Buying now..

These will be out of stock shortly, I promise. Much cheaper than the competitors' versions!

American Apparel Velvet Tassel Loafer $75

Chic Functionality: DVF IPad Bag

Here I was thinking Rebecca Minkoff was the only designer who was using her talents in functional design. Wrong. DVF debuted her Harper Connect leather daybag with an ipad slot! Perfect for the woman on the go...who doesn't need to lug

her laptop around all day. There's only one tiny problem, the bag ain't cheap. At $695 it's priced a little high, even for my taste. Regardless, fingers crossed the copycats come out with their own functionally-chic designs soon!

Harper Connect Leather Daybag

Kate Spade Deb Wedge

The "it" shoe for any serious working girl.  Don't believe me? Read more via the NY Times here.

"I know. We, the news media, are not supposed to ask female candidates about their hairstyle or their choice of pantsuits over skirts or their shoes. It is irrelevant. It is trivializing. It is sexist. “You would never write about Chuck Schumer’s shoes,” Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said in a New York magazine article in response to a question about her flats.

But the Kate Spade wedge heels are not just one candidate’s shoes. They seem to be the shoes of a circle of younger women aspiring to power or already in it, women directly and indirectly passing on to one another ways of navigating the particular challenges of being a woman in the public eye. A woman must look put-together, but not as if she is a slave to fashion; she must look groomed, but never be spotted grooming."

Kate Spade Deb Wedge

Shimmer & Shine: Stepping Out To Cure MS

I have been very fortunate to be working on the fundraising & sponsorship of an event in Boston benefitting Accelerated Cure. If you're in the Boston area on November 18th, please join me! I can promise you this will be a great evening of drinking&dancing with many fab auction items - as well as a runway walk off.

Did you know:

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system affecting over 400,000 people in the US and 2 million individuals worldwide. MS often results in severe disability including the inability to walk, impaired vision, or in some cases blindness, cognitive dysfunction, bladder and bowel problems, extreme fatigue and other serious symptoms. Unfortunately, no one knows what causes multiple sclerosis, there is no known cure for the disease, and treatments are modest at best. Most of you are related to, or know someone who has been affected by MS. I certainly do, thus developing a sincere interest in Accelerated Cure, an organization working with researchers worldwide to develop a sound understanding of the disease, & hopefully develop a cure! I encourage you to read more about Accelerated Cure here (it is pretty unique from other MS organizations!)

If you can't make it - I would be FOREVER grateful for your donation via my FirstGiving page

What you need to know:
Event info here, buy tickets here, & rent your couture dress for the par-tay here!

Lace Skirts Fall/Winter

I love using the element of lace to transition from fall to winter. During the indian summer days, I'll wear a lace skirt with bare legs dressing it up with a tie-neck blouse. For the cooler evening & late fall days, I'll pair with sheer tights to add warmth. Lace skirts will never go out of style, invest in one below!

A Shade Of Passion Skirt 34.99

Dragon Lace Skirt $150

Ted Baker Lace Skirt $99.99

Blog Crush: Jacquelyn + Lark & Linen

Do any of you read blogs that bring you to a calm serene place? Lark & Linen does that for me. Toronto based Jacquelyn of Lark & Linen has such a keen eye for beautiful pieces - not trumped by her own good looks. For those of us in the states who are eagerly anticipating our Thanksgiving, check out Jacquelyn's inspiration here. I was fortunate enough to get Jacquelyn on board for my blogger interview series (see Concrete Catwalk here) - if you don't adore her after reading this, well then you're crazy.

When hosting a gathering (of any size) what is your go to recipe?

It’s funny because I’ve pretty much perfected thai and asian cooking, but couldn’t cook standard fare to save my life. Well, to be fair to myself, I haven’t really tried, but the idea is daunting for some reason. I’ve never roasted a chicken or grilled a steak, but pad thai? No problem! Enchiladas, pho, miso soup? No big deal! I’m big into curries and always gravitate towards green curry chicken when feeding my friends and loved ones. It’s the dish I’ve more or less mastered and always get requests for it whenever I’m in the kitchen (this recipe is a great one).

Three products you cannot live without?

chapstick (I cannot live without this one), my blackberry (I hate to admit that) and my hair straightner (which doubles as a curling iron). My morning do is all kinds of messy without that thing to tame my locks. If my straightner isn’t available, just hand me some bobby pins. Please. And hurry!

Item you are currently coveting

I’m currently on the hunt for some Turkish bath towels to warm up our bathroom. They’re super absorbant, dry almost instantly and have such a beautifully organic look to them. They’re definitely on my wish list!

New edition to your playlist

I’ve recently really started to listen to Angus & Julia Stone. Their song Big Jet Plane is my absolute favourite for the moment – I’m sure my boyfriend is sick of hearing it (on repeat - poor guy)

Most memorable quote

“You can do anything, but not everything” – David Allen. I recently found this quote while perusing pinterest and it really stuck with me. I’m an avid overachiever/multi-tasker/busy body/workaholic and feel like I would benefit from pasting this onto my forehead! It’s important to know your boundaries, learn to say no and find some semblance of balance – something I’ve learnt the hard way!

What is on your nightstand?

My One Line a Day Journal (highly recommend for those of you who like to keep a record of your daily musings, but find it difficult to commit to an entire journal), chapstick (addicted) and my current read. Right now I’m reading John Vailiant’s The Tiger as per my father’s recommendation. I’m about 3 pages in so I’ll let you know how it is!

Favorite Fall 2011 collection?

If we’re talking about clothes here you’re asking the wrong person! I know what I like, and I’m pretty sure I’m capable of throwing together a decent outfit, but I couldn’t tell you my favourite clothing designer let alone an entire collection. Furniture on the other hand? Furniture I know!

Where do you go to relax & escape? What do you take with you?

Definitely my cottage! I instantly feel more at peace the moment I’m near a lake. I usually bring comfy slippers, a bathing suit (or a knit sweater – pending the season), and my boyfriend, Justin. Also, if I have a good playlist going, a bottle of wine and scrabble in tow I’m set.

Best & worst part of your 20's:

The best part of my 20s has been trying to establish what makes me happy. The worst part of my 20s has been trying to establish what makes me happy. I feel that everyone goes through that strange limbo after graduation where you don’t quite know what to do, where to go and who you should be doing and going places with (commonly referred to as the quarter life crisis – of course!) It’s a bit of an uphill climb to figure out where you stand and to sift through that awkward phase between being a kid and being an adult. It’s a definitely grey area, without question. There have been good and bad days, mistakes, challenges, milestones and events worth celebrating. It’s been hard, but it’s gotten me to the point I’m at now and it has, without a doubt, all been worth it!

Busy Busy Little Bees

I've been a busy little bee lately, & haven't (sadly) had much time to blog - but my pinterest addiction hasn't suffered! Follow my "Avoiding A Quarterlife Crisis" board here & if you need an invite to Pinterest email me here!

Louis Vuitton Spring 2012

Some of my favorite looks from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 show:

via Vogue

Boatnecks, lace, lace & feathers, ombre (!!), well defined collars ... I love. What Spring 2012 shows have inspired you?

Put Your Best Foot Forward In October

Can you believe it is October? I swear the last time I looked at my calendar it was late July. In October I always wish I lived in the suburbs in a big old house (identical to the one in Hocus Pocus) where the kids can knock on my door for trick or treating. Halloween in the city just ain't as cool. Being in the northeast, October is a very important month. One of the last months before the dreaded snowfalls, where we must take full advantage of heels in their highest heights (if you live in Boston or NYC - it is nearly impossible to wear heels in 3 feet of snow). Save the riding boots for weeknights, on the weekend we fly high.

tassel booties | suede platform pumps | mustard peep toe | leopard wedge | suede slingback

Free People For Fall

I hate to admit it, but I am not (wasn't!) Free People's biggest fan. The clothes look perfectly styled in their lookbooks on the models, but something about mixing lace with wool with satin just drives me crazy. Maybe it's because I find it hard to look "polished" wearing Free People clothing. Anywho, that's all over. This fall I am all about Free People & their mixed textures, slouchy cardigans, & fringed benefits (if you catch my drift). Let's not tell Free People I hated them, k?

one | two | three | four

Thoughts

I follow Women's Health Mag on twitter & recently, they linked to this article.  After reading it I thought about it for a while. Are we too quick to write men off for "flaws" they may present within the first 180 seconds? Not confident? Not interested.  Can't hold conversation? Not interested. Not funny? Not interested.  I wonder if we as women should give men more time to feel comfortable & allow them to really highlight the best points of their personality rather than slamming the door in their face at the first sign of trouble.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, in a life where you meet hundreds of people a month, your best foot should be put forward all the time. You have 30 (or rather 180) seconds to make an impression - make the most of it.  What are your thoughts? Do you buy into the theories?
First impressions can tell volumes. Here’s how to decide in 3 minutes whether the next guy you meet is worth more of your time…or not.

One hundred & eighty seconds. That’s all you need to determine how a relationship will progress, according to a recent University of Minnesota at Duluth study.  Chemistry kicks in even before you speak with someone, which should help you distinguish the right guy from the goody one across a croweded bar, gym, or farmers’ market. When two people click, the interaction escalates rapidly because both parties offer more personal information and ask more questions. Here, experts fine-tune your man-dar so you’ll know almost immediately whether to land him or lose him.

Listen to his body talk. “Even unattractive men who present themselves as confident can be sexy and appealing,” says Ann Demarais Ph.D., author of First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You. Green lights: his hips are directed toward you, he’s leaning in slightly, arms uncrossed, and he’s relaxed.

Don’t be left speechless. If even a short conversation is awkward, hit the head, says Samantha Daniels, author of Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern-Day Matchmaker.  Either both of you are uninterested, or he’s just dull.

Go with your gut. “Jump in, then take a break and reflect,” says Oregon State University psychologist Frank Bernieri, Ph.D. but don’t overthink it: if you walk away from your talk in a better mood, you’ve clicked. (Let’s hope you exchanged numbers.)

 Beware of wolves. If he claims to feel an immediate connection, take a giant step back, warns Sandra Brown, author of How To Spot A Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved. This guy probably wants intimacy – and we don’t mean the emotional kind. 

 Avoid the lecture circuit. If he pontificates or talks only about himself, that may be all he wants to talk about. “He thinks (he’s) smart and interesting, but he’s actually tedious and self-absorbed,” Dr. Demarais says.

 Like the one who likes you. The guy who can deliver a genuine compliment is worth a follow-up date. How to tell it’s not from a repertoire of cheeseball lines? He’ll praise a specific feature, Daniels days, which shows he took the time to notice your contagious laugh or your killer biceps.