Stripes and Statements

The weather finally cooled down a bit in New York, allowing me to feel comfortable in something other than a tank top! This weekend, I broke out a 3/4 sleeve striped shirt from J. Crew that had been banished to the back of my drawer due to the aforementioned no-sleeve requirement.

Pairing a casual striped tee with a big, bold statement necklace is one of my favorite looks. With jeans, it’s a casual yet chic look. Switch out the jeans for a miniskirt and heels and you’re ready for a night out. Here are some of my favorite options, most of which are on sale at J. Crew! As if you needed another reason to shop for some stripes!

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1. Two by Vince Camuto $39.90 | 2. J. Crew Stone Mix Necklace$135 (40% with code STYLE40) | 3. J. Crew Butterfly Wing Necklace $99.99 (40% with code STYLE40) | 4. J. Crew Shrunken Tee $59.99 (40% with code STYLE40) | 5. Gap Raglan Stripe $26.95 | 6. Madewell Slub V. Neck $32 | 7. J. Crew Linen Engineered Stripe Tee $29.99 (40% with code STYLE40)

 
 

The Big Apple

Well, I’m officially a New Yorker. I’ve been up here for almost two weeks now. The move was a bit crazy but we made it! The night we left DC it just so happened to be feeling the effects of a tropical storm, so we followed the rain north the entire drive to New York and it decided to rain the entire next day, too. All of our belongings are moved in, but our apartment vaguely resembles the site of an attempted robbery, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?

I’ve found that while I love the character and uniqueness of our place, it requires a great deal of specific furniture needs which has led to a great deal of very specific purchases. I’ve received a Target furniture or decor shipment nearly every day and we even ventured to the Ikea in Brooklyn our first weekend in New York. I’ve gotta say, Ikea can cause the demise of the happiest of relationships, but Brooklyn does it right! They offer a free water taxi from Manhattan and a service that allows you to have all of your purchases delivered to your home the same day for only $89. It doesn’t get much easier than that. I’d like to thank you, Ikea Brooklyn, for allowing couples to purchase modular furniture with ease and without argument!

Here are a few snapshots of my first two weeks in the big apple!

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We went to the most elegant wedding I’ve ever been to last weekend. Here is the view from the cocktail hour.

 

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My little helper when I was working from home.

 

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The view from the free water taxi to Ikea’s Brooklyn store.

 

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We came across filming for Spiderman on Sunday afternoon, including props hiding out on the street!
 
 

Milly at BR!

I’d heard a rumor that Banana Republic was in the midst of collaborating with Milly and much to my excitement, said collaboration is here! Available in stores and online TODAY, the 50 item collection features an array of dresses, tops, skirts, shorts and accessories. The collaboration is a match made in heaven. Beach-worthy, bold colors and prints adorn classic, sophisticated shapes making for one heck of an appealing collection. While sporting any of the outfits would make me a happy lady, I am partial to a few pieces that need to get in my closet stat!

MillyCollectionColorblockDress
Milly Collection Colorblock Maxi Dress | $165
MillyCollectionFeathersShort
Milly Collection Feathers Short | $55
MillyCollectionMedallionPrintRollSleeveTop
Milly Collection Medallion Print Top | $89.50
MillyCollectionStripedFitandFlare
Milly Collection Striped Fit and Flare Dress
Milly Collection Coated Tote | $130
Milly Collection Coated Tote | $130

 

What are your favorites?

 
 

Sweet Sneaks

Summer is officially here in DC. It appears that spring didn’t deem 2013 worthy of its appearance, as we’ve gone from 50 degree temperatures to 80 degree temperatures with a heaping serving of humidity!

While I typically spend the summer sporting an array of sandals, this year I’m loving the fashionable selection of sneakers available from some of my favorite designers.

Talk about a throw back! I lived in Keds of all colors when I was a kid. These perforated, lace-less slip-ons are low maintenance, high style and let’s face it, the polka dot sneaker is adorable while still managing to be adult enough for a twenty-something.

Keds Rookie Slipon | $49.95
Keds Rookie Slipon | $49.95
Keds Champion Dot Sneaker | $44.95
Keds Champion Dot Sneaker | $44.95

Keds and Kate Spade are a match made in fashionista heaven. I love chevron and I love shoes; ’nuff said.

Keds for Kate Spade New York Kick Sneaker | $75
Keds for Kate Spade New York Kick Sneaker | $75

Chuck Taylor’s are classic but the new range of colors to choose from kick up the style factor a notch or two! No surprise the mint is my favorite!

Chuck Taylor Low Sneaker in Beach Glass | $44.95
Chuck Taylor Low Sneaker in Beach Glass | $44.95

I’ll have to take advantage of some Memorial Day sales and pick up a pair of cool kicks in which to spend the summer strolling the streets of NYC!

 

 
 

Spring-sational Centerpiece

I hosted an impromptu Easter dinner the other weekend and due to its somewhat last minute nature, I found myself running around a bit more than I would have liked! This was the first time we hosted anyone in our new apartment and despite the fact that we’ve been there for 5 weeks now, I still haven’t managed to get things in order! After a bit of scrambling, I was able to get the place presentable and prettied up a bit for our guests!

The quickest and in my opinion, easiest, way to add some pizazz to any get together is to create a simple flower arrangement. Many people can find flower arrangements intimidating, but really all it takes is a little bit of elbow grease and a whole lotta willingness to experiment.

I prefer more of a romantic, vintage look (think Anthropologie catalog), so I tend opt for shorter containers and more voluminous flowers. Hydrangeas are a permanent fixture in my household and I was so excited I was able to find ranunculus at my local Trader Joe’s. They can be hard to come by!

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20130403-110341.jpgFlowers from Trader Joe’s ($3.99 – $5.99) | Assorted tumblers from World Market – ($3-6) | Chevron coasters from World Market ($14.99) | Anthropologie Lacework coasters ($6)

This particular arrangement took about 5 minutes and cost me $25. It is simple to recreate for any occasion, from a dinner party to a bridal or baby shower. Why spend a fortune at a florist when you can just DIY?

I also made these fun little gift boxes which would make an adorable party favor. Full DIY details to come…

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The Shoe Hive: Worth the Buzz

This weekend was positively picturesque and my husband and I decided to take advantage of it by strolling the streets of Old Town on Sunday. After gorging ourselves at a late brunch at Jackson 20, I set out to peruse the racks of some of Old Town’s best boutiques. Or, rather, since my birthday is in less than two weeks, one might say I was taking a more proactive role in the acquisition of my potential birthday gift.

For months now, I’ve been meaning to make my way to over the Shoe Hive and for one reason or another, I wasn’t able to. I FINALLY made it over there on Sunday and holy moly – I am glad I did!

Walking into the Shoe Hive is like opening a little window to heaven. Every style, color and brand name shoe you could ever hope for line shelf after shelf, interrupted every so often by a gorgeous designer purse. Pumps, wedges, sandals, flats, boots – the gangs all there and ladies, they are waiting for you to pay them a visit.

There isn’t a shoe store in DC quite like it. The selection is unique enough that you will leave feeling like a trendsetter but familiar enough that you can go there searching for something specific without being disappointed. Not surprisingly, shoes are the major merchandise draw, but the bags, sunglasses and jewelry are not to be underestimated! Delicate gold chains adorned with state charms, pretty printed scarves and a range of Tory Burch and Kate Spade mint-hued bags all caught my eye.

Bottom line, if you’re in Old Town, you need to go. If you’re not in Old Town, you need to make plans to go ASAP. Your feet will thank you!

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These Jon Josef smoking slippers exemplify the type of item you can find at The Shoe Hive: classy and charming with a little dash of spunk! ($132-$154)

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Rebecca Minkoff – need I say more? This shoe is a summer staple. Brown, black and buckled!

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These Sam Edelman flats are the spring shoe trifecta: cutout detailing, mint-colored and feminine. ($94)

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I had a Rachel Zoe “bananas” moment over these charm necklaces. They are the ideal layering piece and sentimental to boot.

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There isn’t a better selection of Hunter boots anywhere in the area!

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On that note, I’ll leave you with this little beauty from Tory Burch! ($595)

 
 

Watch Me: Like it. Love it. Buying it.

Spring has sprung – and I think that is a good enough excuse as any to consider acquiring a new timepiece. I’ve been sporting my gold oversized Michael Kors watch for more than year now, so I’m about due for a new style. With warmer temperatures (hopefully!), a lighter, smaller style would be ideal. I rounded up a few watches that have managed to catch my eye.

Like it.

Square shaped faces are on trend right now and the tortoise shell band is fun for spring and summer.

Vince Camuto Square Case Bangle Watch | $175
Vince Camuto Square Case Bangle Watch | $175

Love it.

This watch oozes summer. The white and tan striped band is nautically inspired and the blue and gold chain accent makes me long for the beach.

La Mer St. Tropez Chandelier Crystal Chain Watch | $180
La Mer St. Tropez Chandelier Crystal Chain Watch | $180

Buying it.

My love for Kate Spade endures. With the recent addition of Kate Spade Saturday, I’m drawn more than ever to bold, graphic prints, making this watch a must-have for me. The bangle style is functional and fashionable and makes it easy to pair with any arm party!

Kate Spade Carousel Bangle | $250
Kate Spade Carousel Bangle | $250
 
 

Eye Spy

I have two go-to eye makeup looks that I resort to so often I’d like to think I almost have them perfected. The first is a cat-eye which I find impossible to achieve without a liquid liner. I prefer Lorac’s Front of the Line black liner. The second is just your average, everyday natural look. While I love my liquid liner, I think it is a bit too much for the office. I prefer to channel a fresh-faced Kate Middleton more so than a make-up masked Kardashian. To each their own!

I’ve been on the search for a great basic black pencil eyeliner ever since the MAC in Georgetown closed down. I’m convinced it was a sign from the beauty gods as the formula must have changed because their pencil liner now smudges much more than it ever used to. On to bigger, better and cheaper things, namely Almay’s Eyeliner Pencil! I scooped one up on a whim because it was on sale at CVS and haven’t turned back since.

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Almay’s liner goes on smooth enough to make a perfectly straight line without smudging. Applying it over eyeshadow doesn’t cause any build up on the pencil, which is an issue I’ve run into with other brands. It doesn’t require a sharpener either. The pencil applicator is extremely easy to use . So easy, in fact, that I’ve applied it without my contacts in and still managed to look presentable. Without my contacts, I’m legally blind. How’s that for an endorsement?

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All in all, this is an excellent purchase but the $7.99 price tag makes it a must-have! The liner comes in black and brown, but I prefer black eyeliner universally because I feel like it makes my blue eyes pop a bit more than brown. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 
 

Saturday on Wednesday!

Kate Spades much anticipated new line, Kate Spade Saturday, has finally hit the shelves! Armed with the goal of capturing the “carefree spirit of the weekend”, the new line is poised to serve all of us ladies who love everything about Kate Spade except the prices. Saturday has all of the playful whimsy that defines Kate Spade and then some. Flirty dresses, fun graphic prints, versatile bags and cheeky accessories take center stage. New items are added every Saturday which makes me feel bad for the employees but happy for my closet. After perusing the site, it appears nothing is over $200 – dresses range from $140-$180; shirts from $30-$90 and earrings are as low as $20! Here are a few of my favorite picks.

I Phone 5 Case in Fine Fellow | $25
I Phone 5 Case in Fine Fellow | $25

Make a statement with your phone.

Top Handle Small Satchel in Stripe | $140
Top Handle Small Satchel in Stripe | $140

A black and white graphic print is perfectly accented by a bright, bold color, a defining factor of much of the Saturday line.

The Weekender Bag in Stripe | $180
The Weekender Bag in Stripe | $180

They’ve thought of everything with this bag. Strategic pockets and even a shoe compartment make this bag an ideal traveling companion, as the name suggests.

Sexy Back Dress in Abstract | $180
Sexy Back Dress in Abstract | $180

This dress, which also comes in blue and black, has an adorable open criss-cross back.

Perfect Day Shirt in Swiss Dot | $70
Perfect Day Shirt in Swiss Dot | $70

My love for polka dot blouses endures!

Jump Around Jumpsuit in Zig Zag | $150
Jump Around Jumpsuit in Zig Zag | $150

This is my absolute favorite item from the entire collection. While I think my curves would make the print zag where it should zig, I love it so much I might not care!

Kate Spade Saturday takes the phrase “working for the weekend” to a whole new level!

 

 
 

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