I recently purchased a Free People dress at Marshalls. It sells for $128 on their website, but I scored it for $49.99. You may remember seeing me wear it to the Pencils of Promise charity event in NYC, but I was shocked and amazed to see how versatile the dress really is! Check it out below:
1. Bohemian
2. Upper West Side
3. A Little Bit Country
4. Wedding Worthy:
5. Edgy
How sweet it is to have a dress that you could style differently for every weekday! See how I styled this dress by checking out my last post.
Summer, in NYC and the Hamptons, is one of the busiest times of the year for charity work, and non-profit organizations. And I have been trying to do my part and give back to organizations, dreams, and ideas that I believe in. I truly believe that many of us in our twenties want to contribute someway, somehow to the world we live in. Whether our interests lead us to contribute to the environment, and conservation societies, animal rehabilitation, ovarian cancer research, or education I think there are a lot of us who want to get involved and feel like we matter because we can make a difference.
I was so excited to learn about the non-profit P.O.P or better known as Pencils Of Promise. As a certified English teacher the cause really hit close to home. This extremely mindful organization believes that every young person has the natural right to education. They want to place a "pencil in every child's hand", realizing the immense impact our learned youth will have on our society one day. After watching their video, and reading more about their cause I knew without a doubt I wanted to contribute. (Watch the 1 minute video below for more information.)
Nicole, my sister and author of What You Need To Know, and I attended The Pencils of Promise White Party which was a ticketed event in the NYC hot club frequented by young professionals, Avenue. The venue was small and sophisticated, and everyone was expected to wear white. Not only was the party a huge success due to generous donations, but also the ticket cost, and any contribution made up to $1,200 was matched 100%.
And, If that wasn't enough. The non-profit brought it big time celebrity Sophia Bush to host. (I am a big fan of One Tree Hill), and was open bar from 8-11 and passed hor d'oeuvres from 8:30-10:30.
Everyone I met was extremely kind, caring, and excited about the reason we were all in the same room. We all banned together, wore white, took pictures with giant pencils, danced, and drank champagne as we donated towards the building of a new school. The best parties always have a cause.
What was even more amazing? (I know you can't even begin to imagine.) Everyone was excited to pose for Dusk & Rubies' blog. So thank you to everyone who is featured in this post. (I will be e-mailing those who gave me their e-mails copies of their final pictures!)
Okay so on to the fashion! What do you wear to a white party, or any major event in NYC? Well let me break it down for you as you take a gander at the best dressed of the night!
On Nicole (Left): Earrings: Dusk & Rubies "Meet me at the MET", Oscar De La Renta Sunnies, Dress by XOXO, Clutch by Steve Madden, Wedges by Nine West. On Me (Right): Earrings: Dusk & Rubies from "The Gatsby Collection", Dress: Free People, Watch: Michael Kors, Wedges: Guess.
These girls were on trend alright! Statement Earrings were everywhere last night, and bare necks sans necklaces. Left: Earrings from J Crew Right: Earrings from Forever 21
One of the best dressed of the night, Victoria is wearing A lace open back romper from Dolce Vita, and Earrings from J Crew. Another big trend was both lace, and the nude wedge. What can I say great trendy minds think alike!
Other fashionable ladies who knew a thing or two. Left: Beaded and bejewled Clutch from Forever 21. Right: Makeup on trend with old school glamour red lip, and bringing in a pop of color to her boutique bow dress a neon pink lip and crossbody bag. (I know Wendy Williams would approve!)
Let us not forget about the men. Top Left: Shoes: White Boat Shoes! Bottom Right: Pants: J Crew. Yes, he is wearing monogrammed pants, yes he let us shoot them, and yes he is on trend this Summer! All the girls were going gaga over these pants!
Lots of fun this group was. Her headband was $5! Let us not forget to notice Mr. Pocket Square on the right. Any guy who puts in that much thought deserves the honor of being Dusk & Rubies best-dressed male of the night!
And last but not least our new charitable friends Jessica and Kristina who we talked to all night long. Jess: (Left) Dress: Anthropolgie Purse: A Steal from TJ Maxx Kristina (Right): Is on trend with her peep toe nude pump, and Gatsby pearl studs.
So technically it wasn't Monday when I went to Marshalls, but rather Tuesday. Monday was Memorial Day, and it was the most beautiful day out of the weekend. So, no matter how much I love to shop, and love to shop at Marshalls, I could not be indoors. Anyway, on to the fab finds and designer deals I scored this Tuesday, and when I tell you I scored big...I scored BIG.
I am always looking for a new bag. Do I need one? No. Do I want one? Always. Usually I am good at just perusing the bag aisles, but today, out of the corner of my eye I spotted this awesome bag from Michael Kors and with the right price tag I could not pass it by.
This is the Michael Kors Electronics Neoprene Bag in Tangerine. Originally $98, but I bought it at Marshalls for...drum roll please...$39. Now for someone who is always carrying around her i-pad this bag is definitely for me. You can fit your camera, and your i-phone all in the convenience of a crossbody bag. The color is also on trend for this Summer. Check out the pictures below.
Michael Kors Electronics Neoprene Crossbody
Padded insides to protect all electronics from your ipad to your iphone
What else did I buy at Marshalls? Well I found this adorable fit & flare cocktail dress by Maggy London. It has a zipper down the back, and is floral. Maggy London cocktail dresses are affordable at $158, but I scored mine for $49. Never heard of Maggy London? Well, Maggy London is a designer who knows how to make dresses that flatter your frame. Check out some of her other designs below!
Here's a fashion insiders tip for you! Why is fit & flare dresses so flattering?
Pear Shape: If you are a pear shaped woman and want to hide your hips, and accentuate your tiny middle the fit and flare dresses that Maggy London often designs are perfect for you. The dress will drape over areas you want to conceal and draw attention to your skinniest area giving you the perfect tailored look.
Thick Thighs: If you have muscular thighs, or thicker thighs these dresses often hit right above the knee, making your legs look thinner because the dresses hem highlights the smallest and leanest part of the leg.
Big Booty: If you have a little bit of a butt, or feel that some dresses make you look too bootyliscious for let's say your nieces communion (not an appropriate event to show it off ladies) and you want to conceal it this dress is also perfect for you. Once again the dress gives maximum coverage over the area you would like to conceal, but draws attention elsewhere.
Hope you loved this post, and found it fashionably informative!
I feel Memorial Day is like the grand opening, the ribbon cutting if you will, for the Summer season, Summer activities, and Summer events. Among those Summer events are white parties. They may not be as popular outside of NY State, but if your summering in the Hamptons or NYC you are bound to run into at least one white party event.
So, let us take our cue from Emily Thorne. Just because this wealthy hamptonite may be a little too interested in Revenge, doesn't mean she doesn't have impeccable taste when it comes to the perfect white dress. So here is looking at you, Em. She has attended more white parties in one season than I have in my lifetime thus far...
The Scandelous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres
Synopsis: Sissy a bored house-wife, who is anything but boring, finds herself stuck. Stuck in the deep-south; stuck with a husband who finds her sexually irrelevant; stuck in a community that is extremely religious- something she is not, and stuck in the type of heat that makes it ironically impossible to move. The reader is introduced to Sissy as she sits out on her porch, that faces the town's church, as she tries to find a cool place of recluse. Wearing barely nothing she begins to fantasize about the one who got away, and the life that she never lived. She notices the man who is repairing the telephone pole across the street, and notices how his pants have that "shrink to fit" look- he reminds of her lost high school sweetheart, Parker Davidson....until she realises it is Parker Davidson, and he looks good.
With a quick witted heroine who states one-liners like: A smart girl makes a man sweat, and A man will believe anything as long as it's convenient for him, and a setting of a small, southern town where everyone knows everything about everyone you can imagine the trouble Sissy encounters.
This book is for: the woman who is looking for: sizzle, sparks, scandal, and a strong female lead in their beach read this book will be perfect for you.
Pace: fast paced, and never drags. The book is broken into chapters and three parts. Each part seems to up the ante!
1-10 Recommendation: 8, I would highly recommend this book, because there were parts that I didn't see coming! (And that happens rarely)
I hope you enjoy this read. Remember to leave a comment below, and tell us what you think!
Think back to when you were a young kid. You probably didn't think to yourself: I have to get my thirty minutes of cardio in. Why? Because, when we were younger we wanted to be active. Being active was fun, and a way to socialize. Chances are you were in either soccer or dance, baseball or lacrosse, and you spent your summers swimming in the pool, or playing manhunt. These are all forms of exercise that as kids we never thought about as something we had to do, but rather something we wanted to do.
So, why is being active so difficult for some in our adult life? Well, I can think of a load of excuses: we work too hard, we don't have the time, people socialize now over cocktails not bike rides, we would rather do something relaxing like watch television, or read a book, we would even rather sleep. When it comes down to it most people have other activities they would rather do, or they no longer find being active fun. I have found to be successful with exercise you have to make it fun for yourself. To make sure you're getting your recommended sweat on three-four times a week it has to be enjoyable. Those gym rats who say: your workout shouldn't be fun it should be intense, and you should be crippled in pain; otherwise, you're not getting a good workout ...are completely wrong.
I can still lose weight, get into shape, and have fun all at the same time sans the pain I felt from trying P90X, and you can too. Here are 5 fun workouts that don't necessarily feel like working out at all.
1. Rollerblading: Do you remember a Roller Rinks by your house growing up? If you are a 90's kid, then you sure do. For some reason rollerblading to music with your friends while strobe lights were going was one of the most fun things to do for birthday parties. This still sounds fun to me, and still continues to be one of my favorite summer activities. Plus, if you have a pair of roller blades this workout is free of charge!
2. Hiking: Another wonderful way to get into shape, but without feeling like you are doing required exercise is to go for a hike. There are some beautiful parks on Long Island and all over the United States. Just bring a camera and soak in the nature. Meanwhile your legs and glutes will be doing tons of work!
3. Hula Hooping: Play some jams, and swirl your hips and you have a dance party! Oh no- wait, you're working out your abs. Can't believe it? It is true! Have fun with the hula hoop with friends, and whittle your middle all at the same time. What's better is it won't hurt your back, and you won't have to keep count of how many crunches you're doing. Just hit play and sway!
4. Yoga: Do it on the beach, do it in a field, or do it in your room on a rainy day. Yoga is a great workout and you can do it for free just about anywhere. Don't know the first thing about yoga? You can find videos and tutorials on youtube!
5. Bike Riding: I can't help but think of the movie Now and Then and how the four girlfriends would ride their bikes all Summer long, listen to the radio attached to their handle bars, and discuss the issues they faced with coming of age. This throwback movie reminds me of my childhood, where my sister, cousins and I would constantly ride our bikes everywhere listening to our i-pods. So get your bike, get your friends, and enjoy the ride!
I love tea, so it is no secret that one of my favorite cozy tea spots would be the Robinson's Tea Room in Stony Brook Village. This tea spot is so divine it is Zagat rated!
Robinson's also offers both the enjoyment of sitting down to your own steeping pot, or to order one of their delicious teas to go. Another wonderful feature of Robinson's is that they don't only serve tea, but also lunch, and desserts such as their famous scones and clotted cream. Mmmm.
My favorite tea flavors include, but are not limited to: Almond, Orange Spice, Cocoa Coconut, Maple Vanilla, and Licorice Spice.
Just a spot of tea.
How cute is this tea cup and saucer?
My mom is such a pretty lady. Look at her keeping her pinky out!
This place is great for: family events, girlfriend gatherings, mother's day, and just to enjoy your high noon tea.
a. do not fear color. Hanna plays with all types of color bright, neon, muted, and natural colors.
b. do not fear patterns. Hanna incorporates pattern a lot in her wardrobe. She has been seen wearing snakeskin prints, florals, and tribals.
c. Hanna is aware of the newest trends and tries to incorporate them into her wardrobe pronto. Dress like Hanna with these three easy to put together outfits showcased above.
It was back in 2007 when I first decided I was going to try to start running. I wasn't a stranger to exercise by any means. Prior to running, I would work out at the gym by: lifting light weights, and trying different classes. My machine of choice for cardio was the elliptical.
Even after considerable time spent inside the gym, and outside participating in activities like: swimming, biking, and hiking for some reason I was still never happy with the outcome. I blame it on dance and tennis. As a dancer, I always had muscular thighs, and no matter how I worked them out they would never (to me at least) look slender like I wanted them too. Tennis didn't help either. The constant stop and go, lunges, and sprints up and down the court for hours was bound to build up some muscles. (I wish I had a picture of how jacked I looked after coming home from a Nike Tennis Camp where all players were scheduled to play 9 hours of tennis every day. Yikes.)
Anyway, I can't remember how the idea ignited within, or how I decided to do it, but on Easter after eating buckets of candy I realized I needed an exercise evolution. I had heard about the multiple benefits of running from so many people. How running can:
Slenderize your entire body, because it works many muscles at a time.
That it helps to break down bulky muscles into lean muscles.
Burn tons of calories. (About 100 every ten minutes for a 150 lb person)
Is great for reducing stress.
I also heard some of the negative impacts running has on the body:
It can, over time, really impair your joints (especially your knees) because of the constant impact with the pavement or treadmill.
If you don't have the correct shoes, or the correct stride it could also cause complications in ones joints.
I weighed the pros and cons and decided it was something I was willing to try out. I'm a firm believer in moderation, and slowly conditioning yourself. Although as a teenager I had issues with my knees, because I grew too tall too fast, I recognized that if I were to build the muscles up around my knees, while I started to run that I would be less likely to cause myself an injury. So I incorporated light weight training into my new gym routine.
There was still another obstacle I had to overcome. From the time I was 8 until I was about 18 I had been prescribed inhalers for my asthma. My asthma was brought on by severe allergies, but as I grew up I also grew out of my allergies, and out of my asthma. And although I no longer suffered from the asthmatics cough I still had never exercised my lungs from cardio like many other kids.
So, with some semi-terrible knees, and the lung capacity of an asthmatic I set out to run my first mile. Great start right?
Now, I am not going to sugar coat it. After my first run I was panting like a dog left out in the sun for too long, and my chest felt like it was on fire-burning from the unfamiliarity of it all, but I did it. I completed my first mile. From those humble beginnings I am now able to run up to 17 miles in one run- the most I have ever attained. Many people ask how I do it because they want to start to run (Or, they just think I am nuts). But if you want to be a successful long distance runner here are some tips that have worked for me:
1. Start slow. I started with one mile, every day, for one week. Then for my second week I ran one mile and a half. For my third: two miles, For my fourth: three miles. I stayed at each interval long enough, and only upped my mileage when I felt comfortable to do so.
2. Don't force it. Yes, you can force yourself to run four miles the first day, but truth be told the people that I see who do that won't run the next day. What helped me condition myself was that I ran small amounts three, then four, then up to six times a week. Then, I incrementally upped my mileage.
3. Distance first, then time. If you want to be a long distance runner don't worry so much on how fast you are going at first. You can always condition yourself to be faster. There are a lot of people who can run a 6 minute mile...for one mile, but not so many who could run 6 miles total. If you want to run more than one mile, and it's your first time slow down your speed. Try running at a speed of a 10 minute mile and see how many miles you can run.
4. Once you can run 4 miles you can run 6. I know it sounds strange, and you may say "6 miles no way". But many runners will tell you they have a mile they struggle to reach, but once they reach it they can attain more miles. For me, when I was first starting out and had been running for about two months the third mile was always the toughest, but then the following three always flew by.
The main reason why I run now? I love it. It is a great way to relax, and escape. When I put on my music and run my tension or any anxiety I had been feeling gets left on the pavement. I hope these helpful tips, and my story has helped any of you interested in trying to run feel empowered to do so.
With the new season of Pretty Little Liars only weeks away, I was inspired to do a Get The Look for all of you lovelies. There are ways in which you can dress like your favorite trendy PLL. Spencer Hastings happens to be one of my favorites so I started with her.
Spencer is the preppiest of all the girls but she also adds a young twist to her looks. If you watch the show you notice she loves her blazers, and structured jackets. But, to soften the look she'll add something not so structured, and a little daring especially as her character has evolved. So if you look at the second outfit in the set I paired the truly Spenceresque blazer from Lilly Pulitzer with a flowing above the knee skirt, her knee socks, and Mary Janes. The purse I chose to complete the outfit goes back to the structure motif, but employs buckles which is on trend this season.
The first outfit employs a bohemian type hat, a flowing white lace shirt, which may seem a little too relaxed for Spencer, but she loves the femininity of the lace shirt. She also would wear the relaxed shirt with a more structured button down pencil skirt. She often wears leather lace up shoes. Another thing that Spencer does well with her fashion is she knows how to balance both feminine and masculine lines.
The final outfit I am in love with! The loafers with their stitched brocade gives the sense of royalty, of privilege, but they are not the focus of the outfit. She often wears a collar, but this soft pink chemise walks the line of structured/ unstructured quite well. I paired it with a white pant because of the upcoming warmer months.
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