long distance relationship remember to stay strong and focus on the positives in your life currently. Have a good day!

 

Cherry Top and Distressed Jeans

Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a great start.

Today, I wanted to showcase an outfit that I’m really excited about. This look is so special because this is the first time I’ve worn distressed jeans.

Growing up my mom and granny said there wasn’t a point in buying jeans with rips because I can make them holey myself, which is actually a great point when you think about it.

But with distressed jeans trending, along with the frayed/unfinished hem jeans look on the rise I had to invest in at least one cute pair.

It helped that these jeans were a $17 steal online at ASOS. I paired my jeans with a button up shirt from Topshop.

I love love love this top. It’s funny because I don’t even like cherries, but the shirt was too cute to pass up and it was on sale! To complete the look, I wore red mules, also by Topshop.

I will be getting a lot of use out of my new button-up and distressed jeans all spring and summer long. What fashion trend are you currently rocking or staying far away from?

Leave a comment below with your answer to the question and any thoughts on my look. Enjoy the rest of your day!