Pickleball was invented in 1965 by two Dads who wanted their families to have fun. The game combines badminton, ping pong, and tennis.Try pickleball this weekend. Get your gear and get started.
First off, you need good paddles. This pickleball paddle starter set comes with two paddles and balls. It’s well rated with reviewers praising its durability and grip.
This colorful striped pickleball paddle setis also well-rated. Users love its quality, durability , and cute fashion. Plus, the set comes with four pickleballs and a bag.
If you’re looking for a spacious bag to hold your pickleball gear, this crossbody bag might be the one. Users rave that it holds a lot of stuff with ample pockets and storage for all your stuff, including paddles, socks, shoes, towels, bottles, and more.
Who doesn’t need more pickleballs? This 3-ball set, available in green, pink , and blue, is a standout on the court.
Next, add some style to your game. Rock these pickleball socks, which users say are comfortable, soft, and cushioned. Wear thispickleball queen tank to show your opponents that you’re pickleball royalty.
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Fruit is making a stylish statement this season. From sour cherries, tart lemons, and sweet strawberries to refreshing watermelon, juicy peaches, delicious kiwi, and more, fashion and decor are inspired by fruits.
Adding fruit accents to your home or personal style can be charming, light-hearted, and playful. Many pieces look vintage, as if they’re from the 1950s Italian Riviera. Others are modern, bold, and juicy. Some pieces seem seasonal, while others can be enjoyed year-round.
Just in time for Amazon Prime Day, now’s the time to squeeze the opportunity to try fun, fruity styles. From purse charms to kitchen towels to shoes, shirts, and more, let fresh fruit guide the way to summer style. Click the links to check out the products mentioned.
Fruity, fresh footwear
Cherries are having a big moment this season, and these cherry Crocs are the perfect combination of trendy and comfortable.
Pamper your feet with these fun, bold slides. These red, black, and green cherry slides are bursting with style and cheeky whimsy.
Kick up your relaxation with these comfy strawberry slippers, which will keep your feet warm year-round. These are also available in other fruity themes, including peaches, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon.
Fruit-inspired kitchen items
Towels are an easy way to mix and match with fruit patterns while cooking or entertaining. This set of two flour sack strawberry towels looks sweet, and they’re well-rated and durable.
You’ll be smiling when you use these “Hello Summer” 3 pack of dishtowels featuring peaches, watermelon, and pineapple. They add wonderful pops of color to your kitchen while being functional, too.
These lemon- and lime-colored Limoncello kitchen towels look elegant. They’ll do double duty for dish drying and overall decor. The towels are highly rated and praised for their beauty and quality.
Snuggle up with your favorite fruit! This cozy strawberry blanket is available in two sizes and multiple patterns.
Add some tropical fun to your space with these vibrant Kiwi throw pillows. The pillows, sold as a set of two, are 14 inches and look like slices of the fuzzy fruit. Whether you use them as outdoor decor or as a throw pillow for your bed or couch, these kiwis will get a lot of attention.
Up your entertaining with these lemon shaped appetizer plates. Whether you’re serving sauces or small snacks like nuts, your guests will rave about these colorful dishes.
You’ll smile when you pour your favorite hot drink into this cherry coffee mug. Reviewers love this wide-rimmed mug for its cute look and its quality.
Fruity fashion
Wear your favorite fruit on a shirt. This strawberry t-shirt features a boho look, and reviewers describe it as soft and vibrant.
You’ll wear this Limoncello t-shirt all year. It’s effortlessly chic and can be paired with jeans, shorts, or a skirt to create a variety of looks. Reviewers say it’s soft and high quality.
If you’ve always had a sunny outlook on life, you’ll need this “Just Peachy” shirt. Praised for its softness and stretch, this tee is available in a variety of colors, including gray, green, cream, and pink.
Men can get in on the fruit-inspired trend, too. These men’s pineapple swim shorts are highly rated, with Amazon reviewers praising their pockets, vibrant colors, and ability to dry fast.
Speaking of color, some Hawaiian shirts are wild with color and zany designs. But this men’s Hawaiian tropical shirt — in a blue background and a mix of tropical fruits — is full of charm without being too much.
Fruit Accessories
Add a little something extra to your look with some playful fruit accessories. These leather purse charms are available in various fruit options, including orange, blueberry, apple, avocado, and more. This faux leather cherry coin purse charm is adorable and makes such a statement. Similar purse charms sell for a lot more.
Grab a piece of summer with these dangly fruit-themed earrings. These lemon wedges are an attention getter. These lightweight, statement earrings are also available as watermelon and orange slices.
Fruit styles, especially cherries and lemons, are having a fashion moment. And the trend is not going away anytime soon. So go ahead, snag your favorite fruit fashions and accessories, and start enjoying this fruit-forward style.
The Royal Wedding is days away and I’m swooning over wedding details for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
I love weddings and royal weddings are no exception. They’re large events where no detail is overlooked! I’m looking forward to the Markle’s dress, accessories and her hair/makeup. She’s always very stylish and I’m sure her wedding look won’t disappoint.
Oleg Cassini and David’s Bridal are celebrating the royal wedding too. They sent me this sparkly crystal cupcake along with this wedding book, “Oleg Cassini The Wedding Dress.”
I’ve had fun looking through the book and reminiscing about past royal weddings and other notable I Do’s.
The 320-page book details Cassini designs over the years, including runway looks, the history of wearing white, the significance of wearing a touch of blue, and the history of bridal styles.
Cassini was also the personal stylist to former first Lady Jackie Kennedy throughout her life. After she wore his strapless empire waist design, the style became a hit. It’s a still the number one dress choice for brides.
The royal wedding happens this Saturday, May 19. It’s an early day with tv coverage of the nuptials starting at 4:30 am EDT, which for me is 1:30 am PDT. Maybe I’ll just stay up Friday night so I won’t miss a thing!
Fall is such a great season. Even in San Diego, the temps are cool(er) this time of year and it’s fun to wear cozy clothes and accessories in rich, autumn colors. I’ve been layering more and wearing knits and velvet.
My accessories and makeup have taken on fall tones as well. I love burgundy, crimson and deep shades of brown.
Jane Iredale sent me their Naturally Glam beauty collection to try out and I’m loving it.
There’s a five-color eye shadow palette featuring shimmery neutrals, as well as a bubblegum pink blush which has delicate gold shimmer.
They also sent this soft makeup mitt, which is so useful to wipe off the day’s makeup.
My favorite items? The gorgeous, seasonal lip colors: PureMoist lipstick in Gwen, an apple red and Just Kissed lip plumper in Paris, a sheer light port wine.
These lipsticks have been the star of my fall. I’ll continue to wear them during the holidays.
As a wedding editor and writer, I’m always following wedding trends. One of those trends is wedding jewelry.
There’s nothing traditional about wedding rings these days. Like never before, there are more colors, styles and metal choices for women and men.
According to The Knot, in 2016, couples said they spent over $6000 on engagement rings. There’s another jewelry expense – wedding rings for both spouses, which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
The next consideration is style. Gold, silver, titanium, tungsten and more metals, as well as colors and looks like simple bands, beveled designs and adding diamonds of other stones.
While brides often know what they want their wedding band to look like, men can be frustrated by the process. And even fashionable guys, can have a tough time finding a ring that fits their personal style.
That’s why I was eager to check out Manly Bands, which promise to fit different personalities and budgets, all while being sophisticated.
Manly Bands sent me a few complimentary bands: The Gentleman, (below) a polished band made with tungsten carbide, 18K rose gold plated; and The Surfer, a modern ring made with tungsten carbide featuring dark Koa wood and genuine turquoise.
“The Gentlemen” Manly Band
My husband tried both rings and modeled them. His fave? The Surfer (below) for its bold color and how it popped against his skin tone. This ring is very hip and a fit for his lifestyle. After all, my husband is a California native.
The rings, available in sizes five to 17, are all under $200. Wedding or not, some of these rings (like The Surfer my husband likes) can be worn as an everyday accessory.
Ready for fall? Now’s the time to get your autumn wardrobe together.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a few Neiman Marcus Fall fashion shows at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego. This season has lots of stylish trends that are easy to incorporate into your attire. Here’s what to expect for ladies:
Red is the “it” color this fall.
All shades of red are in vogue but bold shades and burgundies are particularly hot.
The 90’s are back! “This is the look of the season,” says Alex Yanez, stylist for Neiman Marcus, who explains the 90’s style of graphic makeup including heavy eyeliner is in vogue again.
Many fall styles are punk and grunge inspired, blending feminine and masculine looks. Yanez describes this style as having a “Courtney Love 90’s feel.”
Bulky boots are making a return too. One black pair featured in the fashion show had a floral pattern, showcasing that mix of feminine and masculine.
Suited Up. Modern suiting for women is very sleek and totally inspired by menswear.
Check out Dior’s take on menswear below:
Covered Legs. Another throwback that’s in fashion this fall? Hosiery. Models wore stylish patterned tights and fishnets with booties and heels. A very polished look!
Cozy up to velvet. This season’s in-demand texture, velvet is smooth and soft. It’s making its mark on jackets, tops and accessories, including shoes and purses. One model demonstrated this trend with a velvet hobo bag. Others showed off velvet pants, paired with velvet shoes.
Velvet works for night and day. It’s “less seasonal than it has been in the past,” says Yanez.
Leather jackets can add a little edge to a lot of looks. For example, when paired with a soft dress, a leather jacket can toughen up the attire.
Embellishments. Ruffles and fridge are making their mark on the runway and in real life. The shows featured ruffled skirts and dresses, as well as fringe and embrodiery on accessories like purses.
Menswear
Not to ignore the guys, here’s what’s in fashion for men this season:
Men are rocking red too.
They’re also looking very seasonally chic in plaid jackets and plaid shirts. Camouflage is also fashionable.
The velvet trend looks great on guys too. Dark denim, a strong choice for men, pairs well with so many ensembles.
The big footwear trend for men? Runners, a fashionable and functional shoe.
I recently attended the “Mix.Mingle.Schmooze” magazine release party for San Diego Style Weddings – the wedding magazine for which I’m the editor.
The latest issue of San Diego Style Weddings.
The party, held at Mission Brewery, featured great food, beer and wine, and of course wedding inspiration.
Another awesome party hosted by San Diego Style Weddings’ publisher Dena Nolen-Malasek.
Posing with SDSW’s publisher, Dena-Nolen Malasek. Photo credit: Paul Barnett Photography.
Some of the highlights included:
The amazing paper flower backdrop created by Esmeralda Luxury Paper Flowers. What a colorful backdrop for photos!
I’m a sucker for photo booths and Captured Photos Booths didn’t disappoint!
Yummy milk and cookies from the Cravory. I especially liked the chocolate truffle and lemon bar cookies.
Comfy and stylish seating from Lounge Appeal
The “Idaho Nachos” (create your own potato ship nachos) from caterer Feast on This were great – a perfect late night snack at any wedding or event.
Cool caricature drawings from Caricatures by Dave.
Caricatures by Dave
With my husband – does the caricature match us? Photo credit: Eisenhower Photography
Tasty mini donuts and deep fried Oreos from Sensational Treats.
Pretty floral arrangements from local florists like Studio Flourish and Haydee’s Creative Flowers.
Fun fact: Mission Brewery is located inside a former Wonder Bread factory in downtown San Diego. The building has lots of open space, exposed brick and great city views.
Check out the latest issue of San Diego Style Weddings online and in local stores.
Fall is here and I’m ready to celebrate with autumn’s colors. I am excited to check out Jane Iredale’s Fashion Forward collection, featuring eye shadows, retractable brow pencils and lipstick. The company sent samples for me to try and I’m impressed.
First I tried two Smooth Affair® eye shadows. One called Naked is sheer nude color; the other, Iced Brown, is a sheer golden brown. I liked how light and smooth they were to apply and it’s cool that they double as either eye shadow or as a primer for more shadows. They’re smudge proof too! There are four other colors in the line including a sheer pink called Petal; a matte yellow named Lemon; a champagne color called Canvas; and a shade of Gold.
Next up, I tried the retractable brow pencils in two colors: brunette and dark brunette. (There’s a blonde color too that I didn’t try.) The pencils do a nice job of filling in brows. And I totally love the built-in “spoolie” on the end of each pencil, perfect for brow shaping.
The finishing touch? The Cindy Puremoist® lipstick, a sexy shade of red! As the name suggests, it’s named after supermodel Cindy Crawford. I love the lipstick’s scent – a light, fruity mix of pomegranate and backberry extracts. Plus I love how the color complements my fair skin.
Sampling these products has been lots of fun – I’m looking forward to wearing them throughout the fall.
While brides often know what they want their wedding band to look like, men can be frustrated by the process. And even fashionable guys, can have a tough time finding a ring that fits their personal style.
Kristen Castillo 