Ready, Set, Relax

Easy Breezy Chiffon

Oh the golden days of Fall. I look forward to these days all year long and cherish every second of them that I possibly can. A slight chill in the air, yet still warm enough in the afternoons to not wear a jacket. When I want to feel relaxed while working around the house an outfit I like to wear is a chiffon top, leggins, and embellished flats, these being sparkle. Its an easy breezy type of outfit that simply has no fuss to it. This is a great look for still looking chic while doing chores and what not. You'll see me in this until the weather truly turns on the frightful side, but until then, when I want to feel relaxed, this is a go to. If you are not one to wear leggings, then I would wear jeans. Normally, jeans would be my choice, but I like to break up the monotonous pattern of wearing jeans constantly. Variety is the spice of life as they say.

Breezy Top: Similar Match

Printed Leggins: Similar Match

Sparkle Flats: Similar Match

Coat Check

Fall Coat Guide 2014

Why don't you get out of that wet coat and into a dry martini?

“This is the garment that has kept the original function of clothes—to keep you warm. Coats can either be fitted or loose, whichever is your personal choice. But above everything they must be practical. Practical in color and practical in style. ”

— Christian Dior

An absolute favorite of mine, the Pendleton '49er jacket. This jacket truly never goes out of style with its retro-chic plaid pattern and roomy patch pockets. Made of 100% virgin wool.

The Pendleton 49er Jacket: Similar Match

Another staple I keep seeing is the military look. While that's not necessarily my style, I can't deny my love for this coat in an olive brown shade. The length and tie accentuate my figure while keeping me warm.

Olive Jacket: Similar Match

The famous trench coat. A classic style that will be forever chic. All I need is a fedora and Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca come to mind. Well here's looking at a beautiful coat for Fall.

Tan Trench Coat: Similar Match

While pink was the essential color for coats last year, this year I'm forecasting that light blue will be it. What's not to love from this Pendleton design? Made from merino wool, this lightweight jacket has the perfect pop of color to keep you feeling fresh.

Light Blue Pendleton Jacket: Exact Match

For all of you lovelies that live in a warmer climate this light weight lace bomber jacket is for you. Add some feminine flair to your style while keeping the chill off of your skin. The delicate blush color fits right in with my taste of keeping some pastel colors alive in the Fall.

LC Lauren Conrad Lace Bomber Jacket: Exact Match

Last but not least, the outfit I wore during this photo shoot. A nautical sweater from Banana Republic. Skinny dark wash jeans from LC Lauren Conrad. Lastly, candy apple red pointed toe flats from Modcloth. Just because the weather is changing does not mean my nautical flair must as well. Simply update the look with heavier fabrics and richer materials.

Anchor Sweater: Similar Match

Candy Apple FLats: Exact Match

Dark Wash Skinny Jeans: Similar Match

Lace and Leopard Oh My

Day to Night with Simple Swaps

As noted before, my love for leopard prints only intensifies once the fall and winter months start to approach. This outfit comprises of simple, classic, and timeless pieces that when put together look effortless. The base is a lovely cream sweater and leopard print skirt. For daytime I chose a lace bomber jacket and flats for running around town doing errands. Once night approaches, swap out the lace bomber for a black blazer and heels. I stuck with leopard heels and really fancied this hi-low blazer (higher cut in the back, longer in the front) since it balances out my petite frame. The jewelry, a tortoise shell watch, long diamond pendant, and crystal stone earrings stayed the same for both outfits. It just goes to show how a simple swap, here being the jacket and shoes, updates a classic outfit from day to night.

• Lace bomber jacket: LC Lauren Conrad
• Cream sweater: Kohls
• Leopard print skirt: Banana Republic
• Leopard flats: LC Lauren Conrad
• Leopard heels: DSW
• Hi-low blazer: LC Lauren Conrad
• Watch: Carolton's Rehoboth Beach
• Necklace: Joan River's collection from my mom
• Earrings: hand made

All You Need is Love

Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary

“Love is the emblem of eternity, it confounds all notion of time, effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end”

— Germaine De Stael

When I awoke on the morning of our anniversary, I was greeted by a lovely bag on our dinning room table. Now, the 3rd anniversaries symbol is leather and Justin did quite good if you ask me. His gift to me was two leather handbags wrapped in the cutest polka dot paper with a card nestled on top.

I'm quite in love with these purses because of the great detailing they have. I'm a sucker for a structured top handle bag and the little gold bow accent gives the purse the perfect finishing touch.

When Justin arrived home he gave me these beautiful roses and told me the meaning he thought of behind the three colors. Going from white, to pink, and finally red, the colors represent the deepening of our love over the years. How romantic! I was also surprised by the little snack he got for me. Cinnamon sugar covered almonds. An absolute favorite of mine to snack on.

I really could not have asked for a better anniversary. Between our time in the Finger Lakes to our little celebration at home, everything was perfect and I feel completely lucky to have someone so special and loving as my husband.

Chelsea always likes to get in on the action!

A Feather in Your Cap

Hat's Off to You

If there's one thing I love it's vintage, especially a good vintage hat. As you've seen with Summer, I had some various hats to choose from. Now that Fall has arrived, it's time to switch from straw to velvet, and let's take a moment to look at that fantastic feather! This dress from Modcloth has an amazing beaded bib neckline, quite glamorous, and the prettiest shade of green to compliment the Fall and Winter months. The sparkly purple shoes from DSW keep the glamor going; a great color to pair with green, wine, yellow, and orange. The vintage clutch also has some exquisite bead work on it with a pattern reminding me of a peacock. The egg shaped bracelet I'm wearing is a replica of Jackie Kennedy's. The colors on it remind me so much of Fall. I must say, this outfit made me feel as if I were in the 1940s and I loved every single moment of it.

A look at the back of the hat reveals a lovely little bow.

Hues of Harvest

Color Course

I've been snuggling up in some cozy sweaters lately and this cropped one fits perfectly into the new season. It should be mentioned that it tucks quite nicely into any skirt. No extra fabric to bunch up and look messy. The wine colored faux leather skirt adds some nice texture to any outfit and brings a sense of fun and youthfulness. As mentioned before, the leopard shoes blend in perfectly to match the color pallet of cream, wine, pink, red, and mustard yellow. The idea here is to add some texture and color into your Fall wardrobe. I love a simple black dress or outfit, but try to incorporate other rich colors once the weather turns cooler.  The shoes, skirt, and sweater are from LC Lauren Conrad.

This purse, from Carolton's in Rehoboth Beach, is the quint essential Fall hand bag. Perfect with its mustard yellow color, brown and black trim, and medium size so as not to over whelm, but big enough to carry necessary items in.

Travel Log

3 Year Wedding Anniversary to the Finger Lakes

Today marks my three year wedding anniversary and what better way to celebrate than by looking back at some wonderful memories from our trip to the finger lakes a couple weeks ago. Justin and I decided to take our anniversary trip a little early this year and it turned out to be spectacular. The finger lakes have beautiful sweeping landscapes to gaze upon, which comprises of what Justin and I do while visiting. We love to simply drive around and relax while taking in all of the scenery around us. Of course we do visit our favorite winery Bully Hill and stock up on Ravot 51, our favorite wine that has pineapples in it and quite a sweet flavor. Other than that we love to have little picnics around the lakes, do some antique shopping, and try the local cuisine. The golden rod was flourishing and added an Autumn feel to the gorgeous views. Let's not forget the fabulous waterfalls the finger lake region has to offer as well. This year we got to see a new one for us, Ithaca Falls, pictured last. Also, you'll see I made a new little friend while having our picnic. All in all we had a wonderful time with so many memories filled with love. I feel so luck to be married to my best friend.

A quick little history for us, Justin and I took our "mini moon" to the finger lakes the weekend after we were married. I had started a new job and was not able to take any time off. We still wanted to go somewhere to celebrate so we chose a small weekend trip to the finger lakes. We eventually took our big honeymoon trip six months later to Florida, but have always had a special place in our hearts for this New York region. We also took our one year anniversary to the finger lakes and now our three year as well.

This is from our mini moon in 2011

Celebrating our one year anniversary in 2012

Happy Autumn

My favorite season is finally upon us. The crisp cool air, pumpkin flavors, cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, all make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. To celebrate the new season I've compiled some of my favorite fall photographs I've taken.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Pointelle Polish

Lovely Leopard

As the crisp cooler air arrives its imperative to start dressing appropriately. Fall usually has some cooler days mixed in with some warmed ones. To keep warm and cool try picking out an outfit that is made from pointelle fabric. Its a little heavier to provide some warmth, but also the open stitching allows for air flow. Another Fall must and one of my favorites, leopard anything. This luxurious neutral animal print pairs well with so many various color combinations and looks lovely to boot. The dress and pointed flats are from LC Lauren Conrad, the clutch from Target, pearl necklace and earrings from my mom. 

Alternatively, for a different look with the same dress, keep your hair down in waves, add leopard heels instead of flats, and trade out the pearls for some diamonds. A new look with some simple swaps of accessories.

Fancy Floral

Dark Floral for Fall

This elegant outfit lets you bring fresh floral into Fall by darkening them up a bit. Add on a lace blazer, belted to keep your figure from hiding, some snazzy gold shoes, and you're set for a night out or a polished work friendly ensemble. The dress is from modcloth and the blazer from LC Lauren Conrad.

Comfortably Cozy

Fabulous faux fur and cognac boots

This outfit combines so many of my favorite Fall fashions. A light weight creamy white sweater, jeans, tall cognac boots, and a fabulous faux fur vest. Every part of this outfit has essential Fall items to keep you stylish, chic, and comfortably cozy. I wear these boots all the time throughout the Fall and Winter months. Nothing better to keep those tootsies warm while looking well put together. The cognac color compliments all other colors and goes with basically anything your heart desires. The faux fur vest, which I recently purchased on my vacation to Rehoboth Beach, keeps you feeling snug as a bug when those temperatures start to dip.

Pretty in Polka Dots

1950s chic

Can anyone say I Love Lucy?? As soon as I saw this dress it reminded me of the lovable red head who always seemed to get her zany self into a sneaky scheme. That by the way is my favorite show. I watch it constantly, almost every day. The classic fit and flare design with pretty polka dots looks straight out of the 1950s. The cream belt cinches in the waist, perfect for creating a nice figure. To complete the outfit are cream colored heels. The dress comes from Modcloth, an essential store for anyone looking for classic designs or vintage flair.

The baubles for this outfit include a pearl and multi-color stone necklace, a purple stone ring and pearl earrings accented in gold all belonging to my mother. My usual tennis bracelet and and rings round out the bunch.

Wine Tasting

Summer to Fall

This was such a fun photo shoot to do. My idea came from the old saying of never wearing white after Labor Day. It's one of those rules that some stick to religiously and others say rules are meant to be broken. I never liked the rule per say. Yes, bright whites do look best in the summer sun, but who says you cannot take your bright summer whites and transform them into Fall appropriate pieces? There came there inspiration to take my LC Lauren Conrad white lace dress and carry it from a Summer style into a Fall. A few key accessory changes and the look was updated. As for that old rule about Labor Day, I saw wear your whites year round. A creamier winter white looks absolutely divine during the colder months and ever so chic.

1. The first look is the bright Summer white with red shoes, a gold bag, and a pink stone necklace.
2. My update for Fall look one incorporates an LC Lauren Conrad wine colored blazer. Next, a brown bow bag, a red rhine stone necklace and purple sparkly heels.
3. The update for Fall look two incorporates the same wine colored blazer, only this time I added leopard heels from LC's line and a leopard purse from Mark. Leopard is one of those neutral prints I adore. My favorite of all the animal prints. 

Here we have some of the accessories used from the photo shoot.

A close up of the two necklaces worn. The pink summer style is a replica of Jackie Kennedy's and the red rhine stone heart is from my mother's collection. The pearl earrings in the title photo were used in all the shots. They are also from my mom.

One of the Boys

Menswear inspired fashion is everywhere and quite a classic at that. Kathrine Hepburn started the idea of women being able to wear what men wear and gasp, back in the 1930s that simply meant wearing pants or trousers. While my style is feminine and romantic, a great way to add some menswear inspiration is through accessories, or adding one detail like the blue button down shirt I have on. For this outfit I wanted to keep the proportions at 50/50. My buckle stacked heels, briefcase style bag, and blue button down shirt are inspired by the boys while my pleated floral skirt, pearl necklace, and pearl earrings are quint essentially feminine. I like the balance between the two styles and think it makes a refreshing outfit with lovely classic pieces.

Travel Log

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

The Pine and Brine

To say I'm a little nostalgic about Rehoboth Beach would be putting it mildly. My family has been vacationing here for over 20 years. I have so many wonderful memories that I cherish deeply. The quaint little town is only 1 mile long by 1 mile wide and has the nickname "pine and brine" due to the forestry area at the Grear and Silver lakes with the ocean only 1 block away. It has the best of both worlds. Plentiful are the amount of restaurants and shops carrying anything your heart desires. I truly have always considered Rehoboth a home away from home. My dad and I got up every morning at 5:45 am to capture the sunrise so you'll see plenty of beautifully inspiring images. We always took a photo together with the wonderful sky as the backdrop. Below is a gallery of our most recent trip during the first week of September. The weather was scorching and the bath water temperature of the ocean felt great. You'll see classic beach images, both lakes and their surroundings, our favorite restaurants we visited, sunrise photos, nighttime images, and a tour of the Dogfish Head brewery located in Milton, Delaware.

Travel Log

Washington D.C.

What an absolutely fabulous time Justin and I had in Washington D.C. over the Labor Day weekend. My relatives own a condo in the newly built City Center complex, which they were gracious enough to let us use for our trip. My main goal for this D.C. adventure was to explore Georgetown and see the various places where J.F.K. had lived, went to church, and grabbed a bite to eat. The weather was spectacular, only adding to the excitement of being in the city. Below are some photos documenting the trip.

• The first one shows the view of the city center complex from the roof top
  
• Next Justin and I relaxing on the balcony listening to the city below us.
• Now in Georgetown, the first JFK house we saw was 3260 N Street, the yellow home, where JFK rented and ran for Senate, also meeting Jackie while living here.
• The most famous of all the JFK Georgetown houses, 3307 N Street, the red brick with green shutters, where Jackie and he lived from 1957-61, most importantly during the 1960 presidential election.
• Holy Trinity Church where the Kennedy's often worshiped throughout their stay in Georgetown
• The inside of Martin's Tavern. The rumble booth where JFK would sit every Sunday morning for his brunch while reading the newspaper. The next photos show the proposal booth where supposedly Jack proposed to Jackie, though reports differ on that story. Perhaps he presented the ring to her here.
• The yellow house with the blue shutters, 3271 P Street, where wedding plans were made after John proposed to Jackie.
• The grey house with the black door, 2808 P Street, where JFK developed his presidential campaign after releasing his book Profiles in Courage.
• Next are some various rooftop photos at sunset at City Center.
• The following day on Saturday, Justin and I met up with our good friends Mike and Joe, and explored parts of the city. We went to Ford's Theater, where I had always wanted to visit, and saw some historical scenes of where Lincoln was assassinated. The bed photo, located across the street in the Peterson house, is where Lincoln actually died.
• We saw this breathtaking church, St. Patrick's Parish, on our walk around town.
• Our new leader, Mr. Justin.
• After bidding Mike and Joe goodbye, we met up with Justin's aunt Mona in DuPont Circle. Here are rooftop photos from her condo. Visible are parts of DuPont Circle, D.C., and Virginia.
• Enjoying a glass of wine on the balcony on our last night in the city.
• Finally, on our last day before heading to my relatives for lunch, Justin and I took a moment to have a photo of us together.

Twirling Tulle

Fabulous Fabric

One fabric I love year round is tulle. I could simply wear this fabric forever and never tire of it. In essence, tulle has a whimsical and romantic quality to it. Its what ballerina skirts are made of and the choice fabric for wedding dresses and princess ball gowns everywhere. This LC Lauren Conrad dress not only combines tulle and lace together, but comes in the prettiest shade of blue there is. Not quite green enough for mint and not quite powdery enough for baby blue, this falls somewhere in between the two creating a wonderfully beautiful palette. Notice the collar too, this dress has always been one of my favorites from LC's line and continues to be one of my choice dresses to wear for any event. I wore my mint green metallic cap toe heels from Zara to complete the look.

The jewelery for this outfit consisted of an aqua marine and gold bracelet of my mother's, along with a sapphire and gold necklace also belonging to her.  I've been wearing this necklace almost every day since my everyday necklace, the gold heart Justin gave me, broke along the chain. It's currently being fixed, but I needed another one to wear in the mean time. The earrings, not visible here, are also from my mother; gold hearts with pink enamel along the one edge.

Chelsea likes to watch me take my photos. While photographing the dress, Chelsea watched from the front porch of which I was standing right in front of. How cute does my baby look?! I couldn't help buy snap a quick picture of her as she gazed out of the door.

Transitioning Your Wardrobe

Summer to Fall

Before you know it Autumn is going to be here. While I'm a little more than sad to see Summer leave, I do have a special soft spot in my heart for Fall. I love the idea of the cool crisp air, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice latte's, warm sunshine filled afternoons, apple cider donuts, warm cozy sweaters, the list goes on. Possibly another reason I love Fall so much is because of the feeling of new beginnings it conjures up. Spring is the season of rebirth, but Autumn is when the new school year begins, and with that means new school supplies, new clothes, new friends mingling with the old, new classes, basically a fresh new start for the academic year ahead. Whatever the reason may be, Fall will inevitably arrive and with that means a wardrobe change from breezy effortless styles to a more cozier bundled up one. The in between faze can be tricky seeing as how the weather is still warm, but has those crisp moments in the mornings and evenings. With the weather still being warm, the simple change I like to make is to incorporate darker shades into your clothing for the transition period. The dress I choose from Modcloth still feels summery with its large floral print, but also has a toned down feeling with the darker blue background.

This photo is a fun one. I like incorporating movement into some of my images whether it be twirling my skirt or dress, jumping in the air, or simply swishing my hair around. It's important not to have a static feel of just standing there. What is funny about this jump is I did not know what to do with my hands at the time. Looks like I am about to catch a football!

Seaworthy

Sail Away

My nautical love has been going strong all Summer long and has no end in sight. As August heads into September, and we are all reminded that Autumn is approaching with the cool night air (it's been as low as 50 in the Northeast!) transitioning your clothing is now becoming required. Something as simple as a light blazer will do the trick. A cardigan will work as well, but blazers have a polished feel to them that a cardigan cannot match. This blue and white stripped dress, with gold accented jewelry, feels fresh and breezy for Summer. To combat the cooler night air, simply slip into a similarly styled blazer, this one from Banana Republic with subtle blue and white stripes, to keep you warm and perfectly polished as you make those Summer nights to remember.

Jewelry completes an outfit and can either make you feel dressed to the nines or subtly shimmering with key pieces placed here and there. Whatever your jewelry style may be, it goes without saying that these gems have an impact. I always use jewelry that is personal to me. Rarely do I ever wear something that was bought just because I thought it was pretty. There is always a story or a memory attached to mine. Here, the pin on the blazer belonged to my mom along with the anchor earrings, which I've been wearing all summer long. The necklace I received as a gift because of the nautical feel to it.

Lace Details

Simple Weekend Outfit

This is the kind of summery weekend outfit that I love. It's simply, chic, and effortless. The basic peach tee is spruced up with a lace sleeve from Charming Charlies. The adorable green skirt from Modcloth comes with pink and blue Hydrangea details and feels feminine. The color blocked heels from DSW, still a trend going strong, mix perfectly into the outfit with colors of purple, yellow, and pink. This outfit is great in either Spring or Summer and has that flirty fun feeling to it.