It's strange to see this particular area - or much of my city in fact - covered in lush green meadows. A summer ago, I would never have considered climbing over train tracks and dirt paths to take photos in this very spot. This green meadow you see here is normally very dry with cracked parched earth and hardly any sign of green. The only plants you manage to see have the water and life sucked out of them from the numerous years of drought that this region has suffered. And the ones that still manage to retain their vibrant green have been knowingly and continuously watered. I'm so grateful for the last few weeks of on and off rain. I believe it was finally enough to fill the lakes and reservoirs up north, which had been almost depleted this past summer. The mountains have been blessed with snow and have remained white in all this time. And as soon as the weather warms up again, the snow will melt and trickle down even more water for our thirsty state. I hope we continue on in this fashion for a little while longer. I really do like this sort of gloomy, cloudy weather. Cloudy days really do make for the best photoshoots, IMO!

While I didn't experience a white Christmas (no white frosted winters here in SoCal!), the weather here has finally been cold enough that I could throw on a thick coat without sweating profusely. Autumn seems to have arrived late in our sunny state, but that's nothing to be surprised about. I'm  thoroughly enjoying it, however. Surrounded by all these beautiful leaves, what's not to love? Well, it's more like a couple of maple trees scattered here and there that we see on the road. We can't help but stop and take a look, slowly taking in this rare scene. They're not overly abundant here. I would like to take a trip to the east coast one day just to view the fall foliage. If that Family Guy episode speaks true about how congested and crowded it gets during leaf peeping season, I'm not sure I could handle it! I do have to say that during my stay many years ago that autumn in Japan, especially Kyoto, is absolutely stunning. I noticed the Japanese maple leaves were smaller and more delicate. And they turn a beautiful deep crimson red. It's amazing how many temples there are and the walks leading to them are so peaceful and awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit them all. I would love to visit again some day.

 As stated by the title, that is exactly what we did last weekend. I needed to drop off my phone at the Apple store to get it fixed and knew was going to take several hours. I'd planned to do some shoots while we waited. What I hadn't planned on was for it to rain! When I left the house, it was nice and sunny. After I dropped off the phone and walked out of the mall, it was pouring. Normally I do check the weather but I truly thought I was safe. Didn't bring any umbrellas or jackets. We decided to wait it out and get a bite to eat. By the time we were done, the rain was letting up a little. Luckily, we found this grove of bamboo trees and were surprised the ground beneath was completely dry.

-Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey (1817)

I thought this Victorian steampunk inspired outfit was quite perfect for a gloomy, overcast day, which I do enjoy very much despite living in the sunshine state. This ruffled H&M blouse has been with me for many, many years. I've worn it so many ways and will keep on wearing it until the seams fall apart. It's easily one of my favorite blouses in the world. I am rather mindful of how often I do wear it though because I don't want to wear it down so fast. Anyway, I'm on the lookout for another similar blouse just in case I manage to cause some irreparable damage to this one.

-Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility (1811)

 When I think of the holidays coming up, I immediately think of lush velvet dresses or skirts. I scored this beauty at my local thrift store a couple of years ago. It's the most beautiful velvet, wintry green skirt I've ever laid eyes on. Oh, a most beloved treasure. And it was only about $6! It was in lovely condition - barely worn at all. Those front pockets are real and it's got two tiny slits at back of the skirt, which I thought were quite charming. I've worn it every holiday season since I've had it and I love it more and more each time. The blazer I wore with the outfit was also purchased at the same time for $4, which I thought was a rather amazing. I adore anything with elbow patches. It's supposed to be a little boy's tweed blazer but I think it fit me pretty well. You can be the judge of that...!

 We had a birthday celebration last Sunday for my mother, baby niece, and baby nephew. We managed to find time before the party to snap a few quick photos - we were supposed to be picking up the cakes and heading straight back to the house. I always thought the print of this dress reminded me of the prints on Japanese traditional kimonos. Something about all those multi-colored foliage printed repeatedly all over the dress, I suppose. I don't know if I'm right, but until someone tells me otherwise, I'm convinced I'm not entirely wrong either. Anyhow, one of the best things about it is that it's got pockets. You know how I feel about pockets!

 These mary janes from LaRedoute are the sweetest heels I ever laid eyes on. They're only about 2 inches high so they're super comfortable. I can run around all day in them. I love that they've got glitter all over the heel itself. And right now, they're on sale. There's also a promotion going on where you can get 10% off your entire order with promo code 1651. In case you're wondering, I'm not getting paid for this endorsement. Just thought I'd share from one fellow style blogger to another.

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What I wore:

Dress: Ross

Heels: LaRedoute