Fall is coming! Bring on the Fashions

The is my very favorite time of year - when the fall fashions start rolling in.  I am already starting to put away some of my super summery items and pulling out some transition-into-fall pieces.  It's a great jump start for me to assess what fall/winter items I have are keepers, consigners and ready for donation.  Once I get that figured out I can see where I may have holes or may be ready for some updates.  Let's consider some key pieces for fall - coat, statement printed blouse, versatile dress, trousers and a sweater.  I've gathered some photos of some of my droolworthy, wishlist items - truly these are investment pieces of high quality and classic styling that will not just be great this year, but serve you well for years to come.  I also gathered photos of similar pieces (still good quality) at a more approachable price point.

Burberry Coat - truly I am in love

Tibi dress - I love that you could start wearing this now and when it gets colder wear tights and boots as shown.  I also would rock this dress into the office and then out for dinner/drinks

Vince - makes some of the best sweaters ever.  Will look great over dresses and with denim and trousers.  Also can serve as outerwear until the really cold weather sets in.

Tucker Blouse - Confession...I already bought this.  In person the color is a beautiful deep coral not so bubblegum pink.  Fabulous transition piece - I wore it out to dinner with a long necklace, shorts and wedges.  Will be great when the weather cools with a pencil skirt and denim.  LOVE

DVF trouser - beautiful camel color, featuring a flared bottom that is very on trend with the 70's inspirations we are seeing this fall.  I have always been a fan of a slightly flared trouser leg - some wedges with this and your legs will look a mile long

I covet all of these items.  The grand total comes in at approximately $2200 for all 5 pieces.  A great investment if it is in the budget, but not to worry if it isn't.  See below for some of the more budget friendly counterparts:

via Nordstroms - beautiful classic camel colored lambswool coat.  This is on anniversary sale right now for $170, normally priced at $260

Dress via Anthropologie - great now, throw on tights, boots and a sweater or leather jacket going into fall

Aqua for Bloomingdales - I am a stickler for fabrics - this is a wool/silk/cashmere blend.  Beautiful.

via Piperlime

via J Crew - consistently delivers some great styling, quality fabrics at approachable points

The grand total for these 5 pieces comes in at $740.  The idea with this is not to run out and drop a bunch of money on all of these items, but to think about what you really need in your wardrobe.  Maybe you already have a great coat and trousers, but the dress or blouse would be a great addition.  Maybe you have a little money to spend and splurge so the Buberry coat is a great investment for you, but the Piperlime blouse (at $78) gives you the same feel as the Tucker blouse ($260).  To me that's part of the fun of styling - mixing pieces at different price points to achieve a look that is comfortable for you.

Kitchens

So I have to admit I am a bit jealous - I have several friends who are doing home renovations than involve kitchens.  When I bought the lovely 1950's ranch that is my current home my now husband's first question was, "How's the kitchen?"  We didn't have to touch the kitchen - it is a lovely modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counters and custom cabinetry.  But I didn't get to pick it out.  I do enjoy my kitchen, but I am sooo jealous of my friends who are getting to choose all of their cabinetry, tile, flooring etc.  Please enjoy some of my current favorite kitchen images - stay tuned for another post dedicated to eat in kitchen areas!

My new favorite - I love the gray/green cabinets.  Via Veranda - House of Windsor (cannot wait for  the September issue to come out with a spread of the whole house!)

via M Elle Designs

via Thomas O'Brien

via Elle Decor - designer Stephen Volpe

via House Beautiful - designer Waldo Fernandez

via Lonny - Kitchen by Christina Murphy

Summer Festivals

Tis the season for festivals - food, music, movies, beverages!  Indoor, outdoor either way the heat and humidity will leave you sweltering.  You want to look chic while remaining as cool as possible.  What to wear?  Choose which look is right for you...casual chic, bohemian, cool elegance:

Cynthia Vincent via Bloomingdales

Sanctuary Shorts via Piperlime

Sandals via Anthropologie

Marc by Marc Jacobs Hobo via Saks

Amanda Uprichard dress via Cusp

Frye Short Boot via Zappos

Three Dot Dress via Shopbop

Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote via Pink Mascara

Ippolita Rose Gold and Clear Quartz earrings

Don't forget the organic bug spray:)

Working from Home Today! - The Home Office

I am so happy that I am working somewhere that has flexibility to work from home.  This is giving me new motivation to get my home office up to par.  I finally got the Jonathan Adler desk I have been drooling over.  And I have a couple of fun pieces of art thanks to 20x200, now I just need a chair, rug, lighting, oh will I ever be done?  See below some of my favorite home offices:

Miles Redd via Elle Decor

Thomas O'Brien via Elle Decor

via Domino Magazine

from the set of Gossip Girl (yes I have posted this photo before, but it is one of my favorite home office looks!)

via M Elle 

Monique Lhullier Home Office

Office via Nate Berkus

Image via Decorpad

Aerin Lauder home office - Hamptons (I think she is endlessly chic!)

Pool Party!

Got invited to my first pool party of the summer this week!  Obviously I want to look chic, but I also want to be comfortable as the party is in July and it will be very toasty by then.  I am a big fan of a cover up - usually I do more socializing and sipping cocktails than swimming:)  Loving this Tory Burch voile tunic - listed as a mini dress, but there is no liner so I think it is well suited as a cover up or would be great to throw on with some skinny white jeans for some versatility.  I have a hard time finding swimsuits that are cute and fun, but don't make me feel overexposed.  LOVE this one from Anthropologie - so soft!  And of course no summertime outdoor event is complete without a big pair of sunglasses!

Tory Burch Dress 

Bikini via Anthropologie - also comes in turquoise!

Wooden Bangles via Nordstroms - Price friendly and fun, won't tear up if they get wet

Essie Nail Color in Braziliant - loving this coral with a hint of shimmer

Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses 

Seabags Tote - Really all of the totes by this company are amazing and made of recycled sails!

Sandals via J Crew - I am a huge fan of Patent Leather, stays fresh looking forever

Style Envy - Keri Russell

I loved Keri Russell back in the Felicity days.  And I thought she was as cute as the pie she made in Waitress. Who knew that I would also connect with her style in fashion (spotted here with a shopping bag from one of my all time faves - Annelore) and interiors!

I could not wait to share some shots of her Brooklyn home that are in this month's Elle Decor.  She also clearly shops at some of my other favorite NYC stores - ABC Carpet & Home (upholstered pieces, wire dining chairs), Ochre (to die for chandeliers!) and John Derian (vintagey chair next to the free standing tub).

Orange you glad it's Friday?

When I was a kid my first swing set was metal with a graphic orange and white pattern.  I wish I could find a photo of it - the pattern actually was very comparable to Marimekko or Orla Kiely.  I picked it out when I was about three.  Around age eight I asked my mother why she let me choose that set - she told me that my favorite color at that time was orange.  At the time I remember thinking how tacky that was.  Well fast forward a couple of decades and not only was my very first favorite color a signature of arguably one of the chicest fashion houses around (Hermes), but it is still a color that resonates with me.  My very favorite time of year is the fall - the changing color of the leaves, warm days and cooling evenings, pumpkin patches and halloween.  As I am still assessing patterns of what I like for interiors I have pinpointed that I like neutral color palettes; both pale and dark and saturated.  I do like a little pop of something to keep it from being too boring and I keep gravitating towards oranges and corals.  I love how they look with browns, blues and grays.  

Patrik Lonn

Bonesteel Trout Hall

Todd Romano

Jean Larette via House Beautiful - I do love this.  The whole house is amazing in my favorite, Napa Valley, but how great would a coral throw pillow or  blanket be in this arrangement?

Need to show this one to dear husband - great inspiration for his home studio!

via Elle Decor - I love the Hermes blankets especially in the signature orange.  I am contemplating getting the throw or perhaps the pillow for the daybed in my dressing room.

via Frank Roop

via Jeff Andrews

via Miles Redd

via Victoria Hagan

via SR Gambrel