Post cards from Barcelona, Part 2

Sagrada Familia

Castell de Montjuic

Ciutadela Park

Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop

Montjuic Botanical Garden

Brunch and Cake

Ciutadela Park

Montjuic

Ciutadela Park

Barceloneta Beach

Port Vell, view from cable car

Ciutadella Park

Barceloneta Beach

Barceloneta Beach

Mirador de Colom

Barceloneta Beach

Tibidabo

Tibidabo

Tibidabo

Brunch and Cake by the Sea

Brunch and Cake by the Sea

Montjuic

La Rambla, view from Mirador de Colom

Placa de Gaudi

Placa de Gaudi

Montjuic

Montjuic, wearing Shopbop

MUHBA

El Nacional

Ciutadela Park

Welcome back for Part 2 of our trip! I mashed together some of my "naturey" photos and ended up with a parks list. I have come to realize I have a soft spot for parks when I travel. When you're running around seeing all the sights, it's especially relaxing to sit and listen to some water trickling while soaking in the surrounding culture. My favorite place was Ciutadela Park, as we went back twice by choice. There's something about this park that brought out a sense of home away from home. It reminded me of a condensed Central Park in NY, except this park has palm trees galore! 

We also went back to the beach for a second time. The first time, we stumbled upon it on our way to the cable car that takes you up to Montjuic. We saw people selling blankets and decided to come back for a picnic if we had time. On our last day we happened to walk by the beach again. Before making it to the sand, we got distracted by some people making large bubbles for the crowd. It was then I noticed groups of people buzzing around on electric bikes and scooters of all kinds. Right there in the middle of the board walk we spotted a rental place and had a spontaneous ride! I definitely recommend going along the entire boardwalk this way. It was so fun that had we discovered it sooner I may have convinced my husband to do all day rentals everyday~ 

El Nacional is a gem! There are multiple restaurants in one large open space with THE most fabulous interior. Our Airbnb was just around the block and I would have missed it had I not just seen it on my friend's instagram (@mjtraynor). I think we tried most of the sections and I can't really recommend one over the other. The tapas section was a unique experience because they come around announcing available plates in their hand (kind of like dim sum carts). Definitely check out this space if you're in the neighborhood!

How To: Style a Denim Shirt

on sale

In this post, we’ll show you how we styled the classic denim shirt. Maybe you’ve been playing it safe with white shirts, or you just don’t own one …yet! Here are four examples from a combination of endless styles.

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1. Easy Layers

First, let's start with a casual look for one your comfortable days. You can throw on a textured sweater over your denim shirt, and wear it with a pair of boyfriend jeans. For the bag, go with a big slouchy one because it’ll give it that easy-going feel. A neutral tone will keep the look simple and clean. There's a fine line between "casual" and "lazy", so refine the look with a polished shoe and top it off with a neat hairstyle.

Where to wear: Shopping, Class, Lunch, Stroll, Airport

2. Denim on Denim

For the next look, don't be afraid to pair denim with denim. The denim will recede and act like a canvas for any bold accessories. This way, your favorite accessories will stand out. Not only is this look effortless, but it also feels put together and chic.

Where to wear: Lunch, Vacation, Date, Dinner, Park (swap out for comfy shoes)

3. Serious Meeting

If you have a casual business dress code, try this look. Swap out your predictable shirts with a denim one. Give life to your outfit by adding brooches to the lapels or pairing it with a unique bag, or printed shoes. With this look, you won't blend in or feel dull!

Where to wear: Meeting, Office

4. Tropical Blues

Last, the relaxed fit of the denim shirt compliments a form-fitting pencil skirt nicely. For this look we played with the blue hues of the shirt. Pencil skirts can be a bit serious, so this hand painted print gives it just the right balance of softness. For an airy feel, tie the ends of the shirt and pair it with open shoes. The Guinea pig bag also has the right balance of polished and playful to finish the outfit.

Where to wear: Lunch, Date, Vacation

• Photography by s o k o p h o t o s
• Styled by Connie Kim and myself

Shop the look - mix and match!

Mint Cotton Candy

Wearing: Club Monaco Jacket (similar), Sunglasses (similar), J Crew Tshirt, Wrap Shirt (Similar), Hudson Jeans, Adidas Sneakers, Chanel Bag (similar)

Chase is wearing: Oeuf Hug Me Sweater, Nico Nico Rowe Pants (simiar), Robeez Shoes

I wore a casual "lower east side" look because the atmosphere on this side of town is young and spunky. I'm not in this area often so it's always fun to discover new spots, even if they have been around for a while. Vivi Bubble Tea's float is sprinkled with pop rocks, which is a nice touch. I definitely recommend the popcorn chicken - we ordered seconds in a different flavor. We all know what happens to Chase and fried chicken; he had so much fun this day that he took a second nap!

• Photography by s o k o p h o t o s and Connie Kim

Watch Behind the Scenes Footage!