Hello, my dearest reader! I'm not sure why I thought sprinting into NYC for only a weekend would be enough. It so wasn't. It's not NYC's fault, though. Truthfully, I don't think 10 years would be enough time for me in this place. I'm a good traveler and don't get bothered by jet lag (or any lag! Thank you plenty of sugar!) so we explored as much as we could. We stayed at the Essex House which sits smack dab in front of Central Park, and we were all over it. Anyone who has spent a moment in Central Park knows the allure and the complete loveliness it exudes. What is it about being surrounded by huge green trees and a skyline of buildings that is just so amazing? I'm a girl who loves big cities and crowds and this weekend was full of both! I wore another head to toe Zara outfit. The night before I left, I was literally in and out of the store with two outfits in maybe 10 minutes. (Because that's how I roll! And I also leave myself no time to plan, pack or generally relax! But that's another story!) It was the perfect ensemble for exploring and dining and shopping! It's Friday you guys!! Hope you have wonderful things in store for the weekend!!! Thank you so much for reading! Xxx Michelle
NYFW: Day 1
Hi beautiful reader!! I had the absolute extreme good fortune to be able to attend around 48 hours(ish) of New York Fashion Week and what an amazing time I had. If you are a woman and haven't been, like, dropped on your head, the chance to attend even 5 minutes of NYFW is a dream, am I right? And NYC... I am going to talk about this place a little later but for now, all you need to know about me and NYC is that I would do just about anything to spend a moment in this incredible city. And what was the cherry on top? Spending this trip with my beautiful friend Vanessa @whatwouldvwear. Putting NYFW aside, the trip would have been equally perfect if it was just she and I, running around Manhattan (coffee and cookies in hand), shopping and seeing and laughing.
The shows were at Skylight at Moynihan Station. I have no idea where this actually was. It felt like we were sort of in the middle of Manhattan but one can never be sure. We did not use our Uber apps because predictably, my phone was always dead and who remembers to bring a portable charger? Oh wait, everyone. Everyone did! Whoops. I missed so many incredible shots because of what I will call "technical difficulties" π and guess who I met in front of the shows? Yes! A little fluffy furry friend! With a nice owner who allowed me to borrow his pup!πΆπ©
We were able to go backstage at Tibi, which was pretty incredible. It was just as I expected it would be-- like a little bee-hive of activity with hair and makeup and just... people swarming everywhere. And Aveda was back there too, with their products and giving us hand massages and hair- dos (note to all who care: the low tousled pony is in! Who knew!?)
I was also able to meet some lovely bloggers at the Retreat at Vogue party. It was a little oasis of grey velvet and pictures of Anna Wintour. And the gift bags were unreal! Everyone was so nice and gracious!
So this entire outfit is head to toe Zara. How cute are these shoes, for crying out loud and oh my gosh! And comfy. Seriously. I hoofed it all over the place and not a blister in sight! It was perfect because it was light and airy and polished. And it kind of looked like a Tibi outfit. Its navy, and the top is completely sheer, so I just wore a little shell underneath. Perfect. Check back later in the week for more of my lovely adventures in the loveliest of cities! Happy Tuesday to you! xx Michelle
Top: Here || Pants: Here || Shoes: Here ||. Bag: Here. || Cuff: @vwearcollection
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Fall (ish) Florals
Hii you! Happy mid-week! We are here already! How happy does that make you??Ok, so I was meh on floral pants for work. Dresses, skirts, shirts? Sure thing. Pants?? I don't know... I bought a pair of cute floral heels that I've worn once (maybe) and I felt like it was one of those things where I want to like it and I think I should like it and then it just sits in my closet- you know that feeling, right? Not these fine floral friends, friends! These pants are so cute! I've already worn them 3 different ways- versatile, easy to dress up or down- love them! And it's nice to mix up my conservative wardrobe a bit with this.! Best thing ever? A Forever 21 find! You can't pass up something this inexpensive (says me to myself no matter what the price is!)π You can find them here. I paired them with a long one button jacket from Banana Republic (here and it's on sale now! Yay!) This the most versatile piece. I wear blazers all the time- with jeans and heels on casual Friday's at the office, with rolled up sleeves, white tennis shoes and cut off denim shorts and with boots and leggings. I popped on a pair of heels and grabbed one of my vintage Gucci bags and away I went! Hope this day is going to be a wonderful one for you and as always, I am so grateful that you stopped by! Xxoo Michelle
Remember Me?
Happy Friday eve everyone! This week seriously flew by for me-- did it for you? How come some weeks are so much faster than others I wonder? And wasn't yesterday the hardest day to wake up to? Those poor reporters in Virginia-- I was just sick about it all day. This world sometimes. It weighs so heavy on me, the senselessness and the lack of regard for life. Those poor people got up and went to work like we all do and are gone for absolutely no reason. So tragic. We just need to say a little prayer for them and for the rest of us who live in this mind-boggling, sometimes terrifying world.
I bought this dress over the weekend and how cute is it? I love the cut- it's sort of a-line and bell-sleeved and I feel great in it. I like things that move when you walk and for some reason, this dress makes me feel so elegant. I paired it with these blush Gucci heels. I bought these in the Spring (they are a soft pink....come on!! Of course I bought them) and I bought the same pair in black too. They are the perfect heel--soft supple leather, good height. Funny story about these shoes: There is a girl that works at the Gucci store at South Coast that has been there forever. Before I was married and had my daughter, I was at that store all the time. Why not? Save, shhmmave. I had only me to worry about, I had no real expenses and my office is super close to South Coast Plaza- -ahhhh, nostalgia! The good old days. She would call me and tell me when new stuff came in, and she would put things aside for me in my size-- I'm telling you, this was a LOVELY, fulfilling relationship. Then, life changed for me-- marriage, babies, buying and furnishing homes, saving money and other such shopping replacers took over and decreased my visits. Drastically reduced my visits, to be honest. π’π’ Anyhoo, she recognized my PARENTS for crying out loud who were in the store around Christmas and wrote a note to give me, saying "Michelle, where are you? Remember me?" I actually felt guilty-- isn't that weird? So weird. And so I went in there and bought these heels and while I was as dazzled and excited as always when surrounded by beautiful handbags and shoes -- I realized something--it's just stuff. Right? Stuff that doesn't matter much at all. Visits to my favorite stores may not be as frequent, my facials and mani/pedis have all but disappeared but my life is infinitely better. Being a mommy, spending time with my family and creating memories together has fulfilled me in ways I never imagined. I am like a broken record but there is just one secret to life, I'm convinced: Get your family (and friends count as family) around you, hold them tight, and spend as many moments with them as you can, laughing and soaking each other in. Life is about love, my beauties. That's all. (well, and a great pair of heels!) Thank you for stopping by, dear hearts xx Michelle
Dress: (not online apparently but similar here
Shoes: (old but similar in suede here)
Clutch (Etsy. Have we discussed my obsession with Etsy? And monograms? I LOVE it)
Pendant (CAbi --I linked the Fall line because there are new designs each season--and mine was from Summer. This pendant can be twisted and linked and worn all sorts of different ways!)
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