From Studio to Street

I'm not an early bird and treasure what little sleep I get - they're like golden bits of deliciousness. But, when winter hits and night falls at 4 pm it's time for me to start making sacrifices in the name of stress-relief, and first on the block is the snooze button.

Although I'll miss that extra hour of snoozing through an alarm, I know I'll feel better in the long run.

When it comes to me and my winter habits it's important to play to your body's strengths, not weaknesses: I'm more energetic in the morning, running in the dark gives me the heebie-jeebies, and after a long work day I'd rather eat than sweat (must be the hibernation tings).

All signs point to rise and grind morning Classpass classes - the early sweat sessions also put me in better spirits too.

A few recos on AM class faves: Y7, Mile High Club, & Peleton.

I do have a few gripes - finding studios with showers, and lugging toiletries & clothes for the rest of your day. But, with a few months of classpassing behind me here are a few tips and tricks I've learned along the way to make the whole process easy peasy.

1. Wear sneakers/shoes that are great for working out and presentable for the office. These all white Theas from Nike (size up!) are so crisp and so perfect for the athleisure trend and my life. Another great option, go for classes that are sans shoes: yoga, pilates, and cycling classes (rent them there). That way you'll only have to worry about one pair.

2. Wear clothing that can take you from studio to street. This is essential if you're trying to minimize the bag-lady look. Lucy Activewear does such a great job of designing clothes for this exact reason. Their team always has us in mind and constantly creates versatile and high-performance pieces. Their winter collection fits seamlessly into my life and the luxe layers are perfect for the busiest time of the year.

For this look, I couldn't head into the office with leggings but Lucy does have some amazing pants sans prints. Or, you can follow my lead and pack a midi skirt. The quilted long sleeve from Lucy is super soft, warm, and appropriate for my office - which I love.

3. Beauty products that can multi-task and come in travel size are a godsend. I've shared my beauty travel bag before here, but my everyday beauty bag carries the true heavy hitters. This might be a post for another day, but my top three products that currently make getting ready a breeze are: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Benefit's Gimme Brow (obsessed!), and PUR's Chateau Cheek Stain. I also spray on Avène Thermal Spring Water pre-glam sesh to rid my face of any exercise-induced redness.

4. When it comes to hair, I just un-bun it and go. If it's one those super sweaty sessions then I'll make sure to spray on this dry shampoo from Carol's Daughter. Honestly, though, my curls and I lucked out - the heat & sweat just gives me a better hair day.

Eyeglasses: Warby Parker  Long Sleeve Top: Lucy  Top: Lucy  Leggings: Lucy  Skirt: Ann Taylor  Sneakers: Nike  Necklace: Marc Jacobs (similar style)  Bracelet: Vintage  Purse: Marc Jacobs  Lipgloss: Grace via Buxom

As we enter the mad rush of the holidays, remember to treat your body right - it's the only one we got.

P.s. I created a "Current Sales" tab at the top of my blog. It'll be updated daily with new sales to help you (and me) as we navigate the stores & web during the holidays. I'm almost positive Lucy Activewear will have one so check back on Black Friday!

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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The New Fall Classic

Sometimes, amid the sanity of life relying on a few core basics, that won't induce side eye from employees, is a huge welcome. There's been this huge shift on hating "basic-ness" and everything that comes along with it and honestly it's a bunch of bull.

Instead, we should look at our basic pieces more like our closet staples. Things that we have tried and tested and come to love.

On the plus side, once we figure what we love, shopping becomes easier since we know what pieces to upgrade. I'll walk you through my faves.

The striped shirt: I've amassed a collection of these shirts in all different cuts. I'll admit that a majority come from J. Crew (save 30% with code SHOPNOW), but I'm hoping to upgrade to a St. James classic next year.

Classic Kicks: I've always been a fan of Vans and its rich history when it comes to skateboarding. They updated its classic SK8-Hi silhouette in a slimmer style. The gold zipper and the matte black leather on these high tops look so sleek. The inside is pretty dope too - gold lining. I actually joked with my photographer that I felt like those minimalistic Pinterest looks. 

FYI - If you're not a fan of hi-tops these do come in low-tops & slip- ons.

High-Waisted Jeans: Being a Classpass Ambassador doesn't equal inevitable weight gain during the holidays. I wish it did but having to give up on all sorts of whimsical treats is just cruel. Instead, I'll gain the weight (with pleasure) and disguise any impending food baby with a pair of high-waisted skinnies. I'm currently trying different brands to find the one, but these from J. Crew are pretty great and on sale.

Coat: Planet London  Top: J. Crew (on sale!)  Jeans: J. Crew (on sale!)  Tote: The Elephant Pants  Sneakers: Vans  Bracelet: Monica Vinader  Lipgloss: Red SOS via Rimmel

Now that I think about it this has steadfastly become my fall go-to. Tell me about your fall staples in the comments, would love to hear!

P.S. In case you're wondering my tote does indeed save elephants and donates directly to the Wildlife Organization. It's pretty neat!

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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Neutrals in November

A lot of has happened in the world recently and with my boyfriend away the one thing that brought me comfort was spreading positive vibes. He’s on a plane back to me and I’m really excited about seeing his tired face tonight.

Politics never make an appearance on the blog since we all have different views(which I respect) but wanted to throw out a reminder that our actions speak louder than words and now is a great time to help those in need.

Now that I got that off my chest I wanted to dive into a new style I’ve been obsessing over: winter neutrals. I’ve been seeing it on my feed, Pinterest, and all over New York. Naturally, I had to give it a go myself.

Neutral skirts for this look were ruled out since it’s basically an accident waiting to happen (well, at least for me). So onward to pants!

I got these pants from NYDJ – have you heard of them? They promise to lift the booty (YAS Please!) and tuck the front to slim and flatten the front (aka no fupas). So far I’m loving the thick material and the fit. If you find a pair you love, order a size down for the best fit.

Also, I’m kind of wishing that I took some back shots of these so y’all can see the booty-lifting action for yourselves. Oh well, next time.

Turtleneck: J. Crew (on sale!)  Poncho: NYDJ  Pants: NYDJ  Bracelet: Kenneth Jay Lane + Monica Vinader  Purse: Sorial  Boots: Bed Stu  Lipstick: Cranberry Cream via Clinique

Another piece I picked up from NYDJ (I got lost on their site for a bit –whoops) was this cowl neck short sleeve sweater. I’ve been on the mad hunt for one similar to the one Blair wore so well years ago and found it on the site. I’m so happy I went forward with the sweater. It’s been on constant rotation since I’m pretty much obsessed with turtlenecks so wearing two at once is like heaven. Yep, I’m an oddball – but the look came out great right? Haha.

Well, it’s time to get back to work and keep moving forward and onwards into the holidays! I for one need to take advantage of the time and get my to-do list completed.

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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