Think pink. But don't wear it.

At some point in the past year I became completely obsessed with pink. I want dresses, flowers, shoes and everything else to in a range of dusty rose to bubblegum. Normally I avoid pastels for clothes, but the array of pink hued things that work with my skin tone seem to be popping up everywhere. Here are some of my favorite inspiring shots for thinking pink.

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The Top of Manhattan

At the top of Manhattan there is a medieval abbey filled with treasures perched in a park on a hill overlooking the Hudson River. Rich and I spent Saturday morning wandering through the stone halls and in the enclosed garden of The Cloisters before a birthday brunch in the neighborhood. My favorite place at the museum was the garden with its spectacular view, the neatly labelled plants and a little maze of paths to walk. In the words of Kim when we went to Paris "Shh, I'm having elaborate fantasies about my life in the castle."

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Zara hat
Vintage corduroy jumper
Uniqlo heat-tech turtle neck, scarf, and heat tech tights
Boden jacket
Vintage shoes
Clare Vivier messenger bag
Madewell sunglasses

Raspberry Rhapsody

I've never once in my life considered wearing purple lipstick until I was contacted by Refinery29 and Maybelline to try their new Color Elixir in Raspberry Rhapsody. When I unrolled the paper they were wrapped in I was pretty surprised to see such an offbeat color in the mix. I expected the usuals: pink, red, nude. But there it was in all its bright purple glory. Surprisingly enough it's a beautiful color. I preferred how it looked later on, after some blotting and talking when it mellowed out into a balmy purple-pinkish color. Right off the bat I noticed that it was not as purple as the bottle would have you believe, but that could also be its effect paired with my complexion that often turns even the boldest reds and corals to a pinkish color.
What I love most after trying three colors from this line is how moisturizing it is and that it contains absolutely no glitter or shimmer. I hate anything sparkly on my lips because I feel like I'm eating tinfoil if any gets in my mouth and I feel like every reasonable priced lip color is loaded with it. I will definitely continue using these and I may even pop down to the drugstore to pick up a another color.
Thinking the color was going to be much more purple, I paired it with a hand-me-down hat from my grandma and a graphic print dress. It was freezing, but worth it to get one more quick wear out of my favorite dress from the summer that I didn't photograph.



Maybelline Color Elixir Lipstick: Raspberry Rhapsody c/o R29
JCrew dress
Topshop shoes
Vintage hat

Groovy Paisley and Fuschia

I finally found the paisley vintage top of my dreams in the basement of my favorite local vintage shop a few weeks ago. Its so Brady Bunch. Along with my sample of Maybelline NY's Color Elixir courtesy of Refinery29 in Fuschia Flourish, I was feeling pretty groovy. I love how the burst of pink lipstick highlights the little details of the top and adds some polish to the overall look.


Maybelline Color Elixir Lipstick: Fuschia Flourish c/o R29
vintage top
vintage coach purse
Doc Martens
American Apparel skirt

Hot Rod Red

Recently I was contacted by Refinery29 on behalf of Maybelline New York to take their new Color Elixir lipstick for a spin this week. I love a lip color that packs a punch and they aren't kidding when they call it a "color elixir." Its incredibly vibrant, ultra shiny and has some serious lasting power. The formula is definitely comparable to a high end department store brand. My favorite color in the line is Signature Scarlet, a gorgeous hot-rod-red bombshell hue. I especially liked that it didn't "turn pink" on my face which can be a problem with reds, so I'd bet its a great option for anyone else having trouble finding a true red that works for their complexion.
I felt like a 50's pin-up girl swiping on bright red lipstick in the rear view mirror of a classic car last Saturday. Although, I should mention that the pretty pea-green car I'm using as a vanity was actually a boxy little ride from Germany. Not quite as muscle-y as the Chevelle in the first shot, but still a favorite.

Asos Dress
Stay Home Club Symbols Tote
Uniqlo socks
Doc Martens
Maybelline Color Elixir Lipstick: Signature Scarlet c/o R29
Madewell sunnies

Clean white sneakers

I swear everyone I know hates these shoes except for me. According to my Topshop account (which I had to check because I couldn't even remember) I bought them in February but never blogged an outfit in them. Since we're playing catch up here I figured it was finally time to give them some love. For a long time I wanted the Isabel Marant sneakers and even tried them on in Paris but I didn't have that kind of cash and I didn't like any knockoffs. Then I tried some flatforms but I didn't keep them because they were impossible to move in. Finally, I talked myself out of the expensive Opening Ceremony ones and settled on a more reasonable pair of heeled sneakers from Topshop. They add just the right amount of fun to pep up a simple outfit.


Topshop Activist Boots similar here from Opening Ceremony and Topshop
BDG pants
Madewell blouse
AA Sweater
Boden Coat
Silk scarf from Thailand
vintage coach purse

Made in America Festival

So, now that you know I've been so sad and have been effectively avoiding my blog this year I want to let you know it wasn't all doom and gloom around here. One of my best memories of the summer was a girls road trip to Philadelphia for Made in America Festival way back on Labor Day Weekend.
I packed Lynn and Courteney into my car and drove down to Philadelphia early Saturday morning. We walked a million miles to brunch but it was worth it because we could make our own cocktails at the table and be as loud as we wanted.
Afterwards we walked to the festival in Fairmount Park which was a bit of an odd place for a concert because it was mostly blockaded streets. We managed to find a shady spot to set up our blanket.

Festival-fairy Courteney

I needed to shut my eyes for a little while between acts

We sat in the field watching the sunset and waiting for Phoenix and Beyonce. There's such a funny story about the boy in the 17 jersey. Him and his friends were saying things like "I don't even like Beyonce" when she started playing. By the second song they were signing along. By the time she got to Single Ladies they were doing the dance steps. It was perfect


On Sunday morning a fire alarm went off in Sarah's building waking us up at about 6am after we had been up until at least 4. We went outside and stood around here with a guy who was wearing just a Spiderman towel. I thought it would be impolite to take his picture
It was sponsored by Budweiser and we managed to sneak in beers for the second day so we wouldn't have to overpay. Here we are with our smuggled Bud Lights with the Budweiser sign
Another field, another nap
After this there aren't really many pictures, and they are only phone shots because cameras weren't allowed inside. Calvin Harris was my favorite act and we all danced like crazy. Lynn and I were super excited to see Queens of the Stone Age and made some friends in the crowd. Nine Inch Nails played as we said goodbye to Philadelphia and drove off into the night.
A pretty good end-of-summer weekend!

Finding home in happiness

Two years ago when I moved from my mom's house to a teeny tiny bright white single-room apartment I had my own blank canvas to fill for the first time. To create cozy little spaces and tack my personality up on the walls and in every corner. I took inspiration from Swedish watercolor paintings, English rose gardens and girly-princess things in pinks, greens and pale yellow. There were little gnomes and bunnies peering out from behind carefully tended house plants, delicate mirrors and jewelry boxes overflowing with baubles. Every night I ate dinner on green or pink glass plates and drank my wine from dimpled pale blue cups made in the 1930's.
Signing that lease was so exciting, the anticipation of a new project, a beautiful idea. In this happy impulsive independence I didn't realize what I was getting myself into.
It was extremely lonely. When I put on my lipstick in the beautiful mirror with etched flowers I was alone. When I curled up in my canopied bed, meant to look like lying under dark trees in a forest, I was alone. Sitting on my couch tapping away at my keyboard and willing myself to be happy, I was alone. Every night to sit in one small room after work, eating dinner alone, walking to the gym to run alone, laughing at my favorite TV shows alone. None of my friends lived in the neighborhood and it was always an hour away to meet for drinks, always getting stuck late at work and cancelling, always exhausted and never really feeling right.
The apartment was barely big enough for two on the weekends when Rich would come and leave his socks in the foyer and throw his bag on the floor. Complaining that I didn't have hot water in the miniature kitchen sink and that my bathroom was too small for both of us to stand in front of the mirror. This was when I was the happiest. We would take the train for an hour to have dinner in Brooklyn with friends, we would walk up and down each block and look at the beautiful houses and gardens then stop for a beer or a cup of coffee. He mounted all of my beautiful things to the walls for me, hung like a little monkey from the ceiling to get the canopy up, got frustrated at my Ikea furniture while we put it together and helped me make the tiny studio into a sweet little nest for one, and sometimes two.
In the spring after it had been a whole year I was sad all the time from when I woke up in the morning until I went to sleep at night. Weekends weren't fun anymore, but a source of stress and anxiety. My apartment was exactly what I had envisioned, but the person living in there was a stranger. Who was this odd little ghost who never picked up the phone to call anyone, who never wanted to go anywhere or do anything? By then I couldn't even pretend to be happy enough to get dressed let alone write a blog post. Here and there I would find a little inspiration and try to share it with some semblance of false cheerfulness, but it just wasn't right.
After a miserable spring and summer living in that beautiful dungeon, fall rolled in and Rich and I found a place to call home together and its made all the difference. I'm so happy to make this place a home with the person I love, to live somewhere that is as much his as it is mine. Even an emergency wisdom tooth extraction couldn't take away the feeling of calm and happiness that's been wrapped around me like a hug. I'm eating regular meals again and riding my bike and taking an interest in all the things I love. I'm calling my friends to make plans and smiling while I wash the dishes. Its such a wonderful feeling to have someone to love and care for at home, and someone that loves and cares for me in return.
I don't care if he wants to keep his road bike on top of the credenza forever, I'd take that happy compromise over a beautiful but lonely existence any day.
Our first night at home.
Making the apartment a home with 60's furniture and fast bikes.
A few spaces in the apartment acquired nicknames like "the pit of despair" which started as a garbage closet and turned into a garden and "the batcave" where we keep our ever growing collection of beer and bikes. Don't mess with our lettuce!
Best of all, I get a kiss from my boyfriend and a glimpse of the ocean every morning.