Birthday Suit

My best girlfriends from college are going to be visiting me next weekend, and I'm so excited to host them for my pre-birthday celebration! I'm obviously already stressing about what I'm going to wear for our night out, and have had my eye on this amazing DVF dress since I saw Lea Michele wearing it on the last episode of Glee (yes, I'm a gleek). I love the long, lacy sleeves, and the zipper up the back is super sexy. There's a real glam look to it, but if paired with cool leather jacket, I could bring it down from formal cocktail attire, to a cool, edgy, Marla-style dress. And the more I look at it, the more I think I need the nude color in my life (I was originally crushing hard on the pink version). Now if only I could find the funds for it...

Roshambo

During a brainstorm meeting last week at work, we were flipping through the latest Free People catalog (the February collection is amazing inspiration and the lighting is so romantic), when I found out that there was a video that also went along with it. I immediately fell in love with it and honestly can't stop watching this three minute flick. It's sexy, sultry, and full of lust. Not to mention the hottie and my latest girl crush (tell me you don't want to be her). You can thank me later for sharing this, but for now, sit back and fall in love. 

Boyfriends & Heels

The day I stopped working at Abercrombie & Fitch was the day I swore of distressed jeans and polo shirts. I was sick of the teeny-bopper look, and was ready for a more sophisticated style. Now, 6 years later, I've updated my wardrobe and can't get enough distressed denim back in my closets. Only this time, I'm pairing my "boyfriend" style jeans with slouchy tees, blazers, and sexy heels.  I've taken some style notes from some of my favorite bloggers (loving this, this, and this), and can't wait to play around with spring time prints and open-toed shoes! Current obsession though...those J.Crew pumps. I'm having dreams about them...

top: rebecca minkoff shoes, rachel roy shoes, rebecca taylor shoes, pierre hardy shoes
middle: rag&bone jeans, allsaints jeans, paige jeans, current/elliott jeans
bottom: j.crew shoes, gucci shoes,  elizabeth & james shoes, narciso rodriguez shoes

Friday Happiness

Yay for Friday and the weekend! Even though we had a short week, I'm still totally excited that Friday is here. Weekend plans aren't too crazy, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with friends and watching the Oscars on Sunday night...this might call for a little baking sesh beforehand! Hope you all enjoy your weekend! Let the relaxation begin!

-spent wednesday morning getting my butt kicked by harley pasternak-

-obsessed with my sparkly half moon mani-

-some table top prettiness-

-spent time at the beach on sunday...we can't wait for our summer in lbi-

-obsessed with this leather sleeved jacket-

Homemade Mac & Cheese

I have a love/hate relationship with mac & cheese. I love the ooey gooey cheesiness, but I hate the guilt that comes after eating it. Most of the time though, I push the guilt to the back burner, and go for second helpings...clearly there's more love than hate here.

Nothing is better than homemade mac & cheese though. Sure the blue box does the trick when time doesn't allow for a full on cooking fest, but there's something super comforting about the homemade kind. And that's just what happened on Monday night. I made this delicious recipe (just the traditional kind...not chili this time around!), and have been dreaming of the left overs all week long! Forget Kraft, my mac & cheese is the cheesiest!!

Wardrobe Wednesday: Layer it On

The weather in NYC this winter has been all over the charts...one day its 17 degrees and the next day its 60! Crazy, cray. But more than ever, it makes it difficult to choose a day-to-night outfit. I know, rough life if that's my hardest decision of the day, right? But since this is an every day occurrence, I've hopped on the layering bandwagon. I love throwing flowy tanks under button up shirts, and adding a cool vest or sweater on top, and then wearing my big puffy coat with a cool scarf. I stay warm when I need to, but can peel off layers as the warmth kicks in!

And that's just what I managed to do last week. The morning was chilly so I layered this top with an old vest (similar one here), threw on my fav black chords, and topped it off with my warm winter jacket and a super gauzy but cozy scarf. By the end of the day, the scarf and vest were history, but I still looked cool and put together.

Floral Arrangement

Trending big this spring are floral prints. Surprised? I'm not. I feel like florals are always trending for spring. Really, this is not revolutionary. But they were all over the runways back in September, so everyone from big names like Anna Sui and Nanette Lepore, all the way down to H&M and even Nike are getting in on the flower power. Normally I'd say stick with one print and go (you don't want to be a walking fashion disaster), but I'm into mixing and matching florals with stripes or checks, so find two subtle prints that don't necessarily feel matchy-matchy, and you're good to go (like the amazing dress paired with the vans sneaks below!).

marc jacobs dress, tory burch bag, rag & bone jacket
marc by marc jacobs earrings, lululemon bra, american eagle shorts,
vans sneakers, j.crew necklace, equipment blouse

Friday Happiness

First Friday Happiness post in quite some time, but I'm happy to back sharing things that have made me happy this week! With Valentine's Day behind us, I'm looking forward to finishing out February and getting into March..my birthday month! Hope you all had a great week! Enjoy the weekend!

-what was once stolen lost, is now replaced found-

-cupcakes make me happy-

-goodies from cameo pr friends-

-peanut butter chocolate chip cookies made the snowstorm last weekend more bearable-

-my fav girl came to visit hoboken-

Sweet Treats

For the past 8 years, I've spent the night before Valentine's Day playing baker in the kitchen. Between cupcakes and cookies (my boyfriend's favorites), I've pretty much covered all the traditional bases, so this year, instead of making plain-old red velvet cupcakes, I decided to get crafty and mimic these adorable festive ones. The process seemed easy enough (and it was), and I'm thrilled with how cute they look all boxed up. Some boy is going to be one happy camper tonight...

Wardrobe Wednesday: Print Mixing

There are some weeks when only jeans, a sweater, and boots will do. And then there are weeks when I'm feeling inspired and creative. This is one of those weeks. I've been delving into my wardrobe and pulling out pieces with different textures, and pairing them up for a more for a more put together, yet edgy look. I'm liking the outcome, and also the feedback.

Yesterday's outfit was no exception. I paired my favorite camo pants (new jean version here), with a breezy pale pink top (similar top here), and threw on some calf hair leopard heels, just for fun. I can't tell you how many compliments I got, and I can't lie, I didn't mind it one bit :)

Lim Love

I've been keeping track of all the shows over at Lincoln Center this week (sat this Fashion Week out--September is more fun anyway!), and I'm loving all of the amazing designs that have made their way down the runways. I have to say though, one collection in particular has totally stolen my heart...Mr. Lim, you have done it again. The leather, the shearling, the moto-inspired edge. Seriously, does it get any better? Now if only I could find a way to make my bank account love you just as much as do...

all photos from style.com

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

I've never been huge into Valentine's Day-unless you count being in grammar school and writing little notes to all your friends Valentines and sticking them into shoe box mailboxes during the class party-so the only thing that gets me truly excited for the holiday is all the chocolate and treats that I know I'll eat (my mom has been buying me those huge red heart shaped boxes of chocolate since I was a little girl..and I always save the carmel squares for last!).  But its always fun to get festive presents (my boyfriend's mom always sends me a little package of heart shaped goodies!), and these are somethings that I'd love for my Valentine to get me this year!

Corgi for J.Crew socks, Hanky Panky undies, Essie Leading Lady polish
Christopher Kane + J Brand jeans, Nike Dunk wedges, Philosophy shower gel
Tucker bustier, Diptyque Rose Duet candle, Erin Fetherston pouch, Sydney Evan ring

OKC, Yea You Know Me

It's been a while since I've posted, but I felt like I needed to take a little break from blogging. Between the holidays, crazy traveling for work, and everyday life, I seemed to get caught up, and a break from this place seemed inevitable. But I'm back and ready to get going again! I still seem to be having issues with my pictures, so I'll be working on getting those back up, as soon as possible, and I'm thinking a little blog makeover is necessary, so be on the look out for a little change around here!

As many of you guys know, I work for FITNESS Magazine, and couldn't be luckier to have the opportunity to work with spandex, cool kicks, sparkly gems, and awesome clothes on a regular basis. I love getting addicted to new brands and finding new amazing pieces, but I'm a creature of habit, and will always be true and loyal to my favs. Junkfood Clothing is definitely one of them. 

I love to mix-and-match slouchy, casual pieces with more structured items in my wardrobe, so when I got my hands on this super cute OKC Thunder top (from their new NBA collection!), I knew I needed to dress it up with some jewels and a blazer. It was the perfect outfit for a crazy day in the office, and all I had to do when I got home was take my blazer and jeans off, throw on my favorite Lululemon leggings, and snuggle up with a blanket and the Bachelor (anyone else obsessed with Sean Lowe and his abs?).