Coney Island is Summer: Aaron Rose's Photographs

I don't think there's any exhibition that could put you in a more summertime fun mood than In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs by Aaron Rose, 1961-1963 at the Museum of the City of New York.  Sun, sand, water, fresh air and lots of smiles...that's what summer is all about.

Outfit Details:
Dress: Tracy Reese via Modcloth
T-shirt: Pilcro, Anthropologie
Bag: Anthropologie
Shoes: Suprega
Hat: Lord and Taylor

Macy's 40th Annual Flower Show: The Secret Garden

Macy's 40th Annual Show Show, with this year's theme as The Secret Garden, opened to the public on March 23rd. Even though it's up until April 6, I went on its opening day because it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the first weekend of Spring. Despite the lingering chill in the air, I really felt like spring was a little nearer after wandering around all the floral displays. Plus I really needed a cheerful dose of bright colors and fresh scents that flowers never fail to provide, especially when in such an abundance.  The in-progress chalk drawing of a fanciful garden outside the store was an extra bonus and I definitely went home with an extra spring in my step afterwards. 

How do you like to welcome spring? 

Outfit Details:
Dress: Tracy Reese, via Anthropologie (found on super sale!)
Coat: Steve Madden Girl
Cardigan: Lord and Taylor
Hat: Anthropologie
Gloves: Anthropologie
Leg warmers: Hue
Scarf: Handmade by family (Ashley)

Staying Warm: How to Layer Effectively (and pretty stylishly)

Whoa! It has been a long time since I've posted anything here. I can't promise I'll be posting any more regularly at this point but I thought I'd write a post about something I think I do pretty well: layering up to keep toasty warm! I've never been a fan of the cold which is funny given that it's not like I was born in a tropical place (Canada) and that I willingly chose to live in Newfoundland for several years (now that's a lot of snow!).  I blame my hatred of cold temps. on family vacations spent in warmer climes during the coldest part of the winter. My dad worked (still does) on ships so he would often have only 2 months off during the year, and my mom, him and I (and sometimes extended family like cousins, grandparents etc.) would take a vacation together. I'm grateful for winter days spent in sundresses and sandals, but it may have made me a little soft when it comes to dealing with cold weather :)  If I had my way, I'd happily live somewhere that was 85F all year long!

The other reason for this post, besides sharing my layering "skills", is to show off the charming knitted hood my cousin's girlfriend made for me (Go Ashley!). I love it so much!

Here's the hood with the buttons all added. I love the chunky knit, perfectly peaked hood, and of course, the color!  It fits great as a cowl or shawl, or pulled up over my head.

Ashley left this knitted beauty without buttons so I could find the perfect ones, and I think I did.  I scoured the internet and found some little wooden apple buttons I liked at M&J Trimmings on 6th Avenue in NYC. When I finally went to the store to take a look at them in person, I spotted some Little Red Riding Hood buttons too. I was pretty excited about my finds (and the Alice in Wonderland buttons I found...for a different project).

See how nicely this hood can be worn as a cowl. 

And here's what the hood looks like pulled up from the back. I feel like an urban Red Riding Cap!

Pro Tip: If you come in from the cold and are still froze, DO NOT immediately jump into a hot shower. Let your core temperature rise slowly, by taking off layers bit by bit, drinking hot beverages and warming up to the temperature indoors. I got this little electric fireplace when the heat in my building was off for a few days/nights and it's really great at warming up a space. On especially cold days, I like warming myself up in front of it when I first come in from outdoors.

Stay warm everyone and dress for the weather!

Outfit Details:
Coat: Plenty By Tracy Reese
Knitted Beanie: Anthropologie
Red Hood: Handmade by Ashley
Scarf: Melanie Lynne
Pants: BB Dakokta (fleece lined faux leather and they are pull on...Yes Please!)
Tights: Hue
Leg warmer/sparkle socks: Hue
Gloves: Uniqlo Heat Tech (I wear these under other knitted gloves and often add in a hand warmer between the layers)
Long sleeve undershirt: Uniqlo Heat Tech
Sweater with faux peterpan collar: Anthropologie
Striped cardigan with bow on back: Anthropologie
Long fringed cardigan: American Eagle
Boots: Ugg

Searching for Unicorns: A Castle in a Park

Visiting Fort Tyron and The Cloisters is the perfect escape from all the madness of Midtown Manhattan. I like all the hustle and bustle of city life but every once in awhile you need to escape it, even if only for part of a day.  Kind of amazing to get on the subway in one of the busiest stations in the city and then surface in an enormous and otherworldly park less than half an hour later. Last summer I visited The Cloisters several times before now but today was my first visit this season. Where does the time go?  I had wanted to see the Search for the Unicorn exhibition at The Cloisters since I first heard about it  back in May and finally went to check it out today, the very last day of its installation.  

Aside from all the gorgeous Medieval and Renaissance art, including statuary, tapestries, and stained glass, one of the best things about The Cloisters is all the excellent lookouts and vantage points to view the Hudson River and Fort Tyron Park.  I love exploring its courtyards and terraces with their varieties of plants and flowers, many of which are labelled to explain how they were used in medieval times.  Walking around, there are even moments when you almost feel you have the castle all to yourself - what a luxury to appreciate those moments! It really is such a tranquil and interesting place. 

Surrounding the castle, there are countless paths to trek and discover, taking you along the River, to majestic outlooks, "secret" gardens and art installations.  There are no shortage of benches to stop at or places to picnic.  It really is a lovely way to spend the day and I'm so glad such a place exists within easy reach from the city.

Outfit Details:

Skirt (old) - Hortulan Pencil Skirt from Plenty by Tracy Reese, Anthropologie (similar here)

Blouse (old) - Sheer gauzy blouse with gold embroidery, thrifted/vintage (similar here)

T-shirt (old) - Pilcro, Anthropologie

Scarf (old) - Textile Museum of Canada

Shoes - Suprega in gold lame

Bag - The Stone Flower at South Street Seaport

Unicorn Necklace(old) - gold unicorn with charm, gift from my aunt (similar idea here)

Turquoise Beaded Necklace (old) - from American Eagle (similar idea here)

Fashion Bucket List

I don’t know when/where the term “fashion bucket list" was coined but over the years I definitely have put a few items on my radar/wishlist that would qualify to be on that sort of list.

Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats were on that list for a long time and I was thrilled when I finally added a pair to my collection last fall. Every season I would look at the latest versions of these flats and inevitably they would sell out before I could make a decision about whether to buy a pair and/or choose a color/type from the ones available.  I remember one time in Toronto being really close to buying a pair and visiting all the stores carrying them only to discover my size was sold out. I suppose I could have purchased a pair online but unless I know a brand really well I really don’t like buying a pair of shoes without trying them on first.  

After a few years of this I was thinking that perhaps me + mouse flats was not meant to be. But then these rosy metallic gold stud adorned mouse flats showed up and I knew these were the ones I had been *really* waiting for.  I ended up finding them at Lord and Taylor and with one of the store coupons received 25% off. The shoes I had been dreaming of at a discount…I was sold! Even after many wears, I have to confess that I still smile and am amused when I happen to look down at my feet and see these little mouse faces looking back at me. 

One thing I should point about these shoes is that they run wide and sizing down doesn’t really help. I don’t think all of the Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats are like this (e.g. probably not the ones with elasticized trim) but these ones are.  When I first started wearing them my feet would flip out of the shoe which was really annoying. I tried stuffing a bit of tissue paper in the toe to keep my feet from moving around but that was pretty uncomfortable. I ended up trying some of the Dr. Scholl’s For Her Ball of Foot Cushions (thanks to my mom for recommending!) and the difference is amazing; not only do my feet stay in the shoe but the shoes remain comfortable after 9+ hours of wear.  Genius product…I actually didn’t think the Dr. Scholl’s cushions would help much but WOW!

In terms of styling, what I love about these shoes are the possibilities to play with a mix of sweet and edgy designs. Yesterday, for example, I wore them with black metallic gold flecked tights, a pleated partially sheer shirtdress, macaroon emblazoned t-shirt, and a punchy cardigan (black mesh, punchy colors, bold floral print and oversized buttons? Yes!).  For me, the shoes tie all these seemingly disconnected pieces together. It’s nice when something you’ve waited for turns out to be well worth the wait….one of the fun things about crossing something off the fashion bucket list.

Do you have a fashion bucket list? If you do, what’s on your list?

Dress (old) - Quiet Blush Dress by Moulinette Soeurs, Anthropologie

T-shirt - Laduree Graphic T-shirt from Uniqlo

Cardigan (old) - Bluebells Awaken Cardigan, Plenty by Tracy Reese, Anthropologie (found on a pop back on the website for around $30…love when that happens)

Tights (old) - DKNY Metallic tights

Shoes (old) - Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats (sampling of current options here)

Dr. Scholl’s Cushions

Bringing the Beach to the City Streets

When I first saw this dress it was love at first sight! First, turquoise and yellow are one of my favorite color combinations.  Second, I love the V shaped back with exposed zipper (which I really should of photographed too…sorry). Third, you can never go wrong with a fit and flare style. Fourth, a beach scene….on a dress…who doesn’t like the beach?!! And fifth, Tracy Reese is THE designer who consistently creates dresses that I not only think are beautiful but also which feel comfortable on.  Sometimes there are gorgeous dresses that feel too precious to wear or where you feel you have to be careful how you move either because of the shaping, materials, detailing, etc. Dresses should be more more than pretty, they should fun to wear.  Bright colors, playful patterns and great silhouettes, Reese’s dresses never lack in style or detail, but most importantly they make wearing them a complete joy. Basically, Tracy Reese dresses are magical.

P.S. Last Fall I got to meet Tracy Reese and she was as gracious as you might imagine. You can check out my post from that experience here.

Outfit Details:

Dress - Plenty by Tracy Reese Frock, Beach Print (purchased from Bloomingdales)

T-Shirt - Perfect Fit Tee from J Crew (can you tell I love these t-shirts?)

Shoes - Me Too Kailani Patent Embellished Flats in blue (purchased from Lord and Taylor)

Cardigan - Beaded Collar Cardigan in Rose Gold (purchased from Lord and Taylor)