Marit

GAP jacket / Anthropologie "Marit" dress / Target booties (old!) / 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target purse / Michael Kors watch

As hard as it is to believe, it is actually pretty rare that I try on a dress and am absolutely in love with everything about it. Usually it hangs strange on me, or my proportions are off, or it's "just not for me". However, this Anthropologie dress by brand Vanessa Virginia, was an exception. I saw it this past summer and was drawn to the beautiful embroidery, delicate sleeves, and unique slate blue color. Like most pieces at Anthro, it was a pretty penny, so I left without it. Much to my online browsing habit, a few months ago it was incredibly marked down, and I was thrilled when it arrived just as I had remembered it. 

Winters in Texas are bizarre and these were actually taken over Thanksgiving where it was colder than it is now if you can believe it. I love how this dress looks with a leather jacket and some suede ankle boots. Which, if you live here, you know is perfect for this time of year. 

If you're as obsessed with this dress as I am, it's still on sale! 

Happy Hanukkah!

Vintage Celebration

Vintage Dress via Shareen Vintage / GAP denim jacket / Vintage purse (my grandmother's!) / Christian Siriano heels c/o / Michael Kors watch / Sunglasses from Anthropologie

Do you build your outfits around a pair of shoes? With shoes as amazing as these Christian Siriano ones, you can't help but start with them first. I've never seen anything like them and it feels like you are wearing bracelets on your ankles in the best way possible. Aside from my obvious obsession with them, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to try them with was this vintage dress from Shareen Vintage that's actually my mom's. I loved the way that the skirt of the dress sort of mimicked the skirts of the heels and created such a feminine feel that was perfect for the first of my early birthday celebrations.

Winter Scarves

/ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 /

I never really understood the importance of a good scarf until I went to school in upstate New York. While jackets and heavy sweaters are definitely an important factor to winter dressing, scarves are surely the needed finishing touch. Aside from winter and a heavy chunky grey scarf that I wear almost daily in the winter months at Syracuse, I was never one to have a collection of scarves. I met up with a couple of friends from high school yesterday who were both wearing scarves (one, a lilac-y purple, and the other a darker floral). It got me thinking that when we live in colder climates with so many pieces that are worn daily (heavy boots, down coat, scarves, mittens...) why not have a few different colors of the smaller things like the mittens and scarves to keep the long season a little brighter and not as drab as typical blacks and grays--as much as we love those.  In the image above, I have gathered five varying styles that I would love to tuck underneath my jacket to keep warm while not jeopardizing in the style department, as well. Fun fact, the Zara piece (4) has chain running through it!

Do you use scarves in the winter? What's your go-to style?

TWENTY

/ 1. Topshop Dress / 2. Anthropologie Belt / 3. Birthday Cupcake / 4. Illamasqua Lipstick in 'matte warm pink' / 5. Asos Heels /

When it comes to birthday celebrations, I either love to go all out, or super simple. Since going to college, my birthday always falls on the first official weekend back at school, so my celebrations are more low-key and focused on being with friends and remembering to celebrate before the workload gets heavy. This year, I turned 20. Two decades old deserves some celebration in my book, and the pieces above certainly seem as if they would make turning twenty feel as fabulous as everyone says it is supposed to be. With a perfectly feminine, yet simple, light pink party dress, sparkly belt, understated heels that pack the interest in the gold ankle bands, a lipstick that adds just the right amount of pop to your pout, and a cupcake to celebrate, this is my ideal twentieth birthday look to ring in my twenties and bid adieu to my teens. 

How did you celebrate your twentieth birthday? Any advice for my twenties?

Piña

/ Topshop dress / H&M sandals / Zara purse / Forever21 necklace / Michael Kors watch / Anthropologie Sunglasses /

I've never been much of a beach person, I don't like getting wet and I'm not particularly fond of sand. So, it surprised even me when I took a spontaneous late afternoon excursion out to Coney Island for the first time. Since being in the city since May, this was my first actual 'summer activity', and I was overly excited to dress the part. I had purchased this pineapple dress at a Topshop sale last month and felt like what better day to pull it out from a sea of black and to actually bring it to the sea. With it's all-over pineapple print, the small details like triangular midriff cutout, cross-over neckline, and criss-cross open back provide just the right amount of interesting elements to keep it from bridging over to too cutesy.

Have you ever been to Coney Island? Did you sport any festive summer apparel, as well?

Dress Up

When digging through my mess of a wallet earlier this week, beneath (too many) iced coffee receipts, I found the equivalent of spare cash in your jean pockets-- a forgotten about, unused, Anthropologie gift card. While I usually venture in with my mom, me for home decor inspiration and her for the clothes, I decided to browse the online dress selection after discovering my much welcomed mid-week surprise. The piece that I ended up gravitating most towards was this Dolce Vita 'Sunlace Midi Dress.' The coral color, intricate but understatedly elegant bodice, fresh length, and narrow back, are all elements that are perfect for a great summer dress. Whether you add a cropped denim jacket, neutral leather sandals and dainty gold jewelry, or metallic heels, statement ring, and a glowing tan, this is a piece that you can work into your wardrobe all summer long. Now, about that tan...

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Building Blocks

/ Topshop tank / Zara shorts / Steve Madden shoes / Michael Kors watch / H&M Ring / Forever 21 Necklace / Anthropologie sunglasses /

Lately I've been kind of obsessed with swingy shorts. Being a skirt lover, they have the breeziness of a summer skirt but with the easy feeling of a pair of shorts. Having been in a bit of a pattern funk for a bit, when I saw these shorts about a month ago, the bright orange and navy square pattern managed to pull me right out of that rut. With the all-over pattern already being a focal point for the look, I made sure to pair it with basic pieces like my favorite black tank and chunky wedges. And, with a geometric-style necklace to complement the graphic characteristic of the shorts, these swingy shorts, definitely don't fall short when it comes to style. 

Home Improvement

{Pick of the Week}

When I was younger, stuffy floral wallpaper lined my closet walls. Since then, I equated wallpaper to being something that old ladies were fond of to decorate as an alternative to paint. However, recently I have become a woman obsessed. As an obvious lover of patterns and prints, wallpaper is just another way to add them into my life. With so many variations from simple and demure, to more funky and playful, wallpaper is a great way to add personality to wall in a way that paint cannot. Anthropologie sells some of my favorite options for interesting and ornate wallpapers. Here are two of my favorites: 1 and 2. Pricey? Yes. But, hey, a girl can dream...right?

What are your thoughts towards wallpaper? Would you ever use it?