TREND ALERT: BRING OUT THE TROPICAL PRINTS

Buenos Dias Squeezers! The happiest of Sundays to you all! The Buccios are cruise bound on Celebrity Cruises with the familia and we are SO excited for family time, piña coladas, and explorations on land and sea. Honestly, I'm just really excited to read the three books I downloaded on my kindle (I'll share those with you soon) because I'm jonesing for a good literary distraction. 

I didn't want to leave on our trip without posting the next of our trend forecast series: Tropical Prints! It goes without saying that the first sign of spring and summer starts at the first sight of tropical prints for us fashionistas! I don't know about you, but I get super excited the moment I see a palm print or some hibiscus print staring at me from the rack. It means spring and summer are a-comin! 

This dress is extra special because it was an unexpected gift from my friend, Becky, from South Carolina. She actually wore this dress to our friend, Maureen's, rehearsal dinner, and it looked fabulous on her and I wanted it so badly! Little did I know, it would be mine a few months later. 

The dress is from ASOS and I love the material. It is a little neoprene, and a little stretch in all the right places. I love the way it gathers at the front and it becomes this one shoulder stunner with just the right amount of peek-a-boo skin showing at the midriff. I can't forget to mention the full skirt that just comes to life because of those bold green palm leaves all over the dress. They just pop! 

This is what I love about tropical prints because they instantly change your mood. They're the happy pills of fashion. Ha! Whether in a dress, a handbag, or a top, bring out the prints! Another way to sport your love of tropical print/palm print? Swimwear! There are LOTS of great options for both one pieces and two pieces. Whether it's Target or Ralph Lauren, you can find some gorgeous tropical print suits at every price point. I know that if you look through my bathing suit drawer, you'll find at least five suits with a vibrant and colorful tropical print on them! I just can't get enough. 

As I type of this post, I'm currently wearing tropical print pants with an off the shoulder white top (you'll see it on my stories today), and you better believe there are more tropical prints in my suitcase that I'll be wearing on the cruise. I have everything from a tropical print blouse to my favorite banana leaf pants ready to go! What I love about these prints is that you can mix and match with so many pieces. Don't feel like they're one time use pieces- that's a misconception. Pair them with solid tee, floral prints, even stripes. If you're feeling daring, go head to toe in tropical print. Yes, this is a thing! 

Next up- accessories! Don't be afraid to accessorize. It's a great way (and an easy way) to express yourself and to show a little more of your personality. Lately I've been into sunglasses, like these exaggerated white shades from Zero UV. They're over the top and I love that. I also added a straw fedora- a staple for the season. I brought out my pineapple bag, which I know you guys loved, and added a fab pair of Chiffino nude platform wedges to complete the look. Here's a bonus about this dress (or tropical prints in general)- you can wear it with some cute sandals, wedges, or heels. Your options are limitless! 

I teamed up with my gal, Lauren (@laurelcreative), and we headed to the MiMo district, an architecturally iconic neighborhood in Miami, to snap this dress in it's natural element! The architecture is so unique, that any spot could have been the perfect backdrop. We chose a few of the motels along Biscayne Blvd because they just went so well with the dress! Wouldn't you agree? 

What's your favorite way to wear tropical print? 

In Style, 

Kat 

Miami Style Map: Moods and 'Momcations'

Squeezers! I'm back with a brand new post, featuring the mad photographic 'genuisness' (yes, I totally just invented that word) of the one, the only, Elizabeth from Ra-Haus Fotografie www.a-haus.com. See, Liz and I have been busy popping out babies and getting them on sleep schedules so we haven't been able to shoot for some time. But alas, the baby gods smiled upon us and we rolled up to our location with our tricked out strollers and arsenal of baby toys, ready to shoot the sh^%t of this faux leather look from Forever 21. It's giving off all sorts of moods, and I love it! It's what we do best. 

In a few days, I'm headed off to New York to cover fashion week and I can't even begin to explain how freaking excited I am. Whenever I get the opportunity to do what I love, a part of me comes alive and I'm reborn in a new light. I absolutely love what I do and I no longer take those opportunities and experiences for granted. That excitement, though, comes paired with a mountain of anxiety and 'what ifs' that plague me during the days that lead up to my trip. Call it mom guilt. It's a bitch. It isn't until I'm in the trenches of work, doing my red carpet interviews and running after designers backstage, that I finally ease up and zen out in my happy place. 

I call this my 'momcation'- where I take some time away to detach, to regroup, and recharge my batteries without having to worry about school drop offs and pickups, laundry, nighttime feedings, or walking dogs.  Basically it gives me sanity. And I think all moms need and deserve a 'momcation'- whether it's a few hours, a full day, or a couple of days. We moms need a little break to take care of ourselves and hit the refresh button. The last time I had a 'momcation,' was in June when I went to New York for my sister-in-law's bridal shower. I was six months pregnant, and though I wasn't technically alone (hello, Rocco), it was nice to get away for a few days and reconnect with the people I love in the city I love. 

Since becoming a momma of two this past September, I'm double exhausted, double sleep deprived, and have very little recollection of what 'alone time' really means. That must be a foreign language! However, my happiness has quadrupled a million times over now with Maya and Rocco, and I'm oozing love and gratitude in every way possible. And thankfully, Coco and I work tremendously hard at creating some sort of imperfect balance to help each other out. It's tough; but, we do it and it's so worth it. Who needs sleep anyway, right?! 

With that being said, I got one foot on that plane. But just ask me how I'm feeling a few days before I head out. I'm an anxious mess. I hate leaving my babies. It kills me inside. There's definitely tears (mostly on my end), suffocating hugs, and those inescapable 'maybe I shouldn't go' conversations that always end with my husband bringing me back to reality. I've made daily schedules for Coco, I've put together some outfits for the kids (I've learned to let go of this one, somewhat), set up playdates and Gymboree classes, and touched base with babysitters, grandparents, and friends. A mom's work is never done; not even when I'm 1500 miles away. Expect texts, FaceTime, emails, and random phone calls, because that's just what I do. I'm never 100% detached and I'm okay with that. 

I'm almost overwhelmed with how much time I'm going to have to myself. I don't even know where to begin. Do I read magazines? Do I catch up on old shows? Do I write the forgotten 'thank you' cards from Rocco's baptism or update his baby book? My head is spinning from all the mundane possibilities of what I'm free to do. Here's the thing when you have kids- when you do get those odd moments of 'free time,' whether it's five minutes or five hours, you run with it and make sh$t happen. I'm not saying save the world, I'm talking about having a cup of coffee without interruption, sleep a full 6-8 hours, or sit on the toilet scrolling through your Instagram without anybody bothering you. Do whatever makes you happy with that treasured 'mommy's time out,' because those are few and far between. 

But you know what the best part of going away is? Missing the heck out of my husband and kids and getting to come home after being away. I'm already looking forward to  sleeping like sardines in our bed because there is no better feeling than being with my babies! So let's get this momcation started and leave the guilt baggage at the door! 

We're moving on from 'momcations' to moods, and this all-black-all-faux-leather ensemble is giving off vibes right now. It is easy to pull off and easy to wear. And it all lies in the mood! I channeled my inner 'dark and stormy' with deep vampy lips and tousled tresses. I love the combination of the leather top and the shorts. As a matter of fact, I'm packing a variation of this look for NYFW. I'm trading in the shorts for faux leather joggers! 

Normally, I would slap on a pair of booties with this look but I wanted to change it up a bit- step outside my comfort zone.  I'm showing you how you can dress up this look with a sexy pair of animal-print heels and these Chiffino heels are one of my favorites! I added a pair of gold statement earrings from NY jewelry, Marshellys (www.marshellys.com), because anything else wouldn't make sense with this look. The earrings are modern and sleek but also quite simple. 

Remember, there's a hot mom inside all of us- so bring her out to play- maybe on your next 'momcation!'

On Me: 

faux leather top- Forever 21

faux leather shorts- Forever 21

Heels- Chiffino

Earrings- Marshellys

In Style, 

Kat 

Miami Style Map: Florals for Fall- Groundbreaking!

Seems like florals is one of those trends that just won't quit. We saw florals for spring (groundbreaking!), floral for summer (groundbreaking!), florals for fall (gasp..groundbreaking!). And whether it is groundbreaking or not, let's face it, florals are a classic. They're packaged in different palettes and hues- tailored to their respective season and found in the trend forecast's silhouettes du jour. 

If it's one person that is happy to see a recurrence of in-your-face-florals, it's moi. I can't get enough. However, I have scaled down drastically on the floral apparel in my wardrobe. There's simply no need for three bohemian style floral tops, or four grungy floral tank tops. There just isn't. They key is to keep it to a maybe a maximum of 3-5 floral pieces that are versatile in range and style and that can be mixed and matched continuously so you don't have to keep clogging your closets with more trendy florals. Get me?

I scored this richly-hued floral frock at a Zara sale and it's everything! As I get older (and fashionably wiser), I like to invest in pieces that will take me from season to season. I can't afford (and find it senseless to be quite honest) to splurge on an item I'm only going to wear once. It's got to have life to it. This dress is so easy to take from season to season! Case in point- for this post, I gave it some (Miami) fall-like elements like socks with peep toe wedged sandals. Plus I love mixing patterns! The leopard shoes really pop when paired with such vivid colors like the yellow and bright green. 

I wore this dress over the weekend with pointy toe flats and I'm taking it on my upcoming NY travels and will be accessorizing it with a faux fur vest and either gold or black tights! 

Chris, from Ra-Haus Fotografie (www.ra-haus.com) did an awesome job at making this dress standout in the lush grounds of the Freehand Miami- one of my favorite spots to kick back with friends over some killer cocktails (www.freehandmiami.com). It's just a melting pot of cool when you mix the dress, the art deco architecture, the eclectic colors and designs of the furniture, and most importantly, the inviting greenery and refreshing poolside ambiance! Because nothing says fall in Miami like a pool! 

So next time you're out shopping and you make a beeline for the florals, ask yourself- is this groundbreaking enough to earn a spot in my closet?! Let Miranda Priestly be your guide. 

On Me: 

Dress- Zara

Heels- Chiffino

Necklace- H&M

Glasses - Forever 21 

In Style, 

Kat