Minimalism

This weekend was all about housecleaning, both online and off…which is why I'm bringing you one last set of summer photos before we fully call it quits (RIP til next year, summer). 

Although we took these photos in late July—I know, I know, get it together, Rose—I wore variations on this look from the beginning of summer all the way through mid-September, breaking the whole white (on white) after Labor Day thing repeatedly. I found these bamboo (!) pants last summer in a Boerum Hill boutique. They've become a summer fave thanks to the slightly relaxed fit and breathable fabric, and I'm already sad I've had to pack them away for the year now that the temps seriously dipped this past week.

The blouse, on the other hand, is a four-season'er. I've already worn it this fall with dark jeans and a blazer; come winter, I'll layer it under sweaters thanks to the long, asymmetrical hem, and come spring pair it with skirts and light jackets. Just typing that sentence already has me excited for all this cold weather BS to pass, but alas there are still several more months to suffer through.

Zara Blouse || Dagg & Stacey Pant (in black!) || Zara Sandals || Shark tooth necklace

Michael Kors Watch (similar) || Ray-Ban Sunglasses || Essie polish in I'm Addicted

Photos: Ashley Manfred

Suno in Blue

I've got one more NYFW post for you today…I know I'm late on this (by, oh, just a few weeks!) but this look has some of my favorite things, EVER, in it, and I had to share the story behind these shoes.

It really should come as no surprise I'm decked out in head-to-toe blue, but when I was getting dressed, it wasn't a conscious color choice, although I probably subconsciously selected the pieces when I purchased them because of their hue—and, as my mom would say (about my color addiction and many, many other things) "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And, in case you're really wondering, I showed up to the office in all blue today, maybe a subconscious choice after editing these photos last night!

I wore this look on Saturday during NYFW for a morning presentation and early afternoon show (where it rained in between, and somehow I managed to get in a cab BEFORE the downpour), followed by a meeting with some of the Zappos team and the rewardStyle rooftop soirée at the Empire Hotel. I'd acquired both the shoes and dress earlier in the summer but hadn't worn either yet, thanks to my generally lazy attitude towards dressing this summer that included lots of sneakers and t-shirts. Suno has become one of my favorite designers to watch each season, so when I spotted this dress from their Resort 2014 collection on sale at Les Nouvelles and there was just one left in my size, it was fate. I'm already wishing it were next spring so I can wear this look on repeat!

Now, for a story about the shoes. These are from the Mary Katrantzou x Gianvito Rossi that was carried in a few select stores and online worldwide, and let's just say that full price they would have been double my rent. I first spotted them way earlier this spring and it was lust true love at first sight. If you were to take my personality and style and somehow turn it into a shoe, these babies would be it. I knew I needed to have them, but I had no idea how I'd make it happen since I've been trying out this whole living on a budget thing (with varying degrees of success). I checked in on them about once a week anyways, and earlier in the summer saw the price drop about 30%! Still too expensive. So I waited. And waited. 

Then, they dropped again, to about 50% off! Still pretty pricey, plenty of sizes left, so I decided to wait more, and by this point had logged them in Hukkster (RIP!) to track when they dropped in price again. One day in August, I was at one of our stores for work and saw an email on my phone noting another drop in price to something somewhat justifiable—success!! I immediately logged in to purchase as soon as I got back to work...but my size was sold out. To make the rest of the story a bit shorter, I emailed and called various stores here and abroad, including MK headquarters in London, where someone tipped me off to the shoes running a bit small, so I ordered a full size up, figuring I'd stick some foot pads in if need be. I shouldn't have worried, because they fit perfectly. And now we're going to live happily ever after.

Suno Dress (lots of Fall '14 here) || Mary Katrantzou x Gianvito Rossi Heels || Illesteva Sunglasses

Michael Kors Watch via Zappos || Sequin Jewelry Bangle

Photos: Emily Tozer

And, because what's a good outfit post from me during NYFW without an outtake…I give you the below. This is what happens when you're physically and mentally exhausted (I still hadn't had time to unpack my suitcase from my trip a week before), your feet are starting to hurt and you've visited a few too many open bars before you shoot photos. I think Emily had asked me to walk back and forth and I'm extra terrible at making a walking photo look good, so I started goofing off instead. Think I'm going to make this my new dance move ;)

Easy Denim

No matter how much I protest, it seems fall weather is pretty determined to swoop in on us. As I write this, I'm wearing a sweater (!) layered over a silk blouse with jeans, and this morning I even had on a jacket. Ugh. Let's take it easy, weather (pretty please).

I've become pretty comfortable with the fact I'm a jeans-girl. Sure, I love a great dress, printed pant or even a skirt, but when I'm lazy and, more often than not, running short on time, denim is easy. I have several pairs I can dress up with a nice boot and top as needed, but I'm usually pretty casual both on weekends and in the office. I've been picking out more and more pairs in recent years with distressing—something I avoided as a teenager, since I was pretty good at wearing my jeans til they got holes in them myself and didn't need assistance from a factory. Now that I'm able to invest in a little higher quality and spend most of my days at a desk, I don't mind a few frays and holes.

While boyfriend styles have become my go-to lately (I live in this pair from Gap; also love this wash and these Rag & Bone's), I wanted to get a patch-inspired pair after reading this interview with Eva Chen. I love the silhouette of these Greywire's (a high-quality and affordable denim line in collaboration with Elie Tahari!) and they're the perfect intro to the patchwork trend without looking too retro.

Zara Blouse || Greywire Patchwork Jeans || Sole Society Carla Satchel || Illesteva Sunglasses

Loeffler Randall Espadrilles || Michael Kors Watch

Photos: Ashley Manfred

Superhero

Happy Friday! Or, as I'm starting to call it, the start of the weekend where I try not to lose my mind. Just over a week from now, I'll be hopping on a plane home for 12 days—which sounds relaxing, but the reality is there's a lot I have to accomplish before I go (the least of which are laundry, packing, and cleaning up my apartment!), a bridal shower and bachelorette party that I'm hosting 12 hours after I land, and the start of NYFW 36 hours after I get back to NYC. Which is why I'm all about moments when I get to step back and relax for a minute...

I took my last summer Friday of the year last week (which makes it feel even more like fall in my head than this cooler weather we're having right now) and headed for the UES to grab lunch with Ashley. We headed to a quiet restaurant with tables lined up in the shade outdoors and spent some time just catching up, de-stressing from the week, and walking over to get some fro-yo after and meander to the park, where we nabbed a bench in the sunshine and gabbed a while longer. And, yes, I'm wholly aware I just used the words "meander" and "gabbed" in the same sentence…my brain must already be on Iowa-mode, ha!

Funny little story about this dress…I saw it at the beginning of the season when I was browsing new arrivals, but it faded from memory til last month when it popped back up on MAJOR sale on most sites. I kept debating whether I wanted to pull the trigger since it was still a tad pricey, but got an email one afternoon from the only site that still had my size in stock saying their sale section was ending that night. I got home shortly after midnight and hopped on my computer 20 minutes later…but the sale section was gone! So, naturally, at one a.m. I was writing emails to their customer service and even called when I discovered they had a 24-hour customer service line, but there was nothing they could do. A deeper Google search finally lead me to the last site to have just ONE in stock, in my size. Fate, right? Especially when it was $20 cheaper than everywhere else I'd seen it!

My co-workers have taken to calling it my "superhero dress" thanks to the cape-like overlay on the back. I personally love it for the simple fact it's a little unique and incredibly flattering. I've dressed it up with a chunky heel, and wore it like you see here to work last week with an edgier ankle boot.

J. Brand Lonsdale Dress || Schutz Ankle Boots (old) || Botkier Legacy Satchel (small version)

Italia Independent Sunglasses || Sequin Jewelry Necklace || Michael Kors Watch

Photos: Ashley Manfred

Summer Rain

A few weeks ago, my friends and I hatched a plan to drive out to Jones Beach for an entire day, which you may remember is on my summer to-do list…car was booked, work was requested off, sunscreen was stocked up and beach essentials were purchased. Mother Nature, that fickle creature, had other plans for that day. 

I got a text last Tuesday asking if I'd looked at the forecast…so I wincingly checked it to see a high of 75. And rain. Lots of rain from Friday til Sunday, so we cancelled the car and rescheduled everything for this coming weekend, and then guess what? It barely rained! Sure, the sun didn't come out much, but I don't mind when I'm dozing on the beach to the sound of gently crashing waves and chatter of happy people (this weekend: high of 85 and NO CLOUDS). Bring it, weekend. 

Since I had to figure out what the heck I was going to do with my weekend, I opted for the next most logical decision to beach: brunch (part of the three B's, the third of which is booze…a little different than the ones my sorority banned during initiation week: boys, booze and bars. I'm clearly a sucker for alliteration). I visited an old favorite in my neighborhood and a new place I'd been wanting to check out for ages in Manhattan—all accompanied by my new favorite summer accessory, the backpack (the fourth B in this equation). Can someone explain why it took so long for me to jump on this trend? I sure can't. 

Inside my bag for the weekend: camera (obvi), my latest summer book, a few magazines I haven't gotten around to, my external mophie charger, makeup bag, sunglasses, actual glasses, an apple and Organic Avenue grapefruit juice. Not only does the bag hide the exorbitant amount of sh*t I find myself carrying around on any given day, the straps equally distribute the weight and I barely notice I'm carrying 15 extra lbs around with me, which is usually split between an overstuffed bag on each shoulder. I'm thinking a classic leather one is next!

Zara Linen Top and Classic Pants || J. Crew Maren Sandals || Steve Madden Backpack c/o Zappos

Italia Independent sunglasses c/o Zappos || Michael Kors Watch

C. Wonder Chain Bracelet || Essie in Play Date

Governor's Island

A few weeks ago I unexpectedly had a friend in town for the weekend, so my plans for laundry & cleaning quickly switched to beaches, brunch, a little shopping in Nolita (my favorite neighborhood for it!) and a ride across the ferry to Governor's Island in search of the mythical hammock grove. 

The trip over happened on a whim. We didn't feel like spending forever and a day on the subway to get somewhere quiet/relaxing (and where I'm not tempted to spend money...sorry, NoLIta/SoHo!), so I suggest hopping a train downtown to catch the ferry to the island for a few hours. Also, a catch to note—it's not free anymore! I was a little disappointed to have to pay, but at least it's only $2/roundtrip. 

Parts of the island were busy with kids, parents and lots o' tourists-on-bikes (I suggest walking on the grass to steer clear, as I don't entirely trust their pedaling skills), but there's still plenty of space to wander around, and various old buildings and houses are open on the weekends because of exhibits. They're mostly emptied of furniture now, but I like imagining how the rooms might have been filled and what it would have been like to live there. 

Some serious, long wandering (the island is WAY bigger than it looks) finally led us back to the mythical hammocks, but it was a little disappointing...the weather was near-90 degree, not a cloud in the sky. The trees were only planted in the last year, so I suggest slathering on some major SPF (which you should be doing anyways!) before you head out there. We finally found an open one to hop in for a little while right after taking these pics, but by that point the sun was getting to me and I was ready to head for the air-conditioned subway ride home...so of course we had to wait 15 minutes on the platform. Life in NYC, am I right?

P.S. I spent last night #GlamFamChat'ing with Hallie on the best tips & tricks for instagram. Check out the feed on Twitter here, or for a more condensed version head over to her blog!

Zara Silk Tank || Anthropologie Shorts || Zara Tote 

Illesteva Sunglasses || Joie Sandals via Zappos || Sequin Bracelets || Michael Kors Watch

Link Love

Hello, weekend! Is it just me or did this one creep up faster than usual? I was sitting at the table early Thursday morning, thinking it was Tuesday or Wednesday, until one of my roommates mentioned it being nearly the weekend. Last week flew by, and it wasn't even as jam-packed as the rest of this summer has been! In less than a month I'll be spending some Q.T. back home before my sister's wedding, and because I didn't look at a calendar when I booked my ticket, I'll be getting back about 36 hours before the *official* start of fashion week. Between work and the blog, it's going to be a busy one!

I'll stop getting ahead of myself, though...let's live in the moment as long as we can, especially with the (mostly) beautiful days we've been having. This weekend's fun-time agenda is shortened as I'm spending most of today in studio for work, but I'm looking forward to sunset rooftop drinks and a chill Sunday before I dive back into the week. 

Now, for the fun part…what's been catching my eye! (and sometimes distracting me from work, shh)

The beautiful image at the start of this post is from photographer Kara Rosenlund, whose work I discovered after coming across her home tour on Design Sponge. A few of her amazing prints are available for purchase here.

I'm so not ready for fall, but I am eyeing these Joie boots for when I just can't cut it in sandals any longer.

Hallie nailed it with her summer guide to the city—some of her picks are favorites of mine and some are new to me (hopefully not for long!).

I nearly pre-ordered this Heidi Merrick top, but forgot to do it in time…now it's 50% off!

Victoria's post about the site Medium took me down the rabbit hole—she highlights several of the must-reads here.

Managing my stress levels while learning the benefits of aromatherapy with these roll-ons.

I loved Jessica's look with the Stace Face Alice & Olivia top (cardigan version on sale here!)

Getting into the backpack trend with this leather one from The Sak in ochre.

Making plans to get to the Jazz Age Lawn Party before summer's over! FYI, the second weekend is in August. 

Thinking about stepping up my watch game with this all-black option from Michael Kors (+ it's on sale at Nordstrom for another week!).

ICYMI...

My favorite silk dress & ankle boots

What to wear to a day of museums

My remainder-of-summer to do list

Image via Kara Rosenlund

Summer in the City: Museum Day

A few weeks ago, I posted a few things on my warm weather to-do list in (and around) the city, but it was laughably short compared to all the things I still want to get around to before cooler temps drive me in to hibernation (kidding, sort of. Do bears drink wine when they hibernate?). Something that's always on my to-do list is to visit more museums—NYC is chock full of 'em, and I've barely made a dent in that list during the last three years. It's not exactly a secret I'm making the beach a priority this summer, but I've got a few friends visiting over the weekends leading up to Labor Day, and there's no better time to visit a museum than when someone is in town and you don't know how else to entertain them...and appease that voice in your head that begs them not to ask you to go to Times Square—especially before you've had a drink (or two). 

I prefer to be as casual & comfortable as possible when I visit museums (see here). I usually end up at a nearby bar for a drink afterwards so comfy sandals are a must, and a carry-all tote is perfect for the random bits of paper I seem to accumulate whenever I visit anything cultural, not to mention stashing my camera when I don't want to look too much like a tourist. My simple summer make-up trick? A swap of Nars Satin Lip pencil in Yu & oversize, reflective sunnies.

Iro Distressed Tee || Baublebar Antique Links Necklace || Michael Kors Bailey Crystal Bezel Watch

Spektre Sunglasses || Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu ||J Brand Carly High Rise Short

Baggu Basic Leather Tote || Gentle Souls Sandals

Guggenheim image via

Get the Look

Downtown Goes Uptown

In the spirit of doing & seeing as much as I can this summer (and sometimes that means spending an entire Sunday laying in the park with a book), a few friends & I decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art a few weeks ago to catch the Charles James exhibit and enjoy the amazing rooftop view (looks a lot like I'm holding green juice, right? Well, let me tell you...there was a hefty dose of gin buried in all that cucumber + kale, too). 

I'm having a bit of a dilemma lately wherein I hate e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in my closet. My style has evolved + simplified a lot of the last couple years, so a few weeks ago I did a serious purge and dumped 90% of it at Buffalo Exchange & my local thrift shop (you can find the rest here!). Considering I didn't own much in the way of summer clothes until the last few years—because when you're a lifeguard for seven years, you pretty much run around in your swimsuit for 3+ months and throw on cheap, easy sundresses for bar patios at night—it's still a less-than-robust area of my wardrobe. 

SO, when you're going to the Upper East Side—known for its poise and old money—it's time to step it up...right? Wrong. I tried on just about every dress I own, and while the masses of floral-print sundresses I have (thanks, Target!) are great for the beach or the park, I feel like I'm dressing too "young" for who I am today when I wear them out and about. Which is how I settled on a neon mini-skirt and Pink Floyd crop top. Sometimes I'll get dressed, and while I'm not excited by whatever I'm wearing, it gets me through the day. Other times, I feel completely myself despite looking a little out-there, and this was one of those days...even if it meant shocking some UESiders with a flash of belly button here and there ;)

American Eagle Pink Floyd Crop Top c/o || J. Crew Mini Skirt (on sale for $45!) || Lionette Necklace 

Illesteva Sunglasses || Joie Sandals c/o Zappos || Essie Polish in "I'm Addicted"

YSL in Rose Culté || Michael Kors Watch c/o Zappos