Fall Cravings

Bon matin mes jolies! Ca va? Je vais bien, merci. Ok, I promise that concludes the French speaking portion of our morning. I was thinking the other day how often I greet you all in my made up languages/accents and how rarely I use the language I actually know. So I decided to say top o' the morning to you lassies in my beloved (wish it was my native) tongue, French. Of course, I'm too lazy to look up the codes for all the proper accent marks, so just pretend that my written French is belle, s'il vous plait. 

So as I've been getting back into a regular blogging routine I've been thinking about what I want this blog to be, and what I don't want it to be. I still want it to be a lifestyle blog (I've never considered it a fashion blog because the writing is rarely about the clothes) and a personal style blog, but I don't want every post to be an outfit post. I definitely want to continue with the Insta-life posts when I actually have interesting Instagram snaps to show you, as well as posts with photos from my everyday life, so it serves as a chronicle of this period in my life. But I'd love to get your opinions as well. What would you like to see more of?

*all images from Pinterest. Click each photo to see the pin*

   
I am in dire need of a large work tote that I can fit all my stuff in. Loving
the one on the left a la Liz. It almost reminds me of the Celine I'm coveting. 

 
Peplum, peplum, peplum. It is everywhere and as evidenced by the
SS 2013 runways,not going anywhere soon. I'm loving it in stripes and trendy burgundy shades.

   
There is no more fall-essential accessory than a jacket with leather sleeves for
 a total badass vibe! Seriously considering the one on the

   
I have been obsessing over forest green anything this season, especially when
it comes to accessories (nails, earrings, bangles etc.) Love the LC dress, too.

   

  What is more chic than a structured oxblood handbag? Answer: Nothing.
Which is exactly why that affordable beaut on the right is on its way to me right now!

So if I had it my way, each and everyone of these items would find a place in my closet this fall, but alas money doesn't grow on trees and I'm not made of it either. Did anyone else hate those two cliches as much as I did as a child?? So annoying. Anywho, I'd love to hear what you loverlies are craving this fall? Have you given in to any yet? What tempts you the most?

Bisous! 

 

First class travel

Hello lovelies! How was everybody's weekends? Parfait, I hope! I have to admit that mine was one of the best I have had in awhile! Sometimes you just need a mini vacation to unwind and regroup, and this weekend was exactly that. I got to be pretty lazy, soak up some rays, snorkel, spend quality time with family and not stress about anything. Absolutely wonderful. The only downside was that I had totally meant to take outfit photos to share with you darlings (mainly because the setting was just so great), but I ended up living in a bikini all weekend, and that didn't really seem photo worthy! I wound up with like 500 or so pictures of the fantastic sunsets though :) I'll share one or two with you soon! 

My traveling this weekend, and the upcoming holidays, got me thinking about what our travel clothes say about us. If you find yourself waiting at the airport for a flight in the next few weeks, take a moment to look around and observe the various travel styles you will inevitably see: the juicy couture track suit woman, leggings and uggs girl, stilettos and pencil skirt lady, etc. I would venture to say that many of us (being the fashionistas that we are) still carefully select the garments that will decorate our frames on travel day, but a part of us may crave the comfort of sweats with a burning passion. But ladies, just because you aren't flying first class doesn't mean you can't look like you belong there. And trust me, you won't even have to sacrifice comfort doing so!

I usually don't advocate the leggings as pants trend, but I think airports are the one exception, particularly if you pair them with a tunic that is long enough to cover your butt. Throw on a pair of riding boots for a chic shoe that is easy to take on and off at security. Don't forget to pack a drapey cardigan that you can wrap up in since planes are usually a little chilly. I wouldn't wear too many accouterments when flying, because it is just a lot of hassle to take all your jewelry off at security, but I think a simple layered necklace adds the perfect finishing touch to this comfy, chic travel day outfit. You will look put together enough that you won't be embarrassed if you happen to be seated next to a hunk, but still totally able to comfortably cuddle up and nap if your plane mate turns out to be a dud. If you prefer to take your traveling style up a notch, your best option is a flirty, feminine frock that provides just the right amount of shape (try a cinched waist dress) but is still flowy enough to wiggle in comfortably. Swap the leggings for a pair of girly tights and add in your favorite low heeled lace up ankle boots for an instantly dressed up look. Again, keep a longer cardigan within reach. You can even take this look out on the town once you get to your fabulous destination! The best traveling outfits are truly those that leave the flyer feeling comfortable and confident, and if you don either of these options I guarantee you will achieve the desired result!

Babes, what is your preferred travel day style? Do you have a go-to traveling outfit? Do you forget about fashion for a day in order to survive the holiday transportation madness? What are your best tips for maintaining a dignified, relaxed look? Stay tuned for more holiday travel style guides!

Bisous!

Sweetness and light

Hello lovelies! I hope everyone had a blissful weekend :) Mine was filled with cupcakes, shopping and delightful times with friends. It couldn't have gotten any better! My Paris BFF took the bus down from NYC for the weekend and we had such a marvelous time together. Even though I had seen her a month ago, it still felt like we had loads to catch up on. We spent most of Friday just lounging around chatting and eating (if you knew the two of us that would be a given).

 Considering it ended up being 80+ degrees on Friday I didn't pick the best day to debut my faux leather jacket, but I got lots of compliments so I think it was worth it :) Jacket: Century 21, Tanktop: White House Black Market, Jeans: Levi's, Wedges: M.P.S, Purse: Vintage Louis Vuitton, Ring: Grandmother's vintage, Earrings: Gifted, Nails: Essie Merino Cool.

Saturday we decided to be a bit more productive and enjoyed a fantastic day of shopping in the city. We also had the BEST thai food I have ever had in my life, which I had totally wanted to take a picture of it to show you ladies because it was so elegantly presented, but silly me forgot the memory card in the camera. Anyways, Sam and I are planning to move to Georgetown together when she moves here in January, so we also wanted to check out the area and see if there were any available apartments as well. While we didn't exactly find our dream apartment yet, we certainly managed to find some major shopping scores! I even got to experience my first vintage store. We didn't really have enough time to thoroughly explore and sift through to find the hidden gems, but we had fun anyways and now that I know where it is, I will definitely visit again. And of course I had to pop into my beloved Steve Madden to once more drool over the beautiful glittery pumps I have been admiring forever. Sam and I both ended up doing great at Urban Outfitters though! A lot of adorable clothes on sale.

I was sooo happy when I came across this adorable little racerback tank shoved in the back of the crowded sales rack. Not only was I in love with the casual loose fit and the stripes, but the words are of course part of my blog name! It just seemed too perfect. Expect to see this in an outfit post asap before it gets too cold!

I have a major thing for printed sundresses and the color of this one, combined with the wonderful sale tag, made it irresistible to me! Even though the days of sundresses are pretty much gone for the season, I think this can definitely be paired with a jacket, tights and boots to carry it into fall.

I really loved the mixing of prints. Have you noticed my theme of enjoying that trend?? :)

 I also picked up a perfect little black lace bandeau bra (which I had desperately needed) but I think I will keep that just to myself :) After I had completely worn Sam out with shopping I had to reward her with an overdose of sweetness as we ventured to the famous Georgetown Cupcake shop and picked up the cutest box of cupcakes I have ever seen in my life. 

If you ever visit Georgetown please make sure to try one of these delectable treats! But I highly recommend pre-ordering them unless you enjoy waiting in an hour and a half line. Sam, my cousin (Katie) and I each picked two scrumptious cakes from the menu to sample. Katie and Sam both went with a classic red velvet and while Katie paired hers with a cute sunshine, Sam decided to be festive and try out a pumpkin spice. I of course couldn't pass up a peanut butter fudge and a mint oreo selection. All of us were very satisfied and full, though the cat was not pleased that he did not get to partake in the sampling.

I admit that this has kind of become my go-to shopping day ensemble. To me it is the perfect combination of comfortable enough to spend the day testing and trying new clothes, but chic enough to make you feel confident as you browse. Dress: Heartloom, Boots: Steven by Steve Madden, Earrings: gifted, Bracelets: borrowed from mom, Ring: Grandmother's vintage.

Ok ladies, now enough about me, I want to hear all about your weekends! Any shopping trips or major scores that you are just thrilled about? Did you explore any fun cities that you want to share with me? I'd love to hear all about it darlings so share away! And stay tuned for my mystery exciting purchase reveal :)

Bisous!

Lacquer up dolls!

Hi loves! I realized this weekend just how much blogging has come to mean to me when I really missed all of my blog friends and reading about what was going on in your fabulous lives! It was a lovely weekend with my brother though, which is always good. The weather was absolutely perfect for a sports-filled weekend, and that is exactly what we had! I always enjoy a good dose of baseball, particularly when my brother is pitching GREAT, but I had forgotten how much fun a live college football game can be! And of course watching your team win as the underdog just adds so much joy to the outing.

Taking our picture with the superstar! Getting the whole family together is always such a blessing, since it doesn't happen often anymore. My mom and I are such shrimps next to them! I am actually the shortest of the bunch, but I was on higher ground.

I have mentioned a few times that my biggest fashion goal this season is to diversify my look and not be afraid to try new styles. Well, I feel that I have been making progress with my clothing choices every day, but I am still in a major beauty routine rut. I am so quick to stick to them same look day in and day out with makeup, hair and nails. I have always been a fan of the natural look, and it is quite easy to do when in a rush in the morning. But with plenty of incredible beauty products, hairstyles and nail trends out there, it is a faux-pas for any fashionista to eschew creativity for simplicity all the time. With the s/s 2011 shows indicating that muted beauty trends will be traded in for bright and wild, now is the perfect time to get more comfortable with new looks.So I hereby declare to branch out my entire look from head to toe.

So excited to try out this perfect fall collection! I have been rather obsessed with it for awhile now, so I was thrilled to finally get my hands on these beauties! Now, I just need to get them on my fingers!

As a girl who tends to be averse to change, I am aware that I will need to ease myself in on this full beauty regimen overhaul, so focusing on one thing at a time is the best way to go. Changing nail polish colors may seem like such a basic, and fun, way to spice up any beauty lull but as the girl who continuously reaches for the same shade of pink year-round, even this is a step in the right direction. But with wonderful colors such as the Essie Fall 2010 collection now easily within reach change has never looked so good! Now, my biggest dilemma is which of these gems to lacquer up with first. I'm thinking merino cool or sew psyched first.

How fun is this??

Refinery 29 is definitely one of my must-reads every day and it was perfect timing when they happened to have a fantastic article the other day on spring nail trends. This one is just too cute! I think I prefer the look of a moon at bottom or top, but not both. I can't wait to try it out. Might need professional help on this one, though.

Does this take anyone else back to middle school years?? In those days, it seemed that the more you had on your nails the better. Thank goodness for the return to minimalism.

I just adore fall! The perfect breezes, the leaves changing, chai lattes, the CLOTHES!! Everything about the season is magnificent and Friday was one of those perfect days where you needed at least a light layer. I bought this vest last year, a little too late in the season and I have been itching to wear it ever since.  Long sleeve tee: H&M Paris, Vest: Hautelook.com, Jeans: Levis, Boots: Steven by Steve Madden, Belt: thrifted, Bag: handbag heaven, Jewelry: Amrita Singh, from Gilt.

So the place my mom stayed for the weekend in Williamsburg was gorgeous and the lighting was great when we got there, so went a little crazy on pics!

I am totally in love with this necklace right now. Kind've wishing I had ended up buying the matching ring for the set, but c'est la vie!

And to finish the weekend off, a little peek at my current lust-list obsession:

I am just crazy for this Just Cavalli multi silk printed dress!! I adore the pattern, and like how there is a little mixing of pattern working. It is majorly marked down on Rue La La and they aren't sold out in my size yet, but.... I don't know!

What was on your agenda this weekend lovely ladies? Ever been in a beauty rut? How did you get out? Any nail trends you can't wait to rock? Should I be bad and get this wonder of a dress, or admire from afar??

Bisous!

(Nail images courtesy of refinery29 and dress image courtesy of Rue La La)

Love, love, love

Salut loves! How was your weekend? Fabulous, I hope! I was lucky enough to spend Saturday with my fantastic college babies who make me feel so old! But, I love them to death and feel like a kid on christmas morning every time I get to see them!! I still have yet to spend a full weekend at home since August (crazy, I know) but every trip has been totally worth it. Next up: visiting the best little brother for family weekend and watching him do his thang on the baseball diamond. Can't wait! What did you beauties have on your agenda this weekend?

Well, that stubborn summer I was pouting over last week seems to have exited over night. Today could have been perfect considering it was in the low 70's, but the torrential downpour made it hard to fully enjoy the cool, crisp autumnal weather. However, it made it fully acceptable to break out the leggings and boots! I do not believe in the leggings as pants trend, but I am a huge fan of leggings with dresses/tunics paired with boots. Love, love, love! They are more comfortable and less mom-ish than panty hose, in my opinion, but they have a similar effect of making an outfit a little more appropriate for the work place. The combination of today's outfit and the delicious nonfat chai latte that was my afternoon pick me up finally made me feel like like my favorite season, fall, is finally here!

When I first got this dress I wasn't so sure about it, because I have never been much of an orange fan. But the fun pattern  had won my heart so I gave into a new color and I have never regretted it. Like I said, I am all about branching out this fall, whether it be with a new color palette or trying new trends that I have previously stayed away from. Dress: Kohl's, Tank: White House Black Market, Leggings: H&M Paris, Boots: Kohl's, Purse: Vintage Louis Vuitton (more on that later), Jewelry: Borrowed from mom and cousin, Headband: Charlotte Russe

Always been a sucker for Blair Waldorf-esque headbands :)

Notice something new... :)

I never thought I would have gotten so much wear out of these boots, but they treated me very well last season, and I look forward to another wonderful fall with my original boots!

Lucky for me, my sweet cousin who moved in last January has great style and lets me borrow her jewelry. Thanks cuz :) Finally got the nails polished as well. Still obsessed with purple, but went for a glittery shade this time.

In order to combat the blues that could accompany this gray, rainy day I have been occupying myself with thoughts of things I am loving right now, which I am happy to say is a long list. I won't bore you with all of it, but thought I would share some of my favorite things right now, and yes, the sound of music lyrics are definitely running through my head.

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens... Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes. Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes. Silver white winters that melt into springs. These are a few of my favorite things...

 

 1. Ok, how could my new vintage Louis not be on my LOVE list?? I am completely in love with this baby and how the vintage colors go with sooo many outfits! Thanks to the fabulous Gina of Gina Marie Vintage I am the proud owner of my first vintage piece! If you are in the market for anything vintage, from dresses to coats to accessories, Gina's boutique is a must-see. She lists the condition of her items with total honesty, ships purchases very quickly and emails you personally to ensure you are pleased with your vintage accoutrement. Though this is my first purchase from Gina, I would definitely recommend her and would do business again with her!

2. You have probably figured out by now that I adore Audrey Hepburn, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to come home and find this darling poster propped on my bed tonight! My sweet cousin came across this gem while she was at Michaels today and kindly bought it as a surprise for me :) Could she be any  more wonderful? Audrey Hepburn, surprise gifts and the best little cousin a girl could ask for are obviously on the love list!!

3. When I got home from my travels this weekend I was pleasantly surprised to see these two large pumpkins sitting on our porch. Only my fantastic mother could have known how badly I was ready for fall. Funny enough, I had picked up the baby pumpkin on the way home, so we now have a cute little pumpkin family to announce the arrival of fall to any of our neighbors who may be doubtful. Can't wait to decorate these guys with my cousin soon!!

4. As a self-diagnosed shoe-a-holic, shoes are a given in my list of loves and these pink Betsey Johnson cuties, on sale at Rue La La are testing every ounce of my willpower. But, I am determined to be good, thus I am sharing this deal with you ladies but not scooping them up myself.

5. Ok, is it just me or has Gossip Girl really stepped it up with the fashion this season?? Every episode is filled with beautiful ensembles for me to drool over!! I showed you two of my favorite outfits from tonight's show last week, but Blair's sparkly attire for Fashion's Night Out was divine as well! I adored Serena's flowy and sexy dress as well! Bravo Eric Daman, bravo.

6. Last, but not least, is you my darling blogging beauties!! So far my journey with this blog has been an absolute blast and hearing from you is such a joy! I look forward to reading your delightful posts every day, and learning more about you is great fun. Please let me continue to hear from you because it makes my day!! And don't forget to become a follower of my blog! I promise I will return the favor :) Sleep well dearies!!

Bisous!

(Images from ruelala.com and cwtv.com)

Hello Lovah!!

Hello lovelies! I hope that wherever you are, you had as beautiful a weekend as we had and that you took advantage of the perfect almost autumn weather! As I mentioned earlier, I went to visit my little brother, who also happens to be my best friend, this weekend with some friends and we had a fantastic time! I wish I could have stayed longer, but alas I have to be a grown up and can't live the college life anymore! My parents actually came down on Saturday as well to see him pitch (he is a division 1 baseball pitcher) so we had a nice little family day yesterday. The day was picture perfect for a baseball game and we all enjoyed watching him pitch the best game we have seen him throw in a long time. It was so nice for all of us to be together, too, since that doesn't happen very often anymore. Doesn't hurt that his team is very good looking as well :). Perfect weather, baseball AND cute boys= my heaven! It was a little too hot to wear the outfit I had planned, but I made due with capris, a tank and flats that I hadn't really thought I would need. For once my obsessive over-packing paid off! We capped off the lovely day with a healthy dosage of chick-flick by indulging in Letters to Juliet-- a movie I have been dying to see, especially since Sophie is a fact-checker aspiring to be a writer. Now if only I could have a romantic Italian adventure and fall in love with a gorgeous English boy! Hey, a girl has to dream, right?

Today my mom and I continued the weekend of driving and left bright and early this morning to head up to see our favorite pregnant lady for her baby shower! My cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby this fall and we are all SO excited. My cuz is 10 years older than me, so my brother and I always looked up to him as kids. He was "the coolest" in our minds and we loved every minute of the summers he spent with us. I can't believe he is about to become a father and we were thrilled to celebrate the beautiful mommy-to-be today. She happens to be one of my biggest style inspirations and took me on one of my most memorable shopping trips in Georgetown. She always manages to look classic and modern all at once. Even though she is almost 8 months pregnant she looked adorable today and definitely didn't skimp on fashion for comfort-- she wore heels for goodness sake!

Getting emotional as she realizes she is about to have something tiny enough to fit in that little onesie!

So what do you get for the fashionista mommy?

A coach diaper bag of course! :) This was our long standing joke since her answer to "when are you going to have kids??" was always "when I can afford a coach diaper bag!"

I am convinced that there is nothing more precious in the world than a sleeping child.

The ladies of our family with our favorite momma-to-be!! Dear baby, please come soon!! 

Now you are probably wondering what in the world the title of this post has to do with baseball games and baby showers. Well, maybe if I had written about what I originally intended to write about it would make sense :). So anyways, to get back to that...

Hello, my name is Laura and I am a shoe addict! (Now is the part when all you other shoe addicts say "Hi Laura!" Oh come on, I know you are out there!) As a recent college graduate I did one of the things college grads dread doing... yes you guessed it, I moved back home to live with mom. Yes, it is only temporary and I am hoping to have my own place to decorate very, very soon (with two fantastic roommates I might add!), but for now I am the college grad bum sponging off my mom. Is it a bummer at times, absolutely. But does it allow me to indulge in my shoe addiction for a bit longer (while still saving for my own adorable digs, of course), ABSOLUTELY!! Am I thoroughly enjoying this advantage?? I think you know that answer :). Lately whenever I am not on deadline for freelancing, I have found myself wondering over to the new Bloomingdale's Outlet after work, drooling in the shoe department and thinking in my head "hello lovah!" I used to be a very good window shopper, but now all those pent-up, unfulfilled longings seem to be coming back to bite me in the butt! I think I have been watching too much Sex and the City since I seem to be justifying my many purchases by saying, well it isn't like these are $400 Manolo Blahniks! I had been itching for a chance to wear my latest babies, and I decided that the baby shower of one of the most stylish ladies I know was the perfect debut!

As much as I love the layered outfits of fall, I had to take advantage of one of the last hot, sunny weekends of the season and get another wearing out of one of my favorite dresses. Glad I did, too, since almost every woman there was in a dress.

Thank you to mom for taking pics even when you just wanted to go to bed. You're the best!

The accessories.

My current loves :)

I am kind of a sucker for bows!! 

Dress: Kohls
Bag: Handbag Heaven
Ring/Bracelet: Charlotte Russe
Earrings: gift
Headband: H&M
Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Ok, now that you have seen my obsession from every angle, I want to hear all about YOUR weekends! I hope they were absolutely wonderful and that all of you beautiful ladies got to wear something this weekend that made you feel fabulous! What is the item in your wardrobe currently that you just love? Tell me about it!

Until tomorrow babes,
Bisous!

First outfit post!

Happy Friday lovelies!! I hope you all have fantastic weekend plans that you are thrilled about. Pour moi? I will be making a short trip to see the best brother in the world and to celebrate a good friend's birthday! Even though it has only been a month I have missed Matt dearly and I can't wait to see him again. Then to finish off the weekend mom and I will be driving up to Pennsylvania to see my favorite preggo cousin and celebrate the soon to be newest member of our family. I haven't seen her the entire time she has been pregnant and I can't wait to see her glow and maybe even take some maternity photos of the beautiful couple. Eeee I love babies (if you couldn't tell) and I have been so stinking excited for this baby to come! Only a few more weeks now though. And you better believe that it will be the most stylish little baby around if I have anything to say about it, although we don't know if it is a boy or girl so I have to wait to start buying the itsy bitsy adorable tinny clothes.

Well I have been awfully nervous to do an outfit posting, but your sweet comments on my NYC photos have made me decide to just go for it. I will get better at these photos I promise, and any advice you have on how I can improve will be much appreciated. I'm going to keep it short though since I still need to pack. Enjoy your weekend ladies and I will talk to you Monday.

Just got this denim dress the other day and I was so excited to wear it with these boots. I don't usually dress this casually for work (even though it is a very casual office), but since I was going to the baseball game straight from work, I wanted to be comfy but still cute.

Everyone at work joked that it was nice to see my actual height, since it was the first time they had ever seen me not wearing heels!

It was still a little too warm to be wearing socks, but I picked up those knee highs at Century 21 in NYC and have been wanting to wear them ever since! 

These boots are soooo comfy

Ok, I admit it. I may be a little obsessed with this bag. And with the website where I found it, handbag heaven. They have a huge selection and their prices are amazing! If you are in need of a cute, cheap bag, check it out!

I told you I am obsessed! I love the distressed leather and the detail of the buttons.

I have become quite a regular in the ring department at Charlotte Russe.

Ok sorry, I know this is a terrible photo but I just couldn't get a good shot of the earrings. Like I said, I will get better :)

Alright, well hopefully this will just be the first of many outfit posts! I think this blog will be such a great way to watch my style evolve over time. I have already been very influenced (in good ways!) by all of you beautiful bloggers and I can't wait to see where else this journey will take me.

BIG thank you to my darling cousin for taking pictures!

Dress: Charlotte Russe
Boots: Steve Madden
Ring: Charlotte Russe
Bracelets: Amrita Singh (from Gilt)
Earrings: borrowed from fantastic mom
Bag: Handbag Heaven
Socks: Century 21

Bisous!