“Paris is always a good idea. – Audrey Hepburn 

Outfit Details:
Graphic TeeDistressed JeansFedoraColorful Bomber, Love DressFisherman’s CapSilk Romper,  Raybans, Retro Specs, White Scuba Mini, Colorful Mini, Champagne Mini, Sandals 1, Sandals 2

What’s a blogger to do when one of her Insta-Besties hits the shores of LA from across the pond in Germany? Well, if you’re CatherineGraceO, you drop everything to meet up, as you know there’s an adventure on the way! Belinda Paris, @mademoiselle_paris on Instagram, is a beloved Influencer with a die-hard following. She’s a total magnet when it comes to her dynamic personality and sparkly demeanor. She’s as authentic as they come and a complete bundle of joy. Follow along and live vicariously. If you could bottle this beauty’s energy, you could make a fortune!

This year brought an additional treat in the person of Belinda’s darling sister, Melissa Paris. They are quite the charming sister duo with Belinda the leader of the pack. Melissa dropped Belinda off at my home and met us later for a delicious dinner at my favorite hangout, The Rockefeller Gastropub in downtown Manhattan Beach. Belinda and I made a pitstop at my go-to Cami Boutique to pick up some Boho Beachy looks for our photo shoot. Belinda’s eye went right to a graphic tee with the saying I use with my daughter, “Love you to the moon and back.” That seemed appropriate as Belinda is basically around my girl’s age! This was a “Bridging the Gap” moment as Belinda has signed onto my fall campaign connecting with a Midlife Influencer partner. I find myself naturally drawn to youthful energy, and Belinda seems to have cornered the market on bottled sunshine! Tossing on a pair of jeans by Mother and a hat from Whole Foods, we were off the races. It was a windy day and Belinda selected a fun, colorful bomber by Sanctuary to top off the look. I found the sweetest dress by Asos with LOVE straps that made my heart sing. I grabbed my white booties from Pollini by Farfetch and the cutest fisherman’s cap from Asos and we hit the town running. The LOVE inspiration fueled the photo shoot in the best way possible.

 

Belinda and I made the rounds in downtown Manhattan Beach. Our first stop was a whimsically painted garage door that gets me every time. It’s the happiest sunshine face and we had a ball being silly and having fun. Belinda’s laughter and lively personality are a bit on the contagious side! We were howling by the end and decided it was time to make a move. In the courtyard by Nick’s Fishmarket, we kept up the antics with a pillow fight outside of one of the coziest home decor boutiques, Waterleaf. It was time to change into our next look. Belinda tossed on a darling silk romper by Lavender Brown with a Rag and Bone hat from my collection. The Raybans are from her wardrobe while I opted for a darling retro look from Asos. The scuba mini dress had a Nancy Sinatra feel and I ordered the fisherman’s cap to complete the look! With booties by Pollini from last season by Farfetch, it’s a look for any age. The darling bag with floral detail is by Ted Baker and Nordstrom.

To be honest, at the start, I wasn’t feeling my best. I had to lay low and miss NYFW as I was nursing a severe respiratory infection. Well, who knew that the absolute best medicine couldn’t be found at the local CVS…I happened to find that bottled sunshine from little Miss Paris. Belinda’s delightful energy is enough to lift anyone’s spirits! By the end of the shoot, I was feeling like a kid again, thanks to an imported bundle of fun from across the pond! Belinda has joined our fall campaign, Bridging the Gap, and we couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been bridging the gap between multiple generations my entire life. Age isn’t a number. Age is an attitude or a way of viewing life. And, when I see life through Belinda’s eyes, magic happens!

 

We weren’t done yet! The final look from Cami for Belinda was a simple colorful mini dress by Veronica M. Cami is all about casual beach chic. It’s my favorite boutique amongst the locals as Cami personally curates every single item in her sunlit space. We were ready for more escapades and decided to make our way to the beach. Laughing and walking along the way, we tossed our shoes aside and ran to the shore. It didn’t take long before the ocean had its way with us and we were splashing in the waves. A tad overdressed for the occasion, we didn’t blink an eye as we were out to have fun! The water is slightly chilly this time of year and felt amazing to cool us down. I’m wearing a sweet mini dress from For Love and Lemons and Revolve Clothing. It was the perfect match to my Tabitha Simmons sandals from last season and a similar pair here.  In the most beautiful shade of pale pink, I attracted a set of gorgeous huskies that were made to match! As I lost my pup a couple of years ago, I tend to grab any sweet puppy that I see and this was no exception. Unfortunately, I had to return the dogs to their kind owner as Belinda and I had worked up a huge appetite. We knew exactly where to quench our thirst and fuel our starving tummies. It was time to meet up with Melissa and hit The Rockefeller.

It happened to be 99cent burger night which happens to be a great reason to indulge. Belinda and Melissa dove into some delicious fish tacos and savory truffle mac and cheese. Robert, the manager who’s now become a friend, sent over a tasty warm chocolate chip cookie with fresh ice cream and hot fudge. Now, that’s the way to end a perfect day. Belinda, you are a gem and pure sunshine for those who are fortunate enough to know you. I’m grateful for this crazy, virtual world we live in as it’s the relationships we develop that truly matter. See you next time beauty, hopefully on your side of the pond. Cheers, until we meet again!

6 comments

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Great story–invigorating! You two look young and energized, and so cute. Reading this encourages me to start my day light, and with the reminder not to take life so seriously.

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That’s a wonderful comment. Thank you for sharing, Dawn and happiest of holidays!

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Oh my stars! What a beautiful post! It brought tears to my eyes! You look like you could do an amazingly powerful blockbuster movie together , maybe call it “Bridges” . Simply glorious!

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Such beauty and so much hope to stay visible and vibrant in the second half of our lives. I had the privilege of connecting with a couple of 40 year olds who commented on a blouse that I was wearing from @jacketsociety. Of course, we were at a wine tasting, but they were genuinely interested in my life and how to live their’s through ups and downs. It was great for me, too, to connect with those younger.

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You too, are the one with unlimitless energy, and that’s exactly why you attract these fabulous women, Catherine!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

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“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

There’s a misconception out there that fashion and beauty is just for the young. I call bullshit on that —
You showed me that fashion is for EVERYONE, and style only gets better with age. Thank you Catherine for another lovely day with you on the westcoast!!!

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