Inspiration: Looks I Love (Pt. 15)

I've fallen for the romantic styles and genuinely feel like it lends itself to my personality pretty well. I've always shied away from very feminine pieces since I always felt too athletic to be wearing ruffles. Instead, I try and mold myself into the urban category feeling not entirely like myself. Don't get me wrong - I love urban and minimalistic street style. But, for fall I decided to give the heart what it wants.

Here are a few inspirational looks I'm leaning towards this fall. Let me know what you think!

Gal Meets Glam

Grasie Mercedes

Atlantic-Pacific

Keiko Lynn

Postcards from Paris

Technically, these aren't postcards from Paris since I'm back in the states - but let's play along shall we.

My sister and I ended up in Paris per chance. My sister's heart was originally settled on London - she's never been and I wasn't too fond of venturing into another expensive city. I had my high hopes on a weekend in Dubai. It would be a cheaper flight since we were in the Middle East to begin with.

Instead, fate and our thrifty travel agent suggested we head to Paris since we were coming from the Lebanon; known as the Paris of the Middle East. We took her word and booked the trip without having planned much except walk everywhere, eat & drink everything, and shop until you drop.

Here's a look back at what we did:

I think we would've been so embarrassed if we never made it to the Eiffel Tower - so this was first on our list. Even in the rain, the city & the tower looked so ridiculously gorgeous.

Oh, and I almost got swindled here too. If you ever find yourself in the Champs de Mar and someone tries to loop a bracelet onto you - give them a firm NO.

My neck was so sore from looking up. Like how does the city of Paris maintain such gorgeous buildings?! Why can't New York look like this?

We came across the Army Museum on our walking tour, and by "walking tour" I mean getting lost. Next time we're hoping to have more time to head inside and explore all of the museums we came across.

Here's the back of the National Assembly. At that moment in time our legs were so tired from walking we couldn't fathom the thought of checking out the front.

We found that nearly every bridge entrance on the canal was covered in love locks. The middle of the bridge was covered in art. Not like my sister and I were about to put a lock on our love but just for reference :).

Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is so insane and breathtaking. Knowing that the Cathedral was 850 years blew my mind - this place has seen so many riots, rebellions, wars and it's still standing there gracefully. When I head back to Paris I am definitely doing a tour here - I must learn all of the histories!

I swear my phone just has billions of Parisian rooftops & skies.

Being the paranoid tourist that I am, there was no way I was going to hand off my phone to a stranger. Needless to say there weren't many pictures of us together. But hey... that's my sis up there :).

Since we were at the Louvre, my sister was feeling pretty creative and managed to get this reflective photo which I then copied haha.

I didn't take many pictures of food, but I found this gem to help paint a picture of how our nights usually went: beaucoup de wine, bread, and meats. Our jeans were feeling pretty tight on our flight back.

Overall, I loved every minute of our Parisian trip. But, what I loved most was spending time (two full weeks!) with my sister. With how busy we both are it's always great being able to create these memories together and learn more about each other in a place new-to-us.

OH! My sister and I had a chat with Parisian enthusiasts on the plane ride back. They told us that every two or three years they visit Paris and explore in depth, one or two arrondissements. There is so much history in Paris, it's the only way they could learn as much as they could without getting overwhelmed. I'm definitely intrigued by this and may take it up in the distant future when I enter baller status.

Let's Talk Layers + Lebanon

Ever felt like you needed a vacation from your vacation? That's me 100% right now. And I just got back from one.

I am so glad to finally sleep in my delicious bed with my cuddly creatures but wished I did a few things differently. For instance, I'm starting to regret the work I did abroad and being available via email. An overflowing inbox gives me anxiety, but I missed out on a few walking tours around Beirut. Should've listened to big sister when she said to disconnect. You live and you learn.

Lebanon was glorious you guys and I'm working on a video to share a few sights. My sis and I weren't able to see everything (safety first) but what we did see was full of color, culture, and epic history.

Who knew sandstorms could make for incredibly hot & humid days. If the sis and I didn't stop in Paris we probably would've had temperature shock (see: first world problems).

Paris was a few notches chillier than NYC but it gave me the perfect atmosphere to perfect the art of layering. For me, a strong layer game includes multiple pieces you can take off when the afternoon sun is just too hot. Another thing to keep in mind are layers that don't add bulk to your frame while keeping you warm.

Beanie: Jac Vanek (similar style)  Necklace: Custom (similar)  Top: Equipment  (save)  Sweater: Charles Henry (love this)  Jacket: Joe Fresh  Leggings: similar  Watch: RumbaTime  Lipstick: Borghese B Moisture in Berry  Boots:  Cat Footwear

To help perfect your layer game, find the perfect lightweight base. My Equipment shirt creates the perfect base and has been my smartest investment piece yet. The rest should fall into place - or better yet on top of with a thin-but-warm pullover. Scarves and beanies are of course optional.

A few other accessories to give some thought to (and possibly add to your wishlist) are the Cat boots and RumbaTime Gramercy Mesh watch. If I had to choose boots or heels, I'd stick with boots for all of entirety. I've also had my fair share of really awesome and sucky boots. These Paula boots from Cat Footwear lean towards awesome for being comfortable and versatile. The Gramercy Mesh watch Is an affordable piece that has upgraded my life in general. I always wear it when heading into meetings or dinner events - it's just so elegant.

Photos by Diana Chisis & Andrew Burke.

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