Going Down Swinging

Happy Friday! Which has taken on a whole new meaning now that I'm employed.

I've decided to try my hand (har har) at boxing. By that, I mean I went to one class and my arms are noodles, but I loved it. It was so refreshing to get an upper-body workout and plus, boxing doubles as self-defense. I may make this official and spring for a pair of my own hand wraps. Have you ever tried boxing? What do you think of it?

Have a wonderful and crisp fall weekend!


[photo cred to Lonny magazine, via here]

Schoolgirl Twist

Peter Pan collars never fail to remind me of my whopping twelve years as a Catholic schoolgirl. I haven't gone near them since then, as they're not exactly flattering. Plus, after those twelve years, I never want to see a plaid skirt or knee socks or, of course, button down shirts with Peter Pan collars ever again. But this season, designers have gone a different route:

However, Peter Pan necklaces reimagined in tough metals? That's more edgy than schoolgirl savvy. The collared blouses themselves were all over the Fall/Winter 2011 runways, but so were the necklaces. And I love them. They're so versatile and can dress up a scoopneck tee in an instant (stay away from v-necks, however). They'd even look great worn over an actual collared blouse. I'd want to try it over something sheer and polka-dotted, in an uncomplicated black and white palette.

Here are my favorite ones:

Chanel, on the left, is light years out of my budget (duh), but the silver number is handcrafted and the perfect way to jazz up an otherwise simple ensemble.

[photo cred here and there]

Neat Or Naughty

Are you neat...or not? I line up my pencils and have everything in my room just so, whether it be parallel or color-coordinated or arranged in height order. Ever since I've moved to NYC, though, my apartment is so clean that it looks sterile. I kind of want to leave a drawer open and scatter jewelry across my hybrid desk/dresser. On the other hand, I wouldn't be able to sleep if my perfumes weren't arranged by their top notes. (Yep). (Top notes). (Yep).

What would you suggest? I can't decide whether I want to turn my room into a really pretty, feminine pigsty or leave it the way it is and paint the wall or something.


[photo cred here and there]

At First Blush

There's a new makeup trend. I find these things out while I'm working. When I say "working," I usually mean painting my nails for a mini photo shoot or getting my eyelashes dipped in something or other. Sometimes, "working" means writing. I understand if someone wants to reach their arm through the computer and cyber-slap me.

Anyway, as I was saying: new makeup trend. Blush is on the up and up—literally. It's gone from the apples of the cheeks to the cheekbones and now, to the temples. Here's a prime example:

Pretty? Yes. Easy to pull off? No. Depending on placement and saturation, blush at the temples can have a sickly effect. Worst case scenario, it resembles a rough case of pink eye. Which is neither cute nor comfortable.

However, a few tweaks make it surprisingly easy to try in real life. Just keep a few things in mind: don't wear eyeshadow. At this height, blush does double-duty as rouge and eyeshadow. Secondly, try sweeping it from the cheekbones to the temples, as shown below. That way, you get the best of both worlds. Lastly, commit. A wimpy patch of pink is going to look exactly that: wimpy. Here, the perfect real-world execution of this trend:

Would you be game to try? Or is it too over-the-top?

[photo cred here and there]

Little Bit of Leopard

I'm of the camp that when it comes to leopard, less is more. However, I've seen women who can pull off a leopard cardigan or even a pencil skirt. In its own right, the latter looks fantastic with a classic collared blouse and a good dose of confidence. Where do you fit in? Are you a little leopard lady or a lot?


(photo cred to 1, 2 and 3)

Backstage at Milly

Today was baby's first blowout (at the new Drybar in Flatiron). There was a collective gasp throughout the office when I mentioned that I'd never had one before. I also went to my first fashion show today (first backstage, and then to an unexpected fifth row seat). Milly's Spring/Summer 2012 collection didn't fail to impress.

I loved the geometric patterns and vivid colors. Plus, I'm a sucker for the bright orange and navy blue combo. Every single shift dress that made its way down the runway stole my heart. The silhouettes, perfectly swingy, were simple because the patterns said it all. The pants kept in line with fall's '70s moment—either slim and cropped or loose and long, all of the trousers were high-waisted. I want everything.

The beauty backstage was incredibly simple and carried the neon touches of the clothing. The look was all about a bare face with a bright matte lip. A semi-matte lipstick in a playful shade like Nars Schiap (I just really adore Nars lipstick in general) is an easy way to get the effect. The models wore CND polish in Electric Orange with a new Effects booster (available in November) to get a more saturated shade.

And to think, I was outlining a paper on Lady MacBeth's masculinity this time last year.

(photo cred to Style.com, Narscosmetics.com and CND.com)

Missoni Magic

Full disclosure: I'm far more excited for the Missoni for Target dishware than the clothing. Give. Me. Those. Mugs. And those trays! They're the exact things I need to spice up my very new and very white apartment. I want to buy a million and put them everywhere, just to make the place look lived-in and cozy. I wouldn't even keep them in cabinets.

I also adore this pillow—it's such a cute, 70s-esque riff off the classic Missoni weave. And the wine case would make a chic but inexpensive hostess gift. Just pop a bottle of Chianti in there and you're set. Wallet, be prepared!

(photo credit here)