young & wild & professional

BLOUSE: ANTHROPOLOGIE // PANTS: RAG & BONE // HEELS: LOEFFLER RANDALL // 

PURSE: MICHAEL KORS // EARRINGS: REBECCA MINKOFF (sold out- LOVE THESE) // 

BELT: J. CREW // BANGLES: ALEX & ANI

As a young profesh in NYC, my everyday work staples start and end with fitted pants, a flowy blouse (my collection of white ones are starting to get out of hand...), a you-can-fit-everything-in-here satchel, and then some bling. These black Rag & Bone pants are my go-to, they're softer than denim and squeeze by the no jeans in the office rule, while still letting me dress for my style. The black and white combo is crisp and classic, and then I can easily switch out whatever accessories I'm currently into- a non-black purse, a metallic or colorful skinny belt (J. Crew has the best selection around) and stacks of bangles and mixed metal rings.

Oh and a fun tip for the stylish-but-money-saavy?

Those gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff earrings: $10 at the sample sale last week. Loeffler Randall pumps: 30% off sale, plus I asked for a discount because there was a pink spot on one and it was the last of my size. They gave me another 10% off. Tassel bracelet: 50% off the sale price at the C. Wonder going out of business sale.

Shop smart. Be patient and check back for sales. Often. Sign up for newsletters from your favorite brands that will send you discounts and tell you when there are pop-up sales. Investment pieces are worth it, but you can almost always find a way to make them fit your budget.

What's the splurge item you're waiting for? Leave me a comment below!

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Another Weekend, Another Wedding

DRESS: KATE SPADE (on sale!) // CLUTCH: MICHAEL KORS // EARRINGS: ANTHROPOLOGIE (SIMILAR) // HEELS: J. CREW (old, similar Vince Camuto HERE) // RINGS: BANANA REPUBLIC (SIMILAR)

Cute boyfriend. Cute family. Cute dress. What more can you ask for?

The 2015 outdoor wedding season has officially started and I've got one down and 4 more to go before the fall! I am so glad I took the plunge and bought this Kate Spade dress (not that I didn't agonize over the decision for days) because (a) it is totally worth the investment to get one designer piece instead of a different $100+ dress for each wedding and (b) navy, I repeat NAVY, is my go-to neutral to start a formal outfit with. I paired the dress with nude heels (with a bow detail to match the dress) and yellow accessories to match Papa G, but I plan to switch it up with all blush pink, crisp white, or orangey red accessories at later weddings this year. If you're looking to invest in a good dress, I can't recommend navy in a thick, shiny fabric enough - it's the perfect year round color - not as heavy as black, but not as summery as a blush pink, and it can be paired with almost any color accessory, making it super versatile. 

Momma G's outfit:

DRESS: MARC NEW YORK (similar HERE and HERE) // CLUTCH: KATE SPADE (still available in black; similar Kate Spade pink HERE)  // NECKLACE: KATE SPADE (SIMILAR and on sale!)

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All Black

COAT: ZARA // JEANS: RAG & BONE // BOOTS: C. WONDER // BAG: KATE SPADE SATURDAY  // SUNNIES: MICHAEL KORS // BRACELETS: PINK PEONIES COLLECTION & J. CREW // 

RING: BANANA REPUBLIC (ON SALE!) // POLISH: UO "LE MARAIS"

R.I.P.  C. Wonder, Kate Spade Saturday and Piperlime. All three stores have officially closed their doors in SoHo, and Piperlime is the only one that remains available online, but is said to shut down by the end of April (so keep your eyes peeled and your fingers crossed for big sales to come). Thank goodness Zara and J. Crew are still standing otherwise I’d be on shopping red alert! Speaking of, Refinery29 published a cool article today – “6 Stores You’ll Love As Much As Zara” – check it out HERE.

Anywho, as it’s still pretty chilly here in the city, I’ve still been wearing my all black NYC uniform. I’m excited for spring weather to finally arrive, but is it silly that I’ve been so excited just to be able to wear lighter wool coats with no scarves? It’s so much more fun than the hat+earmuff+puffer coat regimen I’ve had to stick to all winter… If you’re an outerwear fiend like me, now is a great time to score coats on major sale, or find steals at your local thrift shop. I’ve been trolling my neighborhood Beacon’s Closet the past few weeks and scored this Zara coat for $25 (normally $199) and a Sandro wool jacket (normally $550) for $30. WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA’AM.

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I'll Have A Blue Christmas

"And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when those blue memories start calling
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas"

COAT: J. CREW (last season) + TURTLENECK: J. CREW + PANTS: RAG & BONE + 

BOOTS: STEVE MADDEN (SIMILAR) + BAG: MICHAEL KORS + GLOVES: OLD NAVY + 

SUNGLASSES: ASOS (SIMILAR) + EARRINGS: BLOOMINGDALES

Still waiting on those snowflakes here in NYC, but it's blue all the time here with the hottest (pun?) colors this winter - cobalt, navy and gray. I absolutely adore this statement wool coat from J. Crew - it's worth investing in more coats than just your below-freezing-marshmallow-man-standard-black-puffer-coat. Your outfit may be exquisitely styled, but no one's going to see it beneath your coat and scarf when it's this cold out. Make sure you love your outerwear just as much.

Also loving the mirrored sunglasses trend that's coming back... 

pretty sure my dad used to wear almost these exact glasses in 1991.

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It's time to play...

I thought we'd do something different today and take a peek into what I've been toting around to all my weekend adventures in the city lately. (Read as: sitting for hours in coffee shops or walking aimlessly around Central Park) Here's my must-haves in my fall weekend bag:

1. BAG // Vintage Leather Backpack. Sooo excited that backpacks are trendy again. My aching right shoulder that's carried giant tote bags for the past 24 years is pretty thankful too. I got this leather beauty for $22 at my favorite thrift store, Beacon's Closet. Win. Having a million pockets for me to fill? Double win. I'd suggest thrifting your own, but if you're willing to take the plunge to buy new, Urban Outfitters has a cool Frye one right now.

2. TECH // I generally leave my laptop at home during the week, but I love working on the blog from different locales (read: again, coffee shops) on the weekend. My old apple case was getting pretty ratty, and I was so excited to get my new UChic case recently! Cute pattern? Check. Fave accent color? Cheeeck. Good cause? Check. UChic is a brand new company that's helping to fund $1000 scholarships for deserving young women through these awesome back-to-school accessories. You guys know I'm all about buying from new fashion brands that give back, but this seriously raises the bar. This case is called the "Gracie" and was designed by Gracie Schram, a 16-year-old singer/songwriter and a recipient of the scholarship. Cool, right? You can buy it here on their indiegogo page: igg.me/at/uchic. I've talked a lot with some lovely ladies at this company recently, and besides having an awesome cause, let me tell you, customer service is not dead! Support them.

3. SUNNIES // Michael Kors, can I ever leave the house without you? Answer: No. No I cannot. Protect your peepers ladies.

4. A GOOD READ // Have you read #GIRLBOSS? I'm only halfway through and damn, I'm inspired. Sophia Amoruso is (a) a little crazy (which I like) and (b) shares some pretty awesome experience/advice for those of us trying to forge our own way in the fashion world. But even if you're not, it's definitely a feel-good, now-I-want-to-go-accomplish-something-today read.

5. WARMTH // It's transition time! Thankfully, it's still been warm enough in NYC to go without a coat, but a lightweight blanket scarf is my absolute must-have in early fall. Lightweight so that you won't feel bogged down if you've got it wrapped around your neck, but big enough that you can open it and drape it around your shoulders if the wind really picks up. The one pictured is a Furla scarf that was a gift from Momma G, but Nordstrom has a similar one too. How does Nordstrom always have everything?

6. MOISTURE // I am obsessed with Smith's Rosebud Salve. I use it as a lip gloss all year round, but it's especially great now that the air (and my skin) is drying out. Apply it to your lips with your finger (there's the slightest hint of peachy-pink) and then wipe the excess on the back of your hand to moisturize your scary knuckles yo. Two-for-one.

7. CRAFTS // I cannot stop crafting, and my latest craft venture is opening my own custom stationary Etsy shop later this month! As if I didn't spend enough time in the Soho Paper Source store already, I'm now constantly carting around envelopes and stamps and color samples and bothering all their employees as I test out my ideas. Their blush pink envelopes & flat cards are hands-down the prettiest color I've ever seen. My blush pink phase might be getting out of control this season. But hey, if you want some pretty pink stationary, you've come to the right girl.

8. GLAM // I do my nails on the go in inappropriate places all the time. So there's usually 1-5 bottles of nail polish in my bag on any given day. My latest buy was this cool gray (called 'Earl Grey' - aren't you clever Sally Hanson) that's feels perfect for fall.

What's in your wallet weekend bag?

(bad mastercard joke)

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Black and white and re(a)d all over

Like a newspaper!.. Get it?

Ok, my timeless grandpa-esque humor aside, I love the simplicity of this look. Living in NYC, most of my wardrobe has magically seemed to turn black and white, and the simple addition of one accent color (I picked red today, if you couldn't tell) in the form of lipstick, nail polish and a scarf, added the vavavoom I wanted to meet up with friends for drinks downtown after bopping around doing my usual weekend activities. 

Sidenote: Cowgirl Seahorse at South Street Seaport has THE BEST frozen margaritas in the city. If you are in Manhattan go there now. This is important. I wanted to write this all in caps but feared it would come on too strong. That's how important.

TOP: AMERICAN EAGLE (OLD - SIMILAR) + SHORTS: TOPSHOP (ALSO LOVE THESE) + 
PYRAMID CUFF: C. WONDER + SPIKE BRACELET: BENEVOLENT JEWELS + CLUTCH: MICHAEL KORS + 
RING: MATT BERNSON + SILK SCARF: LONGCHAMP (THRIFTED) + NAIL POLISH: MK 'SENSATION'

There are SO many ways to tie a headscarf, but this simple twist look is my personal fave, probably because it reminds me of my favorite Anthropologie headband! (Click HERE to see that baby in action)

HOW TO TIE A SILK SCARF HEADBAND:

1. Fold square scarf in half into a triangle. Fold in the point of the triangle 3 inches or so, then keep folding another 3 inches over itself, and on and on until the scarf is a long thin(ish) strip.

2. Reach underneath your hair and place the center of the strip on the nape of your neck, with the messy side of the strip (where you can see the folds) laying against your head. Then bring the two ends upward, framing your face.

3. Twist the two ends and pull them back down toward your neck, twisting only once so the ends each go back to the side they came from.

4. Tie a knot at the nape of your neck. Voila!

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