Spring Cravings

Boston just keeps dumping snow on us and I'm officially sick of all my giant winter sweaters.

So what do I do? Start buying some spring clothes already. I feel like I've been accruing dresses for the last six years, so I switched my focus to fun pants. Here's what I came up with:

1/2/3

I've been searching for some styling inspiration for these, since they're not my typical wardrobe item, and Pinterest has turned up lots of treasures!

I love how this pair is styled with a two-tone neutral sweater, some classic black pumps, and almost  no jewelry. The minimalist styling really lets the print of the pants shine.

via

I'm always a fan of a chic but super casual look, so this one definitely caught me eye! I'm loving the graphic tee and sneakers. Socks too! It shouldn't work, but it just does. 

via 

I also love the simplicity of a white tee, necklace, and sandals in this look 

via 

Anh of 9to5Chic makes these track pants look very polished with a blazer, and I'm hoping to do the same with my blue pair.

via 

I can't wait until the spring weather is here to cooperate with these looks. Bare toes and short sleeves are not a match for the snow. The silver lining, though? This look from Laura of On The Racks has plenty of inspiration for styling up my printed pants for winter, with the right amount of layers and booties! 

via

What do you think? How would you still printed pants? 

3 Instagrammers Worth Following During NYFW

I am pretty sure New York Fashion Week exists to remind how much I wish I worked in fashion (and to get angry at my 16-year-old self for not following through on pursuing that dream). Not to reveal next season's trends and inspirations to the industry or give buyers a clue on what to stock their shelves with or to spur hundreds of fashionistas to hit the streets with the hopes of being captured by style photographers. Nope, NYFW is all about me. ;)

Image via Hillary Kerr's Instagram feed

This has all been exaggerated in the last year by my discovery of personal style blogs (yes, yes, I was hilariously late in the game) and Instagram. I love getting up-to-the-minute coverage on what is happening at Lincoln Center and beyond, but I feel like my feed has been clogged with some (not so) humble brags about how cool and important bloggers are in getting to attend the shows. I think I would share their excitement, too, but as a far-far away spectator, I want to get a sense of what is actually happening at the shows and what awesome looks we can expect for spring.

Luckily, there are a few Instagrammers out there who understand my pain and are dishing up some awesome insights from the tents. (Again, this is all about me.) And they are:

The Glamourai—I love her Instagram account for the same reason I love her blog. She has serious fashion industry and styling knowledge! She understands the little details that go into making an outfit look complete and timeless, and isn't focused on just piling on the latest trends Similarly, she Instagrams (that's a verb now, right? Just the way Facebook became a verb like seven years ago, yes?) amazing pictures with commentary that actually shows she understands the designer's perspective and where it fits in the greater fashion landscape. Not just "OMG OMG OMG I love this FRONT ROW OMG!" but things like this photo from Rebecca Taylor's show that remarks the look is "1980-meets-lady today."

Birchbox—Half the fun of Fashion Week is seeing the makeup looks designers are picking to best complement their collections. Birchbox, the amazing beauty products discovery platform, is sticking to what it knows and covering NYFW from this perspective on their Instagram. Earlier this weekend they were following around the fabulous Bobbi Brown as she created soft pastel and matte looks on the models at Tibi (seriously, how pretty is this?!?!).

Hillary Kerr—As the editorial director of Who What Wear, she's keeping her feed very much about what's coming down the runway, with an occasional personal outfit pic peppered in there. The main WhoWhatWear feed is equally informative. I spy white leather, metallics, denim mixed in with both of those, blacks, geometric prints, lots of sneakers, and a bevy of jackets. Can we just skip fall/winter, please?

What do you think? Am I taking the humble brags too personally? Or do you agree? Are there any other Instagram accounts you are turning to for quality, thoughtful NYFW coverage?

Nautical Coral

[Dress: J.Crew factory, different shade but same style here (It's $24.50 now, buy it!!); Cardigan: H&M (old); Shoes: Ruche; Necklace: J.Crew factory (old, seen before as a bracelet here); Nails: Essie Turquoise & Caicos; Toes: Essie Tart Deco]

Told you I liked this dress. This is the lipstick coral pink version, which I think looks best with a tan, but I jumped the gun here. I've caught the summer dress craving, thanks to the warm Boston weather lately, and it won't go away. And this one has that awesome swing to it, so really, how could I say no?

This is the second appearance this week of these Ruche shoes, which are already a spring/summer favorite. Not gonna lie, I'm loving the kitten heel height. I'm often running to the bus or rushing to get somewhere on time, so 4-inch heels just aren't a reality for me, now matter how chic they are. The 1-2 inch kitten height gives a look just enough polish while still being practical.

My favorite accessory here would have to be my nail color, though. Essie has captured my favorite blue beautifully in a shade called Turquoise & Caicos. The name makes it that much better.

Happy weekend everyone!

Prepping for Spring

[Cardigan: Old Navy; Dress: Cynthia Rowley via T.J.Maxx (similar shape here in purple); Shoes: Old Navy; Scarf: Target; Ring: Forever 21; Bracelet: J.Crew factory, old; Earrings: Buffalo Exchange]

 

I saw this sweater on Old Navy's website and knew it needed to be in my closet. And it looks and feels better in person than it does in pictures, with its Chanel-esque boxy shape and detailed trim. The dress, that's a Cynthia Rowley piece I bought at T.J.Maxx last summer for a cool $30. I went into the store to buy socks or measuring cups or something equally utilitarian and the versatile navy form called out my name from the rack.

When combined, the two pieces evoke a sort country club feel. My boss at work said she felt like she should be giving me campaign donations. To keep myself looking too prim and proper, I made the look current by adding the beautiful brights popping up everywhere this season. Scarf from Target, and Old Navy shoes, which I first learned about from this local blogger. (They also come with a bright blue toe.) One more secret: that "bracelet" is actually a necklace I looped around several times. Most actual bracelets look goofy big on my small wrists, so this was a great alternative.

Oh, and as if my husband doesn't do enough (shoot and process every photo on here), he came up with the idea for today's post title. It almost doesn't even feel like spring in Boston, but summer,  at 83 degrees. Yes, 83 beautiful degrees. I was still slipping and sliding on ice this time last year.

Blue Chandeliers

[Earrings: BaubleBar; Shirt: C&C California via Gilt, now available here; Nails: Essie Tart Deco via Target]

The weather this weekend was a bit dreary, cold, and dull in Boston, which kept me from the cute spring clothes I'm dying to wear. But I'm showing off my fabulous new earrings from BaubleBar, though, which ships its goodies in the most adorable packaging. I think this particular pair is now sold out, but they have plenty of amazing pieces to choose from. Also, just painted my nail's with Essie's Tart Deco color (see the bottom photo for a glimpse). It's more of a bright orange than the peachy color it appears to be in the bottle, but that was a pleasant surprise!  These images were shot by my sweet hubby (as always), this time with our Fuji X10 camera.

Floral and Stripe Brights

[Jeans: James Jeans via Gilt; Top: J.Crew factory store (old); Scarf: Target; Sweater: very old Diane Von Furstenberg via Buffalo Exchange, Earrings: Forever 21, Shoes: Report via DSW]

I am craving spring. It's been a warm winter by Boston standards, but it's still too chilly for full-on floaty fabrics and open-toed shoes. I faked it with some brights paired with jeans and a long, slouchy, grey sweater (very old Diane Von Furstenberg via Buffalo Exchange). Oh, and nice, naturally lit indoor shoot at our apartment. Then I threw my hair up and got crazy.