Life Lessons

Ruche blouse and jacket, Forever 21 sweater and scarf, Jessica Simpson skinnies, Ralph Lauren boots, Steve Madden tote, Target sunglasses and quilted gloves

A few weeks ago, my family and I took a day trip up to Big Bear Lake. Even though it wasn't cold enough for snow, I was still able to layer up and accessorize/stay warm with gloves and boots. I've been loving the combination of olive and blush pink, and I like how the softness of this knit infinity scarf pairs with the tougher feel of this faux leather and suede moto jacket and aviators. The brown-toned boots, bag, and scarf further helped to soften this look, and were ideal for this mini road trip. 

We spent the day taking lots of pictures, eating, and complaining about how cold it was. There was some manmade snow, so some of us went sledding, but most of our group went on a fun hike. 

Life lesson of the day: Don't wear shoes with heels through the woods. In my defense, I did wear leggings under my jeans, so I was somewhat prepared!  

Happy 1st Birthday, Polka dots and Purses!

Today marks the first birthday of P & P! It's hard to believe that a full 365 days have passed since I shared my first post with you all. This blog has become more than just an online fashion diary. It is a part of me, a safe haven where I share more than just my clothes. It is something that is all mine, with no rules and no restrictions. I love the freedom I have with P&P to be able to share my feelings and my life with all of my readers. When I prepare a post for you all, it is relaxing--a way to de-stress and make time for myself. And, with each post, I hope to bring a little smile to everyone's face, not just mine. I hope that I have been at least somewhat successful at that this year.

I also want to use today to reflect on how thankful I am for all the support and love I have received throughout this first year's journey. I want to give a big thank you to my family and friends who joke about the "blag" but continue to push me to share and post, my favorite photographer without whom this blog would not be possible, and, of course, to every. single. one. of my readers that continue to return to my site and give such positive and heartwarming feedback! It is because of you all that I continue to push myself to keep working on sharing new posts as often as I can!

As for 2014, I am hoping to bring you all as much new and consistent content as I possibly can! I can't wait to see what this new year has in store for Polka dots and Purses!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!  

Holiday Party

Forever 21 dress (old) and purse, Zara Coat, Francesca's necklace, H&M belt, Cathy Jean pumps

On Saturday, I went to my work holiday party. It was the first holiday party I've ever attended, so of course, picking what to wear was a nightmare, and my room was left looking like a tornado attacked. I ended up going with a pretty literal interpretation of "holiday" and picked a basic red dress and accessorized with ivory and gold. A pop of green with my envelope crossbody was perfect to carry my ID, keys and lipstick.

After 2 hours of traffic, we spent the evening eating, chatting, and playing games at Dave & Busters--it was a great night and I'm so glad I decided to go! Plus, I came home with a snazzy stainless steel travel mug (worth 750 tickets), so I'd say it was a pretty good night.

I get 3 days off of work, so I'm spending the first half of this week with friends and family (and lots of food, naturally). 

Happy holidays everyone! 

Rebellious

TJ Maxx shimmery top, Ruche coated black skinnies, Kohl's necklace, Jessica Simpson Booties, Tory Burch clutch

So, I call this my "edgy" look. I know, SO rebellious with a preppy Tory clutch and sparkly top. But it's the leather-look of these coated jeans that is just so out-of-the-box for me. I don't usually wear dresses and skirts, so I wanted to try something new with my pants. And I think they're my favorite purchase this season! The dark color palette is quite different from my usual colorful ensembles, but I actually am liking the charcoal and black for a night out with friends or even a family dinner.

I paired the jeans (which are SO comfy, by the way) with an oversized, yet feminine top and understated accessories. While the snakeskin clutch and silver necklace would otherwise be considered statement pieces, since they're in the same color scheme as the rest of the outfit, I like that they don't overpower the look. 

There's something so refreshing about trying new things, even if it is just new pants!  

What Does the Fox Say?

Old Navy fox sweater, Kohl's embellished blouse, Jessica Simpson dark wash skinnies, Rock and Republic pumps, Henri Bendel bag, Kate Spade watch and bangle, Burberry glasses

Ok, let me just state the obvious: there is a fox on my sweater. And, before anyone asks; Yes, half the reason (ok, maybe the only reason) I bought this is to have a post titled exactly what it is titled. So, now that I've admitted on the internet that I choose my clothes based on oddly popular YouTube videos, we can move on. 

I was never a huge fan of layering my clothes because I felt like it created unnecessary bulkiness. But, now I love it to add an extra pop to my outfits! I paired this sweater with a hot pink blouse to pick up on the fox's glasses (foxes wear glasses?!) and to bring in some sparkle with the pearl embellished collar. Neutral accessories seemed like the way to go with such a quirky statement sweater, so I chose a simple bangle and gold watch with my Henri Bendel duffel.

Fall/Winter has been extremely mild here in SoCal, as expected, up until this past week where the temperature dropped dramatically. So, I've kind of just been pretending it's cold enough to wear sweaters and boots. 

And I know what you're all thinking about the glasses. Totally on purpose to match the fox. Obviously.