{outfit post} Easter in the city...

Sunday was definitely one of those glorious spring days that almost makes all the rainy, dreary days of the past week melt away as if they never happened. Tully and I rolled out of bed and hastily dressed - something like a pastel prepster and boho - and hopped in cab to go to Easter mass in Nolita. We put the windows down and marveled at how warm the breeze was as we zipped down Houston Street. While we waited for the service to begin, we popped across Mott Street to Cafe Gitane for iced beverages and ogled all the street style passing by.

Now clearly, this blog is not a forum for a religious discussion, but I had such a lovely time at Church. I attended Catholic school for 12 years of my life, but have rarely returned to any formal religious gatherings since. Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral is incredibly beautiful (not to mention 200 years old), and they have the most amazing choir. I found it to be a wonderful hour of reflection; giving thanks, spreading a little peace and appreciating the fact that I had never seen so many well dressed Catholics in my life.

After mass we met up with Rachel and managed to snag an outdoor table at a cute little French place called Jacques on Prince Street almost immediately. Achieving this on a sunny Sunday at 2 pm in New York City is rather a miracle. (Not a resurrection, to be sure, but it was fortuitous!) We toasted Mimosas to Easter and Passover, ate too many French fries and lingered over our crumbs far longer than the charming wait staff probably would have preferred.

After our so-late-you-almost-can't-call-it brunch, we decided, as we usually do, that we should walk around, see the people and shop our way home. New York is in the middle of that short-and-sweet blooming phase right now, and all above our heads cherry trees were sprouting fresh little leaves and thousands of little white and pink flowers. Even if it was slightly humid and not lacking a serious amount of crowds sometimes, it was one of the best walks I've taken in the city so far.

Me: J. Crew shirt, Anthropologie Aniseed Skirt; American Apparel clutch; vintage necklace; Mee Too snakeskin flats, Ray Ban wayfarers; MK watch; Tiffany, H&M & J. Crew bracelets; vintage scarf (seen in first photo).

Tully: Quicksilver Girls dress; Ray Ban aviators, F21 earrings; Michael Stars cardigan; Star Ling shoes; vintage bag.

  

Now do you see the "boho and prepster opposites with great color palettes" thing I was talking about? It's pretty good, isn't it? Anyway, I am utterly obsessed with Tully's new dress. Isn't it just the most perfect maxi? It's light as air and the colors are so perfect. She wore it with heels and it still managed to reach nearly to the floor, which ideal with that kind of dress. Obviously, I can't wait to borrow it.

If you recall any of my outfit posts from last spring, I had a major moment with this skirt. Guess what? I'm still having it. Stripes are my new black, and my pink button down went perfectly to give me that touch of "Easter egg chic" color. Oh, and surprise, surprise that AA clutch rarely leaves my arms these days.

Rach and Tully on Sullivan Street...

Can you tell I'm having sort of a passionate love affair with the top knot these days?

 

"Oh, hi! I didn't even see you there!"

 

Cherry blossoms in full bloom...

My new favorite intersection in the city: Waverly Place and W 11th Street.

(For those of you keeping score out there, this is the part where Tully & I switched shoes about half way home...)

*To be fair to those of you feeling bitter about the lack of spring weather in your neck of the woods, clouds gathered and rain began to fall just as we arrived home. The rest of the late afternoon and evening was spent inside with Firefly cocktails, nail polish and Glee, while thunder rolled and lightning flashed.

*Also, I'll give you guys a better close up of that necklace soon. I found it at a thrift store in Chelsea and it's so cool. I actually asked Tully before we left in the morning if the birds were "too pagan" or could they be "birds of peace?" We both agreed on birds of peace.
*Meghan and I had to quite literally rain check our plans for Saturday brunch, so that's just one more outfit post you can look forward to...

tgif... cute photo alert

So, here's a fantastic picture of that stylish little (huge?) brunch I attended during NYFW.

Instead of just gushing about how fun and cool these girls are, let's play a little game of I spy, shall we?

I Spy:

• 3 pairs of Karen Walker sunnies
• 3 clutches
• 1 Kate Spade Westward duffle
• 2 pops of neon
• 7 blondes
• 6 brunettes
• 13 well-fed and well dressed ladies

[Photo courtesy of Concrete Catwalk!]

{outfit post} barefoot in the park...

As you have probably noticed by now, I love brunch. It's my new favorite meal, and it's one that this city holds sacred. It's even been described as a sport by some New Yorkers I know.

I brunch on the regular with my roommates and friends, but I especially love brunching with my blogger babe peers. These get-togethers allow for open and honest, judgement-free conversation about just how much time we spend surfing the internets and reading other blogs, and always provide a mutually beneficial opportunity for outfit photos.

On Saturday morning, one of my most favorite bloggers (and just all around fabulous friends), Meghan of Wit & Whimsy and I combined our blogger brunch tradition with one of my other favorite summer activities: a picnic! We met at the 72nd Street entrance to Central Park, and with mimosa makings and pastries in hand, we searched for the perfect spot to lay out our spread. We settled on top of a hill overlooking the pond where everyone rows those boats, with a view of that fairytale white bridge. (What these things are actually called, I am still not sure.)

We popped the champagne, snapped photos and got right down to business, catching up on everything from jobs to boys to traveling and our latest style obsessions. (And yes, Meghan brought real, glass champagne flutes to the park.)

Unknown blouse purchased in Tucson, AZ; Forever 21 shorts; vintage belt; Ray Ban sunglasses; Michael Michael Kors watch (similar version here); Kenneth Jay Lane, Tiffany, F21, homemade and vintage bracelets; J. Crew neon watch band; Tiffany and vintage rings.

 I am totally obsessed with these little Forever 21 shorts (pretty similar to these), and I think I bought them about a month ago. Believe it or not, this was the first time I'd worn them! This blouse is one of the most random things in my closet, an emergency purchase made during a trip to Tucson for an Arizona homecoming weekend. It was something like $10, it's a little too big, and I could do without the ruffles on the sleeve. However, I find myself wearing again and again because it tucks in so well, and adds an ultra-girly element my outfits often lack.

So here we go again with the usual bangles. My right wrist is weighed down with the omni-present MK watch and mix of vintage, fancy and inexpensive baubles. Additionally, I'm working on starting a trend, where I wear a watch band with no watch face attached, just because I like the color.

My left wrist is being built up with friendship bracelets I made myself (and one from H&M), a summer tradition for me that dates back to the '90s. I'm going to have wicked tan lines by the time I cut them off (not until after Labor Day if I can help it), but it's totally worth it.

There's that bangs french braid again! It's so easy to do you guys, and I highly recommend it for these humid dog days of summer. Also, those are my beat-to-death Steve Madden t-strap sandals, which I desperately need to replace. I took them off immediately upon setting up our feast, hence the title of this post. If you ask me, it's crucial to be barefoot as often as possible in the summer.

(All photos by Meghan!)

quick snap: blogger brunch @ Locanda Verde

I just wanted to share with you this darling snap that Eliot (@CoachBlkrWomen) took outside Locanda Verde in TriBeCa on Sunday.

Eliot spearheaded a get together with myself, Helena of Brooklyn Blonde, Lauren of Everyday to Runway,  Christine of Court & Hudson, and oh, there in the middle you may recognize my blogging bff Meghan! We spent a good two hours getting to know each other, plotting for NYFW and getting absolutely stuffed on pancakes, frittata, poached eggs and iced coffees.

It was so wonderful to get to know these charming women with impeccable style and seriously follow-worthy blogs. If you don't know them already, I highly suggest you browse their archives for some major outfit inspiration.

mimosas, treats, bagels, brunch...

I was lucky enough to have my parents finally come visit me out here this past weekend. It was a trip almost two years coming - and I can't express how excited I was to show them around my New York and see them for the first time since Christmas.

We had a great weekend - a perfect balance of their uptown, upscale Manhattan of past visits, and my downtown day-to-day life. All the things we did piece together like a pretty great guide to wining and dining with a dash of culture and shopping from Soho to the Upper East Side:


{We dined.}

• Gotham Grill: White table clothes, amazing seafood and a very 90s New York vibe, like Gramercy Tavern and totally delicious (the seafood salad is unreal)
• The Modern: minimalist, fancy and contemporary - just like the museum (amazing duck confit)
• db Bistro Moderne: fancy and delicious
  
• The Standard Grill: great spot for an early breakfast al fresco
  
• Public: trendy, brunch-y, delicious lentil salad and great drinks
• La Piscine: on the roof of Hotel Americano; lots of delicious fried seafood with a side of DJ
  
• Brasserie Julienne: cute little french joint on 2nd Ave in the 80s, live jazz with your moules frites
  
• Morandi: loud, busy and seriously great Italian fare on Waverly and 7th Ave
  

{We drank.}

• La Piscine: Before dinner every night we had cocktails on the roof with an amazing view of the city
  
• Kingswood: After dinner at db, I brought my parents to meet up with friends and see one of my favorite West Village bars
  
• Public: a dirty martini for Mom, a bourbon iced tea for me and the Bloody Maria for Dad
  

{We saw.}

• The MoMA:the Cindy Sherman exhibit was cool and creepy, but the permanent exhibits are always refreshing and unmissable
  
• The East River Ferry: A fun and unique way to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn - especially on a warm day; we took it to and from 34th street to the flea market 
• Brooklyn Flea (Williamsburg): people watching, antique-ing and artisianal everything - of course
  
• The Met: My favorite museum in Manhattan, and the Steins Collection and Shiaparelli and Prada exhibit were crowded but truly wonderful (unfortunately the Cloud City exhibit on the roof was closed for weather)

{We shopped.}

• Uniqlo @ 53rd & 5th: picked up 4 shirts for my dad, but the crazy atmosphere and sheer amount of clothes is a little too much
  
• Treasure & Bond: cool, well-curated jewelry, gifts and apparel on lower West Broadway in Soho
  
• MoMA Design Store: so many unique and useful knick-knacks, and perfectly sized art prints for $10

{outfit post} East Village afternoon...

I was lucky enough to have my parents finally come visit me out here this past weekend. It was a trip almost two years coming - and I can't express how excited I was to show them around my New York and see them for the first time since Christmas.

We had a great weekend - a perfect balance of their uptown, upscale Manhattan of past visits, and my downtown day-to-day life. All the things we did piece together like a pretty great guide to wining and dining with a dash of culture and shopping from Soho to the Upper East Side:


{We dined.}

• Gotham Grill: White table clothes, amazing seafood and a very 90s New York vibe, like Gramercy Tavern and totally delicious (the seafood salad is unreal)
• The Modern: minimalist, fancy and contemporary - just like the museum (amazing duck confit)
• db Bistro Moderne: fancy and delicious
  
• The Standard Grill: great spot for an early breakfast al fresco
  
• Public: trendy, brunch-y, delicious lentil salad and great drinks
• La Piscine: on the roof of Hotel Americano; lots of delicious fried seafood with a side of DJ
  
• Brasserie Julienne: cute little french joint on 2nd Ave in the 80s, live jazz with your moules frites
  
• Morandi: loud, busy and seriously great Italian fare on Waverly and 7th Ave
  

{We drank.}

• La Piscine: Before dinner every night we had cocktails on the roof with an amazing view of the city
  
• Kingswood: After dinner at db, I brought my parents to meet up with friends and see one of my favorite West Village bars
  
• Public: a dirty martini for Mom, a bourbon iced tea for me and the Bloody Maria for Dad
  

{We saw.}

• The MoMA:the Cindy Sherman exhibit was cool and creepy, but the permanent exhibits are always refreshing and unmissable
  
• The East River Ferry: A fun and unique way to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn - especially on a warm day; we took it to and from 34th street to the flea market 
• Brooklyn Flea (Williamsburg): people watching, antique-ing and artisianal everything - of course
  
• The Met: My favorite museum in Manhattan, and the Steins Collection and Shiaparelli and Prada exhibit were crowded but truly wonderful (unfortunately the Cloud City exhibit on the roof was closed for weather)

{We shopped.}

• Uniqlo @ 53rd & 5th: picked up 4 shirts for my dad, but the crazy atmosphere and sheer amount of clothes is a little too much
  
• Treasure & Bond: cool, well-curated jewelry, gifts and apparel on lower West Broadway in Soho
  
• MoMA Design Store: so many unique and useful knick-knacks, and perfectly sized art prints for $10

recipe for a perfect weekend...

I was lucky enough to have my parents finally come visit me out here this past weekend. It was a trip almost two years coming - and I can't express how excited I was to show them around my New York and see them for the first time since Christmas.

We had a great weekend - a perfect balance of their uptown, upscale Manhattan of past visits, and my downtown day-to-day life. All the things we did piece together like a pretty great guide to wining and dining with a dash of culture and shopping from Soho to the Upper East Side:


{We dined.}

• Gotham Grill: White table clothes, amazing seafood and a very 90s New York vibe, like Gramercy Tavern and totally delicious (the seafood salad is unreal)
• The Modern: minimalist, fancy and contemporary - just like the museum (amazing duck confit)
• db Bistro Moderne: fancy and delicious
  
• The Standard Grill: great spot for an early breakfast al fresco
  
• Public: trendy, brunch-y, delicious lentil salad and great drinks
• La Piscine: on the roof of Hotel Americano; lots of delicious fried seafood with a side of DJ
  
• Brasserie Julienne: cute little french joint on 2nd Ave in the 80s, live jazz with your moules frites
  
• Morandi: loud, busy and seriously great Italian fare on Waverly and 7th Ave
  

{We drank.}

• La Piscine: Before dinner every night we had cocktails on the roof with an amazing view of the city
  
• Kingswood: After dinner at db, I brought my parents to meet up with friends and see one of my favorite West Village bars
  
• Public: a dirty martini for Mom, a bourbon iced tea for me and the Bloody Maria for Dad
  

{We saw.}

• The MoMA:the Cindy Sherman exhibit was cool and creepy, but the permanent exhibits are always refreshing and unmissable
  
• The East River Ferry: A fun and unique way to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn - especially on a warm day; we took it to and from 34th street to the flea market 
• Brooklyn Flea (Williamsburg): people watching, antique-ing and artisianal everything - of course
  
• The Met: My favorite museum in Manhattan, and the Steins Collection and Shiaparelli and Prada exhibit were crowded but truly wonderful (unfortunately the Cloud City exhibit on the roof was closed for weather)

{We shopped.}

• Uniqlo @ 53rd & 5th: picked up 4 shirts for my dad, but the crazy atmosphere and sheer amount of clothes is a little too much
  
• Treasure & Bond: cool, well-curated jewelry, gifts and apparel on lower West Broadway in Soho
  
• MoMA Design Store: so many unique and useful knick-knacks, and perfectly sized art prints for $10

{outfit post} bright, bold, brunch...

As I hinted at in a previous post, Sunday was a truly spectacular day in New York City. It felt like the  island of Manhattan decided to put on it's favorite and most flattering outfit, and really get out there and sparkle. The sun rays were warm on my back, trees were showing leaves and blooms, and I had a brunch date I'd been looking forward to for weeks.

I met the lovely and stylish Sonia, of In Pursuit of Style, at my favorite French spot in Chelsea, Le Grainne.  We hit it off instantly - it must have been the matching faux fur vests. Over coffee and Nutella crepes with bananas and strawberries, we chattered away non-stop about everything from Google Analytics to Gucci.

Once we had cleaned every last bit of hazelnut spread off our plates, happily buzzing off caffeine and sunshine, we had a giggly stroll around the neighborhood, snapping a few pictures and figuring out when we could do this again.

Needless to say, it will be soon.

 J Brand jeans; H&M mens' button down; Tully's Tory Burch cardigan; Moira's faux fur vest; Jessica Simpson ballet flats; Ray Ban aviators; American Apparel clutch; freshwater opera length pearls.

Michael Kors watch; Tiffany bangle; vintage chain, stone, glass and gold bracelets; F21 owl ring; O.P.I.'s Jade Is The New Black. 
(Stay tuned for a whole post dedicated to my new AA clutch. It's an obsession.)

I was having sort of a daytime glam moment for brunch that day. What can I say? The bright sun and warm temperatures brought out the top-knot / faux fur / too many bracelets combo in me. Let me tell you: the prospect of hitting the streets sans jacket was almost too much for me to handle. I had to make it count.

Anyway, I have always admired this Tory Burch cardigan that lives in Tully's and my closet, but that was once Moira's. It's the perfect rich, bright hue of orange, and really pops against a white shirt and dark denim. The cozy vest is also Moira's, and I shamelessly borrow it frequently, so it was only a matter of time until it ended up on le blog. Riddle me this readers, what in the world is the point of having three roommates if you don't borrow their clothes? That's right, there isn't one.

Talk stoop.