Trends We're Watching - Bejeweled Sweaters

Pie & I can't seem to get enough of our sweaters lately, and while she favors cozy confections I can't think of a better way to beat my winter blues than with one of these sparkling sweaters.

Lanvin Embroidered Jewel Sweater, FarFetch; Jeweled-Shoulder Sweater, J. Crew;

Adriana Papell Jeweled Cardigan, Lord & Taylor;

Halogen Embellished Neckline Sweater, Nordstrom; Kate Spade Embellished Cardigan, Neiman Marcus.

Life in Photos - A Food Tour of Brooklyn

Earlier this month the husband and I participated in a lovely food tour run by Urban Oyster. The tour included locations in Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill, and we got to sample some truly wonderful food in between strolling around these gorgeous, old neighborhoods. Our tour guide was lively and very knowledgeable about the history of the area, and we visited places that are part of the more artisanal, hipster movement along with shops that have been around since the neighborhood was a very different place. We stopped by relative newcomers Stinky Bklyn for cheese sandwiches, One Girl Cookies for samplings of their little treats and 61 Local for beer and kombucha, but we also stopped by such neighborhood standbys as Court Pastry Shop for cookies and D'Amico Foods for a very good cup of coffee.

Along with 3 other stops this made for a very full afternoon, and we were lucky to have a gorgeous, warm fall day for our wanderings. We were joined by four other couples who made the trip from Manhattan, Connecticut, New Jersey and even Australia. We were a merry group, forging onward with ever-fuller bellies and charmed by these family-friendly, beautiful old neighborhoods where chains seem scarcer and the streets are lighter for their absence.

Urban Oyster

Covets - Mother of Pearl Sweatshirts

 

 

I'll admit it - I've been feeling a bit lazy lately.  You see, once the weather starts to drop, I crave coziness - giant, snuggly sweaters and oversized infinity scarves.  But that can all get a bit boring.  Which is why I'm so in love with Mother of Pearls' cheeky sweatshirts.  I absolutely adore the idea of rocking a piglet in flight, guaranteed to lighten up the dreariest of winter days.  And a bedazzled turkey?  Silly perfection for this year's Thanksgiving feast, of course!

Grey Pig on Balloon Sweatshirt, Avenue 32;

Lucas Embellished Cotton-Jersey Sweatshirt, Net-A-Porter; Lucas Bell Jar Embellished Sweatshirt, Matches Fashion.

Trends We're Watching - Bubblegum Coats

Soft pink coats are easy to find this winter, and I'm loving the ladylike, dreamy feel of them. Picture the shade on a snowy street, with a fluffy white hat and creamy leather gloves. I'm smitten with the softness and cozy sweetness of this vision. A black coat is classic, but somehow a pink coat is even more so (I thank Chanel and Jackie).

 

 

Glorious Wool Coat, French Connection; Premium Wool Biker Coat, TopShop;

Peplum Hem Coat, Ted Baker;

Miu Miu Shearling Collar Coat, The Outnet; Phillip Lim Full Length Jacket, The Corner.



 

Covets - Snash Double Claw Ring

Well, this isn't so much a covet as a cave.  As in, I loved it so much I had to scoop it up.

Created by Snash Jewelry, a Brooklyn-based designer, the piece is insanely ferocious.  Reminiscent of the work of my much adored Pamela Love, it's my first double finger ring.  Beyond comfortable, it's also adjustable - just squeeze the sides a bit and it fits perfectly while still affording an unexpected amount of freedom of movement - unheard of with most double finger treasures.

Available in antique gold, antique silver, ruthenium and sterling silver, in both matte or polished versions, it's never been simpler to get exactly what you want.  After much debating, I went with antique silver with a matte finish.  Edgy and fun, I can't sing it's praises enough.

Snash Jewelry

What We're Buying - Oxblood Leather

On a recent shopping excursion with Pie I sighted the perfect faux leather moto jacket, in a beautiful shade of oxblood, at an amazing price at Forever 21. The stars were aligned in some perfect harmony: the faux leather was rich looking, the color gorgeous and the metal details prolific and a perfect gold-toned hue. I tried on a medium and it fit well. I put it down due to a loose thread, returned later to seek out another medium, and, alas, there were none left. Not even my loose-thread-castoff, which could have easily been fixed. I was crestfallen, and more than a little obsessed with finding a substitute in the days to come (the item was not available on their website). And thus began my search for the perfect maroon/oxblood leather or faux leather jacket. My, are there options to be had.

 

 



All of these beautiful options and then, voila, out of the blue there it was... Reunited, and it feels so good.

 



Hide Jacket, Asos; Jessica Simpson Faux Leather Jacket, Lord & Taylor;
Alexander McQueen Quilted Jacket, Yoox; Laundry Asymmetrical Jacket, Saks Fifth Ave;
Buckled Collar Jacket, Forever21.
 

Life in Photos - Go Fly a Kite

 

 



 

When Fortune visited her lovely sister in Colorado, she returned with goodies - two kites, to be precise.  Fortune acquired a bird for herself + husband, and gifted me and mine with a colorful, low-wind charmer.

 

With the temperatures dipping in New York, we finally got a chance to take our babies out for their first flight - and what a treat it was!

 

The height we got was absolutely incredible; Fortune's kite majestically soared way up high in the sky.  My kite was such silly fun; with dips and twirls and swirls, my husband and I were kept gleefully laughing at it's unpredictable flight pattern.

 

The great outdoors, gorgeous flyers and handstands - who could ask for a better Sunday?

Life in Photos - Apple Picking in Vermont

 

On a surprisingly warm fall weekend not too long ago I had the luck to make it up to Vermont with the husband and my mother for a weekend with my aunt and cousins. Even more luckily, one pair of said cousins took us with them to their friends' farm to go apple picking and pet some very vocal sheep. The farm is private, they only sell their apples to nearby markets and New Yorkers looking for "local" fruit at their supermarkets, so we had the space all to ourselves. It was a gorgeous day, and their beautiful property made me ache a little bit for a wide open space of my own. Maybe someday, but returning the city still gives me an entirely different feeling of joy. If the day ever comes when that joy isn't rekindled upon my return I think I'll know that it's time to seek some verdant pastures of my own.