CourtyardYums

HOW TO SURVIVE FESTIVAL SEASON!

by with No Comment adventurereviewstravelvideo

We’re experiencing some kind of heat wave out here in Los Angeles with our 90 degree plus weather. I can say with much excitement that the only nice thing that comes with warmer temperatures is the desire to be outside more. I’m a total Island Girl. . . ocean, beach, sun, hiking, all of the outside activities that we’re able to enjoy in the summer months, I’m ALL about it!

I’ve grown so fond of the events that L.A. offers to it’s Angelenos like art walks, open parks, and festivals! Corrine and I are still recovering from post Coachella blues, missing the music filled days and dance filled nights, and I’m so happy to have shared a first Coachella experience with my most favorite person. Today I’m going to tell you the top 5 things you’ll need to survive Coachella…. and any other festival you’ll attend this year.

Corrine Coachillin

1) Sunscreen: most festivals and art walks happen outdoors, where it’s warm and encourages people to walk around….and where the sun beats down on you. Even if you hate putting creams on your skin, opt for some fast aborbing sunscreen like THIS so that you’re not a glowing lobster tomorrow.

2) Ear plugs: they never tell you in pre-festival prep that earplugs are a necessity but they are. Unless you’re stading far from the speakers (where’s the fun in that?!) than your ears will be ringing for days, and they say every time your ears ring… an angel gets it’s wing….errrr that your cochlea hairs are dying. Sounds awful right? No pun intended. So with loud noise happening around you for an extended period of time, you’ll want to protect your ears, you can get them at your local drug store or click HERE .

Courtyard yumminess
3) A relaxing getaway: with loud noise happening around you all day and night, massive crowds, and sticky climates, you’ll want to be able to get away from all of the chaos so that you’re recharged to take on another day of the festivities. If you live close enough to the venue than you can drive or cab it up to and from home each day, lucky you!!! If you’re not, than I don’t suggest camping out (unless you’ve never done it, in which case you have to do it atleast once in your festival life), instead get a hotel room! You’ll be so happy to enjoy a cold shower after the day’s events, a cozy bed to recharge your tired feet, and a quiet place away from all of the noise and crowds. Corrine and I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Palm Springs during weekend 2 of Coachella, and we could not have been more grateful to have a quiet and cool place to unwind after the day. We all know that festival food is always so heavy and greasy, it was nice to have the option of ordering real food from a full kitchen. We enjoyed both breakfast and dinner at the Bistro at Courtyard and it was SO good! They have hearty breakfast options (pictured above featuring my “if Mondays had a face” face) for morning refueling, and pizza options for night time cravings. To see our full room tour and Coachella experience click HERE for the video! Huge thank you to Courtyard for it’s hospitality and most amazing coffee breaks! You can click here to see what locations they have near you to book a stay during your next festival outing!

4) Water: water water water! Staying hydrated is key to having an enjoyable experience but it’s the hardest thing to do in a festival atmosphere. There were 90,000+ people at Coachella this year and everyone was either in line at the water stations, or crowding around the food court to purchase water. The best thing to do is tote around at least 2 watter bottles per person and when one is empty, fill it up at a water station or fountain. The worst thing to do is to wait until you’re so parched that you feel like you’re going to pass out….and then you do and that’s definitely not an enjoyable experience. So pack that H2O!

5) Backpack or fanny pack: yes I really did just tell you to carry along a fanny pack. What can I say, I love those things! They keep your personal items close and aren’t bulky enough to get it the way of all of your groovy dance moves! If you’re totally against 80’s fashion than go with whatever backpack or bag you choose, but have a bag of some sort on hand – you’ll want a place to stick your water, sunscreen, ear plugs, room keys, and id, without over stuffing your pockets! Again, more room for your groovy dance skills!  You can get a backpack like the one in our DSW posts HERE, but I think you should sport the fanny pack so everyone knows just how fun you are.

we were sad to leave our oasis at Courtyard but ready for the final day of Coachella
we were sad to leave our oasis at Courtyard but ready for the final day of Coachella

So those are our 5 top things you’ll need to survive any festival, and let me know what your go to items are and if you’re attending any festivals this summer! Corrine and I love checking out new venues so share with us!

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

xoxo- Jess

COACHELLA!

COACHILLIN AT COACHELLA 2015

by with No Comment fashiontravel

FTC Disclosure: Compensation was provided by DSW® via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of DSW®.

This past weekend Corrine and I experienced our very first Coachella together! Navigating our way through the festival, dancing as our favorite artists performed live, and taking in all the festival fashion happening around us was on many levels, the best experience ever.

In today’s post we’d like to take you through our weekend experience and share some of our favorite festival fashion moments with you.

COACHELLA!

This was the first view we were greeted by, absolutely stunning. Arriving later in the day (thank you L.A. traffic) we had about 20 minutes of daylight left on day one and lucky for us we were able to stay late into the night since we had so much energy!

COACHELLA!

We were told 95,000+ people attended Coachella this year. That’s bigger than some cities that exist! Here I am taking a little break in between sets enjoying some moments of stillness, and people watching! Festival pro tip #1, tote a backpack like this DSW® Bloom Aztec one with you so that you can carry essentials like water, camera, a blanket, and an extra layer of clothing. Though it gets really hot during the day, once the sun sets it’s pretty chilly in the desert. I styled my Natalia Fedner Designs crop top with this crochet knee-length skirt, a white flowy kimono, and these DSW® crochet wedge sandals which matched the theme of the skirt and kimono perfectly.

COACHELLA!
Day two brought along more sunshine, more flowy festival styles, and booties that every girl should own. Corrine and I both styled our outfits with these DSW® pewter booties that were just as comfortable as they are cute! We got to the venue early on this day, around noon, ready to take on the day…and the dancing!

COACHELLA!
Here I am showcasing my homemade watermelon/lemonade popsicle as well as my bohemian themed outfit. These booties are so versatile that towards the end of the day when it started to get cooler out, I put on some knee-high socks and they didn’t detract from the look at all. I can’t tell you how comfortable they are, except to let you know that I walked 9+ hours in them and my feet didn’t feel fatigued at all.

COACHELLA!
On the third and final day of Coachella I was pretty much a pose pro! Almost every photo you take where there are 90,000+ people, you’re bound to have a photobomber…or two, make their way into your pictures. You’ll also get 89,439 odd looks as you try to perfect your selfie! I didn’t mind it though, Corrine said, “Mom strike a pose”, and this is what I did. I styled my DSW® teal flat sandals with a bit of color blocking and bit of color splash! I love being able to move in my outfit, especially since a majority of our day was spent walking around and dancing, It felt amazing to be comfortable and confident in this final look.

COACHELLA!

Before we trotted off to the last performance of the night, we kicked off our shoes, found a spot on the grass, and enjoyed a chai tea latte. There were 5 stages going on at the same time and there we were in the middle of it all, listening to a collaboration of genres all in one place. It’s nice that in between sets you have time to grab a bite to eat, take a quick nap on the grass, or enjoy music from one of the other stages.

COACHELLA!

And here’s my angel face Corrine, 17 and at a Coachella festival with her mom. This past weekend was one for the books! I can’t express how special it was to be at an event like Coachella, for the first time with my daughter also experiencing it all for the first time.

We love teaming up with brands to bring you different experiences and this weekend we were happy to team up with DSW® who outfitted us in some of the most comfortable yet stylish pieces of the season. We had so much fun putting these looks together! Our goal is to always bring you the latest and greatest, while staying true to our own personal styles. We hope you’ve enjoyed this article as much as we do and please check out DSWShoeLovers to see what else we got into this weekend! We did an Instagram takeover on their page featuring our #FestivalFashion favorites, so if you missed anything head on over there and look for the #DSW and #SaySomethingGreat hashtags for the full story!

Let us know in the comments whether or not you were at Coachella this year, or if you’ve ever been, and what your favorite moment was! My favorite moment was dancing to Yelle with Corrine!

Have a beautiful week!

xoxo- Jess

 

DSW

At DSW®, we believe in the power of shoes, and in the power of shoe lovers.  With thousands of fresh styles for men, women, and children, we’ve got something for everyone, no matter who they are or how they dress.  Shoes say a lot about you. Say something great.

DSW

HEADED TO COACHELLA WITH DSW!

by with 3 Comments adventurefashionlifestylemusic

FTC Disclosure: Compensation was provided by DSW® via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of DSW®.

Corrine and I are so excited to be joining DSW® at Coachella this year and sharing with you our  Instagram takeover of our most favorite festival fashions! It’s here, festival season is upon us and we’re  heading to Coachella this weekend to check out the festivities for the very first time ever! As Coachella newbies, you know we’ll be jotting down all of our Coachella 101 tips for you as we navigate our way through the fields, the fashion, and the performances!

Besides Coachella being known for it’s amazing line ups, surprise guest performances, and the infamous ferris wheel that makes its way into every Instagram photo from the venue….Coachella is a time for fashion! The most flowy, bohemian themed, tasselled trinkets come out of Coachella each year, inspiring the next year’s fashion themes. From bell bottoms to layered skirts, festival season has everyone’s favorite fashion items in mind and Corrine and I can’t wait to dance around in color and fabric this year! It’s a pretty awesome and pretty special thing to get to attend such a fun event with your daughter. I mean, how cool am I?!

It’s especially special for she and I to attend Coachella this year together, because Corrine is 17 now and her style is so different from mine. We look like loving yet rivaling sisters, she with a 70’s soul and a vintage heart, Corrine loves patterns and pastels. She’s obsessed with bright prints and flat sandals and loves to dress up. I on the other hand love muted colors and bohemian details, I’m more casual and I’m obsessed with wedges and contrast pairings.

I love taking a casual outfit and making something about it chic. An accessory, an iconic flair that’s most likely inspired by Corrine’s fashion sense. She loves taking something vintage and pairing it with an accessory opposite its era…. a 1930’s peacoat over a 70’s style dress. See where I’m going with this? Can you imagine how fun we look together when we’re out shopping, she makes me so proud to be her mom! So we’re really excited to share with you our outfit picks for this year’s event!

In preparation for our road trip up to the venue this year we’ve paired up our favorite festival style DSW® shoes with our most favorite fashion forward picks! 80% of festival fun is the walking around part, checking out the different stages, exploring the grounds, so to wear a comfortable (yet fashionable) pair of shoes goes without saying. Here are our picks for this year’s festivities!

 

I spy with my lil eye Corrine's toes making a cameo
I spy with my lil eye Corrine’s toes making a cameo

Later this week we’ll share with you how we styled these fun shoes and what theme we will accessorize each with. Shoes are meant to polish off your look, represent your personality, and add a lil sparkle even when you feel like a lil flare! Stay tuned for all the fun starting this Friday on through Sunday where we’ll catch you up on what we’re doing, what we’re wearing, and who we’re listening to live! Also please follow DSW’s Instagram  as we’ll be hosting an Instagram takeover with our adventures featuring our looks from the event! You can follow along in our journey by using the hashtags #DSW #SaySomethingGreat!

DSW

We’d love it if you said hello if you’re on the grounds this weekend and be on the lookout for our posts from Coachella 2015! And here’s one more fancy footwork photo for the road!

DSW
Have a great week and we’ll see you this Friday!

xo- Jess and Corrine

DSW

At DSW®, we believe in the power of shoes, and in the power of shoe lovers.  With thousands of fresh styles for men, women, and children, we’ve got something for everyone, no matter who they are or how they dress.  Shoes say a lot about you. Say something great.

Strawberry Almond Salad

STRAWBERRY ALMOND TRUFFLE SALAD

by with No Comment foodholidayslifestyle
  • Summer is fast approaching and between the warmer weather and the ToneItUp bikini series that we started, this salad has been a staple in our meals this past week. It’s easy to make, super refreshing, and SUPER delicious!I took a homemade truffle dressing recipe from my friend Linz, altered it by an ingredient so that my vegan child could enjoy  it also, tossed in some almonds for crunch, and fresh strawberry slices for an extra kick! For some more protein I also added in some shredded chicken in my bowl!

    delicious healthy salad
    Ingredients: 

  • baby kale
  • arugula
  • Blue Diamond sliced almonds
  • fresh strawberries
    Truffle Dressing- 
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp white truffle oil
  • 1 1/2 chopped fresh chives
  • 1 1/2 tsp Annie’s organic dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    Optional:
  • blueberries
  • shredded parmesan cheese
  • shredded chickenMethod: 
  • Put the salad into a large bowl
  • Combine the ingredients for the truffle dressing in a different bowl and then combine the two and toss
  • Add in the optional ingredients if you choose
  • ENJOY!!!!!fresh salad yaasss!

And tadaaa! There you have it! Try this out and let me know how you like it and leave it in the comments any alterations you make to the recipe so I can try them too!

Hugs!!!

 

xoxo – Jess

 

COACHELLA!

Travel: Coachella 2015 (We’re going to Coachella!)

by with No Comment musictravel

hey everyone, it’s Corrine here, presenting you with a playlist I curated for Coachella 2015. Something my mom and I are super stoked about going to. The lineup features some of my favorite musicians: Allah-Las, Angel Olsen, Mac DeMarco, Yelle, Caribou, etc. So I put together a little mix featuring one song by every artist we are excited to see! The list features 10 songs and is about 30 minutes long. The genres included vary from psychedelic rock to electronic. Enjoy!

coachella 2015 from pluvieux on 8tracks Radio.

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Abbott Kinney

TRAVEL: A DAY ON ABBOTT KINNEY

by with No Comment adventurecommunityfoodlifestyletravel

 

We recently spent a day at Abbot Kinney street in Venice, California, and strolled about and explored. This is what we found:

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When we had worked up an appetite, we stopped at a place called 3 Square Cafe. Here, we ordered a quinoa burger with shoestring fries and a strawberry lemonade. It was absolutely delicious! When we finished, we were delighted by a little box of complimentary lemon meringue pie, it was divine.

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Processed with VSCOcam with a7 preset

If you’ve ever been to Abbot, then you know there is an endless variety of specialty stores, florists, cute little nooks and small, adorable shops to stop into. On our little journey we found this absolutely incredible, to-die-for pomegranate currant candle.

Processed with VSCOcam with a7 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with a7 preset

As always, more retail therapy was sought, and the day ended with a happy tummy and not so happy wallet, but happy nonetheless!

Happy explorations to you!

– C

beauty faves

Beauty: Favorite Cruelty Free Drugstore Lipsticks by Corrine

by with One Comment beautylifestylereviews

beauty faves

I am the type of person who, when enters a drugstore heads straight for the makeup section. I start with the blushes, scanning the aisles stocked with their new, sparkly shiny array of soft pinks, burnt reds and peachy colors that will give just the right amount of health to any bare cheek. Then I move onto the mascara’s, eyeliners, deep blacks, browns and various brights that make eyes pop and come alive. And if you’re like me…your eyes light up at the sight of any lipstick section, searching for your favorite shade, that shade that you look for everytime, and happen to own about a dozen different lipsticks in. For me, this shade is a deep, rich, beautifully evil blood red. I always seek and destroy, I always know how to find it because it’s the darkest of them all, it’s at the end of the spectrum, waiting for me.  That, is my reason for being at any drugstore, of course. At my recent trip to my local drugstore, I stumbled upon this sought out shade when I discovered a cosmetic brand called Milani. When I saw it my hand immediately reached for it, and naturally, it was love. The name? Black Cherry.

 

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Black Cherry led me to gazing at the other shades Milani had to offer, and I came across a unique sort of pinky-purple, a perfect blend between the two that I had to have. It was called Matte Glam, and I knew it was great too, because I had never tried out a matte lipstick and was excited to try. So my endeavor began. As soon as I got home, I looked up Milani Cosmetics. If you weren’t aware already, I am always extremely concerned in knowing which brands are cruelty free, do not test on animals and have good morals. Whenever I buy a product I use on my face or body, I want to know if any animals were harmed in the process and if the brand uses humane techniques to form their products. So of course I was amazed and impressed to discover Milani is completely cruelty free, and some of their products are even vegan. In fact, Matte Glam is vegan. Yay!! This was a successful trip in my book.

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Aren’t they glorious? The third lipstick you see probably comes off as a little mysterious, as I didn’t address it at first. It’s by a brand called Nuance, which was created by Salma Hayek. I read up on her testimonials, and absolutely fell in love with her beliefs on health + beauty and consciousness of the environment. Nuance is cruelty free. The shade of lipstick that I found myself drawn to is called My Favorite Color, and there’s even a matching nail color to go with it (uh…of course I own it). The best way to describe this color is like a sheer, rose with orangey undertones, and grants a healthy glow that only the sun could give. It’s feminine, youthful yet mature, versatile.

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“65 Matte Glam” by Milani

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“24 Black Cherry” by Milani

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Lastly, Nuance Salma Hayek Color Vibrance Lipstick Terra Cotta (link is not the color shown above but will lead you to the brand and series of lipstick)

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Swatches of all three. (From left to right): My Favorite Color by Nuance, Black Cherry by Milani, Matte Glam by Milani

four daughters

BEST BRUNCH IN THE SOUTH BAY: FOUR DAUGHTERS

by with No Comment adventurecommunityfoodtravel

I’m one of those people who can have waffles and bacon any time of the day because breakfast is probably my most favorite meal of the day. Brunch is a happy medium with its breakfast options and early lunch specials! Four Daughters in Manhattan Beach offers up the yummiest quinoa bowl with potatoes and egg – the Porto Bowl. Where you can substitute anything into the bowl you’d like and trust me when I say to order a second side of the salsa it comes with! It’s delicious and fresh!

Four Daughters

Four Daughters has an ocean view,  outside seating if you bring your pet or want to enjoy the beautiful weather, and there is also a ton of street parking available.

Four Daughters
THAT is the view from the sidewalk ….. just breathtaking

Four Daughters
I met with my friend Miya and we chatted  all things blogging and enjoyed their happy hour which is also incredible, with half off appetizers and drinks. I ordered the sliders – 2 BBQ pork and an angus slider on Hawaiian sweet rolls and comes topped with cheese and special 4DK sauce! Corrine ordered the signature fish tacos which were gluten-free, and of course we HAD to get their bread pudding which tasted like banana cream amazingness!

Four Daughters
They also make homemade sangria! If you’re feeling the caffeine craze, grab a latte, they’re rich and creamy!

Four Daughters
Some other perks Four Daughters has to offer is free wifi and for you parents out there, there is a clean changing table in the ladies bathroom! Double points!

Four Daughters
Check them out if you’re in the area, their price points are $$ so they’re extremely reasonable, and they get 5 out of 5 happy faces  for their menu, their views, and their food!

What’s your favorite brunch place?! Do share!

Have a great weekend!!!

xoxo- Jess

JessLizama App wahoo!

TECH: UPDATES ON MY MOBILE APP!

by with No Comment communitygiveawayslifestylemobile applicationstechnologytwitter partytwitter talk

They say that nothing is life is free…..but my mobile app is!!! If you didn’t catch my last post on it, I’ve launched a mobile application where you interact with me and other members of our community. Available on the iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and tablet, you’re able to create your own account and start uploading photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and start hashtag stories!!!

Jess Lizama App
My app is one of the first places you’ll see my updates for everything and anything going on in my life, from new video releases, to life happenings, and I’m so excited to start podcasting and including all of your ideas and questions from the app into my series. I’ll also be reaching out to you on the app for ideas for my site as you’ll all be helping me curate content! Wahoo!

making friends

What I’ve loved most is seeing everyone add one another as friends, respond to each other’s posts and polls, and the sense of community you get when you upload a status update and get feedback from other people on the app. That most of all makes me most happy because interaction, not just with me, but with one another is community, and that’s what my goal for the app is. Inspire Encourage Empower. It all comes back to that.

Jess Lizama App

Under the “Discover” tab you’ll find people on the app, tags that are trending, you’ll be able to find new friends! Community tab holds all of the community update statuses, and and the Channel tab is where you’ll find all of my personal updates and contents that I post to the app.

If you haven’t downloaded the app yet please do, the link is HERE, all y0u have to do is set up a profile and start chatting with all of us! Make me a GIF, start a poll, upload a video, comment to other community members, or follow your favorite hashtag story! My next story will be under #VEGASBABY so look for that on the 16th when I hold my TWITTER PARTY!

Yup I’m having another Twitter Party, how it works is next Monday March 16th, at 6pm PST I’ll log onto TWITTER and chat with you guys for about 20-30 minutes, we’ll chat all things life, updates, happenings, the app, the new features, and giveaways! Just use the hashtag #JessMode each time you tweet me during the Twitter Party so I can see your responses and questions, and follow the hashtag to see the conversations!

I’ll be giving away (2) $50 Visa Gift cards so you can splurge on your favorite things and (2) surprise tech gifts! All you have to do to participate is use the hashtag (#JESSMODE) and join me next Monday – March 16th at 6pm PST for all the fun!
I love you and thank you for being a part of my app and our community!

 

Hugs!

– Jess xoxo