Gone Casual: Stripes + Booties

If you were to peek inside my Marie Kondo-inspired drawers you'd find a plethora of stripes. The neatly folded sweatshirts, dresses, and tops vary in different color combinations and styles but have one common consistency.

They remind me of my American Apparel days and the insanely high credit card bill I'm ignoring from J. Crew. At one point, I tried to diversify my closet trend by adding polka dots and failed miserably. And if you were wondering the outcome of that... Well, let's say nearly everything polka-dotted has been purged.

So instead of changing my stripes, I'm running with it.

On fuss-free days you'll find me in stripes, high-rise black denim, and moto boots. Sometimes the Stan Smiths come out to play but the preference is definitely lots of hardware when out and about.

I got this pair from Modern Vice, a local shoe company that specializes in hand-crafted shoes. I got the chance to visit their glass shoebox and factory. It was quite the experience and fully deserving of its own blog post, so be on the lookout for that.

Shirt: J. Crew  Jeans: Bond via Mott & Bow  Sunglasses: The Row  Backpack: Tumi  Boots: Modern Vice  Lipgloss: Coral Sands via L'Oreal

Overall, this is essentially my uniform and one that I rely on to get me through a mundane week. Heck, I even wear this on Tinder dates when I'm feeling stuck in a style rut. It's easy, chic, and trendy enough to trapeze through the city streets. What about you, are you more of a stripes or polka-dotted girl?

Photos by Lauren Adriance.

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The Fourth Wall

Writing these monthly posts aren't easy. I never know how much to share or if I'm oversharing but it seems like the honesty is appreciated. So for those of you that reached out with positivity - thank you!

In case you missed it, I've spent the last twelve years attempting to qualify for the New York City Marathon. Minor things always got in the way, but this year I made the cut. And in two short months, I'll be running alongside thousands across the five boroughs. It gives me the chills thinking about it.

But lately, I've been finding solace in a few too many drinks every day. It's starting to turn into a habit I can't seem to shake. The summer season and the endless parties at first made the binges acceptable. Keyword: summer.

We're quickly approaching fall and my training has fallen by the wayside. The yearning I once had to hit the pavement and explore the neighborhood on two laced up sneakers has dissipated. It might be a passing mood, who knows.

I do know that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to fix this and instead continued to drown my mixed emotions in tequila sours. (It's also not wise to indulge in such lush ways so quickly after surgery - stress makes us do stupid things).

So with that being said, after I return from Chicago I'll be going sober.

Detoxing my body from alcohol and returning to a normal training schedule will hopefully get me back into the groove. Wish me luck.

Photo by Lydia Hudgens.

The Suede Skirt

Revisiting this amazing suede skirt (which is so affordable on boohoo.com) and set of pictures that never went live. Whoops!

During NYFW this skirt was my go-to but it has quickly become my favorite throughout the season. The shape and fit are so flattering on my frame, it makes me wish I bought it in more colors. It’s easy to dress down or up and create a look that will take me from 9 to 5 and beyond.

To keep it (creative) office appropriate, I decided to pair it with my black cropped sweater. The high waist on the skirt meets at the end of my sweater so as long as my chair stretches are kept to a minimum I'm in the clear.

Accessories were kept to the bare minimum: a few stackable rings and my name-plated necklace. I tend to have moments when I'm all about accessories and other times when I just couldn't be bothered. When shooting this, I obviously couldn't be bothered (read: lazy). But, if you want to accessorize it a bit more I would recommend going light with rings & bracelets and wearing a long dainty necklace for that full-on femme effect.

Sunglasses: The Row  Sweater: Express (old, similar here)  Skirt: boohoo.com  Clogs: Swedish Hasbeens  Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (& under $90!!)  Lipstick: Glacé via Bite

Sidenote, going through these pictures make me miss my gorgeous dark hair. I'm pretty content with my blonde but I've never noticed how shiny it was until now. The grass is always greener on the other side - right? And if you're wondering if this is still my go-to look at the office, the answer is yes :).

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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