La La La Laguna.

Bubbles on the Beach.
Bubbles on the Beach.

This past weekend MSM surprised me with a spontaneous staycation in Orange County! He only gave me a few moments to pack and told me to not over think it 🙂 He knows me well.

What to wear:

I was excited to take my beautiful new Fendi Crocodile sandals for a test run before wearing them in Hawaii. Good thing I did, too, because by hour four my feet were bleeding (ah the price we pay to stay in style). Once the bandaids were in place, things were fine. They are actually very comfortable. Since I wore them all weekend, the leather softened so next wear will be great. Lesson learned- break in sandals only a few hours at a time.

Coffee at Downtown disney. Notice the fab sandals pre bandaids. Chaneling Peter Pan's Crocodile?
Coffee at Downtown disney. Notice the fab sandals pre bandaids. Chaneling Peter Pan’s Crocodile?
Close ups so you can see. Shoe image pulled from Saks website
Close up so you can see. Shoe image pulled from Saks website

For all you beach goers, I have found (via Danielle) the most AMAZING tote. It fits everything, does not get too heavy even when packed to the rim, is comfortable to carry and is GORGEOUS! The leather is coated so it will last for many years too. Its well worth the price. I love it for the beach and will use it as a carry on when traveling.

This was my first time wearing a sun hat (this one is spf 50). I felt so lady like.

Tote
^ Greatest tote on earth. Love!  Hat by Eric Javits. Both available via @styledbydanielleklein.

Hat

Despite the hat, don’t forget your sunscreen!

Bon Apetit!

We had a fabulous lunch at this quaint little restaurant called Anastasia’s. When I first saw it I thought “the eyebrow bar has a cafe now?” But they are not related. If your are ever in Laguna I highly suggest this place. The owner- I assume named Anastasia- walks around and talks/jokes with the customers. She’s lovely and has a great sense of humor. She is also very familiar with the area and can suggest other options regarding restaurants as well as where the night life is lively. They specialize in sandwiches, salads, and breakfast foods. Everything was fresh and I assume organic. They even custom make juices with fun names which unfortunately I didn’t write down, so I don’t remember (other than The Vampire, which I ordered).  The line to the counter was long but the food was well worth the wait. Delicious!

Eggs, Sammies, Salads, and custom made juices (I had the Vampire, which was delish!). The food at Anastasia's was divine.
Eggs, Sammies, Salads, and custom made juices (I had the Vampire, which was delish!). The food at Anastasia’s was divine.

Laguna Night Life

Despite living in OC for so long, I had never attended the local Sawdust Festival. Its an arts and crafts fair that I had heard about for years and always wanted to see. Ends up its really fun! We enjoyed wine and quesadilla while listening to live music and then walked around to see the art booths. One crafts woman created comfortable earrings for people with ears that aren’t pierced. I have to say – this is no easy task. This artist also has a sense of humor; she named her company Hooker Earrings.

Fun! These earrings hook onto your ear rather than clip. They are very comfortable. For more info visit http://www.hooker-earrings.com
Fun! These earrings hook onto your ear rather than clip. They are very comfortable. For more info or to purchase, visit http://www.hooker-earrings.com 

We ended our night with the Electric Light Parade at Disneyland! So much fun!!!

Until next time, Cheers!

Quintessential Jill

QJ

Hi! Its me, Jill.

Ramones Have you ever looked in your closet and felt overwhelmed? You love clothes but you have no idea what to wear or how to put them together? You buy discounted designer stuff only because its discounted and designer but by the way it looks like complete poop on you? One of the reasons I’m writing this blog is to share my journey from clueless fashionphile (who can’t outfit anything herself – see outfit above)  to fashionista. I’ve been working with a FANTASTIC stylist, Danielle (@styledbydenielleklein), since last year. AKA my fairy godmother and my “drug dealer” (I’m addicted to shopping- but actually since shopping with her i’ve spent less and have more great things to wear- so its a beautiful thing). I wish that I could have taken some before photos to document this from day 1, but oh well. We’ll take it from here…..because I”m still clueless…but Danielle says I’m learning so this is great news.

A little about me:

^ My cousin and I having fun with Karlito after a successful day of shopping with Danielle.

My name is Jill. 14 years ago I moved from a rural suburb in middle to east-ish America (that I prefer to think of as East coast, but honestly- its not) to Los Angeles, California. My initial move was to  South Orange County (love! its so pretty there). I stayed for 10 years but five years ago my fabulous career forced me to move to LA. Yes, it literally stood up and physically pushed me to move here. I’ve moved five times this past five years and guess what? I will move again, but this time, I’ve decided, it will be when I find a place I can afford to buy  🙂 I work in entertainment (TV editor) and I adore my job and all the exciting things that go along with it.

I love ballet, dogs, wine, traveling, shopping, cooking, photography, MSM and my friends. HereItIS I’m going to use this blog as a diary to document my thoughts, dreams, travels, insights, worries, recipes,  growth, whatever…..I want to honestly no holds barred share. It will reflect quintessentially me. I may change names here and there…just so I don’t get into any trouble. All photos will be taken by me unless credited otherwise. I’m hoping as things evolve I will be creating a chronicle of advice on how to stay happy, gorgeous,  and young at heart while growing into a strong, independent, responsible adult in the urban metropolis known as Los Angeles. No idea where this blog will take me or what i want to get out of it yet, but the best way to start something is to just start. So here goes…..(I hope I write another entry!) …I hope you find it insightful or comforting or helpful or something else thats good. Cheers, Quintessential Jill

QJ

*artwork by the talented Sam Spina.