Loving Lately

Recently I've been all about: 

Taylor Swift's new album, 1989. On repeat. Named after my own birth year, Swifty and I are turning 25 in just a few days (me) and weeks (her). Downloading the album the very day it came out this week was just a little early birthday present to myself! My favorite song on the album right now is Blank Space, what's yours?

Rings. I recently bought this  pretty crisscross one and have been lusting after more delicate and statement pieces, such as this Gorjana, and this one from Ruche.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These are one of my absolute favorite fall treats. I'm making my second batch of the season tomorrow :) Recipe here.

Ann Taylor. A shop that just a few years ago I never would have imagined to have "cool" clothes. I was recently drawn into a store by their trendy window displays and was pleasantly rewarded. Some of my favorite pieces? This skirt and this skirt that I tried on, this silky peach top, sequin sweater,  and gorgeous winter coat.

Dark purple nail polish. Such as No More Film by Essie and Plum's the Word from Sally Hansen. I've gotten so many compliments on the Sally Hansen one, which I'm wearing in the photo!  

What has you all excited lately? 

So "Me"

This cozy pink sweater and leopard booties feel like the perfect representation of "me" in many ways. A little on trend, a little "I don't care what they think," cute together, but a little bit bold. Sweetly girly, and a little bit funky. It particularly strikes me as "me" because this outfit blends my current style with things I would have liked and worn in the past, as far back as high school. A lot of the things I wear now I never would have even considered ten years ago, but this cozy fall look is almost transcendent of time in terms of my style over the years. I've always loved to wear bright and fun colors, I've had a life long obsession with fun footwear, and I have often pushed the boundaries with matching (to the point where looking back at pictures of my teens I am sometimes a little embarrassed with my combinations!) I love that while this look is current and on trend, and represents my style now, it still reflects who I've been in the past in a way that feels so true to myself. 

Sweater: Ruche (old, very similar). Booties: Matisse at DSW. Jeans: Jbrand (similar wash). Necklace: Kate Spade (similar). Ring: local boutique. Nails: Sally Hansen "Plum's the Word."

"One in a Million"

xoxo, CC

Home Sweet Apartment

The other week I shared some of my apartment decor with you, and I thought it would be fun to show you our living room too, since it is the other space I had fun decorating! Luckily my roommates were ok with going for a girly punch of pink in the living room with a raspberry colored couch. Talk about a statement! I love that the geometric black & white pillows keep the look mod, and the arch lamp adds an edge of luxury. As my brother says, "they use arch lamps like that on HGTV whenever they want to make a room look expensive," so, it was a fun sophisticated piece to add to the room. We definitely have a colorful eclectic theme in the living room, mixing some furniture I already had with some new pieces. The fun colorful rug just rounds it all out, and keeps in line with the warm tones of the brick wall. We were so excited to get an apartment with exposed brick! It adds so much character to the room. Now that we actually have furniture our shared space is a wonderful cozy room to hang out in. How have you decorated a small space?

Couch: Ikea. Pillows: Ikea. Clock: Ikea. Rug: Overstock.com. Arch lamp: Overstock. Coffee table: Old, spray-painted. Coasters: from the Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop.

xoxo, CC

Weekly Wardrobe

Another week's worth of outfits! I am lucky enough to have Mondays off this month, but I have been working some weekend hours instead. It's so funny to me how everyone has been dressing for fall despite the quite warm temps we had last week! Even myself, as you can see! As I am writing now it is finally starting to feel more like the fall I am used to with crisp cool air that makes your fingers and ears cold! 

Tuesday

I've been trying to incorporate fall colors into my outfits even though it was in the 70s all week!

Top last seen here. 

Top: BB Dakota (similar). Burgundy pants: Jbrand (similar). Boots: Dolce Vita (similar). Bracelet: Kate Spade. Tote bag: Ruche. 

Wednesday

I'm slowly breaking in my gorgeous new fall riding boots. 

Top last seen here!

Tee: Ruche (love these 1/2/3). Denim jacket: Gap (similar). Leggings: Garage. Boots: Frye. 

Thursday

Bright colors to get me through a long day!

Necklace last seen here.

Tee: Bobi (similar color here). Necklace: Ruche. Black jeans: Jbrand (similar). Booties: Nine West at DSW. Bracelet: Kate Spade. 

Friday 

Wearing the same statement necklace two days in a row? Who will ever know...

Dress: H&M (similar 1/2/3). Necklace: Ruche. Booties: Nine West at DSW. Tights: Betsey Johnson at TJ Maxx. 

On Saturday I re-wore this outfit from last Friday, with a little white cardi instead of the chambray. Apparently this is a week for re-wearing recent favorites again! 

xoxo, CC

October Sunshine

Knock on wood! I don't want to jinx it and have the weather suddenly turn freezing and terrible. I have been loving that this fall has not been too cold, although I am aware that will probably not last long and I'm embracing the chance to wear skirts, bare toes, and light sweaters while I can. 

I got these adorable orange sandals recently and I just couldn't wait until next summer to wear them. And since orange is a great fall color I figured it wouldn't be too unseasonable to wear them with a light outfit on a warmer day. They add just the splash of color this otherwise neutral outfit needed, don't you think? I'm obsessed with this little grey sweater because it's so adorable and easy to wear. It is super lightweight and soft, and I love the chiffon ruffle that gives the illusion of layers. Add a gorgeous reversible tote (the other side is metallic rose gold!) to the look for carrying all my stuff to and from work --or, my DSLR to SoHo for a photo shoot with friends-- and I'm ready for another nice fall day in New York. 

Top: Ruche (similar. More adorable options: 1/2/3/4). Bag: Ruche. Shoes: Kate Spade Saturday (similar, similar, similar). Jeans: Hudson. Earrings: Pretty Pony Boutique. Bracelet: J. Crew Factory. Necklace: Dogeared. 

xoxo, CC

Workweek

Since I didn't have a lot of time to take any real outfit photos this past week I thought it would be fun to snap a quick pic of my outfit before I ran out the door to work each morning. So here goes, these are the outfits I wore to work this week! It is really feeling like fall now, but even so we've had a few warmer days that allowed for skirts and bare legs. That is the best kind of fall weather in my opinion, just cool enough for cozy sweaters and booties, but not yet too cold for skirts and dresses. 

Tuesday

Peplum on peplum: why not?! I love the effect. What do you think?
Top last seen here.

Top: Tart. Jacket: H&M (similar). Jeans: Jbrand. Bag: Ruche. Boots: Dolce Vita (similar). Earrings: JoJo Loves You (similar). Bracelet: Kate Spade. Lips: Bare Minerals "Cherries on Top."

Wednesday

A comfy oversize tee and a casual skirt are the perfect fall duo, especially with a great pair of boots.

Top: Z Supply (similar). Skirt: H&M (similar). Boots: Steve Madden. Earrings: Kate Spade. Bracelet: Ruche. 

Thursday

How to wear a white lace dress in fall: layered with a fuzzy sweater in an autumnal hue!

Sweater: H&M (similar, similar). Dress: American Eagle (similar). Boots: Dolce Vita (similar). Necklace: here. Bracelet: J. Crew Factory (similar). 

Friday

The perfect outfit to transition from work into a Friday night out… just swap out the chambray for a cute jacket and the casual footwear for a heeled bootie.

 Top: Joie. Chambray: Rails. Jeans: Jbrand. Boots: Dolce Vita (similar). Bracelet: Kate Spade. Earrings: JoJo Loves You.

Bonus!
Saturday
A cutesy casual outfit for an afternoon running errands in the rain.

Mon Amour Top: Kate Spade Outlet (similar, also cute). Socks: Free People (also these & these). Rain boots: Chooka at DSW.

xoxo, CC

Chez Moi

I wanted to share with you today some photos of my apartment now that I am settled in. Before I moved in I spent hours looking at apartment decorating ideas online, so I wanted to share my results with you. Most of the furniture and decor that I've used are things that I already owned, but it is always nice to get some inspiration on how to set up a room, balance decor styles, and maximize space in a small apartment. 

For my bedroom I reused some of my pink college dorm pieces (yes, I was that girl who showed up freshman year with all pink everything), such as the bulletin board, bookshelf, and owl paintings. I wanted to balance out all the pink by using white as a unifying background color and mixing in some blue and teal as well. The mirrored nightstand, white rugs, and white polkadot curtains keep the room airy and light, especially since I don't get any natural sunlight in the room. The antiqued mirrors on my dresser add a more mature aspect to the decor, while some white ceramic trays and another mirror contain my jewelry. I made my own wall-hanging necklace holder as a way to organize and display my statement necklaces, and I am so excited by the way it came out and the way it compliments the room. 

To maximize space I use my bookcase, along with the help of pretty boxes and baskets to store my more presentable belongings, such as books, art supplies, and nail polish, and I got a cute blue rolling cart to contain the less-easy-on-the-eyes items. By the way, I love this bookcase because it is super light weight and easy to transport, and it was so easy to assemble since the pieces are adhesive. My decor style is definitely girly and colorful, with plenty of classic white to balance it out, and touches of elegance and whimsy. 

I am still looking for some wall art to fill the blank wall above my bed which is also directly opposite the door when you walk in. I was thinking something in a mostly white color scheme, maybe with pops of color, or maybe with some 3-dimensionality… Any ideas? 

Bookcase: Way Basic (similar, more options). Bed frame and dresser: Ikea Malm collection. Faux sheepskin rug: Ikea. Rolling cart: Ikea. Polkadot baskets: Target (similar). Lamp: Target. Mirrored table: Target (available here for more than I spent). Decorative pillows: Pier 1 Imports (similar, similar). Quilt: The Company Store (love this one). Jewelry dish, bulletin board and storage boxes: TJ Maxx. Curtains: Ikea. 

xoxo, CC