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Wardrobe Essentials

There's something about this season that makes me want to shop incessantly. It might be the memory of back-to-school shopping lingering in my post-grad mind but here are a few of the things I'm coveting this time of year...






Cozy knits, leather accents, riding boots, and tortoiseshell accessories... What are your fall wardrobe essentials?

Laura Day

I stumbled upon the portfolio of interior designer Laura Day on (where else?) Pinterest and fell in love with her playfully luxe aesthetic. The Bridgehampton farmhouse in her portfolio is interior inspiration fit for a dream home...
A big tree, a perfect lawn, a punchy front door, and two pups in the yard... Welcome.
As if the leather couch and lucite table weren't enough, Laura upholstered two ottomans in coordinating sorbet hues. S-m-i-t-t-e-n.
Beamed ceiling, natural light, whitewashed floors. Campaign desk. Tufted armchairs. Quatrefoil chair. Pardon me while I pick my jaw off the floor!
And then there's this. Are you sold yet?

Outfit + Picnic

The weather this weekend was nothing short of perfect and I had no excuse not to tackle two tasks on my 101 in 1001 list:

85. Have a picnic.
96. Do a personal style post on the blog. 

The first was delightful but the second scared me quite a bit. Posting pictures of personal style is, well, personal! But I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and see what you all think...




Ralph Lauren sunglasses / J.Crew blazer / Chance Co. shirt 
J.Crew necklace / Vintage cuff / Rugby belt (similar here)
BDG jeans / Corso Como boots / Vintage picnic basket

In other words, my daily uniform (minus the picnic basket, unfortunately). Let me know what you think! In any event I killed two birds with one stone, bringing me to 22 completed tasks on my 101 in 1001 list! 


P.S. Thanks to my cousin Emily and boyfriend Michael for the outfit pics!


P.P.S. I used this Hot Tools curling iron per your suggestions on this post. The curls came out a bit before we snapped pictures but I promise I LOVE it!

The Perfect Tan


No, not the tan you worked on all summer. (And failed at, if you're me.) I'm talking about the perfect tan accessories for fall. A little leather shoulder patch action, a darling vintage-inspired bag, and an everyday wedge that's as chic as it is comfortable. Accent it with a well-placed pop of pink or — my go-to favorite — navy.


What are your favorite ways to wear tan this fall?

The Design Dialogues {Emily Maynard}

If you're anything like me, you're utterly infatuated with Elva Fields' darling jewelry. The designer, Emily Maynard, incorporates vintage baubles into each new design and the results are nothing short of extraordinary. I'm excited to have Emily here today to answer the Design Dialogues questionnaire about how she got her start in design, how she'd advise aspiring creatives, and what's next for her budding business!

Emily wearing one of her beautiful designs!

Who you are:
Emily Wheat Maynard

What you do:
Unofficially: a million things at once. Officially: founder and designer, Elva Fields.

Where you do it:
Taylorsville, Kentucky.


Five words to describe yourself...
Interested, busy, happy, driven, particular.

How do you define your aesthetic?
Colorful, whimsical, vintage.

Who are your style icons?
My grandmother, Tory Burch, Lauren Hutton, and Grace Kelly.

A peek into Emily's vintage collection from her feature in Matchbook Magazine.

Favorite quote:
"Count it all joy."

Favorite site:
Weather.com. Kentucky is infamous for 70 degrees and snow all in the same week so I always like to know what's in the forecast!

Favorite store:
Any and every flea market, antique mall, or vintage shop.


How did you decide that you wanted to design jewelry?
After spending years in the library during graduate school researching the history of jewelry, I realized how much I missed making things. So I combined a love of research with a love for creating — et voilà, Elva Fields was born! 

What is the best advice you've ever received?
"If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting" — in support of change and innovation from my business advisor Jerry.

And the advice you'd offer aspiring creatives?
Cultivate your creative skills every single day. It takes both talent and discipline to make it a business.

Where the magic happens!

Three items on your to do list... 
Finish writing long-overdue thank-you notes, frame that artwork, be a better person each day.

Three items on your wishlist...  
A fireplace, more time, a French easel.

Three items on your bucket list...
Taking my daughters on a girls trip each year, a two-week trek in Peru, surf camp.

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I love her style icons and her favorite quote, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." Thank you so much for joining us, Emily!



Pretty Little Things


Loving these pretty little matching sets in darling polka dots and gingham with bows. Wouldn't they make a darling stocking stuffer? 

{Madewell polka dot bra ($34) and underwear ($16)}
{ASOS gingham bra ($33) and underwear ($21)}


Is anyone else's brain slowly but surely drifting toward the holiday season?

Quick Question

In the past, you all have given me great recommendations for books, hair products, etc. so I figured I'd ask whether anyone has a favorite life-changing curling iron. My hair always looks more polished when I touch it up with a curling iron so I'm looking for something that heats up fast, has a strong clamp (none of these new clamp-less options), and does a great job that'll stay in tact for as long as possible. Mission impossible?

{image via Cup of Beautiful}

Life According To My iPhone

The untimely death of Apple visionary Steve Jobs this week seems like an appropriate time to demonstrate the importance of technology in my life. Like many of you, I'm a once-you-go-Mac-you-never-go-back kind of girl. I work on a Macbook, blog on a Macbook Pro, and do just about everything else on an iPhone. Here are a few recent snaps taken with my iPhone and Instagram...
I'm trying to take a few on-the-go outfit pictures each week. Can you tell oxford shirts and skinny jeans are something of a uniform for me?
When I'm not racing to work or dashing to catch the next train, it's nice to take a moment to capture the city (even if it requires being that girl pausing on the sidewalk with iPhone in the air). The magic of Grand Central Station is never lost on me!
And lest you get the impression that I'm spending weekends in the wilderness (that was one time, I promise), here we have a sunset snapped from my front yard, a boulder field on last weekend's hike, the boat yard the train passes on my morning commute, and a tree in a friend's yard on a particularly beautiful day.
- - -
I hope you all have a moment to stop and smell the roses this weekend, even if it's through the lens of your beloved iPhone. It's rather fun to look back on! Have a good one and see you back here on Monday!


Pretty Please

I mean, what more do you need to know? 

Black + Navy

Rules were made to be broken. For an easy twist on Tuesday's black on black, introduce a navy accent or two. The unexpected pairing offers a subtle contrast that's decidedly modern.







The dress is a steal and every Loren Hope piece is an instant staple. But basic pumps with a ladylike bow on top? Add to cart.