Photos and thoughts on fashion, beauty, tech + city living.
Dawn at 30,000 feet.
I hope your December’s been very merry. To remind myself of all the great things that happened in 2014, I looked through all of my photos from this year. Here’s a selection of my favorites.
Happy New Year! See you on the other side.
…
I’ve recently been on a few journeys, so what better time to put a together a gift guide for a frequent traveler? This guide includes some of my tried-and-true favorites (the Biaggi Zipsak folds away to 1/4 of its size and weighs less than 4 pounds) as well as some new things I like (maybe it’s just me, but a luxe luggage tag feels like a special indulgence). If you’re traveling this holiday season, have a safe trip and I hope you have something good to read!
…
Dear Silvergirl,
I hope December’s treated you well so far. I was glad to have a short trip to the UK and returned to just in time to welcome the new month. I gave myself extra time for wandering London and picked up this skirt at ZARA during a free afternoon. The length’s a bit difficult, but I enjoy the shape and slight vintage flair. And it’ll always remind me of London.
On this particular day, Kim and I met for a relaxing brunch– probably the last one before holiday season overtakes us all. December is one of the best months in New York, but this year I’m not feeling very cheery or Christmasy. Maybe it’s missing Thanksgiving, or too much upheaval, or maybe too many sad stories in the news…
Or maybe it’s just that too many people are gone.
Normally I love gift-giving and party-going and holiday sparkle, but this year I am just tired.
Is it me, or has it been an unseasonably windy fall here in New York? I don’t remember heavy winds as typically being too much of a problem until January and February, although I also haven’t had my hair cut close to my shoulders in five years or so.
Stay warm and un-windblown.
In this post:
Dear Dotty,
The warmth of fall days is coming to a close and I think it will soon be officially winter in December. I didn’t go all the way through until no tights until December, but there’s always next year (and a hope for no fall snowstorms).
I’ll be offline for some time this week. Current events are making me sad and more than a bit thoughtful. Last night was bad. A sad, sad reminder of everything I never liked about politics and government. And many other things. I’m due for a bit of wandering and am planning on spending some time out in the wild with my thoughts and one or two of my cameras.
And by wild, I mean major metropolitan city.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with laughter and all that’s important. If you find yourself settling in for a bit of extra reading, I’ve recently been interviewed for Re-Mix-Her. Re-Mix-Her is written by Caitlin, a blogging friend of mine from the early days (hello tumblr!). Friends are important, and Thanksgiving is a good time to think about everything and everyone in your life.
With holiday party season is practically next week, I’ve been searching for some great gifts for party hosts. You’ll notice a bit of a wine theme here (my social circle is high on the entertaining, eating and drinking scale), but I think a great wine tote is for everyone. Who says it has to contain champagne? See the full gift guide here.
Dear Kelsey,
A new favorite candle from Illume, who also makes my much-loved mason jar candles. This scent is called Fireside, and it smells very much how it sounds. It combines the best parts of a roaring wood fire with a dash of spices. When lit, it makes any room smell subtly of late fall. I never thought there was something comforting about the smell of a fire before, but lighting this candle makes any room feel cozy and inviting.
The other candles pictured are Voluspa’s Goji Tarocco Orange and Crane Flower. Goji Tarocco Orange is a good option for anyone who loves fresh, fruity scents. Crane Flower is more of what I would describe as a smoky floral.
Fireside is available at Anthropologie for $20. All of my candles were purchased at Anthropologie, but you can often find Voluspa at Nordstrom and Amazon.com.
Dear Caitlin,
It’s currently pretty much my favorite time of year (except for snow) because it’s trench coat weather again! Trench coats are good for spring and fall, but not so great for summer and winter. And perfect trench coat weather seems all too rare. It always seems to go right from burning to freezing!
As for me, I’m attempting to do no tights until December. I don’t know if I’ll last through the end of the week, but I’m going to give it a go.
This dress is a little short, but otherwise I like it. Nothing a long slip can’t fix. It’s a fairly recent impulse buy (separates! I need separates!) from Forever 21 and still available.
In this post:
Club Monaco trench coat [ fall 2012 ]
Burberry scarf [ current ] [ fall 2012 ]
Forever 21 dress [ current ] + bag [ spring 2013? ]
Sergio Rossi boots [ similar ]
Dear Laura,
I hope you had a fun Halloween! I attended a small party at Kim’s where I ate too much of everything and opened a bottle of wine with a house key and a knife. Seriously, don’t try that at home. The saber method would have been easier and less messy.
I DIYed a Frida Kahlo costume (but forgot to draw my eyebrows in)…
…and also made an appearance as Wednesday Addams. For the past four years, all of my Halloween costumes have come straight out of my closet.
I’m not exactly sure if that’s a good thing. Zelda Fitzgerald was a particular favorite, though. Also, I walked around as Frida Kahlo all day on Friday. Flowers and all.
Clearly, everyone should have a Halloween tiki bar.
In this post:
My name is Alex and I have been blogging in some form or another since 1998. I’m a former Manhattanite now living the quieter life in Brooklyn. I like outerwear and red lipstick.
When I was younger, I was let loose in a GAP Kids one too many times, resulting in many of the fashion choices you see here in my photos. I also read, traveled, and took cooking and art classes. Art eventually led me around to photography, and to this day I do enjoy a good brunch.
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