This past weekend, we stayed at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells. It was our first time at the resort, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. As soon as we arrived, we put our bags down and immediately started exploring the property! The weather is perfect this time of year so we took our time walking the grounds.

As soon as you enter the lobby, you can see hundreds of twinkling lights hanging down over a beautiful dual staircase. If I wasn’t so shy, I would have posed “prom style” right there in front of everyone! The Place is their cocktail lounge where you can sip on a drink and enjoy light bites. We both ordered the margherita flatbread and loved it. It’s a great spot for unwinding and people watching.

Next up, we walked the entire pool area where you can lounge by the pool (which has a sandy beach entry, btw!), play games (corn hole, ping pong or foosball, just to name a few), or just take a seat on the grand lawn for some good old fashioned R&R. Later in the evening they were playing a movie under the stars on the lawn! Oh, and they also offer complimentary bike rentals for the whole family!

We had so much fun playing in Renaissance Esmeralda‘s brand new Desert Glow entertainment lounge! It features classic and VR arcade games, two mini bowling lanes and they even have an escape room! You can also order food & drinks to enjoy while playing your fave games.

But my favorite part of our trip was simply relaxing poolside! We booked one of the Copa Cabana’s, which overlooks the lake & has a beautiful mountain view. I could definitely get used to the cabana life!

Have you stayed at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells?

Please note: Our accommodations were provided c/o Renaissance Esmeralda for reviewing purposes. I will always provide honest feedback. All opinions are my own.

Every year one of the most frequently asked questions I get is…what to wear on opening day. Opening day at the Del Mar Races is one of the (if not the) biggest events of the year. Every year close to 40,000 people attend opening day! The past few years have been capped at 20,000 due to the pandemic. But I heard a rumor that they may keep the attendance cap because it just makes for a much more enjoyable experience at the track! I, personally, would love it if they did!

But back to what you really want to know. What to wear on opening day! Let me first tell you that it is almost ALWAYS hot in the middle of July. So in my opinion, long sleeves are almost always out of the question. Opening day is a day to see and be seen! Enjoy it and pull out that fancy dress you rarely get a chance to wear! Half of the fun of opening day is having an excuse to get dressed up!

I’ve almost always worn a more structured mini dress on opening day. But this year I went with a hi/low dress. And heels! Trust me ladies when I tell you…if you wear heels, make sure they are your most comfortable pair. Even if you have seats, you will be getting up often to mingle, place bets, etc. Many opt for wedges or cute flats. Which I think I will be doing next year! Ha!

As for wearing a hat…I say, GO FOR IT. My first year to the track, I was a little nervous on what kind of hat to wear. A fascinator just seemed like a bit much so I opted for a floppy hat. But now…I say the BIGGER, the BETTER! I went from a simple floppy hat to the biggest fascinator I could get my hands on. I even had a few custom-made fascinators over the years! In fact, the hat is now my favorite part!

So there you have it, my friends. A dress, comfy shoes and your best hat is all you really need to know. I am linking all of my previous years looks here, here, and here. Hopefully you now have a better idea of what to wear on opening day!

PRO TIPS: Safety first! Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen. Even though there are plenty of shaded areas, you may still be in the sun for portions of the day. We like to walk around, check out the paddock, meet up with friends, etc. so SPF is a must! Wear comfortable shoes (if possible) and be sure to bring bandaids with you, just in case! I like to bring these blister protector bandaids with me.

P.S. The Turf Club is for members only and has a strict dress code, which you can access here. To purchase tickets for the Del Mar Racetrack or to get more information, please click here.

OUTFIT DETAILS: Amanda Uprichard Dress, Arturo Rios Hat & Schutz Heels

Happy new year, friends! It’s been a minute since I’ve felt motivated to write a blog post. But lately I’ve been feeling inspired to get back into it. So I thought I would start by sharing a review on my new LAGOS watch bracelet.

My husband got me the stainless steel LAGOS watch bracelet (also available here) for Christmas. And I am OBSESSED. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts with you! You know “show & tell” has always been my fave.

If you’re a long time reader, you may have already seen some of my previous posts wearing LAGOS jewelry (linked below). I’ve collaborated with them a few times in the past and now have quite the collection. The caviar collection is my favorite.

I always have my apple watch on in the day but rarely wore it out for date night, etc. because it just looked too sporty. Now I am excited to wear it when I’m dressed up too!

You can choose from stainless steel, sterling silver, 18k gold, ceramic or even with diamonds! LAGOS was the first fine jewelry bracelet ever available for apple watches. It starts at $595 for the stainless steel, which is pricey but worth the investment to me. Now that I know how much I love it…I may need to start hinting about the stainless steel & gold combo for our 15 year wedding anniversary. HA!

I ordered the smallest option they had which is 38-45mm. You can only remove two links yourself and unfortunately it was STILL too large for my wrist. As you know, you need it to fit well for all of the apple features to function properly. But thankfully you can send it to LAGOS for an addition link removal at no cost (if purchased directly from them). So with three links removed, it fits my wrist perfectly! Also…one thing that bothered me at first was how all of the watch faces on the LAGOS website match the stainless steel perfectly. But you can only get brushed stainless steel apple watches now so it took me a minute to get over the fact that it doesn’t match perfectly. But overall, I couldn’t be happier with it!

P.S. Check out a few of my other posts featuring my Lagos pieces here, here and here. You can purchase the watch band here, here or here.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Everyone keeps warning us that shipping is going to be slow this year. So I am trying to get my shopping finished ASAP. I thought I would start by shopping the best black Friday sales, which I will also be sharing with you! Back in the old days, I would be up all night on Thanksgiving reporting on the best black Friday sales to shop. Thankfully now, most sales are live BEFORE the holiday! I plan to do most of my shopping from the comfort of my couch (or bed!) this year…and I’m not mad about it one bit!

Selfishly, this post is a little bit (ok, a lot) for my husband! So he can pick any of the items below (hint, hint) and know I will be happy to find them under the tree! These are the three items I’m loving from each sale. Of course I had to start with the Shopbop sale! Is there anything you have your eye on that I should know about? Feel free to share in the comments!

SHOPBOP: Black Friday sale up to 50% off. Also, take 15-30% off select items with code HOLIDAY.

MADEWELL: Get 30% off with code OHJOY.

FOREVER 21: Doorbuster deals up to 70% off. Extra 10% off your purchase with code GET10. Extra 40% off sale items with code EXTRA40.

NORDSTROM: Up to 50% off (prices marked).

GAP: 40% off everything and 50% off items marked REALLY BIG DEALS.

EXPRESS: 40-50% off everything.

ALSO…don’t forget to use Rakuten so you earn cash back from participating stores!!! Every little bit adds up!

PLEASE NOTE: all sales subject to exclusions. Please visit each retailer for full details.

YOU GUYS. It’s the SALE we’ve all been waiting for…the SHOPBOP Style Event. You can save up to 25% off your purchase with code STYLE. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but all throughout the year, I “heart” (or favorite) my favorite pieces so I can easily go back through them and snag my faves during this sale. I love that now you can easily tell which items are included in the sale because they are clearly marked in bold STYLE EVENT below the item.

I have all of the items above saved in my favorites to elevate my Fall style. The colorblock skirt is SO chic and I love it with the oversized plaid blazer and chunky booties. I may or may not already have FOUR pairs of leopard print sneakers (I even have leopard high tops already!) but this new rugged pair by Vans have my name written all over them. I also already have a pair of the clear strap heels but I have worn them out this summer so I think I will replace them with this new cognac bottom pair. Lastly, I am obsessed with this rust colored maxi dress! The subtle cutouts on the waist give it just a little extra sexy factor. I’m all about it!

OH, and if you only buy one thing from this sale…may I suggest THESE Mother Denim corduroy skinnies! I bought them like a month ago and I am OBSESSED. I meant to take a pic in them for you but time got away from me and I wanted to share about this sale ASAP since it ends Oct 14th! Back to the pants…don’t be shocked that they aren’t as high-waisted as we have become accustomed to…because they are BEYOND comfy and such a great alternative to jeans! HIGHLY recommend! Oh, and I went up a size! I am usually a 27 and the 28 fit perfect.

Click any of the images to shop my favorite SHOPBOP pieces below: