SAVINGS AND LOANS: LAY OFF MY BLUE SUEDE SHOES

Several years ago I splurged and bought this adorable pair of stripey and bow-topped heels from JCrew. At the time I thought, hmm, how often can I really wear blue shoes? Turns out quite often! I get compliments on them all the time, which has basically rewarded my splurge time and time again.

So now I have my eyes on a new set of likely impractical but beautiful shoes: the Mira Heel from Madewell (on sale for $135) and the Adelia d'Orsay Pump from Banana Republic ($158). What do you think? Should I treat myself to some blue suede shoes?

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

If you woke up this morning and thought 'Eeek! Christmas is only days away and I still need gifts!' then never fear! Several years ago I did a round up of my favorite things on offer at Amazon that will ship for free in two days with a Prime membership (I have one; it's totally worth it!). Well, I thought that was a pretty fun exercise, so I am back again this year with an expanded list. Here are a bunch of things that will be sure to please all of the nearest and dearest folk in your life this holiday season and arrive on time!

GIFTS FOR BABIES

one | kid o color steps, $6.88

two | skip hop moby bath spout cover, $12.99

three | ulubulu silicon shark bib, $8.99

four | vulli sophie the giraffe teething toy, $17.99

five | sandra bouton's greatest hits, volume 1, $12.70

GIFTS FOR KIDDOS

six | the new way things work, $22.14

seven | schylling kids accordion, $18.67

eight | sakura set of 25 cray-pa oil pastels, $5.29

nine | pure fun kids jumper indoor trampoline, $64.62

ten | 884 piece lego set, $50

GIFTS FOR GUYS

eleven | clark's desert boots, $39.99 - $149

twelve | gopro hero 3+ black edition digital camera, $349.99

thirteen | alessi stainless steel watch with leather band, $185

fourteen | the essential bar book, $16.39

GIFTS FOR LADIES

fifteen | kate spade cedar street dot lacey wallet, $178

sixteen | fresh & easy: what to cook and how to cook it, $32.43

seventeen | kindle paperweight e-reader, $99

eighteen | razzle dazzle amaryllis plant, $23.99

I am signing off today and will be away from the blog until 2015 (feels weird to say that!). I hope you have a fabulous holiday and enjoy the remainder of 2014 to the absolute fullest. Happy Holidays! See you next year!

*This post is not sponsored by Amazon (or anyone)! I just happen to be a big fan!

FALL WISHLIST: BOOTIES!

I realize I am majorly behind on this trend, but I am just coming around to the idea of heeled leather booties. I know, I know! Where have I been? As a busy New Yorker, I walk a lot and thus often find myself avoiding heels that are meant for everyday wear. But this fall there seem to be so many cute options that I find my resistance wearing down. Here are a few options that have me itching to push the 'buy' button . . . 

one | train wrap belted bootie, $99.99

two | frye reina bootie, $258

three | sperry top-sider ambrose boots, $140

four | lucky brand basel boots, $129

five | joie rigby boots, $345

six | timberland earthkeepers treton waterproof bootie, $170

seven | guess veora boots, $129

eight | madewell sézanne ankle-wrap boots, $288 

RANDOM THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY . . .

Just some things I have come across recently that make me smile and are sure to brighten your mood too . . . .




High top sneakers shaped like dinosaurs with a fabulous kickstarter video to boot. (MIND. BLOWN.)

A hose attachment that lets you fill and tie 100 water balloons in one minute. (Instant summer fun!)

This amazing illustration (Supermannnnn!) by Phil Jones.

Speaking of masked men, Strongbad is back! (And there goes my afternoon!)

And, last but not least, Jordan (from Oh Happy Day) started an amazing new company selling these colorful string lights. (#wishlisted!)

What makes you (randomly) happy? Anything I missed?

EITHER OR WISH LIST: I CAN'T DECIDE!

Hi friends! How was your weekend? I spent it with my parents doing some serious clean up/home improvement projects at my grandmother's house and I have to say, I am wiped! 

So, since I will almost certainly be total couch potato while I let my aching muscles heal today, I thought it only fitting to shin two variations which I am having major trouble deciding between. Care to help me choose? Here are the either/or pairings in my online shopping cart right now . . . which should I pick?

from top to bottom . . . . 

nixon small kensington in gold ($175) or 

nixon kensington leather in natural/silver ($125)*

make it happen gold foil notepad by laracaseyshop ($20) or 

jumbo writing pad by poppin ($8)

kate spade saturday sneakers by pf flyers ($65) or 

converse chuck taylor all stars fancy ox ($55)

black trim correa sandals by toms ($59) or 

yosi samra cambelle flat sandals ($130)

dots iphone case by priscilla peress ($35) or 

emily rickard color study no. 7 iphone case ($35)

So hard to choose! I may just have to buy them all . . . kidding!

*Do any of you married ladies have trouble finding a watch that works with your wedding and engagement ring? Either I find the watch too casual in comparison to my ring's setting or the watch-ring combo just looks overwhelmingly shiny. I look the way watches look, though, and miss wearing one so I am hoping one of these works out!

PRETTY IN PINK: SPRING WISHLIST

Where did last week go?! I feel like I blinked and Monday magically transformed into Saturday. Do you ever feel that way? It's frustrating!

Anywho, this week I am vowing to get back on track and that starts with keeping things up to date on here. And you know what I am inspired by this week? Spring! I don't know about where you are, but New York City is finally start to hint at warmer weather to come. This weekend was even almost balmy! That gets me excited about sunshiney outfits and surrounding myself with bright, cheery colors again. Apparently the hot color this season is pink and though everyone is talking about pastels I am more drawn to products in bold colors like magenta and fuchsia. I discovered this photo of a gorgeous bouquet (top) and knew I had to use it as an inspiration for a fresh, playful palette.

Without further ado, here are some of my top picks as we step into spring . . . 

one | usb charging cables, $4.99

two | lacoste luzerne sandals, $75

three | kate spade boardwalk stroll chandelier earring, $78

four | big baggu bag in electric poppy, $12

five | poppin orange medium softcover notebook, $9

six | jcrew petite kami dress in classic faille, $200

Now bring on the sunshine and sandals!

THE WINTER BLUES: COBALT

What's your take on winter? According to Punxsutawney Phil, we are in for six more weeks of winter, so hopefully you are on board! I actually kind of love our recent weather with super cold days and beautiful sweeping snow storms. It's fun to bundle up and frolic in the snow!

Anywho, as I pull on my hunter boots for the umpteenth day in the row, I started thinking about winter fashion and how it can get in a rut. We need to bring some pops of color into the boringness of black, brown and grey that tends to seem into our wardrobes come November! Are you with me?

So here's my take on the "winter blues"—a round up of juicy cobalt gear that will brighten up your closet in a matter of moments. Hope you like it!

01. crepe shift dress, jcrew, $148

02. medium cloud loop scarf, rosetung, $180

03. heritage sleeve for macbook, herschel supply co., $14.99

04. super ciccio eyeglasses, madewell, $169

05. medis cobalt headphone, urbanears, $49.90

06. the mira heel, madewell, $168

07. collection cashmere v-neck sweater, jcrew, $188

08. butler please nail polish, essie, $8.50

KEEPING IT COZY

Have you noticed it? There is a chill in the air (at least here in the Northeast) today . . . finally! I am ready for the lovely cool weather that comes with the beginning of winter. Not crazy cold, mind you, but just that glorious crisp sunny day requiring a cozy jacket, scarf and a cup of hot cocoa. Perfect, right?

Here are some of my favorite picks for snuggling in and keeping warm as the temperature drops. . . 

one | jcrew factory flannel shirt, sold out!

two | jcrew chevron checker hat, $42.50

three | sperry top-sider shearwater boots, $150

four | restoration hardware snowballer, $10

five | crunchy snowball stress ball, $28

six | popbar dark hot chocolate on a stick, $3.50

seven | patagonia hi-loft down sweater hoodie, $299

eight | boden cable knit scarf, $36

Stay toasty out there!

FLEET FEET

Comfortable. Light. High tech. Just a couple of ways of describing these cool new shoes being developed by Unbelievable Testing Laboratory and being made of Tyvek!! Given the amazing properties of Tyvek—a construction material—the shoes promise to be long-lasting, breathable and water-resistant. Sweet!

What are you up to this weekend? I am going home to Connecticut and contemplating a quick trip out to Cape Cod to hang out with some friends early next week. So, just in case I don't make it back to the blogosphere until late last week, here are some fun things for you to check out:

The Summer of George.

275,000 dominoes.

This would be perfect for a NYC-themed party.

If You Give a Mouse Rat a Cookie; ha!

Speaking of Parks & Rec, I love Aubrey Plaza and think this could be hilarious.

I stopped watching this show a while ago, but boy is this performance impressive.

Beautiful tumblers.

An interview with my grad school professor on his new exhibition at MoMA.

Well, don't these look tasty.

Montage and Chevron look really pretty.

I would like to own this.


Have a great weekend!



(Tip about the Tyvek from here)

HELLO YELLOW!

Okay, I admit it. I am officially, irreparably obsessed with yellow. How did this happen? For some reason this summer I have discovered that yellow is the sunniest color, perfect to brighten up an outfit and I suddenly can't resist it. Sounds silly and trite, I know, but it's true!

So here are some of my favorite picks for adding pops of yellow to your life.

one
Kate Spade Saturday Corded Bracelet, $25

two
iLikeMaps Paris Map Print, $20

three
bkr Bottle in Canary, $28

four
Anthropologie Sun Stripes Napkin, $12

five
Anthropologie Color Pop Juice Glass, $8

six
Crocs Adrina Flat II, $40.99

seven
Claire Vivier Grand Pochette Clutch, $173

eight
Tubtrug 6.5 Gallon Bucket Size, $14.93


Do you have any yellow finds to add to the mix? Let me know in the comments!


p.s. I thinking that the flats (#6) will be just the comfy thing for walking around Paris. Has anyone bought them who can give me a review?

HAPPY WEEKEND!

What are you up to this weekend? I am pretty much on lockdown here. It's supposed to rain in New York and I working on a two-week take home test for school—the last assignment I have to complete before I can officially call myself PhD ABD (all but dissertation).

Whatever you have planned, here are some fun links to tide you over until you can get them started.


Aren't the dominos above beautiful? They could make me pick up the game again!

I need to get myself a new coffee table/desk. Thinking this, this and this tutorial could be good.

How pretty are these dish towels? They would look perfect framed and hung on a kitchen wall!

Always looking for ways to keep track of my to do lists. This idea could be good.

I can't decide if these are totally cute or a little lame. I bet they are comfy though!

The perfect father's day present?

Totally making this tonight. Yum!

My college art museum is doing amazing things. I wish I still went to school there!

This is pretty funny. :)

A super fun DIY with spectacularly beautiful results.

How to conquer that email mountain.

I just started doing this yesterday. It's a doozy!

Simple, effective tips for better photos.

Just bought this top (not the bottoms!) and I am in love.

So excited to see this glowing review of a stupendous show. Bravo, Carter and Nick!


Have a lovely weekend! I will see you back here next week.

SUMMER ESSENTIALS

I don't know about you, but I am ready for summer! I finally finished my last week at my job and am delighted to report that I am now a full time student again. Hooray! That means more time to get back to the things I love: photography, thinking up great posts for the O.I., cooking, reading, and spending time with my family at the beach. Sounds pretty good right?

So to get ready for a fun-filled jam-packed summer, I put together a quick wishlist of items that will have you prepped for lazy June days in no time. And can you tell I am on a black, white and yellow kick right now (see here!)?

Without further ado, here's your list of summer essentials:

one.
a statement necklace to rock with shorts and a crisp white tee
geometric wooden necklace, $30

two.
cool patterned pants to throw on for a night out
1969 printed legging skimmer jeans, on sale for $56.21

three.
lovely sandals that go from beach to bar
tabbie t-strap sandals, on sale for $98

four.
protect your tech in style from errant splashes or popsicle drips
clearly cool beach set, $38

five.
a true story that will make your mouth water and the pages fly by
heat by bill buford, $13.16

six.
a lightweight layer with sailor's style
babaton hobart sweater, $85

seven.
this is one beach blanket that won't get lost in the sand
beach blanket in signature zig zag, $50

eight.
big, plush and perfect for warming up after a quick dip
dot beach towel, $34

THANK GOD IT'S SATURDAY

I am a little behind the times posting about this, but I had to share the gorgeous products on offer at Kate Spade's new line: Saturday. It features a fabulous combination of pattern and bold. bright color (you would expect nothing less from Kate Spade, right) and is meant to be a cool cousin to their main line.

Needless to say, I am in love. Seriously swooning. And much to my surprise (and delight) I am particularly enamored with their black, white and yellow combinations. They look fresh and fun and perfect for busting out on a weekend adventure.

Check out the full line here and their stylin' blog here.

HEAD TO TOE: SUMMER WEEKEND WARDROBE

Just a quick post today (since I am late for work!) that clues you into my favorite weekend wardrobe during this steamy summer days. There is nothing better than a perfectly fitting t-shirt—not too tight, not too loose—a cute pop of pattern and a pair of comfy/cool sandals. Throw it all into a fabulously functional duffle and you are ready for anything. Now let's get going!


V-Neck Slub Tee from Land's End Canvas, on sale for $9.99


Twill Printed Shorts (with sailboats on them, cute!) from Old Navy, on sale for $18.50


Lemmert Sandals from Aldo, on sale for $31.49


Canvas Overnight Bag from JCrew, $36.50

WEEKEND WARDROBE: COLLEGE REUNION

This afternoon I am headed to my fifth year college reunion. Fifth year! I can't believe it has been that long; though I suppose it is only going to get longer . . . ha! Anywho, I thought it would be fun to show you my take on rocking school colors (in my case, having gone to Williams, these are purple and gold/yellow) in a sophisticated, stylish way. So, without further ado, here are three outfits I would have been happy to pack for my triumphant return to my alma mater.




SATURDAY AFTERNOON │ an outfit for lawn sports, museums, and margaritas

clean white tee, $29.50
pop o' color pants, $125
stack em' up jewelry: watch, $58  multi-strand bracelet, $295  leather bracelet, $15
chic summer wedges, $22.99

SATURDAY NIGHT │ an outfit for dancing, cocktails, and witty banter

sassy & classy dress, $188

brilliant baubles, $150

pretty purse in a new purple hue, $318

subtle peep toe sandals, $228

SUNDAY MORNING │ an outfit for girl time, sunshine, and brunch specials

flirty fuchsia sundress, $24

bold broad sun hat, $12

glimmering gold cuff, $65

sparkly chandelier earrings, $38

fun floral espadrilles, $29.94

Have a great weekend, all! See you back here on Monday!

UNDER MY TREE?

Here are a couple things that I am hoping my show up under my tree this year—a holiday wish list of sorts. Hope you like it!





A saucy dress from JCrew, $188, perfect with a black cardigan







An iPad, starting at $499, because, well, it would be so fun!







A pair of shiny red Hunter Rain Boots, $125, because they would making splashing in NYC puddles actually enjoyable!







This beautiful farmer's market porcelain basket, $14, because it would just make everything you serve look straight out of a food magazine.







This tiered dress from Anthropologie, $188, because it is supposed to be cozy and super flattering and don't we all need more clothes like that?







Anything from lu lu lemon, because their stuff is the most comfy and sexy work out gear I have ever seen.







This newest book from Sue Grafton, $14 on Amazon, because I am obsessed with Kinsey Milhone and love getting engrossed in a good book over the holidays.


What's on your wish list this year?

SAVINGS AND LOANS: JCREW

I know I talk about JCrew a lot, but looking through their latest catalog I truly swooned over a couple of items. Too bad they are all so expensive! Here's a rundown of my top wish list items:


top to bottom:

• Double Cloth Metro Coat, $298
• Blythe Blouse in Silk, $98
• No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Double Serge Wool, $120
• Booker Boots, $298
• Macalister Wedge Boots, $198
• Martina Suede Wedges, $228
• Edie Tote, $348

By the way, can you tell that I am totally on board with the new color blocking trend?

MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT

Today I officially hand in the last of my final papers. Hooray! As a celebration, I thought I would share some of the bright and beautiful goodies I have seen around the web recently to spread some of my post-exam-summer-excitement cheer!

How fabulous are these flats from Anthropologie? And they come in so many colors!

(found here)

I am totally going to take a peak at these neon notes from Fig. 2 Press when I head to the National Stationery Show tomorrow. I love the polka dotted cards (not surprisingly).

(found here)

And how wonderful is this illustrated E by Mike Perry? You think he can make me a K in this pattern?

(found here)

SKY HIGH & SUPER LOW: WARM WEATHER SHOES

Is it just me or are you ready for spring? I have been drooling over the new offerings in stores, especially the summer footwear! Here are some of my favorite picks.

At Aldo (top to bottom, left to right):

IVEANS, $90

CONNALLY, $50

MANI, $50

ALSIDIA, $80 (my favorite!)

At JCrew (top to bottom, left to right):

Studded Top Cap Ballet Flats, $138

Pom Pom Ballet Flats, $198

Rainy Day Bow Ballet Flats, $58

Bowdelaire Ballet Flats, $158