Thursday, August 31, 2017

Lately 8/31/2017

Holy cow. How in the world did we get to the end of August already?! I say this every time, but wow does time fly by. 2018 will here before we know it. YIKES! But, I'm not going to lie, I'm very excited for the fall season to be upon us (even thought it doesn't technically start until 9/22). I have so many fun travels and weekend adventures planned and I can't wait to share them all with you!

This long holiday weekend, I'm going to one of my very favorite Pittsburgh restaurants... in which I've had this reservation for months because, apparently, that's what you need to do in Pittsburgh nowadays. I'm also so excited my friend Eugenia is coming home from NYC for the weekend and her parent's are hosting my family and another one of our BFF's Dana/Ava/Mia and their family for a pool party/cook out! I'm also hoping it's nice enough to have one last pool day at the club, too. As much as I am excitedly anticipating fall, I will definitely miss the carefree-ness that summer brings (and the great tan).

But seriously, bring on cozy sweaters, football, hot coffee, Barbour jackets, pumpkin everything, and gorgeous foliage.



Eating: This one is super self explanatory, but it was SO easy and required absolutely no cooking. I made a chicken caesar salad. All you need is a bag of romaine lettuce, a rotisserie chicken, asiago/parmesan cheese, and caesar dressing. Mix everything together and voila. A quick lunch or dinner in under 5 minutes. My favorite caesar dressing is Ken's brand. 


Drinking: I've been enjoying Truly Sparkling water, which has just 1 gram of sugar. It's refreshing and light and perfect to keep stocked in the fridge for an impromptu get together! Check out this link to see where you can find a stockist near you!

Reading: So many articles floating around the web about Whole Food's lowering their prices. I went on Monday and really did notice my bill was slightly lower than usual. This price change is due to Amazon acquiring WF. Also, Prime Members will start getting perks, too! I'm very excited about this change. I love Whole Foods but I don't love their prices.

Reading II: I love GOOP, don't get me wrong. I've found some pretty amazing products and I especially love the GOOP skincare line. However, this article hilariously rounds up some of the more ridiculous things that have come from Gwynnie. 

Watching: I just re-watched Stranger Things in its entirety to get ready for season 2! There is still 2 months to go (October 27th!), but I had forgotten about a lot in the series. If you haven't binged this one yet, I definitely recommend it!

Listening: Embedding September's Playlist because it's already so good! I LOVE Quinn XCII... I cannot stop playing his music, but specifically his new song, Always Been You, is on repeat 24/7. I think this playlist is the best of 2017 so far! 


Sale-ing: There are a ton of amazing sales since it is a holiday weekend. I will do a full roundup for Saturday shopping, but I thought I'd highlight a few things. Mark and Graham is having a huge sale and my absolute favorite leather weekend is included. It's super high quality and is my go-to as a carry-on bag or road trip bag!
I've been frequently checking out the Club Monaco site, hoping they would release new items soon. As luck would have it, they just released a ton of new pieces that are gorgeous! Right now, they are offering 20%-30% off your total depending on how much you spend. 


Wanting: So many new arrivals everywhere you turn! Tons of stuff on my radar, so definitely scroll through to check it out!

Wanting II:
 You guys know how obsessed I am with Dior's lip glow balm, but it's super pricey. I just found out, It Cosmetics makes something super similar for $9 less! I'm really interested in trying it out- has anyone else used this product?

Pittsburgh-ing: The Duquesne University School of Law student body is dedicating their annual 5k and dog walk (Saturday September 23rd, 9am) in memory of Katie Westbrook, whose dream at age 13 was to become a lawyer. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, which took her life at age 15, just before she was to receive an honorary degree from Duquesne University School of Law.  Although Katie was never able to fulfill her dream of becoming an attorney, they honor her memory and dream to become a Duquesne lawyer through the SBA Centennial Endowed Fund, which provides scholarships to current law students and helps them realize their dreams of becoming attorneys.  Last year's race raised $5,000.00 with the proceeds benefitting the SBA Centennial Endowed Scholarship Fund.  If you are interested donating to the cause or donating a silent auction item, please contact Robin Connors at connorsr@duq.edu or 412-396-6186. Or just head out to the race to support the cause!

Smelling: Who has a favorite fall candle that they love? I don't like anything sweet or vanilla/etc. and don't like anything too strong. I typically find my candles at Homegoods (I've shared a bunch of finds in the past), but haven't seen any great ones as of late. Recommend your favorite in the comments below! 

Traveling: I'm headed to New Hampshire in two weeks with some blogger friends. I've never been, so I'm very excited. We are flying up there and then renting a car to explore the state. Any recs?!
Loving: I've recently started a new skin care regimen in the last month. I kid you not, my skin has never looked better. I'm going to continue a week or two more before I share just to make sure it's all good, and then I'll spill all the details, but I saw that Colleen Rothschild is having a labor day sale and you can get 20% off using code LABORDAY. I got their cleanser, eye cream, and salicylic acid . While I love all of the products so far (they are all very gentle), I love love love the salicylic acid. It's the best I've ever used (and I've tried SO many salicylic acid products). This was is like a gel cream and you actually put it all over your face (not a spot treatment). It feels moisturizing, never dries out my skin, and is keeping breakouts at bay. It's a MUST!

Quoting: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”- Mr. Rogers// See more of my favorites, here

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Praying for Texas and How You Can Help



As you are all aware, the devastation in Texas is heartbreaking. It makes me so proud as an American to see so many from near and far pitching in to help those affected by Harvey. I have tweeted/instagramed about how you can help, but I also wanted to provide the info to all of you here that may not have seen my social links.

So here are some ways you can donate:

Texas Diaper Bank  (you have the option to mail physical diapers, too, so I Amazon Prime'd diapers to the address: 5415 Bandera Road, Suite 504, San Antonio, Tex., 78238). If you have Amazon Prime, this will literally take not even a minute of your time.... 200+ diapers only cost around $30, too, and Amazon suggests wipes to go with it, so for an extra $12, you can get almost 500 wipes...every bit helps).

Red Cross (you can text HARVEY to 90999 for a $10 donation, but I went online so I could donate more!).

Catholic Charities
Houston Food Bank
Houston SPCA
Houston Humane Society

Also, please feel free to comment on this post with any other ways people can help- so everyone be sure to check out the comment section! You can also check out this article here and here with more resources on how to help. Thinking of everyone in Texas... lots of love from Pittsburgh!

Recreate My Fall Outfits

Jeans (on sale under $100, my FAVORITE jeans)// Sunglasses
Shop the Look:
Each month, when I'm working on my editorial calendar, I always make sure to go back to that month the year before- sometimes several years, even. This is so I don't repeat a topic, but also to remind me what my style was like last year. 

When I was doing this for September/October, I was looking back at 2016 and really loved some of the looks I put together and know I'll wear exactly these outfits this fall. Many of them are simple and classic and comfortable. And, as luck would have it, a lot of these pieces are still available. 

So, I thought I'd bring back 7 of my favorite early-fall looks from 2016 for your fall wardrobe inspiration! Scroll below to see an image of the outfit, a link to the original post, links and widgets to the products or very similar products available! 

Jeans (on sale under $100, my FAVORITE jeans)
Shop the Look:
Cardigan//  Sunglasses
Bucket Bag (on sale!)// Jeans// Pumps
Tank
Shop the Look:
Tweed Dress (on sale!!, similar)
Shop the Look:
Jeans (on sale under $100, my FAVORITE jeans)// Sunglasses
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Reversible Plaid Wrap// Jeans (on sale under $100, my FAVORITE jeans)
Shop the Look:
Shop the Look:


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

How to Transition White Jeans


The weather the past week here in Pittsburgh has been feeling a lot like fall, rather than August, that's for sure! I love the cooler temperatures we have been having and am very happily welcoming sweaters with open arms. In fact, on Sunday, I went to the club with my family and brought my bathing suit but never ended up actually putting it on because it was so cool.

Last night, I went to yoga on a rooftop of one of the buildings in downtown Pittsburgh, which was fun, but I also noticed a strong breeze. I was definitely glad I brought along my (monogrammed) Shep Shirt.

Anyway, my point is: fall is coming and I always find the month of September slightly hard to dress for. It's cool in the mornings and at night, but hot in the afternoons... you could have a super hot day one week and then a cooler day the next. Do you wear sandals or booties? Do you wear a sweater or bring a jacket? I find myself wondering 'does this look too fall' or 'does this look too summery'.

It's that weird (but wonderful) in between time, and I think the outfit above is perfect just for that time period. Plus, separately, you can wear each piece in a multitude of different ways!

I think the main thing to note here, is that I combined a fall shade of burgundy (the sweater and the cami) with white jeans. It's a good balance of summer and fall into one outfit. Other fall appropriate colors that I think look wonderful with white jeans, too, are olive green, navy, and camel.

The second big thing to note about this outfit is the type of materials. I'm not yet dressing in heavier fabrics like wool or flannel. The sweater is a lightweight year-round cotton blend and the cami is super lightweight, too. I typically wait to break out things like wool, autumnal plaids, heavy tweeds, etc. until very late September/October. 
And, on a totally unrelated note to this post, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is still going on and new items have been added today! You can view my favorites in the widget above or by checking out this post. Surprisingly, there is still a lot left to choose from! 

Monday, August 28, 2017

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale August 2017

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale August 2017

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale August 2017
----
Well, it may be Monday, but it's certainly a bright and cheery one, am I right?! The Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale kicks off at 8am EST this morning. So have your browser open and continue to refresh until 8am hits! If you are reading this before 8am (which a ton of you usually do), you can click on this link- it won't work, but Lilly sent me this link and it's the exact one you'll use to access the sale (it's especially helpful for those who are at their computers at 7:59am!). 

EDIT TO ADD: I finally had a chance to shop the sale and holy cow is it HUGE. There are SO many items, it took such a long time to filter through everything. The prices are amazing. I really think this is the best sale yet in terms of low prices and many options. You can see my picks in the widget above. There are 16 in total. I chose some of the items I already have and love (like the piper pant, the palazzo pant and the pajama pants), some of the pieces I added to my cart, and some that I thought were just all around great buys (like a neutral cashmere sweater and a classic white dress). 

Sizing
I also wanted to touch a bit on sizing in general with Lilly Pulitzer because I know these pieces are final sale and you want to be able to get the sizing right! Typically, I find most Lilly pieces to run true to size. If anything, I almost always size down. I am 5'6" and around 130 pounds. I typically wear anywhere between a 0-4 in most brands, usually a 2. I am a size 27 in jeans. And a size small in tops/sweaters/etc. 

In Lilly, I'm almost always a size small and a size 2. The only time I've ever gone up is for their jeans and I get a size 4. I find most of their cotton pieces (like their palazzo pants and skipper popovers) don't shrink, so no need to size up! 

During a sale like this, I always recommend to order a size up (if you can't decide) and have it taken to the tailor, rather than order a size too small and not be able to wear it at all. 

Happy shopping everyone! Let me know what you all end up with!

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Saturday Shopping 8/26/2017

Happy Saturday, everyone! Does anyone have any fun plans for the weekend? My plans are all up in the air. Nothing set in stone, which is nice, since starting next weekend, I have every single weekend planned through mid-October. Phew. 

The weather here in Pittsburgh has been incredible. Some major rain storms, but it helped to really cool things down. We've been in the 50's in the mornings and are only going up to around 74 during the peak daylight hours. It's SO refreshing.

This week, I got the sweetest package from Talbots that had the loveliest Parisian theme to it! I promptly wore this tee out to dinner the other night. Comfortable but sooo cute. They also sent over a beret. Which, I'll admit, I'm not much of a hat person, but this really intrigued me. It's wool, so definitely not for right now, but I really think I will try to wear it out with a coat come late fall/winter.  As I was searching on how to properly wear a beret, I found several photos of Princess Kate in one... sold. 

There are some good sales happening this weekend (see my favorites below), but you're probably going to want to wait until next weekend as the sales are usually at their best during holiday weekends (but the sales I mentioned below will continue through the holiday).

There are also some amazing new fall arrivals at a ton of my favorite retailers. I've also noticed a lot of restocking going on, so if you have had your eye on something and it's been sold out, it's worth checking back! Like this navy and white striped pullover. I am OBSESSED. It's affordable, comfortable and cute!

I also can't get enough of this black top (also in white) with a ruffled neckline. SO cute and it's under $100. I just got this gorgeous leather handbag from Talbots and it is seriously a stunner. So well-made and the red color is so rich and beautiful. It's currently on sale for under $100! Scroll through the widget above to shop more of my favorites from the week. 

Lilly Favorites:
However, as you all know by now, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale will be starting promptly at 8am on Monday morning! Who else is SO excited? You can check out my post with all of the details here and Lilly Pulitzer has also released a really extensive FAQ page that is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a first-time shopper!

J.McLaughlin is also having a really great sale. Their items can be pricey, but when on sale, they have some insane deals! The new arrivals are also amazing, I'm currently eyeing this cashmere boatneck sweater, this gorgeous neutral poncho, and these classic tortoise sunnies.


My favorites on sale:
Another noteworthy sale is that Club Monaco is having an up to 70% off sale (no code needed). The prices are really amazing and there are even some fall pieces like cashmere sweaters included. I've included a widget above to show you some of my favorite pieces you can wear well into the fall and winter. I have this gorgeous vest, this beautiful cashmere turtleneck, this cashmere wrap and this merino wool striped sweater (just $50). The photo above is the probably the worst photo ever, but SO many of you asked about the cardigan I am wearing, and that is the cashmere wrap that is included in the sale. The night gown is very old from Anthropologie


Friday, August 25, 2017

Motivation: Getting To Know Someone








I wouldn't really categorize myself as a crier... sad movies, books, etc. they usually don't get to me. Every once in a while, though, something does. In this case, it has been the NBC series This Is Us. According to other viewers on Twitter, I am definitely not alone. 

If you haven't had a chance to watch, I definitely recommend checking it out, especially before the second season premieres this fall! I re-watched the last episode the other night to prepare myself for the new season coming next month.

It's a drama that follows a family throughout a series of flashbacks and through to current day. It's actually refreshingly real and deals with things that many people deal with while making their way through life. Love, loss, careers, family issues, health, etc. It's all very relatable. Normally, I don't cry during these episodes- although a lot of people apparently do.

However, there was one strikingly poignant moment in the second to last episode that I wanted to write about (stop reading now if you don't want anything spoiled!).

Let me set up the scene for you: The mailman walks up to the door and strikes up a conversation with the dad of the home asking where the grandfather had been. The dad remarks that the grandfather had passed away last week and the mailman gets choked up and says something along the lines of 'We got to know each other, people don't stop just to talk anymore, he always asked about my daughter.'

Just that few seconds of the show really hit me. It's true. People don't really stop just to chat anymore. Myself included. We all have agendas and priorities and schedules that we are following. We don't budget our time to get to know people that we may interact with daily. It quickly gave me a new perspective on life. 

I'm always of the attitude that you always want to be as kind as you can be to everyone you encounter, but going one step further, taking the time to really get to know someone you may interact with often is how you can enrich your life and others', too. I mean, at the end of the day, your connections to the people you surround yourself with are what matter most, right?

So I hope this gives you a little motivation. It certainly gave me some! Take the time to get to know someone a little better today! Happy Friday, friends!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Lately 8/24/2017

It was the week of the Eclipse! Did anyone else go outside to catch it?! I definitely got caught up in all of the excitement and headed outside to watch. I went to Pittsburgh's Point State Park. It was SO HOT outside!

Not only was the eclipse cool to witness, but what I loved the most was seeing it bring so many people outside and bringing them all together in watching something historic and exciting. There were so many people and they were all being welcoming and friendly and so many were sharing their glasses with complete strangers. I just loved that.

This week has flown by per usual. I hammered down my September calendar so everything is scheduled and lots of blog posts in the queue. I was doing a quick list of all my traveling and this fall/early winter is going to be busssssy. I'm blissfully enjoying every second at home before things start to pick up. It will (scarily) be January before I know it.


Eating: Does anyone else LIVE for Bruster's ice cream? I really think it's the best ice cream in the entire world. Graham central station is my favorite flavor. I have been trying to get my fill of it before it starts to get chilly! 

Sale-ing: Did you hear?! The Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is COMING! Details in this post, here.

Sale-ing II: Tory Burch's sale is chugging right along. The deals are really good and there are even some fall pieces thrown in there.

Sale-ing III: Did you catch my post the other day sharing the amazing Sailor Sailor sale?!

Wanting: This navy blue leather tote bag looks stunning for the price! L.K. Bennett has a new pair of flats out right now that looks SUPER similar to the classic black and camel Chanel ballerina flats. Scroll through the widget above to see more pieces I am loving.

Watching: This recommendation comes with a caveat- if you want to go about your daily life and not second guess what you are eating, then do not watch the What the Health documentary on Netflix. I honestly wish I never watched it. It's a really eye opening and an interesting look into the meat and dairy industry. I eat both dairy and meat, however, I try to limit dairy. Meat, though?! I'm a total carnivore. I love beef tartar, filet, flank steak, burgers, chicken of all kinds, alllll the fish (I live for sushi), pulled pork, etc. etc.

But this documentary is scary and basically makes you feel like you need to be a vegan right away or else you'll die. I love scrambled eggs and in the documentary, it says that one egg is equal to 5 cigarettes. WHAT! It's also frustrating because it's like... 'ok, but what CAN I eat?!' I noticed myself at the grocery store yesterday buying things I don't normally buy because of the documentary... and in turn, my bill was WAY more expensive that usual.

However, if you are vegan already, this is worth the watch because it will confirm your lifestyle choice is a good one!

Listening: No words for my excitement about all things Taylor Swift. Is anyone following along with the social media craze? Not only am I a big TSwift fan, but I really do think she surrounds herself with brilliant minds. Her concerts are always well done productions and now, her PR stunt is making its rounds all over social media-without any paid advertising! It's pure brilliance. 



Loving: I was invited to the 33rd Annual Harriman Cup this year. I have always wanted to go, unfortunately, I already have travel plans for that weekend that I can't rearrange. However, if you are free Saturday September 16, you're definitely going to want to check out the amazing event! It's a polo match featuring Yale vs. University of Virginia at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. You can buy tickets, here (all are welcome!). They're very affordable and the event promises to be a good time! All proceeds from the match benefit Yale and UVA's polo programs. I hope some of you attend and then fill me in with photos afterward (so I can live vicariously through you!).

Loving II: Can we just talk about how AMAZING Talbots fall line is?! It's centered around all things Paris- umm swoon. They sent me the most fun Paris-themed package and it's pretty timely since I'll be in Paris in less than three months! Scroll through the widget above to see some of my favorites! 


Pittsburgh-ing: I met one of my friends for lunch the other day at a new Pittsburgh chain, Corelife Eatery. It's an order-at-the-counter type place but everything is 'healthy' and super fresh. I had the tuna poke bowl which was kale, quinoa, edamame, etc. with fresh tuna poke on top with a miso ginger vinaigrette. It was really good and the price was low for what I got!  

Quoting: 'Whatever makes you feel the sun from the inside out, chase that.'// See more of my favorites, here
 

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