Gold Standard

I have been on a serious gold kick lately. It's all things I love: glamourous, nostalgic, and regal. The tone is also perfect with my skin tone. Here are three things I can't stop staring at this week:

1) My toes! What female doesn't love a little sparkle? My recent pedicure is perfect for the end of summer.   I'm wearing this pretty gold glitter polish over a very pale pink. After all of the bright shades from spring to summer, this neutral metallic is a welcome change.

{Deborah Lippmann Polish in Boom Pow, $20.}

2) We were updating our bridal registry at Bloomingdales when these caught my eye. Now they are my favorite cross-my-fingers-we-receive wedding gift. This table setting would bring glamour to even the most boring dish. I think I would eat my cereal with this and some feather slippers.

{DVF, Night, 5 Piece Place Setting, $105.}

3) The silverware above would look amazing with these drinking glasses. I would add a huge vase of light pink peonies and some fabulous white china to complete my fantasy table-scape.

{Dwell Studio, Gold Triangles Drinking Glass, $62- $72.}

*Sigh.* A girl can dream...

Enjoy your weekend.

xo

Smitten.

In addition to launching my business in a new state, I am busy planning my wedding. The process has had its highs and lows thus far, but the best part is daydreaming about my big day. That, and all of the wedding magazines!


I hate to admit it, but I can't remember the last time that I read a good book. The reason being that I am unable to put down my fashion magazines. Since getting the IPad last fall, I have taken my love to an all new level now that I can tote as many around as I want and not feel like I'm back in grade school lugging around the weight of my textbooks. The new magazine to catch my eye is an online-only wedding publication called Smitten Magazine. Can we discuss the bouquet of white peonies on the front cover? Swoon-worthy. The wedding fashions inside are just as beautiful.

The focus of their first issue is Southern Style. It contains beautiful photos and stories of real weddings, and the southern ones featured are the perfect eye candy for anyone planning a wedding. My favorite section is the breakdown of southern bride style. Southern Chic? Traditional Elegance? Or Ethereal? I just can't decide on my favorite... 

What do you think? Gorgeous right?!


Their stylist also made some fabulous suggestions for bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts. I love the bow ties and monogrammed soaps.

What is your favorite part of wedding planning? Do you use magazines for their amazing tips? Then check out Smitten.


Treat everyday like you are on the runway.

J Crew Does It Again.

I am currently assisting all of my personal clients with the transition into their fall wardrobe, so my mind right now is not on this gorgeous sunny day. Yesterday I was focused on boots, but today I am focused on coats. Of the J Crew variety, that is.  

Every fall J Crew does some of the best classic outerwear on the market. It always has a stylish twist that is appropriate for all ages. Good bones as I like to call it. You can't go wrong with a classic style when it comes to something like a fall coat because unless you have the money to buy a new one each year, you want to make sure the one you buy today will look good next year and perhaps the following one. Here are three coats I would like to applaud them on and recommend this year.


Do you have your trench yet? This is a classic that every woman should own. It is perfect for a fashionable rainy day and will definitely help ease your summer wardrobe into the fall season. J Crew does it with a reasonable price tag ($400), as compared to the almighty Burberry outerwear. I love the super feminine silhouette of this version and it has a detachable tulle underskirt for a little added style. The trench is timeless. Get the J Crew Encore Coat on their website or here.

Who doesn't love a navy blue classic? You can wear this coat with every color you can think of.  The amazing hood, cropped batwing sleeves, and zipper on this wool capelette make this anything but your boring navy blue topper. It is perfect for weekends and running errands. Throw it on over your favorite pair of jeans, leggings, and/or chunky sweater and you looked pulled together in a glorious unfussy way. And I love the oversized pockets! You can find this J Crew Capelette on their website or here.

Lastly, a classic peacoat in an on-trend color. Other than burgundy red, this golden mustard was the other color all over the fall fashion runways. This peacoat is full of thoughtful details like the pretty collar, seams on the sleeves, and dark round buttons. It is impeccably tailored at the waist and can be worn buttoned or unbuttoned. It would look gorgeous with an emerald scarf or one with a fuchsia and ivory print. What will you wear yours with? Buy it at J Crew or here.

When you purchase a classic piece, remember to always make it your own. With a fall coat, take the time to choose the right scarf, gloves, hat, and boots to go with it. 

Treat everyday like you are on the runway.

Looking Forward to... Boots.

I hate the winter. I hate the cold. The people who know me best joke that I am solar powered. There is a reason I moved to South Tampa and then to Los Angeles the first chance I got.


Now that I am back in New England (and much more settled than this time last year), I dare say I am looking forward to the beautiful crisp fall days ahead. I'm trying to anyway. I must embrace the inevitable: it's going to get cold again. Really cold. The layers and wool are coming back out from storage in a matter of weeks! That's why, pouring over all of the fall fashion in my favorite magazine publications are good for my psyche this time of year. Right now, I am focused on the boots.

Here are some of the beauties I have my eye on for this fall season to distract me from the cold:


1) The perfect 70's inspired glamour. In the color of the season, this rich burgundy suede sets my heart aflutter, while the fringe gives this pair an immediate cool factor. The chunky heel is on trend and I can already think of twenty outfits I could make with these boots from clothes already in my closet. 

{Diane von Furstenberg 'Penn' Suede Fringe Boot. $550.}

2) Edgy and unique. For the day I wake up and think, today I want to look like a fashionable astronaut. Fashion should be fun, always be open to taking risks! The menswear inspired detail on this pair is great, and a wedge is always comfortable. These shoes beg for an outfit with clean lines and a mod silhouette. They are also a fabulous option for dressing up a black blazer for a night out. Not into the silver? Jeffrey Campbell has some other gorgeous funky pairs in this collection. (Check them out here, here, and here.)

{Jeffrey Campbell 'Bonnie' Boot, $119.95.}

3) Beautiful twist on a classic. This is as close to a hiking boot as you will ever see me wear. The tassels, soft camel colored leather, on-trend chunky heel, and thick rubber sole have me daydreaming about apple picking and cidar donuts already. Big chunky wool sweater and pumpkin carving are optional.

{See by Chloe 'Wallabee' Calf Boot, $415.}

What are you looking forward to this fall season?


Treat everyday like you are on the runway.

Old Faithful.

When I was little, my mother used to bathe my sisters and I and then line us up to comb out and braid our hair one by one. Back in the days before leave-in conditioner, this was the best idea she had for three daughters with curly waist length hair (other than the high buns we needed to wear to ballet class, of course). The humidity and the "frizzies" were always cause for battle in my house. Sometimes, we won, and sometimes the hair won.

Fast forward twenty five years, and there are many new solutions on the market for curly unruly hair. However, I am constantly reverting back to old faithful. When the humidity factor is through the roof, or the heat outside is unbearable and my long hair feels like a winter hat on my head, I go back to my braid. These days, there are many new ways to braid hair, some I know, and some will take me watching a couple more how-to videos on YouTube. Here are some of the gorgeous creations that are inspiring me lately. Enjoy!

Do you love these beautiful creations as much as I do? Whether your style is tomboy or glamour girl, the braid is here to stay. It's always a fun and thoughtful alternative to the messy bun or quick ponytail.

Treat everyday like you are on the runway.

Friday Favorites.

Here are a few things that I am loving right now. 

My Nars Laguna Bronzer. With my busy schedule, I haven't seen the sun as much as I would like this summer. This is the perfect tint, not too red or orange, and the tiny gold flecks in it give me nice glowing skin. You would never know I have only been to the beach once this summer.

This Marc by Marc Jacobs Natasha bag is my current favorite shopping companion. The cross body strap is amazingly convenient, the ivory color goes with everything, and the leather is so soft. It is a welcome change from some of my heavier bags and I love the gold details!

Peonies. In any color. They are gorgeous, especially in this reflective vase. Nothing beats a fresh bouquet from someone you love.

What are your favorite things this week?

Treat everyday like you are on the runway.

Girly.

Yesterday, I asked my fiance if he liked my newest purchase: this adorable new Iphone cover from Kate Spade. I love the animal print and the hot pink sides (which you cannot see in the photo). The crispness of the black and white contrast with the fresh pop of bright color is like having a new phone. It was just the change I needed.

{Kate Spade Iphone 4 Hard Cover, $40.}

When he asked why I had changed it, my response was that it was for late summer and early fall. In the late fall I plan to change back to my old one. Should phone covers not be seasonally styled as well? This is where he gave a me a look I am very accustomed to. It is the look of "Oh-my-god-this-woman-is-an-alien-and-my-future-wife." I get this look from my alpha male fiance when I forget my audience and let all my girly colors shine though. These are the moments that highlight the gender divide in our relationship and remind us of the balance we create for one other. He loves me for this and I love him for that look.


That said, I have never been apologetic about my extreme femininity. I might look like this every morning,

but that is just part of the fun. I hope all of you are embracing what you love and living it. People may not always understand you, but they will love you anyway. Happy Thursday!


Treat everyday like you are on the runway.