Sister Workout

My sister and I were in Wisconsin a week ago and we needed to get out of the house so we headed over to planet fitness for a quick workout. Funny enough, my sister and I workout TOTALLY different. She was all American in Track in high school and would prefer to just do straight up cardio on the treadmill til she pukes, while I prefer to lift and do circuit training for my cardio.

My trainer had given me a cardio circuit on Friday which I had done and timed that morning and my sister agreed to give it a try. It was actually pretty awesome working out with her because we pushed each other so we maintained the same pace the entire time. The best part about this workout is that you don't need any equipment so it's a great workout to do when you can't make it to the gym. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

50 Jumping Jack

50 Crunches

45 Jumping Jacks

45 Squats

40 Jumping jacks

40 Crunches

35 Jumping Jacks

35 Alternating Lunges

30 Jumping Jacks

30 Squats

25 Jumping Jacks

25 Push Ups

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Alternating JUMPING Lunges

15 Jumping Jacks

15 Squats

10 Jumping Jacks

10 Bicycle Crunches

5 Jumping Jacks

 5 Burpees

Post Workout Selfie

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Dressing the Part

As materialist as fashion and clothes can appear to be at times, sometimes dressing the part can help you get through the hardest times. Sure, cuddling up in bed in sweats and ordering-in your favorite junk food is always a strong healing method. But when you're ready to come out of your cave, dressing the part can really help you get beyond whatever obstacle you are facing at the present time.

Clothes give you the freedom to express whatever you are feeling- good or bad. Whether it's a tough time or something you want to celebrate- there truly is an outfit for every occasion and what you wear sends a message. 

I shot this look 6 weeks ago or so, when I was ready to pull myself out of a funk and focus on moving forward. The sparkle sweatshirt says "I'm shining bright, but I'm relaxed" and the pop of color in the skirt says "I'm ready to take chances." On the contrary, the metal zippers and studded clutch show some edge and a little glimpse of a tougher side; paired with the heels that say "don't f%#k with me."

If this comes off a little "Girl Interrupted" meets Taylor Swift, I promise I'm not hiding chicken underneath my bed and I certainly don't intend to take guitar lessons any time soon :)

Sometimes it's best to let your outfit speak for itself.

 

Details: Sweatshirt Zara similar, Skirt Missguided similar, Clutch BCBG, Sunglasses BCBG

#NYFW

To state the obvious, I took another time out from blogging. I partially took a break due to the fact that work really took off (in a good way) and I felt like I barely had time to breathe, let alone sit down and actually compose a cohesive post.

So better late than never, I wanted to reflect on my experience during New York Fashion Week. I was fortunate enough this year to attend two shows for BCBG Max Azria and Herve Leger. Both experiences were totally different but rounded out to make for the perfect overall perspective.

For the BCBG show, I wasn't sure what to expect so I made sure I woke up early that morning to get ready and wore the brand head to toe. When I got to Lincoln Center, it was so surreal to be in the same waiting area as some of my favorite bloggers, designers, or people I watch on tv on a weekly basis. People watching - even for a short period of time, was very humbling. On one hand I was living out a dream that I had always had and on the other hand, I felt the way I did as a little girl when I discovered Santa wasn't real. It was a matter of extremes.

My seat for the show was amazing with a great view of the runway. Even though I am slightly biased, I think that the music that was picked for the show was unmatched during all of Fashion Week. The soundtrack was totally unexpected and it created an amazing energy amongst the crowd to the point where I felt like everyone couldn't help but bob their head or move along to the music.

Saturday, I got my ticket to the Herve Leger show at the last minute so it was meant for standing room only. After having one show under my belt, I realized that wardrobe to the shows is anywhere from jeans and a flannel to evening-wear and it seemed as if it wasn't as cool to dress over the top. Since I left from work with my boss, I just wore a basic black outfit with flat boots. Once we got into the show my boss and I were offered seats, but we opted for a different perspective and stood at the top row. At the last minute, someone moved blocking my view so I quickly reached into my bag and switched out my flats out for platform heels just in time for the show to start. Although that moment was so cliche "High Heels and Taxi Cabs," it made me smile and was the perfect way for me to cap off the week.

 

Black Swan

It's no secret that it has been absolutely FREEZING lately, so during my last shoot I got through my first two outfits and then on the verge of turning into a popsicle, my GBF/Photog suggested we shoot inside. This is traditionally a big blogger no-no because of the lack of natural lighting, especially in my tiny NYC apartment-cave, but I decided I'd take the chance and stay warm. He probably also took one look at my outfit and decided he didn't want to be an accomplice to me getting pneumonia.

The below look is my play on Black Swan. This outfit combines a few staples that I am known for: leather, a crop top, and a statement jewelry piece. The top is from Zara Similar Here. The Quilted Skater Skirt is from ASOS Similar Here. The suspender print tights are from NastyGal, along with the hand armor bracelet. All pretty affordable items that come together for a fun night out outfit.

 

 

Black and Grey and Spikes All Over

I love buying clothes that most people would pass over and finding a way to pull together an outfit that then those same people say "oh my god, I love that! Where did you get it?" I feel like it's a challenge, especially since it's outside of the box and could easily be a #fail.

I found this manly-quilted-lumberjack vest with a leather collar at Nordstrom on double sale for $30. This is a perfect example of the above since it had to be marked down twice. I'll admit, I wouldn't have bought it for much more, but I decided that I could give it a shot for the price. I paired it with a basic GAP grey T, BCBGeneration Legging to Leather Pants, Boutique9 Pumps (similar), and Juicy Couture spike necklace. What do you guys think? Is it pulled together? Or still not happening for you?

Here's to the New Year

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays and had some quality family time. Starting with my first post in 2014, I will be showing off my favorite Christmas gift.... a new CAMERA. This means no more ghetto/pixilated iPhone pictures! I kicked off 2014 with the perfect New Years Day: a movie in bed, a blog shoot, dinner with my Gay Boyfriend and ended the day with a gym sesh.

This outfit below is an outfit that I wore out to LA on January 2nd for ten hours of BCBG meetings. It might look put together but this outfit experienced a lot: the beginning of a NYC snow storm, lost luggage in LAX, broken rental car, and endless hours in the airport due to the storm. It's amazing how a great outfit can help mask the stress and drama that we experience on a daily basis and put our best heel first.

Outfit Details: Dress Clover Canyon on sale from Saks, Boots Pour La Victoire on sale here at 6pm.com , Leather Jacket BCBGeneration found it here on sale at Amazon, Bag Rebecca Minkoff smaller version here at Zappos

 

 

 

Mad Hatter

While I was home over Thanksgiving I decided to embrace the true Fall Foliage color palette and try out this Rust Colored Wool Panama from Free People. Although I sell hats as part of my job and I love them, I hesitate and chicken out wearing them ALL THE TIME! Given that this is the most hypocritical thing, I have decided that I am going to start wearing them more. For the rest of the outfit, I had to rep my BCBGeneration "Girly Girl" Cold Weather Loop in Rosewood. The knit is super cozy and I own it in two colors. My jeans are AG which is my go-to brand for denim. I never buy them at regular retail thanks to flashsale sites but I do think they are totally worth the retail price. My leather jacket is BB Dakota. I think Forest Green is my favorite color of the season (for the moment). The best accessory of this whole outfit however, has to be my sister's puppy Milo :)