Seasons Ahead: Things to Look Forward To

I've been bemoaning the end of summer a lot so I thought I'd focus on some of the things I'm looking forward to this fall/winter. A new season of the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera are a couple of those things. There's nothing more transformative than going to a live ballet or opera performance.  I know there are many people who would say that attending a performance is an inactive or even dull experience but I would strongly disagree with that characterization...in fact, I'd even wonder if they've truly experienced a performance.  It's too bad tickets are so expensive...one day when I'm a millionaire (hey, you never know...) I'll buy some season tickets, maybe even have my own seats to both the ballet and opera in whichever city I'm living in.  

Until then, I'll study the season's calendars and figure out which performance(s) I most want to see and when the best deals are. And there's also great free events like the Met's Summer HD Festival...it's not exactly live but it's a pretty amazing experience even still. The Lincoln Center Plaza has its own special aura, even more so at night as crowds gather to watch an opera on the big screen. Guess the end of summer isn't such a bad thing after all.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Esmeralda Dress by Girls of Savoy, Anthropologie

Hat: Tipped Straw Cloche, Anthropologie

Necklace: Camellia Bib Necklace, Anthropologie

Bag: The Stone Flower, South Street Seaport, NYC

Days of Unhurried Dressing

I've been trying to wear items in my closet that I've neglected for awhile and one of them is this blouse. When I first bought this blouse a few years ago, it was its romantic shape and the covered buttons all the way down the side that attracted me. Covered buttons get me every time. I think they remind me of a period in history when people took more time getting ready, when getting dressed was an art and life was a little less rushed.  As well as all the buttons and loops (*swoon), the pretty pink almost flesh tone shade and the soft grey feather pattern also seemed like such a timeless print to me.  The blouse is a little fussy so I knew it wasn't something that would be in heavy rotation in my closet but I've probably worn it less than I even imagined I would. There's a lot of material on this one little blouse and while all the swoops and folds adds a dramatic windswept sort of flair, they also can make the wearer feel a little overwhelmed.   This blouse isn't really a good fit for me and is probably better for someone taller and with broader shoulders, but I still love the idea of it. 

A lot of writing about fashion/clothing tells people what to wear or don't wear if you have a particular shape, but I think style is about wearing what captures your imagination or attracts you for some reason.  What I choose to wear is often more about the colors, patterns and designs I'm inspired by or like to have near me, than what is perfectly suited to me (whatever that means...). Besides, if we all followed those "dos and don'ts" or "wear this and not that" type lists what a boring world this would be.

Outfit Details:

Blouse (old) - On-A-Wing Blouse by Byron Lars Beauty Mark, Anthropologie

Skirt (old) - Ballet Midi Skirt from H&M

Gold Belt - vintage/thrifted

Practicing for those Awkward Hair Days

I've had my pixie cut for awhile now, since August 2011, and I've definitely contemplated growing it out on more than one occasion. I'll admit that the awkward regrowth period that I've heard a lot about, and have experienced whenever I push my salon appointment past the 6 weeks mark, has played some part in my failure to follow through with letting my hair grow out. But there are other factors too. I still like having really short hair. It's fun, liberating and so easy to live with.  I also feel like this haircut suits my life in NYC right now. But I am seriously considering growing out my hair (again). 

It has been 8 weeks since my last haircut and I'm kind of bored with my hair. As for timing, this is probably the best time to actually grow out my hair...I mean, maybe by Christmas all the awkward phases would be over with. And it will certainly be cooling down around here as we move into September so having a bit more hair would make sense from a comfort/warmth perspective. And I have been trying out some quick fixes for those inevitable bad hair days should I actually go though with this whole 'growing my hair out' thing, like hair bands, scarves, bobby pins etc. Anyways, who knows...I might just give in and go in for a small "trim" at some point or maybe I'll just wear a hat for the next few months and not think about it.  Silly but true.

Outfit Details:

Dress: Melora Dress, Anthropologie

T-Shirt: J Crew 

Shoes: Keds for Kate Spade

Simple Summer Activities

 
 

Simple summer activities are the ones I always miss the most. With summer coming to a close (*sigh), I've been walking along the Hudson River more, getting in all the sunshine and river breezes that I can.  It's fun watching boats of every variety moving about the water; tourist site-seeing boats, tug boats, ferries, yachts, and more, cutting patterns in the river.  Walking along the water's edge is one of my favorite summer activities, and I'll miss it once the colder temperatures and icy winds have closed in.  I stopped in at one of the garden centers by my apartment and noticed more autumnal flowers and plants than they had a couple of weeks ago. So many gorgeous autumnal shades of orange, gold and purple and hearty greens, but still I already miss the soft pastels, brilliant whites and feathery plants of spring and summer. What activities are you going to miss once summer is over?

Outfit Details:

Pants - Kylie Crop Retro Cruiser, Paige Denim

Shirt (old) - American Eagle

Camisole (old) - Target

Bag (old) - Dear Parsy Tote, Anthropologie

Island Hopping: Visiting Staten Island

I've been enjoying a bit of a staycation lately and one of my recent excursions was to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island.  Travelling by ferry always seems a bit like a holiday to me and I really enjoyed riding the Staten Island Ferry. The enormous orange ferries are such an iconic feature in NYC's harbor and of course the views of Manhattan and Lady Liberty are inspiring.  

Snug Harbor is only a 10 minute bus ride from the St. George Bus and Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. The grounds are beautiful for a leisurely stroll and there are so many paths and areas to explore that it felt like my own private garden. Visiting here is a real treat and the perfect place to visit if you need some time away from the craziness of Manhattan. The Chinese Scholar Garden was closed for a private party but there was plenty of other things to see, like hedge mazes, pebbled lined streams, rose gardens, massive verandas, sweeping lawns and even a little fortress. I'm already planning a visit in October! I imagine the leaves will be gorgeous at that time of year and this will be the perfect place to have one final picnic before the weather becomes too cold to allow for it.

Outfit Details:

Shirtdress - Franziska Shirtdress by Maeve, Anthropologie

Polka Dot Belt/Sash - from old Guess sundress

Leggings - Kensie

Purse - Le Sportsac

Rainy Day Adventures: The Result of Inaccurate Weather Reporting

The Plan: To explore Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights and Red Hook

Weather reports the day before suggested that "the plan" might need to be postponed until Friday but then Thursday morning, all reports said that the storms/rain would be over in the morning. So after waiting until noon for the skies to clear up, a friend and I set out as originally planned. Yay, the sun was out again! Or so we thought.

So far, so good. The storms clouds are way in the distance now. This will be the perfect day!

No sooner had we arrived in Dumbo, then the skies opened up and the rain kept coming.

This is how I imagine the sky would look if the clouds ever lifted and the rain stopped.

Grey clouds and puddles that keep growing.....this will pass by soon, right?

Notice something different? Yeah, my umbrella broke. And yes, the only umbrella I could find was this child's one. I didn't realize how small it was (or that it had little turtles on it) until I opened it up outside. Desperate. Um, at least it matches my dress?

Sanctuary! Wait was that lightning? Maybe this isn't such a great place to be.










Weren't we supposed to look for that key lime pie place? Red Hook isn't too far away, right? This will be a piece of cake...or pie. 

Well, that was pretty dodgy. But there it is!

Oh, NYC....at least you keep things from ever being dull.

THE END.

































Outfit Details:

Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese Beach Print Dress

T-shirt: J Crew Perfect Fit Tee

Necklace: Camellia Bib Necklace, Anthropologie

Bag: The Stone Flower, South Street Seaport

Hat: Hello Sunshine, Kate Spade

Tropical State of Mind

With August coming to a close, I've been trying to get in a few more wears of some of my more summery outfits.  These brushed denim pants are actually pretty warm, perfect for cooler mornings or nights and/or wearing inside air conditioned buildings but too hot to wear on a typical humid summer's day. Their love parrot print, however, says summer to me.  When I bought these pants it was the novelty print that attracted me, not the varied styling opportunities they presented. But I've been pleasantly surprised to find that this pattern plays well with many other patterns and colors.   

A few weeks ago I styled them like this and have paired them with neon t-shirts and a button down gingham shirt. This week I wore them to work with a mint green argyle print sweater I've had for years. I added accents of yellow and turquoise to pick up on the colors in the parrots.  Now if only I could blink three times or something and be transported to Key West, the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Brazil...basically any place where the average temperature rarely dips below 80F.  

Outfit Details:

Pants - Dittos Jessica Love Bird Print Denim Leggings, Lord and Taylor (on clearance sale!)

Sweater (old) - United Colors of Benetton

Necklace (old) - American Eagle (similar here)

Belt (old) - Anthropologie (similar here)

Feeling like an Easter Egg

Just a quick outfit post from last week....looking at this now I think I'm dressed like an Easter Egg. Anyways, I love the bright spring/summer colors in this dress, the fun chevron design and the smooth fabric. It's such an easy dress to wear and doesn't need much styling. Last time I featured it on this blog I wore it like this.

On this particular day, I decided to pair it with the necklace and earrings I purchased at the MoMA Staff Sale. I still can't believe I found a bunny necklace and earrings! And to think I wasn't even going to check out the sale. Meant To Be. I think adding these accessories to this dress may be why I now keeping thinking about Easter but I do think they go nicely with the whole outfit. It puts me in a happy mood, one of the great things about crafting personal style.

Dress - Steps, South Street Seaport

Leggings (old) - Kensie

Boots (old) - Town Shoes

Hanging Out at Kate Spade

Yesterday after work I headed over to Kate Spade New York on Madison Avenue for their in-store event. Kate Spade and Harper's Bazaar teamed up to celebrate the launch of the KSNY 2 Park Avenue Beau Bag. One of the lovely staff members showed me a couple of the bags just before the event kicked off. They are really well designed and seem to be a good size and weight. I love that the store was offering free monogramming to anyone who purchased the new bag.  

In between drooling over the array of bags in every hue imaginable and admiring the view of Madison Avenue from the balcony, I tried on a pair of shoes I've been dreaming about for months (since F/W 2013 Preview!). And yes, I'll be dreaming about them even more now. A beautiful multi-colored sequined skirt, exclusive to this particular Kate Spade location, also caught my eye. It had so much work on it that I thought it would feel heavy and a bit scratchy but it was very light and soft. Saving up my pennies (lots of them...).

Every time I'm in this store I comment about how adorable the couches, chairs, pillows and general interior design is.  Seriously, can I please just move in? 

P.S. Remember how I was saying I'm a minimalist makeup sort of person? Well, that still holds true but I decided to polish my nails for this event, something which I used to always do but haven't in a long time.  Anyways, now I think I'm a little obsessed with Maybelline's Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish. I wore the Drops of Jade shade to this event but I'm looking forward to trying out a few of the other colors. Two days later, happy to report no chipping yet, and none of that gritty texture that glittery nail polish usually has. Small miracles.

Outfit Details:

Dress - Picnic Mariella Dress, Kate Spade

Cardigan - Ruffled Cardigan, Cable and Gauge, Lord and Taylor

T-Shirt - J Crew Perfect Fit Tee (in neon kiwi but J Crew has their Fall colored tees now)

Shoes - Kate Spade New York Norella Glitter Rhinestone Buckle Ballet Flats (no longer available but there are plenty of sparkly shoes on Kate Spade's website, like these beauties)

Bag - Dooney and Bourke, Leisure Shopper in Hydrangea Print

Tights - Ellen Tracy Sheer All Over Dot Tight (in Grey Shadow)

Necklace - Picnic Basket Locket, Kate Spade

Bow Earrings - I've had these since childhood, a gift from my Nana (plenty of bow earrings here)