NEW YORK CITY GUIDE: GIGINO

What: Late lunch at Gigino

Wearing: An Old Navy dress (on sale for $12... I mean) and a yellow crossbody bag c/o Henri Bendel (I'm in love!)

Where: 20 Battery Place, Wagner Park

Why: Classic Italian fare, but the view is the real draw! Open air seating with views of the Statue of Liberty (and a nearby ferry in case you have time to visit!). We'll be back for sure.

More NYC guide posts here.

What: Late lunch at Gigino

Wearing: An Old Navy dress (on sale for $12... I mean) and a yellow crossbody bag c/o Henri Bendel (I'm in love!)

Where: 20 Battery Place, Wagner Park

Why: Classic Italian fare, but the view is the real draw! Open air seating with views of the Statue of Liberty (and a nearby ferry in case you have time to visit!). We'll be back for sure.

More NYC guide posts here.

OUTFIT INSPIRATION: BRIGHT WHITE

Need a little outfit inspiration to get yourself out of a wardrobe rut? Whenever I'm feeling uninspired by my closet, I do two things: 1) I clean out my closet and 2) I turn to Pinterest. Clearing out the clutter to create more space for the pieces I actually wear (and the items I want to add to my closet) makes it so much easier to mix and match. And I can usually find some pretty obvious trends on my style board. This time around, I'm clearly having a moment with bright whites and summery neutrals. Here are a few of the looks inspiring my closet clean-out...

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

There's a way to do preppy summer neutrals without looking like you wore your tennis whites out to happy hour. Here are a few of the essentials I'm moving to the front of my closet or putting on my list to purchase by summer's end (with a few options to cover every price point!).

Lace top

Tory Burch, $250  //  Joie, $178  //  Dolce Vita, $99  //  J.Crew, $49  //  J.Crew Factory, $39  //  Old Navy, $19

Modern pearls

Chloé, $505  //  Tory Burch, $192  //  Lele Sadoughi, $154  //  Kate Spade, $48  //  BaubleBar, $38  //  Jeweliq, $20

Eyelet dress

Tibi, $325  //  Madewell, $168  //  Nordstrom, $84  //  Topshop, $70  //  Gap, $35  //  Old Navy, $18

Fisherman sweater (tip: buy from the boys' section for a more fitted look!)

Ralph Lauren, $250  // LL Bean, $99  //  Topshop, $56  //  Gap, $40  //  ASOS, $16  //  H&M, $7

Breezy (maxi or midi) skirt

Rachel Pally, $198  //  Wildfox, $108  //  Topshop, $90  //  d.ra, $79  //  Chelsea28, $78  //  ASOS, $38

The perfect white button-down

Equipment, $208  //  Ralph Lauren, $90  //  J.Crew, $72  //  Gap, $50  //  Old Navy, $25

Here's hoping head-to-toe white will be just as chic with a few iced coffee spills. Murphy's law ;) In spite of its impracticality, all white is all right by me. Would you give it a go this summer?

Need a little outfit inspiration to get yourself out of a wardrobe rut? Whenever I'm feeling uninspired by my closet, I do two things: 1) I clean out my closet and 2) I turn to Pinterest. Clearing out the clutter to create more space for the pieces I actually wear (and the items I want to add to my closet) makes it so much easier to mix and match. And I can usually find some pretty obvious trends on my style board. This time around, I'm clearly having a moment with bright whites and summery neutrals. Here are a few of the looks inspiring my closet clean-out...

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

There's a way to do preppy summer neutrals without looking like you wore your tennis whites out to happy hour. Here are a few of the essentials I'm moving to the front of my closet or putting on my list to purchase by summer's end (with a few options to cover every price point!).

Lace top

Tory Burch, $250  //  Joie, $178  //  Dolce Vita, $99  //  J.Crew, $49  //  J.Crew Factory, $39  //  Old Navy, $19

Modern pearls

Chloé, $505  //  Tory Burch, $192  //  Lele Sadoughi, $154  //  Kate Spade, $48  //  BaubleBar, $38  //  Jeweliq, $20

Eyelet dress

Tibi, $325  //  Madewell, $168  //  Nordstrom, $84  //  Topshop, $70  //  Gap, $35  //  Old Navy, $18

Fisherman sweater (tip: buy from the boys' section for a more fitted look!)

Ralph Lauren, $250  // LL Bean, $99  //  Topshop, $56  //  Gap, $40  //  ASOS, $16  //  H&M, $7

Breezy (maxi or midi) skirt

Rachel Pally, $198  //  Wildfox, $108  //  Topshop, $90  //  d.ra, $79  //  Chelsea28, $78  //  ASOS, $38

The perfect white button-down

Equipment, $208  //  Ralph Lauren, $90  //  J.Crew, $72  //  Gap, $50  //  Old Navy, $25

Here's hoping head-to-toe white will be just as chic with a few iced coffee spills. Murphy's law ;) In spite of its impracticality, all white is all right by me. Would you give it a go this summer?

MY APARTMENT TO DO LIST

My default thought process goes something like this: when in doubt, make a list. (Shocking, right?) Getting my apartment from where it is now to being ready to be shared on the blog feels a little daunting right now so I thought I'd break it down and share what I'm working on. 

*image

1. Buy/plant a cactus and a lemon tree

For whatever reason, I have been obsessed with cacti lately. And having a lemon tree in my apartment is part of my 101 in 1001 list!

*image

2. Plant something for my window

My grandmother suggested a little herb garden. Any recommendations?

3. Chair and headboard from Katie Kime

I am so excited about these that I can hardly contain myself. It has been a dream of mine (no, seriously) to own one of Katie's designs and I became even more obsessed after touring her workspace on our trip to Austin. I'm so excited to invest in such high quality workmanship and I know these pieces will get a lot of love over the coming years. But it wouldn't be my apartment without a mix of high and low, which brings me to the next to do item...

4. Finishing touches from Target 

I'm excited to be working with Target for some of the remaining decorating. You've already seen my green X benches but I'll give you a sneak peek of the striped duvet that's on its way... LOVE.

5. Order frames and mattes for Design Darling art prints

We're really ramping up the art selection in the boutique to make it a one-stop-shop for pretty prints for every room in your home.

*image

5. Hang everything up!

Brace yourselves for a seriously epic gallery wall. I cannot wait!

What's on your to do list for your home? I'd love to compare notes!

My default thought process goes something like this: when in doubt, make a list. (Shocking, right?) Getting my apartment from where it is now to being ready to be shared on the blog feels a little daunting right now so I thought I'd break it down and share what I'm working on. 

*image

1. Buy/plant a cactus and a lemon tree

For whatever reason, I have been obsessed with cacti lately. And having a lemon tree in my apartment is part of my 101 in 1001 list!

*image

2. Plant something for my window

My grandmother suggested a little herb garden. Any recommendations?

3. Chair and headboard from Katie Kime

I am so excited about these that I can hardly contain myself. It has been a dream of mine (no, seriously) to own one of Katie's designs and I became even more obsessed after touring her workspace on our trip to Austin. I'm so excited to invest in such high quality workmanship and I know these pieces will get a lot of love over the coming years. But it wouldn't be my apartment without a mix of high and low, which brings me to the next to do item...

4. Finishing touches from Target 

I'm excited to be working with Target for some of the remaining decorating. You've already seen my green X benches but I'll give you a sneak peek of the striped duvet that's on its way... LOVE.

5. Order frames and mattes for Design Darling art prints

We're really ramping up the art selection in the boutique to make it a one-stop-shop for pretty prints for every room in your home.

*image

5. Hang everything up!

Brace yourselves for a seriously epic gallery wall. I cannot wait!

What's on your to do list for your home? I'd love to compare notes!