oh, autumn!

After a fun-filled summer of beerfests, baseball games, and the beach, I'm excited for all things autumn- pumpkin ale, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin lasagna (really anything pumpkin), and crisp evenings, cozy sweaters, Sunday afternoons watching football and cooking something tasty in the crock pot, and of course, all of the fabulous fall fashion.

Late summer into fall is easily my favorite time of the year, when balmy August nights start to give way to cool September evenings. I can trade in my flip flops and sundresses for ballet flats and long-sleeved silky tops, and generally don't have to worry about being a sweaty mess by the time we walk to our destination. And while it may be Spring 2012 in New York right now, I'm all about Autumn 2011. I haven't really done any serious shopping for the past few seasons, but this year, I'm really excited about some of the fall fashions. That, and I think my taste has changed a bit over the past few years, from a little twee and ruffly to a little more modern and edgy.

So, here are a few things I'm craving for fall (besides everything pumpkin):

{Shop}:: Marlie Sweater, Abercrombie & Fitch; Clara Skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; Hammered Sequin Tank by Vince, PiperLime; Druzy Quartz and Chrysophrase Earrings by NYC Jewelry Design; Stella Plated Stainless Steel Watch in Gold, Fossil; Svetlana Bracelet, Dannijo; Tight-End Tights in Black, Spanx; Seychelles Theory Boots, Zappos


{Shop}:: Christina Skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; LC Lauren Conrad Ruched Open-Front Boyfriend Blazer, Kohl's; Silk Layering Cami, J.Crew; Greer Wedge Ankle Boots; Bekah Necklace, Dannijo; Amelie Leather Clutch by Ira Grant; Spanx Tight-End Tights in Bittersweet

currently loving (and styled):: colorful summer dresses from madewell

Summers in Pennsylvania are hot, humid, and sticky, and definitely not good for my hair. But they are the perfect excuse to stock up on silky, lightweight, colorful dresses (because really, that's about all I can stand to wear around these-here parts during the summer months; anything else and I feel like I'm suffocating).

And I'm loving all the cute dresses at Madewell right now (as usual). Even better- these are dressy enough to wear out at night but easy enough to dress down with a pair of cute flat sandals during the day (like I styled my favorite dress- the purple one!- below):



PS- You can see how I styled the pink dress for a guest post over at my friend Brandi's blog.

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{Shop}:: (dresses clockwise from top left) floral croquet dress;  silk safari dress;  midsummer dress;  shadyside smock dress;  electric ikat silk dress;  silk ballad dress;   market tank dress;  silk speakeasy dress

speakeasy dress, day: fringed bag, american eagle outfitters; long links necklace, anthropologie; whistlestop sandal, madewell

speakeasy dress, night: peacock clutch by mermaid's dream; via spiga elyria sandals, piperlime; eddie borgo at j.Crew fringed mesh pocket necklace; classic pave link bracelet, j.crew

styled (and found):: ghost whisperer purple dress

I recently had a reader contact me for help locating a dress similar to the dress Melinda wore in Ghost Whisperer season 5 episode Dead Ringer (since, you know, I'm obsessed with Melinda's style). While I didn't find the exact dress, I found two dresses that are similar in cut and color (the second dress is more on the indigo side than purple, but the fabric, drape and cut were similar to Melinda's). I styled the first dress very closely to Melinda's style and the second, I added some metallic and zebra touches for a fun (but still Melinda) look. Check them out:




Anyone else out there have a Ghost Whisperer fashion mission? Contact me or hit me up on Twitter, and I'll see what I can do!

PS- I also started a pinboard on Pinterest for purple dresses, so stop by and check that out, too.

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{Shop}
Top image:: dress: purple midi skirted dress, topshop; cardigan: hive & honey dolman cardigan, piperlime; belt: wide silvertone link belt, white house black market; watch: stella aluminum silver dial watch, fossil; bracelet: philosophy bracelet by sky koltun; shoes: pour la victoire irina, piperlime
Bottom image:: dress: casablanca asymmetrical draped dress, reiss; belt: 7 hills skinny animal print belt, piperlime; shoes: haertel sandals, aldo

Images of Ghost Whisperer are screenshots from the episode.

styled:: ruffled coral dress

Happy Monday! (That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one, right?)

As you may already know, I have a bit of an obsession with Melinda Gordon's style from Ghost Whisperer. In the series finale, she wore a pretty coral dress and, of course, I loved it (much like I love everything else in Melinda Gordon's closet).


{ screen shots from Ghost Whisperer, season 5, episode 22, The Children's Parade }
And then! Then I spotted a similar dress on Madewell's website. Unfortunately, I procrastinated (I am so good at that) and didn't buy it and then it disappeared. But then last week, it popped up on the site again- one left and in my size. Fate, right? Obviously. So I bought it.

It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm already thinking about how this awesome coral dress will not only be the perfect addition to my beachy summer wardrobe, but will also add a nice pop of color to neutral winter ensembles.



{ tights: tight end tights in charcoal, spanx | bag: deena & ozzy leather pocket front tote, urban outfitters | sweater: twisting and turning cardi, anthropologie | shoes: langford leather high-heel oxfords, j. crew | necklace: druzy pyrite charm necklace by sparkle couture }


{ bag: shifting sands bag, anthropologie | sandals: seaside sandal, madewell | belt: web buckle belt, j.crew | necklace: swirled necklace- shades of green by catie's blue }
Dress by Madewell (no longer available).

styled:: casual weekend boots

After tromping and clomping around in snow and ice and slush for the past few weekends on our trips around town, I decided that I'm in desperate need of some casual weekend boots that I can tromp and clomp around (in) in snow and ice and slush but that still look somewhat put together (ie, not Uggs). And while my precious Anthropologie Winding Ruffle boots are adorable and comfortable, subjecting them tromping and clomping in the elements horrifies me on so many levels.

So, I found these clog-boots from Dansko that look like they'll be okay for clomping (I mean clogs clomp, right?). Maybe they'll be good for tromping, too. We'll see in a few days because they are currently en route to my doorstep. And I'm pretty sure they'll work with skinnies and bootcuts, alike. Witness:


skinny jean, american eagle outfitters
handmade cowl neck sweater by isabel amyo
woven chains bracelet, madewell
deena & ozzy zip-front moto satchel, urban outfitters
the emma boot jean, abercrombie & fitch
sequin sweatshirt, j.crew
long feather and crystal necklace by solis jewelry
the brownstone suede minibag, madewell
Boots- Dansko Reegan (available at Zappos)
(Things I discovered while posting this post: I really love grey sweaters/sweatshirts as casual weekend wear and yet, I have none to speak of in my closet. As with any fashion emergency, this must be remedied quickly.)

styled:: alexa chung for madewell

Madewell finally debuted the much-anticipated Alexa Chung for Madewell line. Yay! There are a ton of cute pieces and they're selling out quickly. Hopefully, Madewell restocks soon because I'd love to get my hands on a few of them, including the Betty Tea Dress.

Here are two of my favorite pieces, the Betty Tea Dress (of course!) and the Sketchbook Tee, and how I'd style them:

Alexa Chung for Madewell Betty Tea Dress
styled with: Infinity Cardigan in bronzed twig, J. Crew
| Embellished leather belt, Abercrombie & Fitch | Hidden Sun Mary Janes, Anthropologie | Blue rose and vintage cameo earrings by The Silver Dog | Gatsby Cuff, Madewell



Alexa Chung for Madewell Sketchbook Tee
styled with: McKenna plaid shirt, Abercrombie & Fitch | Denim shorties, American Eagle | Opaque tights, Anthropologie | Highstep open-toe bootie, Nine West | Tassel rope necklace, J. Crew

So, what about you? What do you think of the Alexa Chung for Madewell collection? Which pieces are your favorites?