Fancy Fun: July 4th Laguna Style

Happy belated birthday America!

Unfortunately, midterms last week left me with little time for blogging, as all intelligence and imagination had to be outsourced into essay writing :(. But I'm back with tons of fun ideas for new posts!

Yesterday was our country's independence day, and it's a holiday I always look forward to! Aside from being a proud American, I always love any excuse dress nautical. ;) The hubby and I both had the day off, so we started the day casually rolling out of bed at 9am and heading out for brunch.

outfit details: Gucci headscarf [new, gift], Banana Republic top [new, $17], Levi jeans [new, $30], Jack Rogers sandals [new, $25], Rayban aviators [new, $90], Michael Kors watch [new, gift], Louis Vuitton cross body [secondhand, $100]

Aye aye captain! I love the east coast vibe of this outfit, and thought this combination would be perfect for celebrating America. The Banana Republic top is super breezy, and even has tiny anchors on the buttons over the shoulders. So cute!

These white Levi's are a total wardrobe staple. I have had this pair for about 4 years now, and they still fit great and haven't lost their shape! I have (unfortunately) bought much more expensive jeans that are no longer form fitting after one wear and wash.

The Jack Rogers sandals are a recent find that I am super excited about! I had time to kill, so I decided to stroll through Marshall's. This store is kind of a hit or miss when it comes to high quality items, but imagine my surprise to find these adorable gold sandals on the clearance shelf for $25! The reason given for their clearance status was because they were "last season", but if you are familiar with Jack Rogers, you will know they rarely change from season to season! Especially such a neutral, gorgeous color such as gold. I was at a store in Orange County, so maybe they are just not as popular there? Either way, I didn't let go. Here is a similar pair at the retail price of $118.

You have seen this scarf a number of times ( like here and here). I love it because I can use it so many ways! For this look, I tied it in a knot at the top of my head, and tucked one end to the front and the other to the back. Two bobby pins behind the ears, and it didn't move whatsoever! I felt the scarf gave a pop of color to the outfit, and made it more interesting. It also kept the hair out of my face. Total win.

Once we got back, we started to get ready for the rest of our 4th plans. Laguna Beach! I love the coastal cities of Orange County. They have a small town feel while still being sophisticated and having a large selection of bars, restaurants, and fun things to do!

outfit details: Gucci scarf [new, gift], Ralph Lauren long sleeve top [new, $20], Levi jeans [new, $30], Banana Republic heels [new, $20], Gucci belt [secondhand, $25], Gucci bag [secondhand, hand me down], Rayban wayfareres [new, $90]

I decided to re-use the white jeans from my previous outfit, and took the Gucci scarf out of my hair and tied it around my neck. So versatile! I decided on a long sleeve shirt because even though it's July, the beach cities often get down into the 60s at night.

The Gucci belt was a great buy. It is simple and goes well with most outfits because it is actually reversible, black and brown! I found it on TheRealReal at around $60. They were offering a 20% promo code, and also give you a $25 credit when you register an email and make an account.

We drove directly towards the coast, and enjoyed a beautiful cruise down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). We drove for about an hour, and made it all the way to Dana Point, CA.

After enjoying the views, we made our way back to Laguna Beach. We had a reservation at an oceanfront restaurant for dinner (and fireworks!), but arrived early to enjoy a drink and the sunset at their seaside bar, The Deck on Laguna Beach.

I ordered a Seaside Surfer, which was essentially a margarita with cilantro and a kick. Delish! The sunset was also to die for, and we had a front-row view.

Once 8pm rolled around, it was time to be seated for our dinner reservations. The restaurant is called Driftwood Kitchen, and was located in the same building as the bar, but upstairs. It seemed the entire building had been converted from a home to a bar/restaurant/lounge, but had a great laid back beach vibe.

We sat inside, but the restaurant offers floor to ceiling windows to allow for full views of the ocean, and later the fireworks. I had a glass of a delicious, sweet pinot noir rose, and we started our meal with quinoa salads. (Sadly there are no pics of food, because 1. we were super hungry, and 2. the hubby doesn't love when I take foodie pics in public with him around. You will have to use your imagination.)

The salads consisted of quinoa, sweet corn, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, and feta cheese. Very delicious, but super filling, so we decided to share an entree. We went with a house favorite, the lobster spaghetti carbonara. FULL of lobster and so flavorful! Highly recommend. Just as we were served our food, the fireworks began. Laguna Beach offered a gorgeous 30 minute fireworks show, and we had such an incredible view! Overall, incredible night of amazing food, ocean vibes, and fireworks to celebrate America!

I hope you enjoyed this adventure with me, and I plan to bring you on many more!
xo Sydney