Chic Chef

About a month ago, I stumbled upon a fellow blogger named Elena, who has an amazing talent for creating fashionable illustrations. I am so inspired by her creativity, and her ability to mix art with fashion, so I was thrilled when she sent me one, inspired by my “Oceanic” post. I love that she took the fish print of the dress and drew me inside of a bubble under the sea. I also love that she gave me wicked long eyelashes! What do you think?

Here are some pictures from the original post.

Check out more of Elena’s work here. Thank you Elena!

Have a great weekend everyone!

xo

Layla

 

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A big trend for Spring and Summer is pairing brights with brights, and I love to mix colors, but sometimes it’s nice to pair a bright with a neutral for a more sophisticated look. So, I paired my bright lime chiffon blouse with a tan fitted skirt, and accessorized with neutral toned shoes and clutch. I added a little texture and fun with a snakeskin printed belt that has bright yellow stitching (I finally found an outfit for it!). If you want to experiment with wearing color, this is a good way to start. Just pair a bright with a neutral like tan, beige, or cream for an easy, fresh look.

Shirt: BCBG (similar here)/ Skirt: BCBG/ Belt: BCBG (old collection, but similar here)/ Shoes: Ninewest ( I love these and these)/ Clutch: Bottega (old collection)/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Sunglasses: Dior

What do you think of my bright and neutral look? Would you try it?

Oh, and there are still 5 more days until I pick my giveaway winner! If you haven’t entered yet, you can do so here.

xo

Layla

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The calendar may not agree, but Summer is definitely upon us in Houston. One of my favorite ways to get dressed up in the summer is with a flowy, feminine dress. I love this BCBG dress assymetrical dress so much, that I bought it in two colors: the emerald green and the white. You can wear this dress in so many ways. You can wear it with a skinny belt, like I have, for a more delicate look; or with a thick belt for a more dramatic look. You can also wear it without a belt! Since the dress is so simple, I went all out with the accessories and layered two chunky gold chain necklaces together. What do you think of my summery night-out look?

Dress: BCBG/ Shoes: Enzo/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Jewelry: Forever 21, Rockabella

Have a fabulous rest of your weekend! And there is still time to enter my NHD necklace giveaway here.

xo

Layla

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Hi everyone! I am so excited to be giving away the beautiful pastel necklace I am wearing in this look, valued at $175.  To enter, just follow the steps at the end of the post.

One of my favorite contemporary designers, Phillip Lim, put together some gorgeous pastel looks for his Spring runway collection. One of my favorites was this one, and it inspired me to try a pastel on pastel look. I have to say, I felt so feminine in this outfit, even though it is menswear inspired.

How amazing is this Noble House Designs three strand beaded necklace? It is so perfect for Spring, and looks amazing with pastels and with white. The magnetic rhinestone enclosure is one of my favorite features of this necklace.

Blazer: Zara (sold out)/ Top: Zara (in stores)/ Pants: Zara/ Shoes: Enzo/ Necklace: Noble House Designs/ Bag: J.Crew/ Rings: Ariella/ Watch: Michele/ Sunglasses: Gap/ Nails: Revlon in “Charming”

To Enter the giveaway, you need to do all 3 of the following:

1. Leave a comment, telling why you love this necklace.

2. Join my Chic Chef facebook page here.

3. Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +by clicking on one of the “share icons” below.

Good luck to everyone! I will pick a winner on June 10th.

You can also use my “Pin It” buttons below my pictures for easy Pinteresting!

xo

Layla

 

 

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The Valentino Rockstud collection is one of those collections that is on the verge of being tacky, but is so well executed that it’s just purely fabulous. I have been eyeballing these rockstud slingbacks and this tote for so long, and I can finally call myself a proud owner. Even an avid Zara and J.Crew shopper can splurge sometimes, but here’s the best part: they were on sale…bigtime sale! I basically got a two-fer. So, if you are one of my Houston readers, or if you have a Valentino store in your city, they are having a hush-hush sale starting tomorrow for the public. Here’s a little shopping hint: try not to pick out anything that is going to be discontinued next season (a little birdie at Tootsies told me the bow collection is not coming back, but I don’t know if that’s true).

I chose the Rockstud shoes and handbag, because Valentino is continuing this collection into the Fall and Winter, so it won’t go out of style. Also the taupe color is perfect year round. I can’t wait to wear them! (but not together…that’s too much stud for me).

Shoes: Valentino Python Rockstud Slingbacks/ Bag: Valentino Rockstud Tote (not sold online)

Aren’t they beautiful? What is your favorite Valentino collection?

And while we are on the topic of Valentino, these are my absolute favorite flip-flops for summer.

xo

Layla

 

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I love to pair cool shades together, and cool blue and deep violet work beautifully together. I wore an aqua blue lace skirt with a silk violet top, and accessorized with a minty green necklace. I also wore my favorite nude pumps from Steve Madden and my Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC seen in this post. How do you like these two colors together?

Skirt: Zara/ Top: J.Crew/ Beads: J.Crew (on sale!)/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Shoes: Steve Madden/ Bag: Rebecca Minkoff/ Sunglasses: Gap/ Rings: Ariella

I hope you like the look! You can use my “Pin It” buttons below the pictures if you are a Pinterest lover like me (follow me at ChicChef).

Also, check out my latest jewelry designs here…my Nora necklace now comes in 3 colors.

xo

Layla

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One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of beautiful, ripe watermelons. I have been guilty of eating insane amounts of watermelon in one sitting, and with the seedless variety, it’s so easy to eat! I love to make refreshing summer salads once it starts getting warm, and this watermelon, feta, and mint salad is definitely a favorite of mine. The combination of the sweet watermelon, salty feta, and tangy mint is just perfection. It is also an incredibly easy recipe, and of course, the finished product is colorful and pretty. Here is how you make it.

Ingredients:

• Seedless Watermelon (cut into cubes)
• 3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
• 1 cup chopped Mint
• 3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Combine the cubed watermelon, mint, and feta in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss lightly. Garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy!

xo

Layla

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I have been playing around with the idea of including some indoor studio-style photos in my blog, and thanks to my lovely readers, I decided I would finally do it. Here is a series with my white Zara dress, silver MANGO heels, and chain choker-style necklace. I know I usually post very colorful looks, but I wanted to go for a very stark and simple look.

Dress: Zara (sold out online)/ Shoes: Mango/ Cuff: Nordstrom (Thanks Nancy!)/ Necklace: BCBG/ Sunglasses: Halogen

I hope you like the look and the photos! Let me know what you think, and honesty is appreciated here=)

xo

Layla

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Since our 3 year wedding anniversary is coming up, my husband and I decided to celebrate a little early this past weekend. This was the perfect opportunity to wear something fun, flirty, yet still elegant. I wore this sapphire blue criss-cross halter dress courtesy of Chloe Dao for the occasion. If you live in Houston, you know Chloe Dao as our celebrity designer, and winner of Project Runway. Chloe and her sister Sydney have played a huge role in putting Houston on the map as a fashion city. I recently visited their boutique, where I met Sydney, and she is as sweet as she is talented and creative. Make sure you check out their Spring/Summer collections because everything is so wearable and on-trend.

I love that this dress can be worn for daytime or for an evening look, depending on how you accessorize it. I chose to make an evening look with a rhinestone belt and beaded clutch.

Dress: c/o Chloe Dao boutique/ Clutch: Banana Republic (old collection)/ Belt: BCBG/ Shoes: Gap/ Earrings: Alexis Bittar/ Watch: Michael Kors

What do you think of my anniversary night out look?

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby!

xo

Layla

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A beautiful breezy evening called for a dress that had a little movement to it. This peach dress with kimono sleeves is so light and flowy, and the color is absolutely gorgeous. I accessorized with a sequins oversized clutch and copper-toned strappy sandals. What do you think?

Dress: Zara/ Clutch: Zara/ Sandals: Zara/ Necklace: Nordstrom/ Bracelets: Anthropologie and Nordstrom (Nadri)

Have a fabulous rest of your weekend! Also, look for some changes coming soon to my blog. And thank you to everyone who has joined my Facebook page.

xo

Layla

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