Jacket: Zara | Tee: Club Monaco | Skirt: Topshop | Shoes: Converse | Lips: Stila 'Beso'

PS. Re-did my blog header and design to make it a little more chic - what do you think? :)

Thanks to Courtney for the pics!

Vest: No label (last seen here, similar here) | Shirt: Gap | Skirt: Club Monaco (similar) | Shoes: Zara | Bag: Mulberry (blue w/silver hardware version) |  Sunglasses: Prada | Lips: NARS Scarlet Empress

The weather has been gorgeous lately and I had to take advantage by going bare-legged while I still can. Bare-legged in November = yes please. So glad I moved!

Photos thanks to my cousin Jason

Jacket: Zara (last year, but similar) | Tee: Zoe Karssan (Bat tee) | Skirt: Club Monaco | Boots: Steve Madden (similar)

My sister planned a trip to go apple picking this past Saturday, but I only really got excited when I heard there'd be pumpkins, only because I love pumpkin pie. Sadly, there was no pumpkin pie, though I did sample a pumpkin cheesecake and had a really delicious cinnamon sugar cider donut along with a cup of hot apple cider. Yum! It was a perfect fall day! 

The other disappointment was that there were no apples left to pick on the trees - I didn't even realize that that could happen! So we just had lunch, took photos with pumpkins, and walked around the orchard. 

On a completely different note, I can't believe I have just one week left in NYC! I finally started packing today and am hating it. (Have I ever mentioned how much I hate moving?) So far all I've packed up are my bookshelves and my desk, but that counts, right? :) 

Photos by Lauren

Top: Topshop (last seen here) | Shorts: Zara (last seen here) | Shoes: French Sole | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim  | Necklace: ASOS | Lips: NARS Scarlet Empress

I already said that these shorts were going to be my latest obsession! This time I wanted to create a really classic outfit - keep it black & white and add a few pops of color. 

Top: J. Crew (on sale!) | Skirt: Topshop | Shoes: Elizabeth & James (also love these silver pumps) | Clutch: Club Monaco | Necklace: mark. | Lips: NARS Heat Wave

I can clearly never get enough stripes, or navy blue! I love this ombre striped top from J. Crew because of the subtle ombre plus the fact that it's made of very soft terry material, and knew I wanted to pair it with more blue stripes on bottom! 

Also, I'm currently in Asia (it's still so HOT here!!) and am specifically off to Bali tomorrow - follow along with me on Instagram!

Photos by Lauren

Shirt: Gap | Skirt: H&M (similar) | Shoes: J. Crew | Bag: Louis Vuitton | Necklace: J. Crew | Lips: NARS Schiap

One of my favorite things about fall is the whole "back-to-school" feeling, even though I'm sadly no longer in school. This time of year always brings to mine one of my favorite quotes from You've Got Mail: "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." Mmmm!

Now on to the outfit - this outfit epitomizes the preppy side of my classic style: an oxford, tweed, leopard print, pearls - check, check, check and check! All I needed to add are glasses, a few books in the crook of my elbow, a topknot in my hair and I'm ready for class! (Well, ok, and maybe swap out my purse for a more practical tote like this one to carry said books in.)

What do you love about fall?

Photos by Lauren

Top: e.vil (similar) | Shorts: Zara | Shoes: Zara | Bag: Chanel

Who can believe it's September? Where has this year gone?? 

I haven't been shopping much at all lately, but when Crystal was here visiting this past weekend, I took Crys to Zara's flagship and saw these shorts and simply couldn't resist them! They are ridiculously comfortable, super soft, come with pockets (always a selling point for me!), and are the perfect transition piece as we head into fall. Expect to see these a lot on the blog!

Photos by Crystal Marie Photography

Tank: Everlane Ryan (old version) | Belt: Madewell (Braided, kind of similar) | Skirt: Zara (Similar) | Shoes: Nine West (similar) | Bag: Mulberry (similar) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban

My aunt and uncle took myself, Lauren, and her bf to the North Fork on Saturday for lunch and wine tasting, and it was a beautiful, perfect day! We had such good food and visited three wineries, my favorite of which is Sparkling Pointe, where these photos were taken. They specialize in sparking wines and I'd never done a wine tasting just on sparkling wines before. I think the most interesting wine was the sparking red - Carnaval Rouge - and that's the one our group purchased two bottles of. Yum!

Anyway, about the outfit: this is an example of what happens when I shop my closet! I had no idea what to wear and then remembered this skirt, which I've worn like once since I bought it maybe two years ago. I never particularly liked the waistband of it (ruched elastic), and then a lightbulb went off and I remembered this belt from Madewell that I've also had for a few years. Perfect! 

I'm particularly partial to navy these days - it's just such a gorgeous color and the perfect transition to fall, so I paired my navy tank with the gray to make the outfit slightly more interesting than just black or white and gray. 

Photos by Lauren

Peplum top: J. Crew | Shorts: J. Crew | Clutch: H&M | Shoes: J. Crew (now at J. Crew Factory) | Necklace: Chanel

Sometimes there's no shame in dressing almost head-to-toe in the same brand/designer...like with this outfit, where everything except my clutch and necklace are from J. Crew! And, tempting as it was to pair this pair of shorts with its matching top (such a huge trend this summer!) I opted to go more classic with an ivory peplum top. I love this top, because the material is stiff enough to hold its shape, which is so essential in a peplum! It's so sad seeing drooping peplums made out of some really soft cotton/jersey material - when I wear something with a deliberate shape to it, I want it to retain its shape!

Anyway, these are the last of the photos taken by Crys, sadly! Luckily she's coming to visit me in a couple weeks (her first time visiting since I moved here 5 years ago!!) and I can't wait! 

Photos by Crystal Marie Photography

Dress: Alice & Olivia | Shoes: J. Crew | Bag: Louis Vuitton

America's Best Racing reached out to me a little while ago, inviting me to a day at the Saratoga Springs race track. I hadn't been to the horse races in years, and never in the US, so I thought it'd be a fun day out - and I was right! Despite the fact that Saratoga Springs is a 4 hour train ride from NYC, the weather was beautiful on Saturday and I really couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! We got to check out the paddock (hence the sticker on my dress in a couple pics), bet on a few races (won a tiny bit of money - just for fun!), and enjoyed the weather. Saratoga is also celebrating 150 years this year, so it was a great time to be there for the first time! 

The grounds were almost like picnic grounds - there were tons of people out, and it looked more like they were picnicking and hanging out than really there for the races. If I ever lived in Saratoga, I'd probably do the same thing every weekend because the atmosphere is fun and it's a great way to relax and be social. I think Saratoga would be a great weekend getaway as well - far enough from NYC to make it really feel like a getaway, and with plenty to do - I wish I'd had an opportunity to check out the town as well. Maybe next time!

Thanks to America's Best Racing for such a fun day! 

Now on to the dress - I got this dress a while ago but didn't wear it much until recently - I love the cutout back and the leather waist, and of course purple is my favorite color! I couldn't resist pairing it with some leopard print (of course). The dress will be great in the fall/cooler months too, with some tights and boots.

All photos by Lauren

Blouse: Zara (old, similar) | Shorts: Forever 21 (similar) | Shoes: J. Crew | Bag: Chanel

I'm clearly having a leopard moment, but that's mostly because I finally sewed back on the two buttons that fell off this particular blouse, and since then I've been loving this blouse all over again! I couldn't resist pairing it with my favorite pair of loose, comfy shorts that are perfect for a hot summer, and dressed up the outfit with some heels and a classic bag. 

Photos by Lauren

Top: American Apparel | Skirt: Zara (in stores now) | Bag & Necklace: Chanel | Shoes: Zara | Bracelet: J. Crew Factory

I've really been loving cropped tops lately, especially paired with something ladylike and high-waisted, like this pencil skirt. The top is cropped just enough to show a tiny sliver of my midsection without being too scandalous! And, ok, I wouldn't wear this combination to something like a work event, but I'd definitely wear it to drinks or a date if I was in the mood to be demure and classy but slightly provocative. In that case, this outfit is perfection.

Photos by Crystal Marie Photography