Blue and Yellow

 I know it's only Tuesday, but does it feel more like it should be closer to Friday to anyone else? Somehow the first half of this month has already flown by and the second half is completely packed full—I won't even be in NYC for the upcoming two weekends (follow me on instagram if you want to see where I'm headed). By the time all that's done & over with I'll be another year older and summer will pretty much be upon us! I don't really have words to contain my excitement, but I do hope that I can get a little color on my ghostly white legs before then—and hopefully avoid another incident like yesterday, where I slipped crossing 7th Avenue and banged up my knee pretty bad....while flashing everyone on the street because I was in a dress. Happy Monday, right? 

Thankfully, these photos were taken before drinks with a friend after work last week—no ghostly white legs or bruised knees in sight. Oh, and if you want to see why I'm laughing so hard in the third picture...scroll down to the bottom for a little gem.

Zara Coat (there's a blue verison, too!)  || 7 For All Mankind Coated Jeans (similar) || Madewell Linen Bike Tee

Botkier Legacy Satchel (smaller version) || Sole Society Shoes 

My friend Ainsley & I had been talking about how I'm always making stupid faces or waving my hands around when my picture is being taken...so she managed to snap this gem, looked at it, and proceeded to laugh, loudly, at me while telling me I looked dumb (and because of the guy we managed to get passing me). Ensuing laughs on my end happened, too!

Museum Snow Days

 Last Saturday, I kicked off my morning afternoon with my weekly brunch date down at Cafe Orlin in the East Village (we don't go to the same spot every week, but it is the same people every week), and by the time we left—surprise!—it had dropped five degrees and started snowing. A friend and I figured that would be the perfect opportunity for us to hop on the subway out to Brooklyn and check out the John Paul Gaultier exhibit while it's in its last few weeks there, and it was oh so worth the ride. If you have a chance to visit the museum before the exhibit closes on the 23rd, I highly recommend it!

Zara Coat || Forever 21 Cardigan || Otte New York Pullover

Zara Scarf || Sole Society Tote || 7 For All Mankind Jeans || Loeffler Randall Boots

P.S.—how amazing is JP's work? The models even have moving faces, and some sing along with music or talk with a track—it was a little freaky at first, but pretty cool once you keep making your way through!

Errand Gear

 Two things dawned on me while uploading these photos. First, after some sparkly holiday outfits, my style has gotten notably more casual. It's partly a defense mechanism against the cold (it's a lot easier to get away with fleece ski leggings underneath jeans than dressy trousers), partly out of sheer laziness and no desire to deal with winter weather and cloudy, gray days. Layers are my armor for weekends spent running errands, doing everything I procrastinate all week, ahem, laundry and groceries. 

My second realization was that not a single photo was captured where I was really looking at the camera (and not making a dumb face), but in my defense it was an incredibly windy day and the new layers in my hair aren't as cooperative about staying put—not some weird case of shyness suddenly cropping up.

Zara Coat || BB Dakota Sweater || Pickwick and Weller Hanna Tee

Sequin NYC Necklace || Zara Bag || 7 for All Mankind Jeans || Schutz Shoes

Photos by Emily Tozer

Cashmere and Pumpkins

A few weekends ago, Jessica and I decided we needed to get out of the city with a little day trip out to the Hamptons, since they have a plethora of one of fall's best things-pumpkins! We hopped an early Jitney and were out there by afternoon-what we did NOT count on were all the families (hoards of small children included) who had the exact same thing planned. Luckily for us, we were able to get our pumpkin/apple cider donut fix and then cross the street to Duckwalk Vineyards for a little wine tasting-sans hoards of children-before heading back to the city.

Keeping with my weekend casual theme, I dressed pretty simply for the day. I've been living in this super-soft cashmere sweater from Otte since picking it up a few weeks ago.

Jacket, Zara (old, updated version) || Sweater, Otte || Jeans, 7 For All Mankind 

Boots, Jeffrey Campbell || Necklace, Sequin Jewelry || Sunglasses, Ray-Ban

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

Color Crush: Cobalt

If you've been a regular visitor for a while (thank you!), you're aware of my affinity for the color blue. If forced to guess, I would say 1/3 or so my closet is made up of shades of blue, from royal to cobalt to turquoise to mint to teal-and my nail polish collection, too. Naturally I was beyond excited to hear that Pantone had named dazzling blue their color of the year for 2014, particularly since my shopping addiction buying habits still seem to gravitate towards any and all shades. 

You may remember I added a flounced blue coat to my wardrobe last year, but this year I'm looking for clean, modern lines à la Tibi. I'd also love to get a pair (or two) of blue heels-bonus if they're metallic! Blue is one of the easiest colors to incorporate into both your wardrobe and your home-it's a relaxing, calm hue but brings more personality than a gray or black (yet blends seamlessly with both).   

Clockwise from top left: Nasty Gal Shoes || Tibi Twill Coat || West Elm Agate Bookend || BKR Water Bottle || DVF Austine Sweater || Dori Scengeri Icarus Earrings || Tess Giberson Leather Pencil Skirt || Zara Suede Pump || Clare Vivier Brocade Clutch || 7 For All Mankind Cigarette Jean || Elizabeth and James Blouse || Adrianna Papell Lace Dress || Noir Jewelry Necklace || Butter London polish in Scouse

Style Anatomy: Wine & Leather

I can have a lot of trouble getting dressed in the mornings. Sometimes, I know exactly what I want to wear and it comes out just how I imagined, but more often than not I end up hating everything I own because combinations always look much better in my head than in the mirror. I forget about the little details-the fit, the hardware, the colors-that can make a seemingly perfect combination clash. I've found that if I focus on one piece I'd really like to wear and build up from there, it can (sometimes-not always) lead to a look I really love, like this one!

This look started with the leather accented oxblood top. I was heading to a show at Terminal 5 in the evening and knew I wanted something brooding, tinged with punk, so I added a pair of black skinnies and my favorite Jeffrey Campbells. Chilly fall weather calls for a jacket, and nothing says rock-n-roll like a leather one. Since I'm rarely without lip color, I opted for a dark wine-tinted stain. The final touches are, of course, all in blue. I picked up this hat a few weeks ago and had been itching for the perfect opportunity to wear it; the sunnies & scarf are regulars in my arsenal and happened to blend seamlessly into the rest of this look. Et, voilà! So many of my favorite pieces, working in harmony. 

Jacket, L.A. find (similar) || Top, Zara (similar) || Jeans, 7 For All Mankind

Boots, Jeffrey Campbell || Bag, Phillip Lim for Target || Scarf, Italian street vendor

Hat, Goorin Brothers || Sunglasses, Ray-Ban || Lipstain, Bite Beauty || Blue & Gold Necklace, Lionette

Photos: Ashley Manfred

Shades of Blue

If you haven't caught on by now, you'll know after this post that I live for color. Specifically, wearing as much of it as possible, whether it's every shade of the rainbow in one outfit (pinky promise, this has happened) or wearing every shade of a particular hue, like this blue hued confection I wore to brunch with Jessica & re-worked with a bright blue pencil skirt later in the week. Perhaps I was feeling rather inspired by the fantastic color of these Ray-Bans I scooped up on a whim after leaving my previous pair of cheapies in the seatback pocket on an airplane!

Top, Express | Jeans, 7 For All Mankind (50% off!) | Sunglasses, Ray-Ban

Bag, Steve Madden | Shoes, Nine West (similar) | iPhone case, Rifle Paper Co

Necklace & Bracelets, Sequin | Lips, Revlon Love That Pink

Thanks for taking my pictures, Jessica (& hooray for spring & sunshine)!