Hello From The Other Side

Posted on November 30, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Although we still have a month left in 2015 I can’t help but to think how fast time is going! It seems as though it was yesterday I was 13 years old and day dreaming about what life would be like when I was this age. As we enter into this holiday season it’s important to keep in mind positivity and never to take anything, especially time for granted. I experienced a lot of ups and downs this year and I can only hope next year will bring about similar life changing experiences. Here is yet another outfit of the day, and cheers to many more for next year! Links to similar items below.

Shirt Dress- Forever 21
Denim Button Up- Primark
Bag- Kate Spade
Puff Ball- Amazon
Timberland Boots

XOXO- Ari

“A Bloggers Thanksgiving”- Top 6 Fashion Items We Are Thankful For

Posted on November 25, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

As bloggers we are both inclined to always try new trends or styles in order to consistently stay abreast of all the latest and greatest. Although we love shopping and reviewing new things, there are those constant tried and true items that will always be staples in our lives and really stand the test of time. Here are our top 6 fashion items we are grateful exist in this world that make us look and feel our very best.

Top 6 things Ari & Gwen are grateful for this year-

Untitled #9 by ari-pena featuring a short sleeve v neck t shirt

Peplums/A-lines cuts- Neither of us were born with any God given curves on the bottom half and so we fake it till we make it! Peplums do a great job at hiding the tummy while giving the illusion of curves on the sides. A-lines cinch you in at your smallest point and then give the illusion of hips with the free flowing nature of the cut.
V-Neck- Whether it be in the form of a dress or top V-necks work great to elongate the neck and show off our greatest assets. Having a bigger chest sometimes makes it hard to rock a standard rounded collar because it may mess with your proportions.
Booties- As we both get older booties are taking the spotlight for most settings. Whether they are suede, leather or have some cut-outs they can be so versatile and much more comfortable than the alternative while still offering a polished look.
Nude Sandals/Heels- For when it is absolutely required to rock a heel you cannot go wrong with a nude staple sandal. We love a matte leather finish that can transition from the work place to night with ease. Can we also say legs for days?
Shapewear- We could write an entire blog post about this (we probably will sometime in the future). Not only does it suck you in all the wrong places, it also helps lift and accentuate the parts you are happy with. Not to mention it helps conceal your body with any sheer clothing and avoid that dreaded belly button outline we all hate.
Denim/Leather/Anorak Jacket- You guys get the hint, basically any jacket will do! Not only do they keep you warmer in cooler temps but they also complete a look in a way that no other item can. Drape it over your shoulders, tie it around your waist or keep it on your body the old fashioned way, a jacket can dramatically change the entire look of an outfit from boring to fabulous.

All in all we are thankful for one another and our families and can’t wait to reunite for Christmas. Our blog is going in a great direction and we cannot wait to see what the future will bring.

Love Ari & Gwen

Kate Spade Agenda “Quick & Curious”

Posted on September 23, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

As you may or may not have guessed already, Kate Spade is my number one favorite contemporary women’s designer. Featured countless times here before, I love the way the brand merges modern feminine style with quirky and youthful pieces. The range of items is always classic yet with a fun twist. I knew for the start of Grad school I needed something to help keep me on track of my life and assignments and knew I could count on my favorite brand to deliver. I didn’t want just any old planner, but a distinctive one that would bring me some happiness on my many upcoming joyless nights I would be spent studying. I purchased the 2015-2016 planner with the quote “she is quick and curious and playful and strong”. I absolutely loved the color (although now I am worried about the wear on tear on this beautiful baby blue) and the quote really resonated with me and made me feel special. I printed out some pinterest art work based off of things I love and inspired by YouTube guru Summer Kellsey (New York, pin up girls, Paris, food etc) and proceeded to create a “theme” for each month. You can print your items on shipping labels to make for easier sticking or on regular paper as I did and just use glue to cut and paste the homemade stickers. I also incorporated some fun scrap booking elements that I always have stored from my scrap booking days (things like magazine cut-outs, glitter, and stickers). Have fun with this! You don’t have to decorate, it’s just as beautiful plain but I love the excitement it brings me to look at my “to do” list now that it’s all pretty. Links to the items can be found down below including our pinterest page where you can find some of the same graphics. Enjoy!

You will need:

Avery Shipping Labels- (only if you don’t wish to glue with regular glue)
Printer Paper
Scissors/ Glue
Odds and Ends that you find appealing to add (scrap book materials, photos etc.)

My birthday month needed to be extra special! LEOS RULE!

“New York Minimalist”

Each dividing month has an inspirational quote I love.

Use anything you’d like and get to decorating!

Kate Spade “Quick & Curious” Agenda
Avery Labels
Our Pinterest Page
Summer Kellsey Pinterest page

Toodles, Ari

Viva Mèxico

Posted on September 2, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Hello Darlings! I am finally back from a well deserved 30th birthday vacation. Two of my best friends and I stayed at a gorgeous all inclusive resort basking in the sun, eating, drinking and most importantly relaxing. It was such a great way to end the summer and begin a new work year feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. My intentions were to take multiple ootd photos but I was totally kidding myself, as I hardly got out of my bathing suit. I did manage to squeeze this one look in and am really happy with the way they look, although it’s making me a bit sad that I am not longer there. Well then, on to the look…

My skirt is from Forever 21 (plus size $19.50). The day before my trip I went shopping for a a bathing suit but instead found this midi floral skirt which I fell in love with! It sits perfectly above my belly button and flows so beautifully in the breeze. I then popped over to Old Navy (I feel they have the best tanks) and found the perfect color ($4) to match the skirt. My sandals are a previous purchase from Primark (shop in London). Lastly whilst soaking up the sun on the beach a hat vendor was walking by, I couldn’t pass up this straw fedora which goes with anything during the summer!

Similar skirt here and here
Tank top here

Hope you all enjoyed this outfit post. I now have a roommate which I will try to coax into taking more photos of me.

Also here is a beautiful shot of the resort & the beach. We stayed at the Catalonia privileged maroma beach resort.

Hasta luego,

Gwen, xx

The Big Three O!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Well my friends the day has come, the birthday with the massive stigma behind it, the one where you start questioning life and what is to become of it. 30. I know it’s only been about 24 hours since my birthday but I wanted to shed some light on the fear of getting older and some encouraging tips for anyone (no matter what age) who feels a certain way about the way life should and should not be. Lets see if I’ve gained a bit more wisdom in the last day.

Where you are in life shouldn’t impact who you want to be: Often times we can find ourselves feeling defeated before we even try. The whole “woe is me” mentality kicks in and we tend to look at the big picture and become fearful or doubtful instead of focusing on the small steps it takes to actually get there. So repeat after me : You’re never too old, too far behind or too inexperienced. Anyone can begin anywhere.

Happiness is truly up to you: The kind of day you have is completely in your hands and you alone have the power to change that. I myself find it very easy to sulk and moan about everything that’s going wrong but, how you react and your overall perspective on life will make or break any situation. I feel that waking up each morning with a fresh outlook can also make a huge difference. Whether you have a journal or declare it out loud, starting your day with an open and grateful heart will surely start you off in the right direction. Lastly, Enjoy the little things, they are what end up shaping your life.

Its ok to say no: This is a tough one for me, I am the ultimate people pleaser, I love to make everyone happy and it truly brings me joy to help others. These are all great qualities to have but not at the cost of your sanity and happiness. Repeat after me again: NO!

I haven’t figured things out yet: Lets just face this fact right now, it will take you almost your entire life to “figure things out”, the best any of us can do is to take each day as it comes. With a little humility, honesty and happiness, life can be a little simplier.

I am of a certain age but haven’t accomplished as much as (insert whomever here): Comparing your life to someone elses only makes it more difficult to focus on ourselves. Feeling unbalanced or stuck in a “rut”? pin point out the problem and go from there. Then ask yourself if youre happy in that specific area and begin to take the steps needed to work on it. As written above try not to focus on the end goal so much and work on each baby step needed. We all know that prior to a baby walking it needs to be able to lift its head, roll over, sit up, crawl, pick itself up etc… and with each milestone there is always a celebration (if you have children or are around them you know what I am referring to) give yourself praises for accomplishing that one step, move on to the next one and “up the ante”.

I hope these were of help for those needing a little boost of encouragement. Not to contradict my “just say no” policy but I “said yes” to some pretty amazing things this year which in turn made me a much more happier, grateful and braver person. Here are some of them…

I said yes to moving to England for 6 months and had the most life changing experiences ever!

I said yes to a solo trip to Paris and it was the most magical time of my life!

I said yes to trying new foods (this might actually be a problem)

I said yes to meeting new people and put myself out there and in turn met some amazing new friends.

Today I say yes to embracing this new chapter of life. I encourage you to do the same!

P.S I also said yes to roller skating in Brooklyn bridge park last night. Which resulted in tumbling to the ground. Oh the joys of being 30. (This was prior to falling when I thought I was cute)