Smart Girls Summit

Last Wednesday & Thursday, I woke up at the crack of dawn and ventured into my favorite city for the Smart Girls Summit. In a sea of business suits on Metro-North, there was little me clad in this getup and then this one. It was wonderful and inspiring to hear such smart woman (no pun intended) who've made a change in the world. The first day was filled with motivational panels and keynotes with woman like Shiza Shahid who is the powerhouse behind the Malala Fund. Every person in the room was awestruck and moved by everything that Shiza said. Thursday was just as amazing with great panels, especially the blogging focused featuring Lauren from rewardStyle, Mackenzie, Carly, and Molly.

Along with inspiring panels and speakers, I also met plenty of you guys, and finally matched faces to social media handles- its come to that, folks! I spent free  time with some of my favorite girls, Frannie, Caroline, Chloe, plus some new mates- Sammy, Morgane, and Bella.

After the conference ending up Thursday, Morgane, Bella, and I walked around The Shops at Columbus Circle, and then plopped our tired selves in Central Park- with ice cream in hand, no less. The three of us instantly bonded, and to say the least they are just such cool chicks. Already exhausted, dinner at The Smith with Carin, Fran, Sammy, and Chloe perked me up thanks to endless laughter and plenty of time crammed into the photo booth.

I am so thankful to have these amazing friends in my life. As cliche as it may sound, never in a million years would I think that I would be friends I met over the internet. Oh, how the world works in a crazy way.

NEW IN | ZARA

Zara heels

After looking through the beautiful new Zara campaign for Spring & Summer, I clicked on over to the site. Oh Zara... you knock it out of the park every season. I've been on the hunt for a pair of cutout heels and these beauties exceeded my expectations. In all honesty, I feel silly buying open-toed heels during the snowiest month, but I will never skip a great deal from Zara. Expect to see these a lot from now on. I highly suggest checking out the other new shoes- these are next on my hit list.

Floral Triumph

Wearing: The Reformation blouse, Asos jeans, Mango coat, J.Crew hat, Shoemint booties

I am not one to go for florals, but in all honesty I am sick of stripes (I might have worn them too much last summer). After purchasing this Reformation floral blouse, I have been adding more floral printed pieces to my closet. I was thrilled to find a print I actually liked and is not at all frumpy. One more note- I'm surprised these jeans are just making their debut. I have been wearing them almost everyday- not joking one bit. Baby steps towards those floral prints, friends. Baby steps.

Right On Track

Wearing: Asos sweater, Club Monaco leggings, Nike sneaks, Equipment blouse, Lora Piana scarf

This past weekend, Mother Nature proved she didn't hate us and brought us a dose of sunshine. Then bam, it's snowing today. Alas, this past weekend gave us a little hope that Spring is on track towards us. On the topic of on track, these Nike kicks have stolen my heart. With my personal style being much more simple nowadays, I am thrilled that sporty style is not going anywhere. 

A couple of changes have been happening in my corner of the inter-web. Sometime today, I will be switching my domain over to a .com- My current url will redirect, so you will not be missing any posts! Follow me on twitter for updates regarding the switch.

Inspire

It is crazy to think how a month of 2014 is already over. Most people at this time have pushed aside any goals for the New Year and are falling into a rut. I definitely fell into this "rut" in the middle of the month. This rut is no fun- you feel uninspired and off your usually mojo. This week was crazy busy. I knew I had to take a moment and clear my mind. A favorite quote of mine is by Fitzgerald- "I hope you live a life you're proud of". This always reminds me that we have one life and we must make the most of it.

When I was falling into this slump, I searched for inspiration to give myself that extra boost. I find that extra boost in my thoughts and through music. An inspiring song is able completely change my perspective on almost anything. Or sometimes you just need to think things through. For the first time, I have written down goals; academics, life, and blog. I am usually a more of a "wing it" person but writing goals and dreams down gave me a little "Oprah aha moment" of what I would like to achieve this year.

It's never to late to be inspired. Remember to always think positive thoughts. My main goals this year are to live my life to the fullest and dream big. It sounds cheesy but you don't want to waste your life? I have exciting things plans for this year to see the world, expand this blog, and live my life. It's simple as that. There is a great world out there- go and see it.

Inspiration. Have a great weekend! XO

Beauty | Soft Waves

Rarely, I talk about beauty on the blog- it's not my area of expertise. Many of you emailed or tweeted me after this post asking about my hairstyle. Most of the time I leave my hair au natural. Lately, I've been mixing it up and adding a curl to it. Here is a quick tutorial on how to style the look and perhaps a video will be on the way soon. I hope this is helpful and let me know what your hair tips are.

 NuMe curling wand, TreSemmé dry shampoo & heat protecter, Fekkai beach spray, dryBar brush


I: Apply heat protecter throughout the hair, focusing on the ends and scalp. Heat your curling wand up to your desired temperature- I usually go to 370 degrees.

II: Picking a side to start at, wrap your hair around the wand with the tip of the wand pointing downward. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then let the hair release. Focus on the bottom part of your hair so the waves look more beachy. Continue this step around your head.

III: After you loosely curl the whole head, work on the top sections near the roots. Starting closer to the scalp, curl the hair tighter so that they are more like spirals. It should almost look ridiculous but don't worry.

IV: Once the top is curled, check your head for any missed sections. 

V: Rake your fingers to break up the curls. If you would like gently brush out the hair as well (I personally don't do use the brush because it frizzes up my hair).

VIII: Now you can go two ways; leave your hair down or add a mini topknot. 

Down

Apply dry shampoo to the roots and shake out your hair. This will add some volume and extra texture. Taking a little bit of sea salt spray, spritz some into the palm of your hands and run your fingers through the ends. If you would like to add a little bit of volume; tease the roots and then smooth them out.

 Topknot 

Add a little sea salt spray then taking a top section of your hair pulling it back. Twist into a bun and secure with a jaw clip.

Brr Baby Brr

Wearing: Reformation dress, Stuart Weitzman boots, Rebecca Minkoff bag

I do not suggest going outside without a jacket when there is snow on the ground. But for the sake of showing of my new Reformation dress, I had to go sans jacket and it was not pleasant. Looking back at my style evolution over the past months, I really have been to refine it. A surplus of oversized coats, chunky knits, and navy has dominated my wardrobe this Winter.

Craving White

via

On Tuesday, I was wearing pastels and today I'm talking about white. If it is not obvious by now, I am sick of Winter. I've been embracing winter white as much I can but in all honesty, I really would like warmer weather. I've linked below some of my favorite white separates in hopes that I'm not the only one in need of a little Spring. The image above is a look I'm obsessed with- crisp, white separates with a masculine vibe. Have a great weekend and enjoy the cold (just kidding...)

Elements of Tweed

Wearing: Three Floor dress, Pour La Victoire heels (old but, similar & similar)

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Just to clear up any confusion, these photos are from a few weeks ago. I have always been drawn to Three Floor dresses. They are all unique and have eye catching elements which makes them stand apart from other brands. This dress caught my eye because of the tweed detailing and open back. It makes a statement on its own so I kept it simple with tried and true heels. Shop more Three Floor dresses below.

Pastel

Joie pants (old), BLK Denim sweatshirt, Asos coat, Alice & Olivia heels (similar)

 AV Max cuff, Converse sneaks

Thank you for the positive response on last week's post about quality over quantity. A quick note regarding quality- I am having some trouble when it comes to my photos so stay with me while I get it all sorted out. If you or anyone you know is a photography wiz, please email me.

To say the least, I am pretty much done with Winter. Over the weekend I wore a pair of white lace pants that I picked up last spring from Joie. To stay warm, I layered up with a grey sweatshirt (I have worn it everyday for the past week) and a oversized scarf. Shed the extra layers and add heels when it's time to dress up a bit. 

Photos by Reid Secondo

Polar Blues

Wallace & Barnes sweater borrowed from my brother, Rag & Bone jeans (similar), 

Alice + Olivia heels, Celine bag, Asha by Adm necklace c/o, Bauble Bar necklace

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Whoever said that you can't wear summer pieces in the middle of winter was very very wrong. I purchased these rag & bone jeans this previous summer on super sale at Intermix. They are a little bit edgier than basic white because of the bleached fabric and zippers at the ankles- which are perfect for showing off killer heels. Of course I am wearing head-to-toe blue again. A chunky sweater is one stop layering and ideal on Winter days. My rule on knits- the thicker, the better especially during polar vortexes. 

Contrast

 A.L.C. stripes (similar), Zara knit, Club Monaco leather leggings- on sale, Asos slip ons (similar)

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

 If you ever look at a compelling outfit there is always some contrast. The outfit is full of different elements that seemingly work together. The pairing of these separates was quite spontaneous. And no surprise, they are all favorites in my wardrobe. I didn't notice until writing this post the contrast between each item from heavy knit to sleek leather and the mixing of prints. Having variation in my outfits is what I find keeps them interesting (I hope so at least!) and when it happens accidentally it is even better. Have a great weekend. x

St.Barths Photo Diary

1. St. Jean beach 2. Flying towards St.Barths 3.Sunset on the 1st evening 4. Rainbow over the Grand Cul de Sac 5. Eden Rock 6. Plane arriving at the airport 7. Gouverneurs beach 8. View after a rain shower 9. St.Jean beach 10. Sunset waves 11. The last sunset of 2013 12. Gouverneurs beach

It's very hard to capture the beauty of St.Barths through a camera lens instead of one's own eyes. Sadly, I am returning home to cold bitter weather today but I am full of sunshine from my favorite island. During my stay I tried my best to capture the essence of the island from the beautiful sunsets to clear waters. One of my favorite things about St.Barths is all its hidden treasures. After visiting many times, I always seem to find a new place to eat or a new beach or something as little as a point overlooking the ocean. Being away from your home puts everything in perspective on how special every nook & cranny on this planet is. It also has taught me to step back and appreciate each moment I have. Hope you enjoy the photos. x