Casual

May 14, 2018

HE SAID/SHE SAID. 5 QUESTIONS ABOUT US + GARRETT’S GO TO MEN’S BRAND

ON GARRETT: SHARK PRINT BUTTON UP TOP || NAVY BOMBER JACKER || BLUE STRETCH CHINOS (COLOR ‘AFTER MIDNIGHTS’) || SUNGLASSES || BONOBOS X TOMS SHOES

Garrett and I have a lot of fun together. Like…a lot. We have been lucky enough to be able to work together recently on a few fun projects (more on that later), and because of this we spend much more time together during the day than we have in the past. And we don’t even get sick of each other! It’s really fun being married to my best friend.

ONE REASON WHY HE IS PERFECT FOR ME:

You all know I like clothes. I love everything about them: the way they make you look, the way they make you feel, and I love being able to express my current mood or point of view in a look. The cool thing about Garrett is that he really enjoys clothes and styling too. He is really picky when it comes to fit and quality of his clothing (and I am in total support of that). He ordered a few items from Bonobos a few years ago and we were both so impressed with the quality of each item.

They make really well designed mens clothing, and Bonobos recently teamed up with TOMS (another one of his favorite brands…I think he had 4 or 5 pairs in his closet). The TOMS x Bonobos shoe line is really worth checking out. Great prints and fabric with the amazing comfort that comes with a pair of TOMS. We both love this pair of shoes he got (I kind of want the same pair in my size). I love when two good brands collaborate, and this line is fantastic if your boyfriend or husband is in the market for a good comfy pair of shoes.

2 OF GARRETT’S FAVORITE MEN’S BRANDS

Garrett’s favorite piece of clothing from Bonobos are their stretch chino pants. A few years ago he ordered multiple pairs of chinos in all different brands and was frustrated with the fit of all of them, except for the Bonobos ones. Since then he has only purchased Bonobos chinos. They hold up really well through washings and have a nice stretch to them, making them comfortable to wear all day long. They are also great because they are nice enough for him to wear with a tie and button up into the office, and then with a more casual top and a bomber jacket once he gets home for dinner with the family. (ps: did you know Bonobos also makes suits? A Bonobos suit is next on Garrett’s list)

ON GARRETT: SHARK PRINT BUTTON UP TOP || NAVY BOMBER JACKER || BLUE STRETCH CHINOS (COLOR ‘AFTER MIDNIGHTS’) || SUNGLASSES || BONOBOS X TOMS SHOES

HE SAID/ SHE SAID

We wanted to do something a little fun with today’s post, so we thought of 5 random questions to ask each other, and we are both submitting our answers below. We never looked at each others answers before I published this post, which makes it extra fun!

1. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES WITH GARRETT/LEANNE?

L: There are lots of big grand memories with Garrett, like walking around London for our 10 year anniversary trip, but the one that first came to my mind was one of our recent dates where we just went to Urth cafe in Old Town Pasadena, ordered an herbal tea to share, and talked and laughed for an hour. We put our phones away and talked kids, business, dreams, and we were laughing our heads off. We both have similar senses of humor so when we are in sync we are freaking hilarious.

G: There are too many to count, so I’ll just name one that comes to mind. Our trip to London and Paris was amazing. While we were there, Leanne watched YouTube videos of Chelsea Football Club chants and asked questions about the best players so she would know what was going on and could enjoy the game. It was one of the first times she expressed interest in Chelsea and it was awesome.

2. WHAT SONG IS ALWAYS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD?

L: It’s usually a musical mash-up of Colors of the Wind and….you guessed it…Daddy Finger. I think I’ve seen 75% of Pocahontas once 20 years ago…no idea why it’s always in my head. And Daddy Finger is pretty much the soundtrack of our life right now.

G: I guess everyone knows this already, but at any given time I have a Little Baby Bum song in my head. Lately the one thru ten song. I’m trying my best to come up with a good song, but I rarely listen to music for pleasure anymore. I can’t even come up with a good answer.

3. WHAT IS ONE FUNNY THING GARRETT/LEANNE DOES THAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY?

L: I love that Garrett reads the Wall Street Journal everyday, but MAN that’s a lot of newspapers. I’m guilty of casually throwing piles of the papers away before he gets a chance to read them, but it drives me nuts to have so many newspapers in the house. Like…could he please throw away those 5 newspapers stacked up next to my 34 face lotion bottles in the bathroom please? That would be greeeat.

G: Leanne leaves everything everywhere because she’s too busy to put it away. But then, when she wants to clean, she wants everyone else to want to clean right then. It’s a lot of fun.

4. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

L: Easy. To freeze time so that I can take a 1 hour nap everyday.

G: I never know how to answer this question because I think too deep. What are my options? Probably immortality? Maybe invisibility? Isn’t the point that your superpower is also a curse? Batman is my favorite superhero and he doesn’t have a superpower so maybe I just want to be a reclusive billionaire. I’m pretty sure Leanne is going to tell me this is way too long.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHOW TO WATCH TOGETHER?

L: Other than Garrett scrolling through Netflix previews for an hour while I work on my phone? Haha! We recently started Arrested Development again together. It’s even funnier the second time around. We also love Seinfield, and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. We actually don’t sit together and watch shows very often. I would do it every night if we could, but we are both usually up late working at the dining room table together. Sitting on the couch in sweats watching a TV show is one of my favorite things!

G: Lately it’s been Arrested Development. We like Seinfeld, too. I think that we like older shows from TV’s glory days, like the Office, 30 Rock, etc.

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in partnership with Bonobos. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Dressy

November 17, 2017

ALL DRESSED UP ( + 10 FUN FACTS ABOUT US)

ON ME: NAVY KNIT DRESS || METALLIC PUMPS || TORY BURCH CROSSBODY BAG || GOLD INITIAL NECKLACE || SIMILAR LONG GOLD NECKLACE

ON GARRETT: NAVY SUIT || WHITE DRESS SHIRT || COGNAC DRESS SHOES || BELT || SIMILAR LAPEL FLOWER

Garrett’s birthday is this weekend, and we are spending it up in Big Bear. We are so excited to relax, unplug, and just enjoy time together with the boys. Since it’s his birthday weekend I thought it would be fun to do a little men’s look outfit post. If you’ve joined me here for while, you already know homeboy has a killer sense of style. He gets men’s fashion, he gets women’s fashion, and he has good taste. One thing we both agree on is that Nordstrom is a one-stop shop for all his favorite styles. They have a great suit selection. If your man is on the hunt for a new suit and clothing/style isn’t really his cup of tea, take him to Nordstrom and have him try on one of their fitted European cut suits. They are Garrett’s favorite. I probably like them a little more than he does. Garrett’s firm requires a suit five times a week…and you won’t hear me complain about getting to see him dressed up all the time!

We wanted to do something fun for this post, so we each wrote down five things about the other person that are funny/quirky that you might not know about us. I haven’t read what he wrote about me as I type this…so I’m just going to be very trusting and copy and paste his list below.

FIVE THINGS ABOUT LEANNE (written by Garrett)

She does not like feet. Like, at all. She’s not as bad as she used to be, but she used to be hyper-aware of any feet near her. Any time a foot would touch her, even discreetly or innocently, she wiped whatever it touched–whether skin or clothing–on something nearby.
Listen, everyone. It’s a real thing. She does not have a sense of direction. Doesn’t matter what location you’re talking about, she does not know where it is from here. Not without a minute to think about it. Actually, give her a minute to look at the map. Wait, that map doesn’t make sense…hold on. Can you just tell her?
In the four years we’ve lived in Pasadena, she has driven us home from Camarillo once (one hour drive to our parents’ house). If I’m available to drive (i.e., if I’m in the car), then she’s either working, taking a nap, or both during the drive.
Leanne is humble. Any time she gets a message from someone, she’s so flattered and surprised. “Sometimes I think it’s pretend. There aren’t real people who see these posts, right?” She is beautiful and strong and confident and talented and charming. But she is also self-conscious and self-critical. And humble. (I should note, she receives many nice comments and she always talks about her “followers” as her friends. “I got a sweet message from a friend today…” I don’t want to give the impression I’m saying this so people are nice. You’re already nice!)
Leanne is a good cook. She doesn’t cook enough to be a great cook, but she has it in her. Like her many other talents, she is very good at catching a vision, improvising, and adding a personal touch when she cooks. However–how do I say this?–Leanne cannot bake. We’ve speculated as to why, and I’m sure it would help to have a proper mixer, but if it requires flour or yeast or whatever else… it might not turn out.

FIVE THINGS ABOUT GARRETT (written by Leanne)

Garrett reads the Wall Street Journal almost daily. He also reads news constantly throughout the day. Anytime I’m excited to tell him about something…he’s already heard about it. I used to call him Wiki-Garrett because he’s my personal Wikipedia. He knew about Beyonce being pregnant with twins before I did. I was so excited to tell him about it, and after I did he said, “you are just now finding out about this?”
Garrett married me and then all of a sudden decided he wanted to buy a motorcycle and join the military. Um….what? He didn’t say two words about either one before marriage. I told him military service and motorcycles are two things that must be disclosed prior to marriage.
Garrett made up a song for each of our boys when they were babies. They are all different and he would still sing them to each of the boys at night. It’s so cute! Some of them are so random though. Eli’s song goes, “My name is Eli, you spell it E-L-I, I am the coolest guy, and I will tell you why, I’LL PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!” See? Random central!
He is good at every sport. He’s just naturally athletic. He says, “I just have good balance.” I can never beat him at anything. When he came home from his mission, I had just finished a racquetball class, and he had been in a third world country for two years and had never tried racquetball; I was sure I had him. He beat me easily the first two games we played. I was soooo frustrated! Then, I was right behind him towards the very end of the third game, and I was so determined to win when I saw he was playing with his left hand! He still won. I get super competitive when I play a game against him!
Garrett has a very good memory. He can remember details about conversations we had ten years ago. He can tell you the name of the lady we met at the car dealership 6 years ago, and her dog’s name, and what I was wearing when we met her. But he cannot (CANNOT) remember how old he is. It’s been like this since his mission. The other day he voice texted me from the car because he was sure he was turning 32. He’s not. He’s turning 33. Even using the calculator he couldn’t remember he is 32.

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in partnership with Nordstrom | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Dressy

May 31, 2017

TEN. (5 THINGS WE’VE LEARNED OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE)

ON GARRETT: BUTTON-UP SHIRT || SLACKS || SHOES || SUNGLASSES || BELT

ON ME: WHITE JUMPSUIT (I’m wearing a size small) || SANDALS || STRAW TOTE BAG || WHITE STATEMENT EARRINGS || SUNGLASSES

As I write this post, Garrett is currently passed out on the couch in his suit. On a couch, in a living room, in a home that we completely outgrew ten months ago, but we just need to deal because Los Angeles is crazy expensive. The boys all went to bed an hour after their bedtime, but that’s okay because we played a riveting game of Spot It, and we were both too tired to crack our whips. The house is covered in tiny stinky socks and shoes. Remnants of breakfast, lunch, and dinner are scattered all over the floors, and Bradley unloaded the school paper pile to end all paper piles all over the kitchen table.

We’ve finally reached ten years of marriage. What a huge milestone! It might have felt like I was complaining, but I can assure you that as I stood there thinking about our ten years together, I was 100% happy and 100% content in that exact moment. Garrett and I have been through a lot these past ten years (most recently taking an amazing anniversary trip together), and I am so lucky and so proud to be his wife. We were talking the other night about the past ten years and all the ways that we made it work, and I thought I’d share a few things we have really tried to incorporate into our relationship that have helped us get through it all.

5 Things We’ve Learned Over the Past 10 Years of Marriage:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. You respect him and he respects you. It’s funny how at the end of the day, it’s easiest to brush off the thoughts and feelings of the people you care most about. Maybe it’s because we spend most of our days working for and/or pleasing other people, that by the end of the day we are just too tired and all we want to do is zone out. But we have found that mustering up even 30 minutes to sit down together after a long day to talk and listen really helps keep us tune into one another. Keeping up small acts of kindness (filling up the gas tank, taking out the trash when the other person forgets, and not getting upset about it, offering to get the kids ready for bed, etc.) can really work wonders with how your spouse will treat you in return.

Never try to make a big (or little) decision together when you are tired or hungry. In our church on the first Sunday of each month we have a “fast Sunday,” which means we go without food for 24 hours. Those Sundays are definitely days we steer clear of any type of lengthy discussion because before we know it, we’re super passionate about who has the correct pronunciation of that Pokemon card.

Keep dressing to impress. I write this with zero makeup, a three-day-old messy bun on top of my head, and no shower today. I’m not a vision of luxury right now, but I do know the importance of dressing up just for him. Because you want to look pretty for him and he should want to look good for you. A lot can be said for a nice fitting suit! Garrett and I have our fair share of casual dates, but it is so much fun to get dressed up just for each other sometimes. Garrett has great style, so I can always count on him to come up with something classic and well cut after a trip to Nordstrom. I love when he puts on one of his favorite slim fit button up-shirts and his favorite slacks for a night out.

Make their goals your goals. When you are truly genuinely interested in your spouse and their goals, magic happens between the two of you. One of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite people, President Hinckley, is “I’ve tried to recognize my wife’s individuality, her personality, her desires, her background, her ambitions. Let her fly. Yes, let her fly. Let her develop her own talents. Let her do her things her way. Get out of her way, and marvel at what she does.” There are so many great marriage gems from this talk. Garrett read this quote about 4 years ago when I was hard at work with my clothing line and Elle Apparel. He thought long and hard about asking me to slow things down and not to put so much time and effort into it. Instead, he took the words of this quote to heart and became my biggest cheerleader. It’s the biggest (and sometimes only) reason I have stuck with my work for so long. I have tried to do the same for him in law school and throughout his career. When you have your spouse as your biggest supporter, it can push you to accomplish things that would be much harder to do alone. It is also really nice to have someone to celebrate the victories with.

Apologize. Because apologizing feels way better than winning the argument. As much as you know you are right, holding a grudge or going to bed angry solves nothing. And there’s nothing better than waking up in a good mood, on a good note, with your spouse.

It’s been an amazing ten years so far! As much as I can’t wait to see what the next ten years brings, I’m content to soak up every part of our life together right now.

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in partnership with Nordstrom | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Casual

May 26, 2017

MY CURRENT FAVORITE (AND INEXPENSIVE) DATE NIGHT ACTIVITY

ON GARRETT: BLACK POLO || BLACK BASEBALL HAT || SHORTS || SNEAKERS

ON ME: WHITE TOP || BLACK LEGGINGS || MINT SNEAKERS (so obsessed with these! so comfortable!) || GRAY SWEATSHIRT || SUNGLASSES

We might not make it out every week, but date night is pretty high on our priority list. Most weeks are crazy with Garrett’s job, the boys, my work, school work, baseball, etc, etc. By the end of the week we often feel like two ships passing in the night. All I want at that point is to be able to talk to him without being interrupted by a bottle chucked at my head, having to spell out certain (backslash swear) words, or use our top secret special language that we like to use in front of the kids (that is actually hilarious; they get so frustrated that they can’t understand us, and it’s the coolest feeling ever).

We usually dress up a bit and go out to eat, but by the end of dinner I end up feeling too full and I can’t wait to get home and change into comfy clothes. So last week we decided to get a sitter and just go workout together. It. Was. Awesome.

Does working out together on a date sound super cheesy? Maybe it is; I don’t really care. I haven’t gotten to go to the gym, or go golfing, or play tennis, with just Garrett in years. We both got some good exercise in, and then we had a yummy, healthy, and reasonably priced dinner at Tender Greens (I love that place so much). We ended our date night feeling accomplished, healthy, and pretty good about spending half the price that we normally spend during date night!

As far as clothing goes, I have loved Nordstrom’s cute activewear for years (more looks in this post and this post). But I just recently started checking out the men’s activewear section for Garrett, and it’s got great stuff! This Nike polo is great quality and would be perfect for the golf course. Garrett also loves the fit and clean lines of these shorts, which are made out of this awesome lightweight sweat wicking fabric. So my advice to you for date night this week is to get your man a few active pieces at the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale (along with a little something for yourself… how cute are these mint Nikes?), and do something active on your next date night!

SHOP OUR LOOKS..

in partnership with Nordstrom | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Holiday

November 18, 2015

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: FOR HIM

Men’s Holiday gift guides are one of my favorite guides to make, want to know why? Because I just hand my computer over to Garrett and have him pick all of his favorites. It make Christmas shopping super convenient, because now I know everything he wants!

I think these shades are the sexiest men’s shades. Black and classic. And the matte frame is extra durable.
Garrett has these shoes and they are the most beautiful shoes he owns. I am so so obsessed with them. (and so is he)
Ties can be manly and cute at the same time…right?
I own this watch in black and brown and Garrett and I take turns wearing them. Perfectly minimalistic and an amazing price. A sure bet for a Christmas gift!
Garrett just got this quilted jacket and it is awesome. Warm enough for the cold, but not real puffy. The pictures don’t do it justice.
One of my favorite colognes that Garrett owns.
This shirt. No way could Garrett pass this up! And at an amazing price!

I’ve broken down all of my (slash Garrett’s) favorite picks by category below. You can check out even more options from last year’s Men’s Holiday Gift Guide.

SHADES

TOPS

SHOES

WATCHES

GROOMING

ACCESSORIES

JACKETS

BOTTOMS

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Fashion

June 17, 2015

FATHERS DAY PICKS

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN

Have you gotten your Father’s Day gift yet? No? K good, neither have I. But I have done some research and here are a few of my top Father’s Day gift picks. A few of these items I have given in the past to Garrett (like this cologne– which is amazing, and these classic boat shoes that Garrett wears any chance he can) as well as a few items on his wish list. Happy Fathers Day shopping!

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Sewing

June 11, 2014

FATHERS DAY POCKET SQUARE: TUTORIAL

If you are still scrambling to figure out what to get your man this Sunday, here’s a quick and easy tutorial for you! My husband always appreciates a new tie, but has recently gotten into adding pocket squares, cufflinks, and tie bars to his daily suit ensemble. While I much prefer shopping for statement necklaces and stilettos, I have really grown to love how fun it can be to shop for men’s business looks.

A pocket square might be the easiest thing you have ever sewn. It takes hardly any fabric, and you can make him a handful of different colors/prints to choose from just with your leftover fabric stash! (although, most of my fabric is pretty girly so I had to do some digging. I don’t think he would be thrilled with a gold sequin pocket square).

Click below for the full (did I mention easy?) tutorial….

Materials:

piece of fabric that is at least 17″ x 17″ big (so a larger scrap of fabric could be put to great use!)
matching thread
serger (optional)

Step 1:
Cut your fabric to measure 17″x17″. A 16″x16″ square will work just fine too. I wouldn’t go much smaller than that or else it will be too small and sink down into the pocket.

Step 2:
Serge around your square. This step is totally optional. If you have “sewing anality” as I like to call it, and get cold sweats from unfinished edges, then knock yourself out.

Step 3:
Fold all the edges under 1/4″ twice. Pin and press.

Step 4:
Stitch all around the square as close to the fold as you can.

Thaaaats it! So simple right? And now you have something you actually sewed for your husband. I really never thought that day would come.

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Fashion

November 19, 2013

FOR THE DUDES

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

It’s my husbands birthday today, so I thought I’d pay a little tribute to him by listing some of his favorite gifts of all time. At the risk of offending his masculinity, I’ll just say that he is very “in the know” when it comes to men’s fashion. For some reason he has this innate ability to predict fashion trends right before they explode. I don’t know how he does it. So if you are in need of a few good ideas for your man, here are some suggestions from mine.

1. Le Labo: Rose 31: Garrett fell in love with the scent of this lotion in a hotel while interviewing with a firm last year. He tracked down the maker and I gave him this cologne for part of his Law School graduation gift. I cannot convey to you the amazingness of this scent. They make each bottle to order, it was printed with his name on the label, and the best way I can tell you how amazing this smells is by directing you to the description of the scent on the website. No other cologne compares. Period.

2. Charles Tyrwhitt Dress Shirts: Garrett learned about this brand of London-based shirts while working on the hill in DC last summer. If you have any questions or have to call the company, you get to speak to a polite worker with a delightful English accent. I thought up questions I didn’t even really have just to stay on the phone with them a bit longer. Also, do your man a favor and get him a spread collar next time you get him a dress shirt. They work wonders with ties.

3. Allen Edmonds: I am jealous of these shoes. This is my favorite style and color. Hands down. And they make our whole closet smell like leather. I would wear these if I could (I do stop and smell them on a regular basis. Nothing weird about that).

4. & 5. J. Crew Tie and Pocket Square: Great tie, classic print, good width. Pocket squares are a new look for Garrett and I am in love with the herringbone.

6. The Body Shop Shave Brush: This makes shaving a little more enjoyable for Garrett and creates a nice thick lather. It also reminds me of when Smee shaves Captain Hook. If it’s good enough for the Captain it’s good enough for your man.

7. Cufflinks: Cufflinks to dudes are kind of like shoes are to women.
They can be as loud and fashionable as you want them to be.

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ONE REASON WHY HE IS PERFECT FOR ME:

2 OF GARRETT’S FAVORITE MEN’S BRANDS

HE SAID/ SHE SAID

1. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES WITH GARRETT/LEANNE?

2. WHAT SONG IS ALWAYS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD?

3. WHAT IS ONE FUNNY THING GARRETT/LEANNE DOES THAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY?

4. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHOW TO WATCH TOGETHER?

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