OUTFIT {J.CREW LEATHER TEE}

J.Crew Collection leather front top  //  Rag & Bone skinny jeans  //  Tory Burch Robinson middy satchel

C. Wonder cat eye sunglasses  //  Elizabeth & James booties (similar)

I wore this outfit on Saturday for a couple fashion week events as well as lunch and dinner with a group of blogger friends. This navy leather top is about as edgy / fashion-forward as I get without straying outside my comfort zone. The back is a heather gray knit so it feels like wearing a dressier version of a sweatshirt... Perfect for a day that started at 10 a.m. and ended past midnight!

P.S. I was looking for a new pair of skinny jeans and my dear friend Amy (who took these pictures and keeps denying my requests to feature her for friends with style — I'm working on it) steered me toward Rag & Bone's skinny jeans in the Kensington wash. So, so, so good. Stay tuned for a new series featuring our favorite spots in the city!

P.P.S. The navy nails were a gel manicure (#fashionweeksplurge) but Essie's new After School Boy Blazer is a dead ringer!

*Photos by Amy Stone

J.Crew Collection leather front top  //  Rag & Bone skinny jeans  //  Tory Burch Robinson middy satchel

C. Wonder cat eye sunglasses  //  Elizabeth & James booties (similar)

I wore this outfit on Saturday for a couple fashion week events as well as lunch and dinner with a group of blogger friends. This navy leather top is about as edgy / fashion-forward as I get without straying outside my comfort zone. The back is a heather gray knit so it feels like wearing a dressier version of a sweatshirt... Perfect for a day that started at 10 a.m. and ended past midnight!

P.S. I was looking for a new pair of skinny jeans and my dear friend Amy (who took these pictures and keeps denying my requests to feature her for friends with style — I'm working on it) steered me toward Rag & Bone's skinny jeans in the Kensington wash. So, so, so good. Stay tuned for a new series featuring our favorite spots in the city!

P.P.S. The navy nails were a gel manicure (#fashionweeksplurge) but Essie's new After School Boy Blazer is a dead ringer!

*Photos by Amy Stone

KATE SPADE SPRING 2014

New York Fashion Week is underway and I can't think of a better way to kick things off than with Kate Spade's Spring 2014 presentation this morning. I got to catch up with so many of my favorite bloggers (and hang with Carly, of course!) and I found more than a few things to add to my wishlist once the collection hits stores next year. Hello, little hot pink bow dress! 

P.S. The Kate Spade gingham wedges I wore are sold out but here are a few things I'm loving on their site right now:

New York Fashion Week is underway and I can't think of a better way to kick things off than with Kate Spade's Spring 2014 presentation this morning. I got to catch up with so many of my favorite bloggers (and hang with Carly, of course!) and I found more than a few things to add to my wishlist once the collection hits stores next year. Hello, little hot pink bow dress! 

P.S. The Kate Spade gingham wedges I wore are sold out but here are a few things I'm loving on their site right now:

25% OFF J.CREW SHOES & BAGS

{Darby glitter loafers, $158 $118}

{Sloane mirror metallic pumps, $248 $186}

{Everly satin pumps, $245 $183}

{Quinn ankle cuff pumps, $278 $208}

{MacAlister wedge boots, $198 $148}

{Rory boots, $435 $326}

{Minaudière, $128 $96}

{Tartine mini satchel in pebbled leather, $238 $178}

J.Crew's offering 25% off all shoes, boots, and bags with code EXTRAS through tomorrow. Quick, someone talk me out of into the Rory boots! The perfect shade of tan leather, a chunky heel à la my favorite Etta pumps, and oh yeah, SAME NAME AS MY DOG. If that's not meant to be, I don't know what is. Shop all eligible items here and let me know what you find!

Keep up with Design Darling

Boutique / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

{Darby glitter loafers, $158 $118}

{Sloane mirror metallic pumps, $248 $186}

{Everly satin pumps, $245 $183}

{Quinn ankle cuff pumps, $278 $208}

{MacAlister wedge boots, $198 $148}

{Rory boots, $435 $326}

{Minaudière, $128 $96}

{Tartine mini satchel in pebbled leather, $238 $178}

J.Crew's offering 25% off all shoes, boots, and bags with code EXTRAS through tomorrow. Quick, someone talk me out of into the Rory boots! The perfect shade of tan leather, a chunky heel à la my favorite Etta pumps, and oh yeah, SAME NAME AS MY DOG. If that's not meant to be, I don't know what is. Shop all eligible items here and let me know what you find!

Keep up with Design Darling

Boutique / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

STRIPES ON STRIPES

Confession: I cannot stop staring at this outfit. She's wearing Camilla & Marc's striped blazer and striped skirt but here are a few more affordable striped separates if you want a similar look for less:

Confession: I cannot stop staring at this outfit. She's wearing Camilla & Marc's striped blazer and striped skirt but here are a few more affordable striped separates if you want a similar look for less:

DO YOU WEAR A WATCH?

On the day I turned 18, my dad woke me up and told me we were going to pick out my birthday present. He had decided that the one thing I didn't have in my bursting-at-the-seams closet was a nice pair of sunglasses. So we drove to the store together, spent at least an hour trying on different frames, and settled on a classic tortoiseshell pair by Ralph Lauren. I still cherish them — and my dad's thoughtful birthday gesture — six years later. 

I wonder if watches are a similar sort of investment, a perfect gift for the girl who has everything. They're more of a style statement than any sort of necessity in this digital age, but there's something very chic about having such a signature piece to don every morning. So tell me: do you wear a watch? Did you buy it yourself or was it a gift? What does yours look like? Browse a few of my favorites below:

*Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

On the day I turned 18, my dad woke me up and told me we were going to pick out my birthday present. He had decided that the one thing I didn't have in my bursting-at-the-seams closet was a nice pair of sunglasses. So we drove to the store together, spent at least an hour trying on different frames, and settled on a classic tortoiseshell pair by Ralph Lauren. I still cherish them — and my dad's thoughtful birthday gesture — six years later. 

I wonder if watches are a similar sort of investment, a perfect gift for the girl who has everything. They're more of a style statement than any sort of necessity in this digital age, but there's something very chic about having such a signature piece to don every morning. So tell me: do you wear a watch? Did you buy it yourself or was it a gift? What does yours look like? Browse a few of my favorites below:

*Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

INTRODUCING JAMIESHOP.COM

Have you ever been reading Elle Decor or House Beautiful and noticed how many of the items in their product round-ups are "to the trade?" You could stumble upon the dining table of your dreams only to realize you'd need an interior designer to hook you up. Enter the online buying service jamieshop.com, the brainchild of L.A. designer Jamie Herzlinger. 

Sign up on her website, shop the trade catalogs on her website, and score the items you've dogeared for as much as 40% off retail. 

With designers like Bungalow 5, Jan Showers, Marjorie Skouras (my favorite!), Scalamandre, Schumacher, and hundreds more, you'll have access to top designers at the best prices available. Whether you're furnishing your dream home or searching for one perfect finishing touch, jamieshop.com is a brilliant way to get designer products at a discount.

*This post is sponsored by jamieshop.com, a site I genuinely love and endorse. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Design Darling possible!

Have you ever been reading Elle Decor or House Beautiful and noticed how many of the items in their product round-ups are "to the trade?" You could stumble upon the dining table of your dreams only to realize you'd need an interior designer to hook you up. Enter the online buying service jamieshop.com, the brainchild of L.A. designer Jamie Herzlinger. 

Sign up on her website, shop the trade catalogs on her website, and score the items you've dogeared for as much as 40% off retail. 

With designers like Bungalow 5, Jan Showers, Marjorie Skouras (my favorite!), Scalamandre, Schumacher, and hundreds more, you'll have access to top designers at the best prices available. Whether you're furnishing your dream home or searching for one perfect finishing touch, jamieshop.com is a brilliant way to get designer products at a discount.

*This post is sponsored by jamieshop.com, a site I genuinely love and endorse. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Design Darling possible!

LABOR DAY SALES!

This week cannot end soon enough... Not the best in my book. Can you say retail therapy? Fashion week is right around the corner which means I've been doing a lot more shopping than usual. Whether you're headed to the city or simply welcoming September in style, here are a few Labor Day sales you should know about... Plus a few of my top picks from each!

C. Wonder: 25% off full-price items with code LABORDAY

Joie: 20% sale items with code LABORDAY13

Nordstrom: Up to 40% off shoes

- Shopbop: new markdowns just added

- Tory Burch: 20% off purchases of $300+, 25% off purchases of $500+, 30% off purchases of $750+ with code LABOR DAY

*photo

This week cannot end soon enough... Not the best in my book. Can you say retail therapy? Fashion week is right around the corner which means I've been doing a lot more shopping than usual. Whether you're headed to the city or simply welcoming September in style, here are a few Labor Day sales you should know about... Plus a few of my top picks from each!

C. Wonder: 25% off full-price items with code LABORDAY

Joie: 20% sale items with code LABORDAY13

Nordstrom: Up to 40% off shoes

- Shopbop: new markdowns just added

- Tory Burch: 20% off purchases of $300+, 25% off purchases of $500+, 30% off purchases of $750+ with code LABOR DAY

*photo

OUTFIT {C. WONDER}

Silk pocket skirt (want this in every color!)  //  Stretch jodhpur patch leggings

Rigid link cuff  //  Hexagonal bangle  //  Calf hair chunky heel pump

Have you guys heard about C. Wonder's Get Prepped campaign? Carly and I had a blast choosing items from the new collection and styling them for cooler weather ahead (naturally we chose the same shoes...). I'd previously only shopped C. Wonder for home decor so it was kind of fun to put together an entire look. I'm totally into these jodhpur leggings for fall but I'm having a legit love affair with this shirt — it costs less than $100 and comes in seven colors so you know I'll be stocking up. 

P.S. You can find my eyeglasses here!

Silk pocket skirt (want this in every color!)  //  Stretch jodhpur patch leggings

Rigid link cuff  //  Hexagonal bangle  //  Calf hair chunky heel pump

Have you guys heard about C. Wonder's Get Prepped campaign? Carly and I had a blast choosing items from the new collection and styling them for cooler weather ahead (naturally we chose the same shoes...). I'd previously only shopped C. Wonder for home decor so it was kind of fun to put together an entire look. I'm totally into these jodhpur leggings for fall but I'm having a legit love affair with this shirt — it costs less than $100 and comes in seven colors so you know I'll be stocking up. 

P.S. You can find my eyeglasses here!

HOW TO DRINK MORE WATER

I can finally cross #19 off my 101 in 1001 list. It's embarrassing to admit but this is definitely the goal that I started and stopped the most number of times... Drinking that much water is tough! Here's what worked for me this time around to finally get me on the right track.

1. Have a concrete, measurable goal in mind.
"Drink more water" sounds a New Year's resolution that starts with the best intentions but never gets accomplished because it's so vague. I went shopping for one huge bottle of water and found a 50 ounce bottle. I decided that to go from roughly 0-8 ounces of water a day (sad but true) to consuming this huge bottle would be major progress so that became my goal: drink 50 ounces of water each day for seven days. 

2. Decide how to measure your goal.
Like I said, I bought one huge bottle that I refilled each day. I liked being able to see exactly where I stood for the day and tried to hit the halfway point in the early afternoon. I felt ridiculous carrying the bottle outside of my apartment so I used my BKR bottle (I have the pink pictured above) to pour water from the big bottle into a smaller, more transportable option.

3. Have a buddy.
Eddy works with me in my apartment three days a week and is great about drinking water every day so it was super helpful to have him encouraging and reminding me to keep drinking. There were definitely times when I was sick of going to the bathroom every ten minutes or felt so full and so sick of the taste of water... It was nice to have someone who could make me keep going when I needed a kick. Coworkers, family, or friends would all make great partners!

4. Keep your goal top of mind.
It's easy to start drinking water in the morning and forget about your goal before lunchtime. Having one big bottle at my desk was a constant reminder of how much I'd consumed and how far I had to go. I also posted a little note on my fridge to remember to take it out each morning!

I know this might all sound a little silly (how hard could it be?) but it's definitely a healthy habit that I've struggled to adopt. How many of you are good at getting enough water? What has worked well for you? Let's hear it!

I can finally cross #19 off my 101 in 1001 list. It's embarrassing to admit but this is definitely the goal that I started and stopped the most number of times... Drinking that much water is tough! Here's what worked for me this time around to finally get me on the right track.

1. Have a concrete, measurable goal in mind.
"Drink more water" sounds a New Year's resolution that starts with the best intentions but never gets accomplished because it's so vague. I went shopping for one huge bottle of water and found a 50 ounce bottle. I decided that to go from roughly 0-8 ounces of water a day (sad but true) to consuming this huge bottle would be major progress so that became my goal: drink 50 ounces of water each day for seven days. 

2. Decide how to measure your goal.
Like I said, I bought one huge bottle that I refilled each day. I liked being able to see exactly where I stood for the day and tried to hit the halfway point in the early afternoon. I felt ridiculous carrying the bottle outside of my apartment so I used my BKR bottle (I have the pink pictured above) to pour water from the big bottle into a smaller, more transportable option.

3. Have a buddy.
Eddy works with me in my apartment three days a week and is great about drinking water every day so it was super helpful to have him encouraging and reminding me to keep drinking. There were definitely times when I was sick of going to the bathroom every ten minutes or felt so full and so sick of the taste of water... It was nice to have someone who could make me keep going when I needed a kick. Coworkers, family, or friends would all make great partners!

4. Keep your goal top of mind.
It's easy to start drinking water in the morning and forget about your goal before lunchtime. Having one big bottle at my desk was a constant reminder of how much I'd consumed and how far I had to go. I also posted a little note on my fridge to remember to take it out each morning!

I know this might all sound a little silly (how hard could it be?) but it's definitely a healthy habit that I've struggled to adopt. How many of you are good at getting enough water? What has worked well for you? Let's hear it!

OUTFIT {FOUR EYES}

J.Crew field jacket  //  Equipment dress

Ray-Ban eyeglasses  //  Longchamp bag  //  Shoes c/o SoleSociety

Consider this outfit my ode to back-to-school... Two years out of college. It's funny to think this tote got me through four years of college and now lugs my laptop to and from the coffee shop a couple days a week. My brothers head back to class this week which naturally has me thinking about back-to-school shopping, something I fully intend to do regardless of my zero plans to set foot in a classroom anytime soon. 

I finally got my eyes checked (for the first time since 2006, oooops!) as part of #83 on my 101 in 1001 list and had the hardest time picking out my new glasses. Unsurprisingly I landed on the same frames as my go-to sunglasses — I guess you could say I'm a creature of habit. They've made a huge difference (I'm literally seeing my neighborhood through new eyes) but seeing myself in glasses is definitely going to take some getting used to. Hellooo nerd alert. 

I hope those of you headed back to class this week have a wonderful semester! And for the rest of us... New "school" supplies, anyone?

J.Crew field jacket  //  Equipment dress

Ray-Ban eyeglasses  //  Longchamp bag  //  Shoes c/o SoleSociety

Consider this outfit my ode to back-to-school... Two years out of college. It's funny to think this tote got me through four years of college and now lugs my laptop to and from the coffee shop a couple days a week. My brothers head back to class this week which naturally has me thinking about back-to-school shopping, something I fully intend to do regardless of my zero plans to set foot in a classroom anytime soon. 

I finally got my eyes checked (for the first time since 2006, oooops!) as part of #83 on my 101 in 1001 list and had the hardest time picking out my new glasses. Unsurprisingly I landed on the same frames as my go-to sunglasses — I guess you could say I'm a creature of habit. They've made a huge difference (I'm literally seeing my neighborhood through new eyes) but seeing myself in glasses is definitely going to take some getting used to. Hellooo nerd alert. 

I hope those of you headed back to class this week have a wonderful semester! And for the rest of us... New "school" supplies, anyone?