What to Wear to the Polls

This morning before work, I headed to the polls to vote. And of course I couldn’t wear just any old thing to the polls. So voilà, my election-inspired outfit:

All decked out at the polls, in red, white, and blue. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

And my necklace? A nod to my favorite political movie, which prominently featured a certain political catchphrase. Bonus points if you know the catchphrase, and double bonus points if you can guess the movie!

A nod to my favorite political movie. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

P.S. Just because elections are important doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with them . . . and involve your pup, too!

Rocky gets into the spirit. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

So, did you cast your vote?

Top: Zara
Skirt: Streak Clearly Skirt by Rock Steady via ModCloth
Necklace: vintage watch fob
Bracelet: Nordstrom (a gift)
Shoes: Hit the Rodeo Heel by Miss L. Fire via ModCloth

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Twinsies!

The thing about working at ModCloth is that you’re surrounded by a bunch of people who share a similar aesthetic. And everyone has an employee discount. And so, invariably, one day you come into work and you’ve got a twin!

Hannah, Rocky, and me. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

This was totally unplanned, but funnily enough it was about a week after we had a “Seeing Double” day, where Hannah and I purposefully wore the same outfit as each other (but a different one from this).

My outfit:
Skirt: Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Shirt: Learn the Basics Top in Navy via ModCloth
Shoes: Vintage 1950s Pamela Heel by Joseph La Rose via ModCloth

Hannah’s outfit:
Skirt: Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Shirt: Thrifted
Shoes: 10 Things I Love about Shoe by BC Shoes, via ModCloth. (For the record, I also have those shoes and previously wore them in this post.)

Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

Style Challenge: Neon!

Aloha! It’s Friday, which means another style challenge! The theme this week is neon. And where better to wear neon colors than on a sunset cruise?

Neon and navy, with my soon-to-be-lost plumeria blossom. Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

I grabbed this bathing suit at a super-tropical store: Old Navy. And I paired it with a jersey knit chevron-striped skirt and a jersey knit navy cardigan when the breezes picked up. Plus a pair of pearl earrings.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

The effect was tropical meets nautical – which meshed well with the scenery!

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Happy Friday!

Bathing Suit: Old Navy
Skirt: Old Navy
Cardigan: Final Touch

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Check out the rest of the style challenge crew this week, and join us or follow along on Twitter: #stylechallenge :)
Meghan of Voilà!
Rebecca of Thirty-Five Inch Inseam
Adiel of It’s Because I Think Too Much
Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About
Amanda of Fashionablee Me
Carlina of Allergic to Vanilla
Nic of Manners and Moxie

Hoover’s Beef Palace: The Best Darn Breakfast in California

Earlier I blogged about my trip south to San Luis Obispo for wine tasting with Threadless peeps. My husband, Pat, and I had driven down for a brief weekend trip — on Sunday we drove back up to San Francisco. And since it was a Sunday, we decided we should get brunch on the way back home. We ended up at a place just off 101, in Templeton, called Hoover’s Beef Palace.

Presenting Hoover’s Beef Palace! (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Now, the place is called a “Beef Palace” – but it only serves breakfast and lunch. So you better believe breakfast there is hardcore. And AMAZING.

Pat ordered the green chile omelet, and added sausage to it. What he hadn’t realized was that the green chile already had shredded pork in it — and it was awesome. Savory, hearty, and absolutely delicious (I know, because I stole a bite or two)! The home fries that came with it were perfectly cooked — tender with crispy edges.

Hoover’s Green Chile Omelet

I ordered the corned beef hash with eggs over medium and a biscuit with gravy. Everything was scrumptious – the corned beef hash was tender and flavorful, the eggs were beautifully cooked with runny yolks but fried whites, and the gravy was rich and meaty. I love biscuits and gravy, but too often it tastes just like a whole bunch of flour with a little broth & some sausage thrown it. This one was creamy and tasted like it had been made with meat drippings. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Hoover’s corned beef hash and biscuit with gravy

The food alone is worth the detour to Hoover’s if you’re in the area. But I enjoyed the atmosphere — not just for the cattle brands on the wall, but also for what I can only describe as a ranch-does-diner feel. And I also loved the fact that most of the clientele clearly knew the staff, and vice versa. So there may be a few random passers-by coming through (like my husband and me), but this is a local favorite.

And I only wish I lived a bit closer! I’m not kidding when I say it was the best breakfast I’ve had in California. It definitely ranks among my fave breakfasts ever.

What can I say? Hoover’s is the best! (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Hoover’s Beef Palace Restaurant
401 N Main St
Templeton, CA 93465
(805) 434-2114

What I wore:
Dress: Blogging Molly Dress, Effie’s Heart via ModCloth
Cardigan: Trusted Essential Cardigan via ModCloth
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Shoes: Hot for Hemlock Heel in Crimson, Chelsea Crew via ModCloth
Tights: Hue
Sunglasses: Kate Spade

Is It Spring Yet? Part II

We’ve had a few warm, sunny days, bringing out lots of bright colors and spring fashion (see the outfits in my last Seen Style post). Here was my nod to warmer days:

Photo by Jenn

I wore my Eva Franco “Sunday Diving Skirt”, which I love for its colors and fun art-deco-style beach print. (So maybe it’s more summery than spring – or consider it an homage to spring break!)

Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth. Photo by Jenn.

Check out the details on this skirt - love the illustration!

I paired the skirt with rich browns and cool blues – topped off with large shades.

Photo by Jenn

And when I was walking with Jenn I happened to look up and see this shot. The bright light, yellow building, and palm fronds captured the sunniness of the day – but you can see bare, wintry branches in the background.

With Jenn - caught in a reflection

Spring is coming, but I guess it’s not quite here yet!

Skirt: Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Cardigan: Charter School Cardigan in Computer Science via ModCloth
Shirt: Banana Republic
Shoes: Suede and Swing Heel, Chelsea Crew via ModCloth
Sunglasses: Day of Driving Sunglasses via ModCloth
Earrings: Magicicada Earrings, Erica Weiner via ModCloth
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Purse: Aerosoles

Maritime Moxie

When the runway and look book photos for Resort and Spring/Summer 2012 came out, I was super excited to see all the French orange and blue. I thought these looks from Louis Vuitton embodied the color scheme particularly well:

From the Louis Vuitton Resort 2012 Look Book

French orange and blue has a special place in my heart – it reminds me of my aunt Sue. For my 16th birthday, she rallied the whole family into funding a trip for me to Paris – her absolute favorite city. The trip was amazing – not only because Paris is a wonderful city, but because Sue shared with me what she loves best. And it’s the little details that stuck with me, like her love for the classic French combination of orange and blue.

So that’s why I was so happy to see the color combo hit the runways again: it makes it that much easier to find fantastic clothes in colors that I love. Like this orange and blue Eva Franco dress from ModCloth!

Maritime Moxie Dress by Eva Franco

I paired it with blue suede shoes from Chelsea Crew:

Suede and Swing Heels by Chelsea Crew

And went out to enjoy a beautiful San Francisco day with Rocky. :)

Rocky Reach!

Have to say, I’m looking forward to the coming spring and more opportunities to wear this dress!

Enjoying the day!

Dress: Maritime Moxie Dress, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Cardigan: For Orchestra Blazer, Lush via ModCloth
Shoes: Suede and Swing Heel, Chelsea Crew via ModCloth
Purse: Aerosoles

Rocky’s Bowtie: Fairy-tail Engagement Dog Collar via ModCloth

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina

P.S. For more runway faves, check out my Pinterest board! pinterest.com/katealamode/runway/ And leave a comment if you’re on Pinterest – always looking for more inspiration! :)