Elegance is my forte, but somehow people think that to look elegant you need to spend a lot of money on your look. I always love defying that idea when I find high-end-looking pieces at a fraction of a price. This time I am particularly taken with this elegant jumpsuit (that literally gets you compliments from every passing stranger ;)) from Dezzal and the amazing jewelry pieces from the Happiness Boutique. Affordable luxury at its finest! Look details and discounts at the bottom of this post.

I am not an expert in men's lifestyle, but I have lived with men most of my life, and I have learned and researched on quite a few tips and tricks (and products!) over the years in different areas of their lives. I am also trying to revive my male corner, that I introduced a while ago, and I couldn't pass up on this amazing post idea partnering with Baxter of California again.

Today we'll be talking about men's shaving. Men hate it, but most of them simply have to do it. If you are a guy, reading my blog, hopefully you'll learn something new from this article. If you are a woman, then you can take a note of this information and impress a man in your life with your sound advice (or a great gift!), especially since father's day is coming up!

Father's day is coming up soon, and it's always a challenge to come up with a special gift for that significant man in your life. You want to get something that captures the strength and character of your Dad (or husband!?), something he could use and show off all the time, something that would remind him of how much you mean to each other. This year, I might have just a solution for you. A gift from WEWOOD, an eco-friendly company that produces incredibly cool 100% natural wooden watches and stylish and fun wooden sunglasses. The added bonus of gifting a WEWOOD piece is getting to tell your special man that you planted a tree in his honor. That's right, the environmentally responsible company promises to plant a tree every time they sell a wooden piece. So somewhere in the world, a tree will grow tall & strong, just the way your father raised you. 
Use a unique promo code (WWFD16) on WEWOOD when making a purchase for Free Shipping & a Free Pin Removal Tool. The pin removal tool allows buyers to resize their watches at home instead of having to visit a store! And HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY ;)

Summer is right around the corner. Don't ask me how this happened, I am as surprised as you guys are :) But as much as I am shocked by how quickly time is flying, I am also very excited for this summer. I am planning to be more adventurous and spontaneous this year and who knows what I'll end up doing these summer months, but one particular activity had been on my mind lately. My favorite memories by far are related with summer boat trips in the South of France in the past two years. Sadly though, this year I won't be visiting the French Riviera, but luckily I live in sunny California and there is a wonderful online resource Discover Boating, which will definitely help me create unforgettable summer boating memories.

As much as I love my casual European style that you get to witness on my Instagram, my favorite looks are elegant ones. This one is my particular favorite because of a classy black top with cut out shoulders, that I found at a local boutique in Santa Barbara. Paired with elegant accessories, like sunglasses, earrings, heels and a timeless Lady Dior, the whole look makes me feel like a modern version of Audrey.. 

One of my new years resolutions this year was to be more adventurous, spontaneous and to make the most out of life. Not just every day, but every hour, and every moment. In other words, to embody the spirit of Grabbing Life by the Moments. That's when the best memories happen anyway! So when my friend asked me to go join her on a road trip along the California coastline back in April, I immediately said yes. I would normally take a few weeks to think about it and plan everything out, but this time we decided to be spontaneous and fun. We had no particular plans and no hotel reservations. We just took Highway 1 and drove. And it turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of this year so far!

I got to discover places in California that I didn't even know existed. My favorite part of that trip was definitely visiting Monterey County. That's where we spent most of our trip anyway! Even though we didn't have even remotely enough time to see everything Monterey has to offer, we were mesmerized by the little that we saw. From scenic views along the coastline on Highway 1, to breathtaking beaches and cutest beach towns, there are countless things to see and do there. Whether you are going on a local food and wine tour, outdoor adventure trip (biking, hiking, scuba diving, kayaking, hang gliding, horseback riding and surfing are just a few of the adventures that lure visitors there), or a family and friends road trip, Monterey County is the best place for all of it! 

As I mentioned last month, I am trying to get more vegetable in my diet and wanted to quickly update you guys on my progress. I try to get pressed juices or smoothies whenever I feel like I am lacking greens as it's the easiest and most convenient way to have enough vegetables in your diet. Smoothie King's Veggie Avocado Pineapple smoothie is still my favorite as avocado is so filling and nutritious that I can't find any other food that will get me so obsessed about it :) Don't forget to sign-up for a $2.99 20oz. coupon via email and sign up to earn rewards in the Smoothie King loyalty app ;)

Springtime is in the air, it's time for more time outdoors, long city walks and coffee breaks while sitting on the terrace. And that means comfortable (and stylish!) footwear! I teamed up with my friends at Timberland and Zappos.com to showcase their wide selection of springtime shoes for modern trails like farmers markets visits, city strolls, movie nights and brunch breaks. From stylish flats to fashion-forward oxfords and chunky heels, Timberland’s styles for women are beautiful, comfortable and perfectly versatile to transition your daytime outfit for a night out. They are all available on Zappos.com with a fast free shipping, 365 day return policy (!) and world class customer service. 

I chose Timberland's Oxford sneakers in birch color - they fit my casual european style perfectly. An urban-outdoors, style driven sneaker like this is perfect for all occasions this spring. I wore this look from day to night from a casual neighborhood stroll to a movie night later that day. Chic, comfy and versatile. Check out all Timberland selection on Zappos.com here.

Spring is in full swing, and it's time to share with you one of my favorite shoots I did in the beginning of the year with the talented Brooke Mason. It's all about spring fashion trends: florals and bright colors. There are spring trends that come and go, but florals are always going to be timeless. We created this little lookbook for you guys to showcase incorporating this pattern in your everyday looks whether it's in dresses, rompers or even boots ;) Enjoy!

Mother's day is coming up so soon, but in addition to acknowledging our beautiful selfless mothers who always have our backs, I am partnering with LovePop to help recognize the "Other Mother" in our lives. It can be an aunt that never told your parents about that one time, a teacher who never gave up on you, a mentor who has always guided you in the right direction or a boss who recognized your talents before you did - she is the woman who doesn't fit that simple definition of mom, and she has no obligation to add to or invest in your life, but she still does it without asking anything in return.

In my case this person is my grandma. She is the person who loves me unconditionally and is always on my side no matter what. I can trust her with all my secrets and can definitely call her my best friend. Every time I am going through a rough moment in life, she is always there for me trying to be a good advisor, supporter and listener. Her positive approach to life, her ability to gracefully deal with any conflict and her ways of appreciating every little thing in life inspire me to move forward and be a better person every day. 

This mother's day you can recognize the "Other Mother" in your life with a special and unexpected 3D pop-up card from LovePop. Say thank you and tell her about her spirit, her smile and her impact on your world with a personalized hand written message on a beautiful 3D LovePop card. You can also nominate your Other Mother for a special card on LovePop site (all nominees will receive a card!) and even win a very special curated gift basket for her. Submit your "Other Mother" story here.

We all have busy lifestyles these days. The term "work hard, play hard" is used everywhere, yet a recent Chase Freedom Unlimited Card survey found out that Americans are experiencing fun deficit and are not having enough fun in their lives. But Chase is on a mission to change that by introducing the new Chase Freedom Unlimited card, that offers 1.5% unlimited cash back on every purchase. There’s no minimum to redeem for cash back—cardholders can redeem any amount, any time.

There are so many ways to have more fun in our lives, and it doesn't have to be expensive or cost anything at all. As you can see from the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card survey, spending time with people you care about tops the list, small treats like coffees, ice cream etc and treating others are next on the list. But to add more fun we have to first recognize that the sources of it are truly unlimited. 

As for me personally, this year I have gone through a lot of changes in my life. I learned that life is an unpredictable journey and that I have to appreciate every single second of it. I am therefore thriving to add fun to my life every single day. Here are my little tips and tricks for adding more fun in life:

Spring is in full swing and it's time to rethink out diets for health and body benefits ;) I personally noticed that I haven't been getting enough vegetables in my diet, and I was trying to find a way to add them. As we all know, the easiest one is to drink them in a nutritious smoothie. I was excited to find out about the new blend from Smoothie King - Veggie Avocado Pineapple. There are tons of reasons to love avocado, and no matter how you pair it, they just add up. From skin and blood pressure benefits, to weight management benefits, avocado has it all. Plus it tastes delicious mixed with juicy pineapple. But don't stop there, there are other veggie flavors at Smoothie King, that are delicious and nutritious: Apple Kiwi Kale, Berry Carrot Dream and Carrot Kale Dream. Sign-up for a $2.99 20oz. coupon via email and sign up to earn rewards in the Smoothie King loyalty app ;)

I know, I know. I promised this post for quite a while and have been teasing you guys with gorgeous photos of this beautiful hotel for the whole month. But here it is, the highly anticipated review of my luxury experience in Geneva.

While traveling to Switzerland, I stayed at a luxury Hotel d'Angleterre, conveniently located on the banks of Geneva's Lake Leman and set in a refined building dating from 1755. The first thing I noticed was the warm welcome each guest receives while staying there. You don't feel like a hotel guest, you feel like a family friend thanks to excellent service and meticulous attention to details of the hotel's staff. 

The hotel boasts 39 luxury guest rooms and 6 elegant suites, which are individually designed in a combination of refined Swiss style and traditional charm with modern amenities. No room looks similar to one another, making the hotel feel like a warm and welcoming luxury estate, full of tastefully selected and placed antiques and exquisite works of art.

My favorite place to relax at night was their swanky and wildly popular Leopard Bar offering live music in a luxury cozy library setting enhanced by a lit fire.

I am super excited to announce that I have partnered with 7 Charming Sisters for this super exciting giveaway! Everyone WINS! We will have 25 winners!!! And each of them will receive any piece of jewelry from the 7 Charming Sisters website! The jewelry is so pretty, versatile and trendy that I am sure each of you can find something they love. The giveaway will last for 10,000 minutes in honor of reaching 10K likes on their Facebook.

The only requirement to participate is to go on 7 Charming Sisters Facebook HERE and comment on any picture posted by the brand using a hashtag #7CS10KGiveaway . Then leave me your email in the comments to this blog post so that I can contact you when you win. That's it! Super easy!

Time flies and I can't believe it's another election season. Aside from the presidential race, there is another fun race to be followed. "Captain Obvious running for President" race...but he is actually physically running! He will be providing his own satirical insight on the election along the way, which you can follow on his microsite here. Captain Obvious also has over 300K Twitter followers who follow his updates and the #ObviousPresident hashtag.

Hotels.com is supporting Captain Obvious during his race because they believe in simplicity as much as he does - and he'll need a place to sleep at night! They’ll be providing him with running shoes, socks, shorts and everything else he needs for his run.

I have to admit, I am not a huge beauty geek. I tend to stick to the same routine and switch it up only once in a while, whereas I know a lot of girls who explore new brands compulsively. Most of the products I use are quite predictable, but I have a few secrets here and there, that are not so typical to others. 

For example, sometimes I like to use mens grooming and skincare products on myself. My particular favorites are shaving creams, shower gels and deodorants. For some reason I like masculine woody scents of these products much more appealing and alluring then female versions, plus I find that the overall quality is better. 

I am now particularly obsessed with the new brand I discovered - Baxter of California. After spending some time on their sleek website browsing through a curated lineup of hair, skin, body and lifestyle products, I found quite a few products for myself and men in my life. Check out the site and discover great content of videos, inspiration looks and obviously great products. Also get a 15% off and free US shipping with the code BAXTERFAVES.

Spring break is here, and it's time for beach accessories. My must haves this season are the Artist Circle Sakroots XLG Tote and the cutest black espadrilles. Sakroots has created a whole new collection of functional spring break accessories featuring colorful and original artwork, and they support various nature and music charities within their Choose Your Karma Program. My beach bag is in aqua water nation print, which supports WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. Not only I love the fact that I am supporting this particular charity, I am also geniunely obsessed with the print. It's bright, playful and just fun. Shop my bag, the cutest espadrilles and other spring break essentials here.

It's been a while since my last post, as you might have noticed. I have been traveling quite a bit in February and, if you follow me on socials, I visited a few amazing cities last month. I still can't believe I went to Miami, San Francisco, London and Geneva all in one month. I feel incredibly blessed and humbled to have had such an amazing month. Traveling is something that really inspires me, opens up my mind, let's me be more creative and feel free...

Speaking of traveling, you can check out this super cool interactive game with the new perfume Montblanc Legend Spirit, that I am partnering with for today's post. Whether racing a convertible to the beach or exploring a rugged trail by bike, the game lets you create your own Montblanc Legend Spirit Environment full of adventure and fun.

But let's talk more about the new fragrance - Montblanc Legend Spirit! Honestly, I am a huge believer in the power of scents. It's extremely important for both men and women to choose perfumes that fit their persona. When you meet someone, who wears a particular powerful perfume, you make a subconscious judgement of that person, as you treat their perfume as part of their identity. You can be immediately drawn to them for no reason, just because their scent has such an effect on you, and if chosen well, this person will have the same effect on you as well ;) I know for myself, if I met a man who wore Montblanc Legend and represented it in his essence (passion, confidence and authenticity!) I would definitely fall head over heels .