On the Boardwalk: Old Time Fun at Coney Island

Old roller coaster car...whoa!

Strolling the boardwalk

I wonder if the people in those apartments ever getting tired of view? I doubt it.

Legendary.

Treats and more treats.

Neon and pastel carousel. Perfection.

Bird's eye view from atop a burger.

Grandmothers always know best.

After three summers in NYC I am embarrassed to admit this was the first summer I went to Coney Island. I know, I know. No excuses, especially as it is so easy to get to.  Well, I made it there this summer at least and it was a beautiful day to be there too.  Even though I had seen a lot of photos and video of Coney Island and the boardwalk I didn't really have a good idea of what the place looked like. Oh sure, I knew there'd be rides, concession stands, old signage,  and a shoreline that seems to go on forever but you can't really know until you visit a place. I liked Coney Island far more than I thought I would...I guess I wasn't expecting the boardwalk and the beach to be so vast, nor the amusement park landscape to be so vibrant (and clean)!  There were moments that afternoon when I actually did feel I had stepped back in time. So even though amusement park rides, fried foods and sun bathing aren't really my things, I had a wonderful time! And now I'll resume singing Bette Midler's 'Under the Boardwalk' in my head...

Outfit Details:

Dress - Fateful Timing Dress, Modcloth (out of stock but they have plenty more options if looking for something nautical)

Hat - Lord and TaylorTote - World's Fair Tote, New York Historical Society

Shoes - Keds

Sunnies - Kate Spade

A Pink Swan Barrette Makes the World Go Round

On the High Line

Checking out some art in Chelsea

If you are going to wear some bright bold patterns you might as well go all out. 

Outfit Details:

Dress: Hello by Karen Walker, Anthropologie
Belt: Bettie Page Clothing
Necklace: The Art Institute of Chicago
T-shirt: Airism from Uniqlo
Tote: Frieze Art Fair
Socks: Hue
Hat: Lord and Taylor
Sneakers: Kate Spade for Keds
Barrette: Vintage (purchased at Jazz Age Lawn Party
 2014)
Nail Polish: Urban Outfitters

Little Blue Dress

Polyvore Set

Little Blue Dress

This electric blue dress caught my eye when it first showed up on Anthropologie's website some time ago. It reminded me of something you'd see in a book of fairy tales, like something Snow White would wear if her story happened to be set in 2013.  When I had a chance to see the dress up close I was really impressed by the heavy fabric and loved the embossed pattern. I knew it would become a wardrobe staple.  There really isn't anything it doesn't go with and it can easily be worn from September into late Spring. I sometimes refer to this as my presentation dress because it's such a trustworthy garment that I've worn it for several presentations. It doesn't wrinkle, it holds it shape, it's not too short or too long, and I'm never too hot or too cold in it. It's also a simple dress that still manages to be interesting without being too fussy or fancy, practically an all-occasion kind of dress.

I've worn this dress several ways recently. For work, I played with its primary color by adding splashes of red (Monogram's Printed Panel Cardigan) and yellow (my favorite Co-Lab by Christopher Kon bag, last seen here), along with a punch of black and white (Kate Spade for Keds polka dot sneakers). The mix of primary colors and shapes transformed this subtle dress into something much more playful and artsy. If I wanted to up the playfulness of this look, swapping out the solid yellow purse for my candy wrapper clutch would be a quick way to accomplish that.

The last couple of mornings have been a bit cooler so I threw on a blazer over this dress. A structured beige blazer gave the dress a polished office friendly look. To keep it from looking too business-like, I pulled on a navy and blue bow belt over the blazer. The belt also helped to minimize the boxy cut of this particular blazer. If I worked in an office where business attire was the rule I think this would be a totally appropriate look (maybe sans bow belt though).

For a more casual weekend look, a pale scarf with neon hued hot air balloons, the addition of a t-shirt and my go-to boots were the perfect additions for a relaxed day. I love how the lighter blue of the t-shirt sleeves peek out from the dress sleeves so that they almost appear part of the dress.

This little blue dress is my version of a little black dress - all the versatility but with more color.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Embossed Basket Dress by Ganni, Anthropologie

Cardigan (old): Printed Panel Cardigan by HWR Monogram, Anthropologie

Blazer (old): Boundless Blazer, Anthropologie

Scarf (old): Hot Air Balloon Scarf by Beck Sondergaard, Anthropologie

Light Blue T-Shirt (old): Peanuts/Snoopy Tee from Uniqlo

Bag (old): Taxicab Full Tote by Lug

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