Los Angeles, California | 6/5/19 – 6/12/19

August 1, 2019 ~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Long time no blog! I have not been active on here in a few months because I’ve been dedicating all of my time to a new project (will talk about in next post). Now that I have finished that, I want to finally make a post about my second trip to California back in June!

outfit : bodysuit : Bershka (similar) | jeans : Rag & Bone (similar) | heels : Bershka (similar) | bag : Bershka x PANTONE

We spent our first day in LA in my favorite area, the Melrose and Fairfax district. A great place for streetwear and vintage shopping. Also, I love seeing all the art and how it has all changed since the last time I was here, three months prior.

outfit : Jeans : BLDWN (similar) | shoes : Veja | top : Forever 21 (similar)

Our second day was spent in Santa Barbara! It was about an hour drive from LA with very little traffic and it was a gloomy day but for here, it was perfect. A trip to the Santa Barbara Mission is a must. It is really beautiful and actually very interesting.

There are a TON of restaurants in Santa Barbara, like a ton, so go here on an empty stomach. If you like seafood (I do not but if youuu do) you’re in the right place!

Also definitely take a walk down State Street. It is full of shops; some well known and some local.

Sunday was spent around Venice Beach. Out of all the times I’ve been to LA, I’ve never been to Venice. This was a crowded spot for sure but it was really cool to see all of the street performers and artists, touristy shops, and the skate culture here. Tip: find a good spot on the beach away from people and it’ll feel less crowded. Tip #2: wear sunscreen…

outfit : set : Forever 21 (similar) | shoes : Bershka (similar)

swimsuit : Target | coverup : Forever 21

We had a full relaxed day around Beverly Hills, Burbank, and Encino (where we stayed). I got to see some family and an amazing sunset over Studio City.

One of my favorite things to do here is to drive through the Hollywood Hills at night. You get to drive by some amazing homes and there are multiple scenic outlooks that let you view all of LA. Route Muholland Drive to get there and then feel free to get lost.

Last trip we went to Disneyland so this time we went to Universal. Personally, I enjoyed Disney a lot more; there was just more to do. Universal was cool but it was so insanely hot and the lines were ridiculous. If you’re going to Universal, invest in the fast pass. It’s a little more expensive but it will be worth it; I wish I would have done this.

On our very last day, we had no plans so I googled things to do, as any tourist would, and we decided to head to Malibu and ended the night driving down the beach to Santa Monica. This day was full of oceans and sunsets and it was the best.

If you’re ever in Malibu, go eat at the Coral Cantina. It’s no Malibu Farm, but the food is super good.

Stay tuned for my next post where I announce on here what I’ve been working on for the last 5 months!

xx Bella

Los Angeles, California | 3/23/19 – 3/28/19

April 17, 2019 ~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Hello! I recently traveled to Los Angeles, California! Mainly for fun but I made sure to take a ton of outfit pics for Instagram and blog purposes as well. I always like to share what I’m wearing when I’m on the road along with what I did and what I saw! I plan on returning to LA very soon for an exciting project I am working on…stay tuned!

Los Angeles, CA

top : Forever 21 (similar) | jeans : BLDWN

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top : Zara (similar) | pants : Etiquette Boutique KC (similar) | shoes : Fila Disruptor II

A day at the beach was necessary to start the trip. Santa Monica seemed like a good idea because of the Third Street Promenade, the Pier, and of course the beach. For breakfast we went to Swingers Diner and it was so so good and only a few blocks from the ocean.

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blouse : vintage (similar) | top : Etiquette Boutique KC (similar) | shorts : American Apparel (similar)

Santa Monica, CA

One morning was spent exploring Beverly Hills. We got coffee at Alfred Tea Room and had brunch at Urth Caffe (one of my favorite brunch spots ever). It’s always so inspiring to me to walk into the designer stores as well to get ideas for my own outfits and to see what is happening now in the industry. People watching is also so exciting here.

Alfred – Beverly Hills, CA

Urth Caffe – Beverly Hills, CA

Louis Vuitton – Rodeo Drive – Beverly Hills, CA

Chanel – Rodeo Drive – Beverly Hills, CA

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top : Marc Jacobs | skirt : IAMGIA (similar) | shoes : Fila Disruptor II

Beverly Hills, CA

jumpsuit : Etiquette Boutique KC (similar) | shoes : Fila Disruptor II | belt : vintage (similar)

Spent one of the days shopping in the Melrose and Fairfax district. I think that this is one of my favorite places in LA to spend the day. Every corner is filled with cool street art and the shopping is incredible. So many unique vintage finds.

We ate at a new Italian restaurant called Jon & Vinny’s and it was amazing. We sat at the counter facing the kitchen where you can watch the chefs homemake everything. Extremely good, I highly recommend.

Melrose Avenue

Jon & Vinny’s

Melrose Avenue

Dolls Kill

Melrose Avenue

top : vintage | biker shorts : Amazon (similar) | shoes : Fila Disruptor II

I had to let my inner child out at some point so Disneyland was a must. My best tip for going to Disney on a budget is to bring a backpack with your own food and snacks because Disney is not cheap. Also getting fast passes for crowded rides is so important if you want to manage your time wisely.

Disneyland

On our very last day in California, we did the most touristy thing of all- the Hollywood Sign. As tacky as I think it is, I’m always so excited to go and see it. Not only is the sign cool in my opinion, but you get a beautiful view of the Hills and downtown LA as well.

You can view the sign in a lot of places but to get to the exact spot I did, click this link. I followed the way of step number 2. Yes, we did get a parking ticket but honestly it was well worth it.

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top : vintage | jeans : BLDWN | shoes : Fila Disruptor II

Hollywood Sign

For as many times as I’ve traveled to LA, I have never been up to the Griffith Observatory and seeing it from our Airbnb window every night made me have to go. The views are incredible. You can see all of Los Angeles on one side, and the Hollywood sign on the other.

Griffith Observatory

top : vintage | jeans : BLDWN

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All White After Labor Day – Cinque Terre, Italy

September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 ~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Happy Sunday!

My last post was about my weekend in Cinque Terre and I loved what I wore so much I wanted to do a whole separate post with more photos! I think that the “no white after Labor Day” rule is stupid and outdated. Fashion is supposed to be fun and I don’t believe in rules.

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photographer : Santiago

Cinque Terre, Italy |9/15/18 – 9/16/18

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 ~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Cinque Terre is somewhere I have seen all over Pinterest and Tumblr and I finally got the chance to go! This place is extremely beautiful with color. It’s a great mix of relaxing beaches, historic towns, and mountainous hikes- something for everyone.

From Florence, it takes around two hours to get to Cinque Terre by train. We took one train to Pisa, and from Pisa we took a second one to La Spezia. One of the many things I love about living in Italy is how easy, fast, and cheap it is to travel just about anywhere in Italy and all of Europe!

Vernazza

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I plan on having a post about this full outfit up very shortly. It is one of my favorite outfits I have worn and I think that it deserves its own separate post.

Monterosso

If you have the time when you go here, definitely spend some time lounging on the beach. The water is crystal clear and perfect on a hot Italian day. You also have the most amazing view of the Mediterranean coast.

p.s. my blue bikini is from Amazon it was very inexpensive and for someone who doesn’t prefer a lot of swimming or other water activities, I don’t like to spend a lot of money on a bathing suit and the quality of this is pretty good!

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset — Manarola – the most beautiful place in all of Cinque Terre

La Spezia

Our group stayed the night at an Airbb in La Spezia which is actually a huge, poppin town! I would have never guessed it but it was pretty neat. Staying the night with everyone was a great time but I do think that in the future, if I go back, I would make Cinque Terre a day trip. If you don’t take a hike or relax at the beach, it is possible to go to all five places.

outfit details : dress : Verge Girl (similar) | shoes : Fila Disruptor II | bag : Italian Market (similar) | sunglasses : Nordstrom

#KCFW Cruise 2017 – Day 5 : ON BOARD

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 ~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

Today was our last day on the cruise and we spent all day and night at sea from Cozumel to Miami. Everyone relaxed and did whatever on the ship and then at night we all joined together for our formal, and last dinner. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to go on this wonderful trip. I got to get a lot closer to everyone and learned a lot. Stay tuned to see my vlog go live on Youtube soon to get a better look at everything!

xx Bella

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top : Charlotte Russe (similar) | pants : Missguided

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#KCFW Cruise 2017 – Day 4 : COZUMEL

December 3, 2017December 4, 2017 ~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

Hello from Cozumel! This was my first time ever going to Mexico! It was so pretty and we all had a blast. The water was so blue and salty and the beaches were beautiful and the best place for our photoshoot. Since this is a cruise, we are on a set schedule and couldn’t stay here for a long time so I definitely want to come back to Cozumel in the future.

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