Tribal Print

Memorial Day for me has a few different meanings...it's the unofficial start of summer, my birthday usually falls over the weekend (this year it's the holiday—today!) and it seems to be the official start of wedding season. Since I spent yesterday at one of those ceremonies, I knew I needed a dress that was fun and birthday-like, too. I opted for a colorful, printed Mara Hoffman dress, added sparkly, bright earrings and threw on a fun pair of heels!

 I'm not usually one for anything too tight or short, but I've been lusting over Mara Hoffman's prints for a while and liked the higher neckline on this piece. And, let's be totally honest, the turquoise color had me hooked, too. I've also been looking for a chance to wear my Prabal Gurung for Target heels—I scooped them up over a year ago, but between the never-ending winter and my more casual work attire (read: jeans, sneakers and t-shirts) they've been stuffed away for far too long.

The ceremony was up in Dubuque, Iowa, a beautiful little city up on the Mississippi River where Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin meet. I wish I'd had more time to get some photos of the beautiful view from the park where the ceremony was, high up over the river, but between the 3 hour drive there and back from Des Moines and all the fun in between, there wasn't near enough time to wander around and soak up the beautiful day. Putting it on my must-do list for the future, especially since Galena, Illinois across the river is known for their antiques and beautiful architecture (and I'm a sucker for both!).

Mara Hoffman Dress c/o Zappos || Aldo Crossbody c/o Zappos || Prabal Gurung for Target Heels (similar, on sale!)
Badgley Mischka Earrings (similar, only $36) || Sequin Bangles || Givenchy Le Rouge in Magnolia Organza

Casual Colors

Before summer slips away and my wardrobe gets a little more neutral, I'm making sure to have some fun with a few of the more colorful pieces in my wardrobe. I've worn variations of this look over the last few weeks both at work and on the weekend-a great statement necklace (I bought this one immediately after seeing it on Jessica) helps dress up the simple denim & tee combo!

Tee, Pickwick & Weller || Dress (worn as skirt), BCBGeneration || Necklace, Baublebar

Shoes, Rocketdog || Bag, Zara (new fall version!) || Bangle, Sequin

Toenail Polish, OPI Teal the Cows Come Home

Photos: Jessica Sturdy

New York Fashion Week, Part 2

Saturday morning of NYFW always kicks off bright & (a little too) early for me, thanks to one of my favorite shows, Ruffian. This is my company's third straight runway collaboration with them and they never cease to impress (if you didn't catch their S/S 2013 runway, check it out here-it's likely what started my pastels obsession this season!). I took a little break in the afternoon before heading back to the tents to catch an up & coming Israeli designer, Alon Livne, show his post-apocalyptic inspired collection, followed by dinner & drinks with my brother.

Clockwise from top left: Mani change to Julep in Sally, Front Row at Ruffian, Alon Livne's presentation

Outfit detail, Lincoln Center at night, Ruffian F/W 2013 Final Walk

The "blizzard" made me change my mind about my outfit choices for the weekend at least half a dozen times (& change my shoes twice as many as that). I'd just received this whimsical T the day before and I couldn't think of a more appropriate place to wear it, along with one of my favorite Sequin necklaces from a collection aptly titled "Supernova". 

Coat, Zara | Blazer, H&M (old) | T-Shirt, Refinery29 (Sold out, similar)

Necklace, Sequin | Pants, Zara | Boots, Kensie

xx

P.S. I say "blizzard" because I'm from Iowa, and really, Nemo? That's all you got? I used to deal with that 3x a winter.

New York Fashion Week, Part 1

I can't believe it's New York Fashion Week again! Time flies-I knew it was coming, but after all the craziness of the last few weeks I feel slightly unprepared for it.

Clockwise: The chandeliers at The Standard for Houghton, Lincoln Center late Wednesday night, 

the rundown for Tadashi Shoji, a stunning red gown on the Tadashi Shoji FW 2013 Runway

I am blessed to be able to attend the shows my company designs jewelry for each runway season, along with other events and presentations, but I did use the blizzard as an excuse to spend my Friday night on my couch, having a date with my 3+ hours of TiVo that I didn't have time to watch this week (and giving my nails a fresh mani!).

I kicked off NYFW with the Aquafina + Project Runway Pure Challenge on Wednesday night (they had glowing ice cubes in the cocktails, how cool is that?) followed by the Tadashi Shoji and Houghton shows on Thursday. Nobody ever tells you how exhausting fashion week is until you're experiencing it yourself, dashing from one event to the next, trying to make sure you document everything (and, if you run a blog and do social media for your company, post about everything in as close to real time as possible!).  Regardless, it is a ton of fun and I always look forward to the great people I get to meet and see.

Jacket, Dolan Clothing (on sale!) | T-Shirt, Target | Necklace, Sequin | Skirt, thrifted

Coat, Zara | Tights, Hue | Boots, Steve Madden (similar)

Happy weekend! Wish me luck trekking through the snow tundra that is NYC today.

xx

Thanks for taking my pictures Suzie!

Party Animal

OK, so I'm not really a party animal, but I picked up this shirt several years ago & have to bust it out from time to time! 

Three reasons it is awesome: A) it is a balloon animal B) it is super cute (& comfy) C) it is a bright neon pink. And we all know how much I love bright colors.

Blazer, Charlotte Russe | T-Shirt, old/Von Maur | Jeans, Hudson | Boots, Fossil

Necklace, Forever 21 | Cuff, Sequin

And, of course, wearing Nars matte lipstick in Carthage. Nails are OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight (my favorite F/W hue). Happy Friday!

Thanks for taking my pictures, Jessica :)

P.S. If I disappear off and on for the next few weeks, fear not. I will be back-my work is going into our  "busy time" with market & NYFW! (This also means I am essentially spending all my waking hours at work except for hours like now when I'm watch Ghost Hunters on TiVo.)

xx

Stripes & Coins

The trees in these photos are probably a giveaway that they were taken before the holiday break (thanks Jessica!) when I spent a day with my blogging besties enjoying the gorgeous early December weather.

What can I say, I'm slow-but better late than never!

There's nothing more comfy & simple to me than a T-shirt, no matter the cut. A good T is like a blank canvas that I can cover with huge, sparkly accessories & accentuate with bright, candy colored lipstick. As I frequently do. I love Gap's long sleeve T's and always stock up on new ones every fall, usually because I've done something to ruin the ones I bought the year before (typical). 

I sent one of these photos to Gap on Twitter for their #GAPLove campaign in December & ended up on their billboard in Times Square! Incredibly cool & officially checking that off the bucket list.

Striped Long Sleeve T, Gap | Jeans, 7 For All Mankind | Studded Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell

Necklace, Sequin

 And...me on a billboard! Pretty neat, isn't it?

xx

Leopard Sweater + Bright Accents

A cozy sweater, a white t-shirt, and some bright pops of color (hello, yellow!)...this outfit has all of my favorite things in it! I'm so glad I got to snap it in front of the gorgeous Gramercy Park downtown, which still had some pops of color left in it for me (thanks Jessica for taking my photos).

Coat, Guess | Sweater, Loft | Jeans, 7 For All Mankind | Boots, Chinese Laundry

T-Shirt, Target | Bracelets, all Sequin | Rings, vintage finds/gifts from family

Diamond Palm Tree Necklace, Greenberg's | Lipstick, NARS Matte in Carthage

This super-casual look sums up so much of my personal style-classic skinnies, boots, and a white T, with a little bling & an unexpected pattern. It'll definitely be a repeat, I'm sure!

Happy Tuesday!

xx

Party Feathers

I wore this blouse & skirt to work last week when we had a press event to show our latest collections. The whimsical feather pattern and vivid colors drew me to it immediately, even though it's not the type of top I normally go for. This is probably the most black I've worn at once in months! 

Blouse, Loft | Skirt, H&M (old)

Necklace, Sequin

Lipstick, NARS Matte in Carthage

Tights, DKNY | Shoes, Kensie

These lace tights are one of my favorite pairs; they hold out wind and they're just the right amount of skin for any occasion, whether it's work or the weekend. 

I was lucky enough to have Tracy shoot my photos for me (I still haven't had to screw around with a tripod, & I'm glad!) on the roof of Jen's new apartment in Manhattan this weekend! We were sipping mimosas, naturally-that's how everyone spends their Sundays, right? 

Jen, Me, Jessica & Tracy

I love our collection of glam looks-from lace to studs to fur. Cheers!

xx

Citrus-hued Colorblocking

I met up with Jessica, Jen and Tracy this weekend to check out Jen's incredibly cute (her adorable mantle!) new apartment before getting brunch at The Bluebell Cafe, a country-chic restaurant in Gramercy.

It's December now and most people are wearing heavy, dark coats & lots of black (not that wearing lots of black is new for NYC), so naturally I wore bright green jeans & a yellow coat with pink lipstick. I kind of stick out a lot in my neighborhood full of families & Greek & Italian immigrants.

Coat, Guess (old) | Scarf, Loft | Jeans, BDG at Urban Outfitters (similar style) | Gloves, Zara

Top, Anthropologie | Bracelets, Sequin (old) | Earrings, Brooklyn Flea | Rings, vintage & family gifts

Shoes, Zara

xx

Coney Island in DC

As I'm sure you all know, Coney Island is NOT in D.C., but I did bring a little of it down there with me (courtesy of Zara). I spent this weekend with my family, seeing all the main sites again and doing a little damage to my bank account with my sister while my mom and brother looked at houses (he's planning on buying one, pretty exciting!).

I apologize in advance for the slightly off photos, but my sister's learning. Sort of. Enjoy the nice view of the Spy Museum if you need a distraction!

T-Shirt, Zara | Blazer, Charlotte Russe (old, similar) | Jeans, Joe's | Boots, Kelsi Dagger (old, similar)

Bracelets, Sequin | Rings, gift & vintage | Nail polish, Sephora by OPI

Earrings, Sequin

 Necklace, MUZ Designs

I'm off to Cold Spring with a friend for the weekend-can't wait to do some hiking & antique browsing! Hope everyone has a good weekend.

xx