This Thursday evening at 6PM, I'm co-hosting a wine-and-books event in San Francisco with Andrea Dunlop, author of Losing the Light. Andrea and I first started chatting a few years ago, when she reached out to ask about the process of getting your book published; she talked so passionately about her novel, and how much she wanted to put it into the world, and it has been so incredible to watch her persevere and do just that.

Losing the Light is a story about an illegitimate affair that turns into a study-abroad trip that turns into an intoxicating romance with a hot Frenchman (hello beach read), and in anticipation of our Thursday-night meetup (which Bay Area residents are more than welcome to come to; I'd love to see you there!) I asked Andrea to give me a Spring Break reading list. (We have a long drive to Disneyland on the horizon, and there is always the chance that I'll be able to get in a little reading in between rounds of "This Little Piggy.")

*   *   THE ESSENTIAL SPRING BREAK READING LIST   *   *

 On a recommendation from a friend, I tried out a wine delivery service called Wine Simple: it creates customized boxes of wine based on your specific tastes, and is a great way to branch out beyond your default picks. How it works: you answer a (fun) series of questions about your tastes in everything from coffee to cheese, are given your "Taste Profile," and get sent a selection chosen just for you. I ended up with three bottles that I wouldn't necessarily have chosen myself, but that I totally loved (all three came to the desert with us, and none returned home).

 You know how Mother's Day cards are usually on the cheesier side? Not these. These are for your mom friends, and they are the best.

 Obsessed with this drop-waist mauve dress.

{ Hotel Lautner | Desert Hot Springs, CA }

Vintage coat (similar); Vintage heels (similar); glam | camp necklace

My thing for swing coats dates back to fall of the year I first started blogging: I bought a black-and-white, retro-style coat from Forever 21 and posted a photo in it, and it was the first time anyone asked me "where did you GET that?!" (on the Internet, anyway). It was a really good coat, especially given that it was something like thirty bucks; I wore it for years and years until I finally had to admit that the shape had become a little less "swing" and a little more "sack," and sent it off to its future owner via a yard sale.

First, we need to have a very serious discussion about those boots, because while they look a tiny bit like I wrapped Lucy around my feet, they also look like EVERY BOOT FANTASY I HAVE EVER HAD.

Look. At. Them. Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.

When I tried them on and discovered that they were a full size too small, I strongly considered not caring and buying them anyway...but had a rare flash of rational thought and realized that I would likely never actually leave the house wearing boots that felt like tiny vises. Which means that they are still there, and if you are a size 7 a) I'm jealous and b) you should probably hop on out to the desert (or, you know, call the store) and pick them up.

Brie Barbaccia, desert aficionado and owner of a seriously good head of hair

Brie is a fashion and lifestyle brand manager, event producer, and the Creative Director of Modrn PR (so "hugely successful" is a pretty good descriptor) -  and easily one of the most stylish and in-the-know (about pretty much everything) women I've ever met. She could also have a second career as a high desert tour-guide: we just spent a couple of days tooling around the area on a girls' weekend, and Brie executed an itinerary so perfect - hikes! vintage shopping! cool bars with live music! midcentury-modern hotel rooms with plunge pools! - that this weekend just went down in my personal history as one of my all-time favorites.

Tl;dr: When it comes to brand management, style, and the desert, Brie knows what she's talking about. So let's give her a listen.