A Perfect Day To...

It's a perfect day to break the tags off of my faux fur jacket that's been patiently sitting in my closet since September. A very basic outfit for some meetings in NYC. Joe Bush skinny jeans in dark wash, Frye Campus boots in banana, white American Apparel V Neck t-shirt, Juicy Velour hoodie in chocolate, navy scarf and Treesje Asher in electric blue.

I Love My...

I love my American Apparel white deep v-neck t-shirts. I have 6 XXS, 4 XS and 2 S. I work them into outfits ranging from casual to dressed up nights out. They're totally affordable, so once they get worn out, I'll just buy another dozen! Today I'm rocking an XS, tucked into a pair of cuffed boyfriend jeans, a skinny silver belt and a black corduroy blazer with rhinestone brooch on the lapel. The look is complete with my ballet flats that have unfortunately seen better days.

Heavenly Dress

I need this piece of custom-made-Marchesa-heaven in my closet, stat!

I Ironed My Boots...

I actually ironed my boots this morning - sort of. I pulled out a pair of black moccasin boots and found that more than 6 months of closet capitivity caused their fringes to go awry. So I pulled out my professional steamer and went to work. Good as new!

Obsessing Over The Little Things...

I have a tendency to do that. Right now I'm getting a custom tablecloth made for holidays in our dining room. Obviously the table looks best uncovered, but since it's wood I had to get table pads so it doesn't get ruined when in use. So, over the pads a tablecloth needs to go. I am sorting through hundreds of fabrics now trying to decide what will look best in my "modern luxe" decorated home on the holidays. Below is a little table setting inspiration...

AMA's = Fashion Bust

I eagerly tuned in to the American Music Awards to check out what everyone was wearing. I should have just cleaned my house.

Nicole Kidman: Mermaid has never been a style. Not even when Donna Martin did it on Halloween.

Kate Hudson: I actually like silver on her, but otherwise NO NO NO.

Kelly Clarkson: If someone dressed her, they should be fired...from fashion forever. The dress, hair, tights and shoes? It all looks frumpy and like it was put together by a middle of the road department store salesperson. I often get emails asking me about tips for starting a career in personal styling. Kelly is an example of what not to do!

Leona Lewis: Futuristic cool...but why the clogs?Fergie: Not a total miss in my book, but nothing special either.
Kristen Bell: Skin tone is never an attractive color (in fabric or lack of).

Shakira: Had 2 outfits. Though I wasn't overly feeling the love for either, she still gets best dressed in my book. Both dresses aren't misses. They fit her great. The yellow is amazing on her. The giant platform shoes are questionable, but in a sea of the above - can't complain!

Topshop - Part Deux

As promised, I went in and gave Topshop a 2nd chance. I'm not going to lie and tell you I didn't flash dirty looks at a ton of of overpriced cheesy apparel. Does someone really want to spend $200 on a completely sequin flapper dress, that's already having casualties all over the store floor? Nonetheless, I did run into the below pictured leather studded jacket. The quality seemed pretty good and I loved the style. It was $320 which is on the normal end of the price of a leather jacket. I didn't buy it because I really wanted the sold out gray and already have a tan jacket (bummer). I was far more impressed with the selection at Zara right now. Tons of classic, but still trendy blazers, plaid shirts, great dress pants, faux fur jackets, vests and scarves and great chunky sweaters. My only clothing purchase of the day came in the form of leggings (what else) and were from H&M. They're a gray, soft knit pair that I think would be perfect for sitting by the fire on a ski trip this winter. Honey, are you reading this???

Chanel Gets Me Again...

When I'm shopping in Manhattan my preferred area is Soho. Along Broadway I have access to 2 H&Ms, Urban Outfitters, Zara, a monster-size F21, Bloomingdale's, small boutiques and the still new-ish Topshop (more later). If I venture onto some of the cobblestone streets of Soho, I can go credit card crazy at Chanel. That's exactly what I did yesterday. I've eagerly awaited the arrival of the cruise collection and I just couldn't help myself. I got the red jumbo flap in caviar. It is the most amazing red! Far brighter and less orange than the 2005 one. I picked caviar because I felt that in the lambskin it actually looked like a metallic orange. Strange! I also purchased a bright blue medium flap in lambskin. It's like this totally outrageous and extremely unnecessary color of a Lego. Once 5 women converged on me in the store, waiting to pounce on the last blue bag that was in my hand, I knew I wasn't walking out without it. Here's a look below at photos I found at Purse Forum, so you can get an idea of the bag colors - until I take pics of mine. Will be back to chat about the other stores.

2nd Chance...For Shopping

My whole life I've heard raves about London's mothership: Topshop. I've seen fabulous things worn by celebs that made me wish I had local access too. So when I finally did, I was super psyched to get my shopping on. Some of you may remember my first trip into Topshop earlier this year and how incredibly disappointed I was. Actually, I ripped it to shreds for it's overpriced, low quality items in laughable fabrics, prints and silhouettes. Well, tomorrow I'm willing to give it a 2nd chance. I'll be back to tell you how that worked out.

I Love My...

I love my new velvet leggings! I wore them for my husband's birthday dinner (first of 3) last night and they're going to be my new obsession. I'm already a legging freak (more about that later) so this is just encouragement. Here's an inexpensive pair to help get you in on the trend.

The Holy "Trinity" of Shoes

Love Them / Want Them / Need Them - Now! I've already picked out an outfit for these Dolce Vita "Trinity" heels. I have tons of gray in my wardrobe, but I love how these have a pinkish tint to them. They studs make them rocker chic without bordering on biker. They will look awesome paired with soft and feminine frills.

My Personal Style

A question I get asked so often is, "How would you describe your personal style?" The truth is, I don't find myself overly creative or extremely different. My wardrobe has a great mix of very trendy and very classic pieces that I mix and match depending on the day. I'm not afraid to layer, try new things and accessories are my best friend. I don't impulse buy. I hold on to items and am thrilled when they come back around in style. It's like a personal selection of vintage! My greatest fashion strength is my ability to mix high/mid and low end brands to complete a look. If I had to compare my style to celebrities (because that's how we all relate to anything these days!), I'd say a combo of Vanessa Hudgens and Olivia Palermo. Sounds strange, right? Well, I'll be posting photos of my own outfits, pieces I buy, style inspirations and anything in between that may or may not be fashion related so you can see. For now here's 2 very different outfits worn by both girls that are similar to me (Olivia's I'd choose for work or a night out / Vanessa's has comfy and casual airport written all over it).