The Family That Styles Together, Whiles (away the hours) Together

Posted: February 12, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

For those readers that do not know me personally, I come from a VERY large family that is still growing (3 weddings and a new baby in 14 months). While we are all very loud and opinionated (after Thanksgiving this year, we had a heated “Friends” trivia competition that the entire neighborhood probably overheard), we pretty much always have a fabulous time together.

I also know I can count on any of my numerous relatives if I need something- and that includes style inspiration. Recently during a family get-together, an outfit styled (on herself) by my cousin, Andrea, caught many of our eyes. Faced with the situation of it being winter and wanting to wear a tank dress, Andrea had a conundrum. By pairing a low-backed bodysuit under the dress, Andrea fixed the problem and ended up with a fabulous outfit.

Andrea modeling her self-styled look

This outfit is a great example of how to take a summer outfit and turn it into something wearable in winter, virtually doubling your wardrobe. The bodysuit also adds layers and texture to the outfit, making it that much more interesting to look at. Next time you’re staring hopelessly into your closet thinking you have nothing to wear, try pairing clothes together that you never thought about before and see what happens!

My Five Things…

Posted: November 22, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Starting the week looking forward to five things makes Monday WAY more bearable. Here are my five things for the week:

1. Shortened Work Week– Because of Thanksgiving break, we only have to work Monday and Tuesday this week!

2. Flying Home to Family and Friends– I have a huge family and we live all over the country- New York, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Michigan, and of course, many different cities in Ohio. I am fortunate that many of my family members from around the US are flying in for Turkey Day. Also, because I am generally away on vacation during Christmastime, Thanksgiving is the one time of year that I get to see the majority of my home friends. This week is action packed with lots of activities, meals and time to just plain hang out.

3. My Mother’s Cooking– My mother is the best cook. Enough said. I hope to one day be able to cook like her… but that is going to take lots and lots of practice.

My mama and me

4. Black Friday– A day that many shoppers dread is one to which I look forward. I don’t get up early and go for the deals, but leisurely go in the early afternoon. Something about the hustle and bustle and madness of the mall makes me very happy and in tune with the holiday spirit.

5. December Issue of InStyle Magazine– Yesterday, I bought the newest InStyle and although I have only leafed through about a quarter of the issue, I am already LOVING it. Carrie Underwood is the cover girl and she looks absolutely beautiful. So far, my favorite bit is about ballerina style and how it is all over this season. For anyone who knows how much I love tutus (FYI- it is A LOT!), this makes me very happy.

Make a list of 5 things you are looking forward to this week! It will get you through this shortened work week just a bit faster.

5 Things On My Mind This Week

Posted: November 15, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Monday everyone! After being sick in bed for the majority of last week, I am actually excited to be back at work! For those of you who do not feel the same way, I suggest you make a list of 5 things on your mind or 5 things you are excited about in the upcoming week or weeks. Here is what’s currently on my mind:

1. Reading- On Saturday, I spent much of the beautiful day outside at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square where I was able to buy some delicious tomatoes and spend time with some friends. When our feet grew tired, one friend and I ventured into Barnes and Noble to check out the new book selection and sit down for a little while. I just love how you can sit in the middle of the floor in a bookstore and no one thinks anything of it. While perusing the book shelves, I came across a book I forgot I wanted to read- Blow By Blow. This tells the story of Isabella Blow by her husband Detmar Blow. Isabella, among other things, discovered Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy and also served as their muse before shockingly committing suicide in 2007. Needless to say, this chic book is a must-read for any fashionista.

2. The Sparkling New Clutch from Banana Republic- Sunday was spent watching the Dolphins play football and shopping in Soho. As the day went on and grew colder and colder, my friend and I ran from store to store and ducked in Banana Republic to check out their winter apparel and see if we could take advantage of their 30% percent off sale. Sadly, I could not find the sweater I was looking for but we did come across this fabulous new clutch perfect for a night out in New York City.

Photo via bananarepublic.com

3. Home Decor- I am all moved in to my new apartment but there is still so much to be done! I still need to hang all my wall decor in my room and invest in a few new pieces. I want to buy a pretty chalkboard to brainstorm new ideas for my blog and lots of frames to hang pictures like this one of my family and myself:

My Family

4. Glee- This week’s guest star is Gwenyth Paltrow! So excited to see her performance.

5. Countdown to Thanksgiving Break- Since I live so far away from home, I am very THANKFUL to be able to fly to Ohio next week. I will get to spend time with family, friends and, for the first time ever, compete in a cousin-on-cousin competition. Many of our cousins (myself included) claim to be the best in the family at Friends trivia. This Thanksgiving, we will see who really knows the most of the ten seasons. The winner, of course, wins a beef trifle.