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

Favorite Holiday Window Display and In-Store Decorations

I've been on a bit of a hiatus with this blog and will likely be on hiatus a bit longer but wanted to share some of the gorgeous decorations and lovely styling options at Anthropologie in Rockefeller Center. Of all the holiday window displays and in-store decorations in New York City, I think Anthropologie's may be my favorite. There's a hand-crafted, inspired-by-nature quality that I really love, especially amongst all the more urban, flashy and techy displays around.

Happy Holidays!

Where did October go?

So, suddenly it's November....October flew by much like September.  Once again I've been neglecting this blog and I can't promise I'll update it more frequently in the coming months but we'll see. Can you believe we are heading into the busy holiday season already? Seems like summer was just ending. Yesterday I noticed the Christmas tree stretching up alongside the Radio City Music Hall sign, announcing that the Christmas Spectacular is set to get underway....and yet pumpkins still cluster on stoops and windowsills. Strange how the seasons mingle at this time of year. Commercialization is always in such a hurry.

P.S. Yes my hair looks crazy....still growing it out from pixie cut stage.  I'm over it...sort of.

Outfit Details:

Coat (old): Prancing Pony, via Modcloth

Dress (old): Sugar-Coated Shirtdress, Anthropologie

Long sleeve crochet top (old): Free People

Navy lace tank top (old): American Eagle

Necklace and earrings (old): Bunny and Rue Pendant and Bunny Studs, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Watercolor Print with Dots Upon Dots

Quick outfit post from a few weeks ago....back when it was still warm enough to not wear a jacket outside (*sigh*).  I love mixing patterns and the patterns in both this skirt and blouse actually go with a lot of other things but I often wear them together. Usually I tend not to style my outfits exactly as Anthropologie does, even if the pieces are from there but this is one exception. This skirt and blouse just belong together so I would have paired them together even if I hadn't seen them styled this way on Anthropologie's website.  Anyways, looking at this photo really makes me miss the warmer days of early autumn; I'm not ready for the colder temperatures of late autumn and early winter.

Outfit Details:

Skirt (old): Liquid Acres Skirt, Anthropologie

Blouse (old): Dots Within Blouse, Anthropologie

Art Around Every Corner

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Since I spent most of Saturday running errands and checking things off my "to do" list, I decided to devote Sunday to exploring Chelsea. I had been meaning to check out Sheep Station by artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne for awhile and knew that today was the last day it'll be up so I made that the first stop on my exploration.  I also stopped to see one of the latest Banksy works to appear this month. The security fencing was still up since it was just before 11am but the security guard offered to take my camera and snap some photos up close (so nice!) which I really appreciated.  A lot of places in the area had festive autumnal and Halloween decorations out which were fun to look at along the way. One restaurant had a huge trough filled to the brim with gourds and apples which I thought was especially picturesque, plus the gourds made great props for an impromptu photo.  Although it was really sunny out, the wind was biting the whole way from Midtown to Chelsea so I stopped in at Chelsea Market to warm up a bit. Chelsea Market has all kinds of Halloween decorations up that definitely make it a "must visit" if you want to get into the Halloween spirit.  I was primarily paying attention to the decorations but Marrakesh Imports caught my eye because they had gorgeous ottomans in every color and shape stacked up in the most inviting way. The stacks of ottomans looked like works of art and in fact many of the ottomans have been hand sewn so they are works of art in their own right. Speaking of stacks, I popped into Anthropologie in search of a knit hat (my ears were freezing) and discovered an incredible stack of books that seemed precariously balanced and yet perfectly stable. It almost looked like a whirlwind had swept the books up, stacking them one on top of each other to form a pillar and leaving a carpet of books at the base.  Colorful, fun and very impressive.  I think I'll spend the rest of the day drinking hot tea, watching some Halloween themed movies and doing a little bit of work. All in all, a really great Sunday!  

Outfit Details:

Jeans (old): Dex

Jacket (old): Daughters of the Liberation, Anthropologie

Dress (old): Back View Dress, Anthropologie

Black Cord Purse (old): Aldo

Gloves: Stage Door Glovettes by Tulle Clothing via Modcloth

Sunglasses (old): Kate Spade

Hat: St. Germain Beanie in green, Anthropologie

Sculptural Entities Inhabiting the Plaza at Lincoln Center

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 


I happened to walk past Lincoln Center while running errands this morning and was happily surprised by what I saw.  Colorful aluminum creatures and contorted shapes beckoned from the plaza around the Revson Fountain. I soon learned that the 14 monumental sculptures were created by LA based artist Aaron Curry and the entire installation is called "Melt to Earth." The sculptures are very cool, adding an interesting dialogue between the more traditional arts setting and the contemporary, streetwise contours of the sculptural structures . I saw all ages interacting with the sculptures in a variety of ways, even the fountain seemed to play with their fluid designs and fantastical shapes. Every time I looked at any of the sculptures I saw something different: faces, animals, plants, shapes morphing into other shapes; the sculptures seem to have a "not from this planet" kind of vibe that really adds a unique character to the the whole Lincoln Center complex. Encountering something surprising and fun is one of the things I love best about living in NYC. I never would have expected to see these sculptures in Lincoln Center but I'm very pleased that they are installed there.  "Melt to Earth" will be up until January 2013 so if you have a chance to visit, go and check this installation out.

Outfit Details:

Skirt: French Quarter Skirt from Trashy Diva (still available here)

Marbled velvet t-shirt (old): Mendocino, Queen Street West, Toronto

Long sleeve top (old): Roots

Scarf (old): Melanie Lyne, Shops at Don Mills

Necklace (old): horse and carriage charm from an old bracelet purchased in Quebec City

Bag (old): Co-Lab by Christopher Kon

Coat (old): Nick and Mo via Modcloth

Bows and Pink Crochet Meet Studded Detailing and Faux Leather

This week was one of those weeks that seemed to both drag on and speed by...very strange. Monday was a holiday (Columbus Day) so it was a shorter work week too but perhaps that's why it was such an odd week in terms of pacing. Anyways, it ended up being a pretty productive week which is always a good thing, especially when the week gets off to a slower start.

On Thursday a couple of friends/colleagues and I went to Anthropologie to participate in their Holiday Window Display Workshop. We wrapped and hot glued yarn around dowels for over an hour, and although it wasn't the most exciting craft it was pretty fun and definitely relaxing.  There's something about repetitive actions, like folding paper, stamping note cards etc. that is very soothing.

The outfit in the photos above is actually from Friday, probably the coolest day of the week; I think the lingering rays of summer warming our autumn days are now behind us. I miss the warm temperatures but I'm excited about all the things to come this fall and winter. On a side note, still in the process of growing my hair out from pixie cut stage....hence the hairband and awkward hair.

Outfit Details:

Skirt (old): Bow Tie Flirt Skirt, Kate Spade (similar here)

Peplum Blouse: Sugar Lips, Lord and Taylor

Layering top (old): Tristan

Sparkly tights (old): DKNY

Shoes (old): Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Ballerina Flats (similar here)

Necklace: NYC Charm Necklace, Crew Cuts

Studded Bow Hairband (old): Queen Street West, Toronto

Scarf: Made by my cousin's girlfriend, Ashley

Coat (old): Nick and Mo via Modcloth