I *Heart* New York Part 1

It's my 3rd day in NYC and the time here has been great. The first few days here have been about family and food. When I get back home, I will def have a date with the gym. I wanted to share a few pics from my day today. Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day!


My Outfit:
Fossil V Neck Tee, William Rast boyfriend shorts got these for $30 bucks, a steal from Nordstrom Rack!, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, MK watch, and shoes(you should all know the shoes by now) :)

Light Fixture from a Family Friend's house:
One great thing about New York is architecture! While all the neighborhoods have not been kept in tip top shape, the inside of some of these homes are amazing, and are rich with cool vintage fixtures. I spotted this one today.


Cold Drink:

The drink pictured above is called Shandy, its a mixture of malt beer and Sorrel, which is a Caribbean tea. Its more tea than beer and a pretty good drink. If you are ever in NYC in Brooklyn you should try one.


Tomorrow, Wed, and Thurs I am hitting Manhattan! I can't wait to share my adventures from there.

Today I was Carried Away

Friday has FINALLY arrived, and work was a breeze, me and all of my coworkers yes men included went to go see the new Sex and the City movie. It was hard to go into it without any preconceived notions of how good or bad it was going to be since most of the reviews I've heard about the movie were less than stellar. So now after seeing the movie, I have decided that it was just ok. The first was def more of an emotional roller coaster but it was great to see the girls, and oh the fashion....Below is one of my favorite outfits, Carrie's of course.....What was yours?

P.S.- I will be on a much needed vacation next week. I will do my best to post while I am out but if I don't get the opportunity I will be back the week of, June 7th. Miss you already!

DIY: It Makes Me Smile

Sorry for the late and short post tonight. I have been working on a DIY for work. It is so cool and totally inspired by the name of my blog. Sadly I have been working on this for a few months now but I am glad its finally done. I totally have that sense of accomplishment that I had as a child when I got an A on a test. You remember that feeling? It just makes me SMILE!!! What have you done lately that makes you smile?

PS- Images of my project to come!

Because J Crew Said So

Yes, I love love love J Crew and yes I blog about them all the time....they are truly a store that sets the trends and what they say, or should I say style, goes!


First, they said to roll your pant legs so......

We all rolled our pant legs...

Then they said heels and socks are cool so....

we started to wear heels with socks...

Now there is a new loafer in town...the penny loafer...

What has been your favorite J crew trend?

Happy Wednesday everyone....only 2 more days until vacation!

*All images via j crew and flickr

The M.J. of Fashion

I was in Nordstrom this past weekend browsing through to see what was new in the Savvy department. I spotted the cutest native american inspired cardigan and as I got closer I realized that it was MARC! It may not seem like it but I have had to scale back a little on the shopping since I have a mortgage now, and somewhere along the way became a grown up. :) I tried it on and not only was it too big but it was $300! Well needless to say the cardigan stayed on the rack but it didn't prevent me from doing a little "online window shopping" to see what was new and fresh with Marc.

P.S.- Tomorrow starts the Nordstrom half yearly sale....and my sweater is on sale online!!! YAY!!

High, Low, and In Between

I was stalking the Cynthia Vincent Luella shoe for quite sometime, so as I have previously mentioned I was excited to learn that a version of this style would be available at Target. Well that time came and went and I was able to get the brown pair which was only 1 of the 2 colors that I wanted. I took it as a sign that I didn't really NEEEEDDDD the 2 pairs of shoes right? Well I was browsing some fashion blogs today and saw Katy of Kansas Couture wearing a very similar pair of shoes inspired by the Luella. And even better I was able to find them in black! I've seen the high, I own the low, and now I've found the in between. Is this a sign too??

Buttons Galore!!!!

So like 99% of the interior decorating community I too am addicted to the new 9 by Design tv show on Bravo. The bravo cameras document the crazy life of 2 New York designers and their 7 kids. Well last week's show is where they introduced us all to Ann Carrington one of their all time favorite artist. After seeing a bit of her work on the show I am convinced that she is truly an amazing artist. Her works of art are like eye candy.....

Look closely its all buttons!!!! Happy Friday Everyone!

*Images from Type A Girl Blog via Flickr

Denim and Wool

I got these wool shorts from Anthropologie a little earlier this season and had plans to wear them with tights, a cute pair of boots, and a great chunky sweater. Well weeks went by the weather was perfect for the outfit I had planned in my head and then one day I woke up and it was summer. Well, over the weekend the weather was just mild enough so that I could wear the shorts. I had to ditch the chunky sweater and boots for a white tee and my new wedges, but I think the outfit turned out just as great! What is your fav winter piece that you are trying to get your last couple wears out of?

Wearing: White tee and denim vest from Forever 21, Shorts from Anthropologie, Cynthia Vincent for Target Wedges, Atlantis Home Vintage Necklace, and MK watch

I'm Back!!!

I'm backkkkk, my comp has been restored to life and now I can update you all on the great weekend that I had. I know its now Wed and the week is halfway gone but its never too late to talk about a fun party right? On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending my good friend Amanda's wedding shower. It was one of those very tasteful Highland Park affairs held in this amazing mansion in Dallas. The one thing that held my attention during this afternoon affair was the food table which was SOOO beautifully decorated. Not only was the table a visual explosion, but the food, which were ALL sweets were fantastic! I hope you are all having a great week, only 2 more days until the weekend.

P.S.- I wanted to thank Vivian of Diamonds and Tulle for giving me the Over the Top Blog award! My very first blog award YAY!!!!

Technical Diffuculites

Hi All my Faithful Readers
So somehow my comp has died. I am having some major technical difficulties, so I have to take my comp to the comp dr. I will be back asap, I am told tomorrow. :)

Jen

What's your LOOKbook?

I find myself totally inspired by the look books that many online retailers are posting for their customers. Whether they are designer specific or cover an overall theme, look books are the perfect way to get some out of the box ideas for the perfect outfit. One of my favorite online shops to visit is Shopbop. Below I picked some of my favorite looks, outfitted from 16 pieces that creates their "Ultimate Closet". My ultimate closet would be filled with jeans that never made me feel fat, sky high heels that were comfortable, and endless tops to choose from for any occasion. :) What's in your ultimate closet?

Stars and Stripes....Well Maybe Only Stripes

Because I am a self professed shopaholic and am ALWAYS in the mall I have noticed that stripes seem to be one of the patterns of the summer. Everywhere I look there are stripes wide and narrow, and in all colors of the rainbow. Personally I like the classic navy and white stripe, however after taking a quick browse though Madewell with my brother yesterday I took a liking to this lovely coral number on one of the front tables. Whether you want to take the look completely nautical or just add a little interest to what would normally be a boring tee, stripes are it for the summer!

In order from top to bottom: Alice and Olivia Bustier Dress, Forever 21 Striped Athletic Skirt, APC cotton Stripe Tee.

Good Eats: Le Duni

My big brother is in town for business and I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with him. I always have a hard time finding something to entertain guests in such a short amount of time, as we had to do an activity that could be done after I got off of work. With that said I opted for the usual dinner and a quick walk around the "fancy" mall in town. I know, I know not that exciting right? For those of you that are familiar with Dallas we went to Northpark mall and ended up at La Duni for dinner, which I have been wanting to try. Well let me tell you it did not disappoint. This restaurant serves a fusion of Latin influenced dishes that are all as beautiful as they are flavorful! Not only are the appetizers/main courses delicious but they have a wonderful assortment of desserts to choose from. If you are ever in Dallas this restaurant is a must. What are some of your favorite places to go eat?

Billy the Bag

Today's post was inspired by the entry I saw here, on This is Glamorous. I came across the first bag below, made by Billy Kirk. After reading a little of their bio, this design team of 2 friends, focuses on keeping their bags simple and fresh. Mission is def accomplished! After a little more research I found the other styles pictured below. I'm not sure if they are still for sale but I think they look just as good as the original bag that inspired today's post.

My new Favorite!

I was finally able to wear the shoes that I bought here. Can I just tell you that these are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes that I have owned in a long time! Most women usually associate price with comfort and these shoes definitely don't fall in that category. Not only were they a great price at $29.99, they are also cute, and comfortable. It's like I won the shoe lottery! These are my new favorite pair of shoes, what are yours?

Wearing: Forever 21 white tee and cardigan, Antho Bracelet , Joe's Ponte Pant, Target Cynthia Vincent shoes. Nail color my newest obession Mint Candy Apple I talk about here .

J Crew Collection: My Favorite Jacket

After browsing the pages of the new J Crew catalog, which by the way was shot in Turks and Caicos, I have become a little obsessed with this jacket. Actually this entire outfit! I know its a little, what most would call gaudy, but I LOVE it!! They have found a way to bring couture like garments to the general public. That Jenna Lyons is worth every penny. What is your favorite piece from the J Crew Collection?

Gift Ideas: Mother's Day is Rapidly Approaching!

I just realized that we only have five more days until Mother’s Day! Can you believe that its May, already? I am usually pretty good at getting gifts early so that I am not scrambling for something at the last minute. For those of you that aren’t as early as I am or need a little help with some gift ideas, see below for a few of mine. I would share with you all what I got for my mom but she reads my blog and it will ruin the surprise.


Personalized Stationary from Kate Spade: Although we live in such a high tech world, there is still nothing like receiving a hand written note.


Croissants from Williams Sonoma: For those of you that still make your mom breakfast in bed. These were given the stamp of approval from Oprah herself!

Dogeared Necklace: I LOVE the simplicity of these necklaces, and the cute sayings that come with each of them.

Hope your mom feels as special on Sunday as my mom makes me feel everyday! LOVE YOU MOM!

I've Never Seen Barbie So Chic!

As I was browsing on Net a Porter this weekend and dreaming of all the high end clothes that aren't in my budget, I came across this. Yes, it’s Barbie wearing Christian Louboutin heels! I couldn't believe it and wanted to know the genius who came up with this new marriage in fashion heaven. What a way to reposition Barbie and bring a fresh new look to the 51 year old brand! If I had an extra 150 bucks I would absolutely buy the one with the fringe boots. Happy Monday everyone!