anywhere and everywhere

Things that I love: cute graphic tees. Shoes with a very Gucci vibe. Pattern mixing. Hence, this outfit. Does it work? I don't know. Do I love it? Yup.

It started with the tee, a very cute little number. I was trying to justify it's purchase and thinking about how I would wear it other than with the usual jeans and leggings. And then I realized, I can wear it anywhere. The shirt says so.

In my office I can definitely get away with more casual pieces, especially when they're paired with more traditional suit separates. When in doubt, just throw a cute jacket over it! This tee is a little pricey, but at least now I've brought the cost per wear down just a tad more...

a white blazer is really a spring wardrobe staple -- throw it over almost any outfit to feel a little more pulled together // a casual tee with a nice slim cut // this is a lot of look, so a little pair of earrings is more than enough // a ladylike satchel is a closet workhorse // sexy shoes that you can work and dance in // the bold print of this pencil skirt is a welcome sign of spring

Rodarte x And Other Stories

Crushed under a mountain of work, somehow I missed the launch of a very fabulous Rodarte capsule collection with & Other Stories (H&M's baby sister). The collection is cool and glam with a 70s Biba-vibe. The limited color palette (black and white, metallics, and pops of pink and red) makes everything feel really cohesive and super easy to work into your closet.

There were some quick sell-outs, but there are still a few gems available. Happy shopping!

This sequin wrap dress is over-the-top in a wonderful way.

Such a perfect little ring, maybe it will come back in stock (please?)... 

Just the shoes to fulfill my inner-Dorothy fantasies. So sexy.

Blush pink usually gives a fresh, innocent vibe but when I look at this super pretty wrap number I think "this dress has seen some things..."

pretty little layer

You know how you see something and you just immediately think, "that's SO me!!". Yeah, that's this jacket. Black and white, ultra feminine, polished, pretty. I have so. many. white blazers, but I don't care. This one has a ribbon and I love it.

My natural inclination is to throw this on over jeans when I want a little lazy glamour on the weekends, but it's also begging to be amped up a bit for a super sharp professional look. This is the jacket I'd reach for on the morning of the big presentation, the keynote speech, the dream job interview. This is a four-season piece (just one of the ways I am justifying this purchase), but here's how I'd style it for spring:

a classic blazer you'll have literally forever // a simple, silky black camisole won't distract from the main attraction // these cropped trousers have a slight flare but are still slim enough to create a flattering leg silhouette // for spring, blush pink is a perfect pairing with black and white, and this satchel is sharp and practical // cropped pants are a great way to show off cute shoes, like these very minimal blush colored heels // one bold accessory, like this statement ring, adds just enough sparkle

this is not a drill

Last year the shoe of the summer was an adorable little black and white cap-toed espadrille, either the Chanel original or one of many very good inspired-by versions (you remember, like these and these). This year there are plenty of espadrilles to go around, and they're even more fun. Different shapes, different colors, different prints -- your whole summer shoe wardrobe is set. Here are some of my favorites:

top row: last year Target did one of the best versions of the Chanel espadrille, and their dv Tia Espadrille has very cute slipper-like quality // Boden's Betty Espadrille packs a lot of punch for a casual shoe

second row:  a peep-toe and a bright color and a little wedge -- this sweet little shoe has it all // last year's model updated with a subtle silver shimmer and a teeny platform

third row: pink python print offers lots of fun pattern-mixing options // nothing says summer like a rainbow stripe of popsicle hues

fourth row: black and white stripes work with everything // the perforations on this Loeffler Randall pair give a beachy wicker vibe.

modern mary

I wanted to write a post about Mary Tyler Moore being one of my first style icons, but I feel like that ages me more than I'd like to admit. Sigh. Does anyone even remember Mary?

I discovered The Mary Tyler Moore Show years ago when Nick at Nite was the channel of choice for chronic night owls and they played some seriously old-school shows (and I don't mean reruns of Friends). In a nutshell, Mary Richards -- played by the extraordinary Mary Tyler Moore -- had a great job and a funky little apartment and wonderful best friend and a messy personal life and it all seemed pretty great to me. It was one of the first times I was really excited about the prospect of adulting -- she had a life that I totally wanted.

Mary also had pretty killer style. Mini skirts, scarves, and platforms shoes were staples, and when I saw this tweed mini I found myself building a very Mary-esque look. I call this Modern Mary because of a few easy updates: a cheery spring color palette (no sepia-toned 70's hues here) and some next-level pattern mixing. A look perfectly suited for my current life (great job, sweet apartment, disastrous personal life)...

my favorite striped shirt, a real wardrobe staple // a vibrant scarf that is an easy transition to spring // this bright, tiny bag won't hold much but sometimes it's good to pare down to the essentials // this tweed mini is timeless and will work nearly year-round // if they're as comfortable as they look, I feel like I'd wear these python platforms all the time


Tweed minis seem to be the thing for spring, here are a few other good options:

Kate Spade Mohair Mini // TopShop Check Mini // Loft Button Tab Tweed Skirt (on sale!)

saturday night superhero

Sometimes the best part of going out is getting dressed for it. You never know what a big night out is going to bring, so it doesn't hurt to work a bit of a superhero vibe to get yourself in the right mindset: ready for anything, not taking any shit.

every superhero needs a cape -- this sequin jacket cape is very sleek and fab, a great nighttime outerwear option (because wearing your daytime coat never feels right) // a black jumpsuit is the easiest when you literally need to suit up // an all-black canvas, including a simple clutch, makes your rad accessories pop // I love the idea of one of these chunky bracelets on each wrist, Wonder Woman-style // rainbow lace-up booties definitely say kickass

ETA: and now the jumpsuit is sold out. Super bummer. A few more to try: ads for this jumpsuit have made a permanent home on my Facebook feed (being retargeted like whoa), but I do like it. This cropped one would be even better for showing off those badass boots. And this one looks super comfy.

the good stuff, vol. 4

Some things I'm digging this week, presented for your entertainment...

reading

Another donut bucket list (note to self: good intel for a donut-based cross-country road trip).

I'm still settling into a new job that came with a lot more responsibility, and my daily task list is a little insane -- I thought this article about the morning routines of seven ladies with cool jobs was interesting.

The negative power of our unused stuff -- a good quick read that is as much about knowing yourself as it is about possessions.

I'd never heard of Yolanda Betbeze, a former Miss America who was a bit of a disruptor, until I read this obituary but I think I'd like her.

What's the matter with Prada? An interesting look at the cycle of demand for luxury brands, and how and why they fall out of favor.

Cate Blanchett was my pick for best dressed at the Oscars, and in almost every other situation. I devoured this profile of her stylist Elizabeth Stewart, because the world of celeb styling is weird but fascinating (I want someone to make me a PDF with all of my outfit combos when I travel!).

There are a lot of really stellar makeup tutorials, but you need to see the Instagram account of a woman who uses her hajib to transform herself into your favorite Disney princesses.

A handy chart for letting the stars help guide you to get your drink on.

The origin of Flamin' Hot Cheetos -- quite a charming story!

Goop, Glossier, and how G became the It Letter in the beauty world.

watching

I had to work for most of Sunday afternoon and I was feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to catch up on some mindless TV and watched the first episode of The Fashion Fund, a documentary/reality-style show about the process of choosing the winner of the very cool CFDA Fashion Fund (previous winners include Public School and Alexander Wang). It's like a lighter, but more important, Project Runway.

God bless John Oliver for this piece on Donald Trump, who is awful #makedonalddrumfagain

no regrets

I think a morning routine is important. Some people meditate. Many take time to write. Others go straight for a big cup of coffee and some breakfast. I open my laptop, surf over to jcrew.com and type the words "bow embellished" in the search bar. Super normal, right?

I try not to live with regrets, but every so often a sartorial conquest slips away and I can't quite move on. While I'm waiting for a sale or waffling about a purchase, my beloved sells out and I'm crushed. This happens pretty much every season, and so I've developed a habit of starting my day by checking various websites to see if new stock has popped up. Sometimes I also hit up eBay and Poshmark, because I am thorough. And obsessed. And I don't meditate.

Here's what I'm pining over right now:

I ordered this sweet little bow-embellished (hey, remember that term? From way back at the start of this post?) top after Christmas. Scored a sweeeet deal.  Sadly, I didn't open the box for about 3 weeks (was an insanely busy time) and when I did, I was so bummed to see that I'd accidentally received the wrong color and the shirt was almost completely sold out. Sadly it's the tiny sizes that seem to pop back into stock (and I know this top runs a little small), but I'm still hoping I'll catch one.

I didn't see this bag until after it had been marked way down (and of course, sold out), but I can't help but hope I get a little lucky. So great, right? It's very fancy and proper, but I think it has a bit of a wild side that wants to come out and play.

I've been looking for a pair of tortoiseshell shoes forever, and these were perfectly sweet and totally affordable. I put off placing an order until it was way too late. Dumb.

This one is long sold out, but I'm crossing my fingers for a resale option. I had passed it up last year because I told myself I had too many striped shirts, but that shoulder detail is really great. And what's sad is that sometimes when I'm trying to decide what to wear in the morning, this shirt pops into my head. Even though I don't own it!

Finally, an oldie but goodie -- I don't know where I was when this candy stripe Tippi was out, but I should have been in line at J. Crew buying the happiest sweater ever. Sigh.

Have you ever missed out on something and regretted it later? Do you keep chasing, or just...let it go?

february budget

Last year I started tracking my spending on clothing -- it seemed like a kind of a smart, grown-up thing to do. Around the same time I did a major closet clean-out/purge and discovered too many flammable looking Forever 21 pieces, pilled Target cardigans, and regrettable impulse purchases that were all gathering dust. I liked the idea of having some accountability to curb some of my mindless buying, so at the end of each month I survey my purchases and make sure that I'm sticking to my budget and making smart decisions. And here we are.

February was supposed to be a no shopping month for me, so how'd I do? Ehhhh...

I didn't make it. All was fine until about a week ago when I decided to make an exception and buy these sneakers that I fell madly in lurve with. I was planning to just wait until March, but all of a sudden they were selling out everywhere and I realized they wouldn't be around that long. I also realized I'd really be bummed to miss out on them. I mean, they're just sneakers, but I do have a habit of obsessing over the ones that got away. I spotted my size back in stock and a nice little President's Day promo code and just went for it. When I got to the checkout, there was also a pair of sunglasses in my cart from a previous session but I pretended not to notice and placed my order. So my purchases for this month are as follows:

Adidas Originals ($101) // Oversized Retro Sunglasses ($14)

monthly budget: $200 ($0 in February)

total: $115 ($85 under budget/$115 over budget)

The good news is that I love both purchases and know I will wear them both often (practically daily), so I'll consider it a success for thoughtful, mindful shopping. Small victories.

When you're not shopping for (most of) a month, you have lots of time for window shopping, which I did plenty of. All kinds of spring goodies are showing up in stores, and I have my eye on a few:

this lace shirt is a little off-beat but has some interesting potential // still digging the crazy pants // this perfect looking sweater is from the upcoming Lemaire collab with Uniqlo (love the half sleeves) // I love this inkblot floral, which seems less twee than most spring-y prints // black and white striped espadrilles with a little platform? sold // I've been a little wary of the cropped wide-leg jeans thing, but I'm digging this white pair // my very excellent sunglasses in tortoiseshell

Did you buy anything good this month? What do you have your eye on right now? Let me know!

I'm linking up with Fran and the budget bloggers, because those ladies always find great stuff...

PS -- wishing a special happy birthday to my brother (who does not read this blog) because he and all of the other leap babies get an actual birthday this year! If you are celebrating something special this Leap Day, check out the NYT's collection of treat yo self recipes (and do NOT check out the movie of the same name -- the delightful Amy Adams deserved better).

sneakerhead

I have a newish obsession with sneakers. Not the clunky ones I wear when I'm sweating and cursing on the treadmill, but the funky cool ones you can pass off as a valid footwear choice. They add a quirky twist to your real clothes and make leggings and a tee look like a legit outfit. In other words, a total closet MVP. I've convinced myself that I just love the way they look, but it's possible that in my 30s I just. can't. even. with shoes that pinch my toes and give me blisters. Either way: gimme.

For spring there are lots of neutrals and sweet pastels (Pastels? For spring? Groundbreaking.) I don't know how many pair of sneakers one girl needs, but these eight should be a good start:

top row:

Brooks is my brand of choice for running shoes, and I'm seriously in love with the pale pink and gold color combo of this casual pair.

I wouldn't mind if every pair of shoes had rose gold cap toes. 

Stella McCartney is one of those rare designers who actually makes activewear that you can be active in (sorry, Tory). I wouldn't run a marathon in these cute dusty pink sneakers, but they seem like they'd hold up to a long walk, a friendly tennis match, or one of those hateful "team-building" activities companies sometimes force people to participate in. (If your company does that, you should find a new job.)

I knew Zara would come through with a decent version of Loeffler Randall's coveted (and pricey) Rio trainers. Who knew neutrals could looks so sharp? I'm not usually a fan of such an obvious knock-off, but I'm also not a fan of paying $300 for sneakers, so....

bottom row:

Nike does a pretty great job of marrying form and function -- you could make these work for your Saturday morning run and your Saturday night fun.

New Balance is usually the brand of choice for fashionable sneaker lovers. I'm digging this pair because they are basically Cate Blanchett's stunning Givenchy dress (Oscars 2011) in sneaker form, which is weird but awesome. 

A pair of gray Sauconys is so classic, but the pops of pink and yellow add a little extra personality.

If obnoxiously loud gold sneakers are wrong, I don't want to be right.

easy monday

Sometimes you need a few pieces in your closet that require no thought, no fussing. They're the opposite of problem children -- they're the obedient, sensible first-borns who can always be counted on. This smart gray turtleneck is one of those good eggs.

Malene Birger is one of my favorite designers. My fantasy closet is filled with Malene's chic separates, Self-Portrait dresses, a few pair of MiH jeans, and a great Chanel jacket or two (in case you were wondering). I'm hoping this sweater is still available after my February shopping fast ends because I will give it a very good home.

It's the perfect thing for throwing on a Monday when you just need things to be easy, like when you spent the weekend a bit drunk in love and are nursing a post-Valentine hangover. Or maybe you stayed up too late binge watching the final episodes of Mad Men, which are finally (finally!) on Netflix.

The star of this look is, of course, this simple By Malene Birger wool turtleneck. Ideal for both work and play, totally timeless. For the office, I'd go with some comfy, slim ankle pants to balance out the sweater's oversized silhouette. I'm dying for a pair of tortoiseshell shoes, which have the magical ability to go with everything yet not be totally boring. And then you have a blank canvas for showing off your favorite jewelry. Since I'm still feeling some holiday weekend warm fuzzies, I like this bold "Love" cuff with a cool agate bracelet. A proper lipstick feels like the perfect way to finish off a lady-like look -- I love this pinky-nude shade.

ETA: Ugh, it looks like this sweater just sold out. Hoping for a popback at Net-a-Porter, but it is available online here. I also found a few similar options here, here, and here...but honestly, none are scratching my itch. I may have to go out and anger-buy a $40 Gucci lipstick on March 1st to make myself feel better.

resolved

I've never really been great about New Year's resolutions. Sure, there is something lovely about starting a new year with a clean slate and thinking that it is a perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself, shed old habits, and emerge from your cocoon to become the beautiful butterfly you were meant to be.

But change is hard.

The last few years have been busy, a little tumultuous: learning, changing, growing, stepping far outside of my comfort zone, failing, succeeding, slipping back into old habits. As 2015 drew to a close, I was very aware that I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be. I'm not far, but I'm not there. So this year feels like the year to declare a few resolutions that will nudge me in the right direction.

I'll start by saying I hate the idea of resolutions as punishment: I'm giving up dessert! I'm quitting smoking and drinking forever! Thinking about a resolution this way is guaranteed to fail. Because even though we look like adults, we're all basically 3-year-olds and we're definitely going to throw a tantrum when someone (even ourselves) tries to make us do something we really don't want to do. The way you frame your resolution can make all the difference, so my resolutions are all focused on the positive.

And yes, I'm totally aware that I'm about a month late in talking about this -- January was sort of a "soft open" for my resolutions, but I'm excited about kicking things into gear in February.

Consume More

We are living in the golden age of media -- from must-watch television to books to film to addictive podcasts to the blogs everyone is talking about, there is so much good and juicy content out there for the taking. And last year I found myself consistently frustrated that I was missing out. Somehow there is never enough time to read and watch and participate in all of the good stuff. Except that I know that's not true. We find time for the things that matter. I make time to work my 8-ish hours everyday, I find time for laundry, grocery shopping, and walking the dog, I even find time for getting a good sweat once a day (though that did require a concerted effort), so now I want to find time for great content. I want to read more, I want to see movies that challenge me, I want to learn and laugh and cry and be inspired.

So the first part of my resolution is to make time for the good stuff by being a little more ruthless with my schedule and finding those pockets of time. Car trips, long runs, and housecleaning are excellent times for catching up on podcasts. Mindless TV sometimes feels like a treat, but Seinfeld reruns and Chopped marathons aren't doing me any favors. Between Netflix, Hulu, and my friend's Xfinity login (shh, don't tell), I have an incredible library of TV and movies at my fingertips, so I do not need to watch Meangirls every time it's on.

I've also dusted off my Feedly account (RIP, Google Reader -- you are still missed) and loaded it with all of the blogs that I never get around to keeping up with. I want to get out of the habit of spending time on Facebook first thing in the morning (because click-bait headlines screaming "Kim Kardashian Doesn't Look Like This Anymore!" are rage-inducing) and give myself 30 minutes to read things that are inspiring and enlightening and help me do my job better.

And it's hard for me to admit how little reading I've been doing lately. Reading has always been my favorite, a way to explore and try to understand myself and the world around me, and for years I consumed books in great gulps, chain-reading one after another. That hasn't happened for the past year or two, for reasons (books are expensive, my library stocks mostly beach reads, no time, etc.) that are mostly lame. I'm remembering that when I started my first job (at a tiny nonprofit in Boston) I was thrilled to discover that there was a bookstore just around the corner. I would spend almost every lunch hour there (sometimes I bought and sometimes I just found a cozy corner and "borrowed" -- nonprofit salaries are painfully small). Since I work from home now, it really shouldn't be hard to carve out 20 or 30 minutes to read while I eat lunch.

Consume Less

One of the unhappier discoveries of 2015 was that when it comes to shopping (particularly for clothes), I've been overdoing it. I decided to end my first blog for a number of reasons, but a big factor is that it made me too focused on shopping and buying. Even though I've been thoughtful about my purchases and have been tracking my spending, I couldn't shake a serious case of Veruca Salt "I want it all"-itis.

Like everyone else in the world, I was charmed by Marie Kondo's anti-clutter manifesto The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying and last year spent a good amount of time weeding out excess from all corners of my house. Taking inventory of my closet made me realize I have a lot of clothes -- more than I really need for my current lifestyle (work from home in leggings, the best dress code ever). This doesn't mean that I won't be buying any clothing in the coming year, but I need to scale things back.

I'm on a month-long shopping freeze for the month of February (I did it last year and thought it was great). It's a weird season, there are racks full of crusty old clearance merch, and let's face it, it's a short month -- it's really the perfect time, and I'll be doing a thorough closet clean-out to get rid of things I don't wear. For the rest of the year, I'll use the following rules: focusing on needs instead of wants, limiting the amount of time I spend stalking coveted items waiting for sales, and cutting way back on fast fashion (this documentary and this book are on my respective lists, but I know they are both devastating).

Consume Better

I know I feel better when I'm eating well and taking care of myself. Well, at least my brain does. Lately my mouth has been calling the shots, and it wants cheeseburgers. And even when I'm eating relatively healthy, I find myself falling into the "snack trap" -- afternoon munching on relatively harmless snacks (popcorn, trail mix, dried fruit) that kind of ruins my dinner appetite and gets me a bit out of whack. 

A few weeks ago I watched In Defense of Food, a great documentary about the mess we've made of our food industry and our generally skewed ideas about nutrition. I'm happy to say there wasn't much in the way of new information, but I really loved the way Michael Pollan presents his basic tenets of nutrition. Pollan started a bit of a nutrition revolution when he declared we should. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." This delves a bit further into the ways that we've gone so very wrong when it comes to nutrition (low-fat mania, over-processing, way too much sugar) and some smart, easy ways to get back on track: shop the perimeter of the grocery store (where all of the fresh stuff is), don't go crazy restricting or obsessing over certain ingredients, and basically ignore all of the obnoxious and misleading package labels that are trying to convince you that Lucky Charms are healthy because they are "made with whole grain" (spoiler alert: they are not).

This is important to me because while I've done a pretty good job of making exercise a regular part of my routine, I've been reminded over the past months that you can't undo a bad diet in the gym. I had sort of been convincing myself that since I love donuts and I love running, things would sort of just even themselves out. Turns out, not so much. You have to run about 3 miles to burn off the calories in a donut, and when it comes to donuts I never can have just one...

My goal for this year is to ask myself "is this food?" before stuffing anything into my mouth, and then being able to answer "yes" about 90% of the time. For example, a banana? Yes! Trader Joe's white cheddar popcorn? Sadly, no.


Is there anything that you've resolved to do (or not do) in 2016? How's it going?