Going Prep

what i'm wearing:

jcrew (outlet) navy gingham shirt

american eagle bow sweater

american eagle red jeggings

shoemint ankle boots

Looking over some of my older outfits, some variation of this look (gingham shirt layered over sweater, skinny jeans + ankle boots) is probably my cold weather uniform. It's pretty easy to put together when you're like me and have far too many colorways of gingham button downs and skinny pants. Feeling very preppy today, even more than usual, I think it's the combination of navy & red along with the bow. But that's not a bad thing (in my opinion).

Catching Up

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post on this blog. I haven't abandoned it completely, but I haven't had the time lately to take good quality photos and post them. I've been doing things the easy way, snapping some quick outfit photos with my phone and instagraming them. A lot has happened since then, I feel like it was still semi-warm out the last time I posted (I have bare legs!) and now it feels like we're right smack dab in the middle of winter. In the past couple of months, I've run a half marathon, developed quite the heavy craft addiction, and have really been putting a lot of heart and soul into my etsy store, Adore Prep. More photos on what I've been up to after the jump!

joe fresh sweater + loft skirt

diy print & painted frame

f21 top, anthro necklace

cheap frames painted with martha stewart paint

gap sweater, jcrew gingham

monogram etsy pullover, jbrand houlihans

Hi, I'm Autumn

zara peplum top, h&m skirt, f21 necklace, tb patent revas, ysl muse

It really feels like fall is here and I can't be more excited! Fall is probably my favorite time of year in NYC, and I just love being able to wear layers and jackets and boots and all that other fun stuff. This peplum top I wore yesterday is something I bought a couple of weeks ago, but I felt like I should save it for cooler weather. I love the teal color, and the texture of the top.

joe fresh knit dress, f21 necklace, shoemint ankle boots

Wearing teal today as well, but a comfortable drapey dress from Joe Fresh, which had a lot of great fall pieces at reasonable prices. I'll be sad when it becomes too cold to go tightsless, but I'll enjoy it for now!

The Latest Quick Snaps

Mossimo for Target dress, ShoeMint ankle boots

Can't believe that summer is actually over! I love summer, but I'm pretty excited for fall, looking forward to wearing more layers, boots, and not sweating as much. For the day after Labor Day, I decided to embrace Fall by wearing a sweater dress and boots. But the dress is sleeveless, and the boots are ankle boots, so I don't feel like I'm jumping the gun too soon. 

I have never tried ShoeMint before, but I really loved the way these ankle boots looked, so I pulled the trigger (with a 50% off code). I was pleasantly surprised, they are real leather and look a lot nicer than expected. I'm planning on checking back to see if there are any other styles I like!

zara knit peplum dress, ae necklace, aerosoles sandals

This red peplum dress is definitely out of my comfort zone. I don't wear red often, but I felt like this knit dress was much more fun in red than in black. It's made out of knit, so it's a lot more casual than the peplum shape normally implies. 

 

tibi dress, target belt, zara jacket, matt bernson sandals

I've been obsessed with my Zara denim jacket lately. I never thought I'd wear one, but after seeing my sisters and my co-worker rock them, I decided I wanted one for myself. It's a great layering piece for fall, and I've worn it a bazillion times already, especially in my office which is still freezing.

So there you have it, a few quick snaps. I'm really excited about wearing fall clothes, so hopefully will have some better photos soon!

Quick Snap: Leopard & Fringe

zara leopard top & fringe skirt, aerosoles sandals

Sorry, I wear this skirt all the time. It's easy to pair with anything, but the fringe still makes it fun. I keep meaning to take more photos outside instead of these poorly lit excuses of photos, but just like going to the gym and making homemade meals, I've been incredibly lazy. And I'd much rather do some crafts.

 

via Instagram

• Arm Party #1 (or #armrager as my friend LV called this): AdorePrep hairties, David Yurman bracelets, handmade friendship bracelets, and H&M bangle
• DIY Monogram Stripe pouch, along with some other mint accessories (the bag needs a 2nd coat, but I like it so far!)
• Margot Tenenbaum, my current hair and style inspiration
• Arm Party #2: MK rose gold watch, AdorePrep hair tie, and handmade disc bracelet

Business With a Twist

Back to work on a Monday after a wonderful weekend spent with some of my favorite people in the entire world. Even though all of us live in different cities around the country, I love that we still make an effort to get together once in a while, and it's always as if we just started back up from where we left off, whether we saw each other a week ago or several months ago. I had never been to Denver before (or out west pretty much) and I loved it. Went hiking in Boulder, checked out a brewery, and just had a lot of fun with everyone. And you can't beat the weather!

J.Crew cardi, LOFT blouse, Zara skirt, aerosoles sandals

I feel very "secretary" wearing this blouse & cardigan combination, but I think the asymmetrical hem of my pleated skirt keeps it from being dull. Never thought I'd embrace this type of skirt, but after seeing it on other people, I decided this blush colored version on sale at Zara would be a fun way to try it.

J.Crew (outlet) cardi, F21 dress & necklace, aerosoles sandals, YSL Muse

Lately I've been all about being comfortable... the heat and humidity just get to me. I'm so ready for fall!

I've been having so much fun with Adore Prep, my Etsy shop, and if you've shopped, thank you for your support! 

Sneak peek at my latest notepad design!

Gingham and Olive

What I'm wearing:

*J.Crew (outlet) Gingham Shirt in Navy (similar here)

*Forever 21 Full Knee Length Skirt in Olive

*Mulberry "Alexa" Bag in Oak

*Aerosole "Atstanding" Sandals in Mid Green

This shorter do is still taking some getting used to. I've always had the bad habit of playing with the ends of my hair, and I have been catching myself grabbing at empty air. I think I like it though, which is good because it's not like I can do anything about it at this point.

I'm not used to wearing skirts this length, I know it's not the most flattering, but I think this olive knee length skirt will be a great transition piece for fall. Ugh, can't believe I'm thinking about fall already. The summer has been flying by.

But I do have some exciting news! I've been thinking about this for a while now, but I finally took the plunge and listed some items on Etsy (etsy.com/shop/AdorePrep). Currently it's made up of hair elastics and personalized notepads. Feel free to check it out! I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, but I really enjoy making these crafts.

Black & Gold / Neon Lights

Minty / Original Prep

Happy Monday

The last few days have been a fabulously delightful blur. It was my sister's wedding weekend, and everything turned out to be amazing. So great to see family and friends we haven't seen in ages, and even though as maid of honor I was running around most of the time like a chicken with its head cut off, I still had a great time. But now I'm back to work... and this week just seems so ordinary compared to the weekend!

random korean blouse, zara skirt, aerosoles sandals, ysl muse

Now that the wedding (and the updo I wanted) is over, I chopped a ton of hair off! I love long hair, but my ends were getting to be pretty bad, so I just took the plunge. Feels great though! Let's just hope I can keep it looking more like Alexa Chung, not Connie Chung.

Below are a few iphone photos from the wedding. I can't wait until we see the professional photographer's photos, we took some fun ones in Grand Central and Bryant Park. 

 

Before & afters of my baby sister and I!

The flowers were absolutely gorgeous, and I never thought I'd love purple as a wedding color but everything ended up great.

How gorgeous is she? I may be biased but she was truly one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. Her husband is a lucky man.

It was truly an honor to have the privilege of being my sister's Maid of Honor. 

All in all it was a great weekend, and now it's off to Denver next weekend to get together with some college girlfriends. Can't wait to see everyone!

Call Me Maybe

I can't believe it's August already! Where did the summer go? July has been pretty busy for me, and to be honest I haven't been in the mood to blog at all. But apparently I am in the mood now, so let's catch you up on what I've been doing and what I've been wearing. 

f21 dress, gap belt, matt bernson sandals

I love this striped dress, and it was under $20! I was in need of some (cheap) retail therapy and found this striped dress, not that I need any more striped items.

My sister Sophia's wedding is this Saturday (oh man, only 2 more days left!) but these photos are from her bridal shower earlier this month! My youngest sister came into town for the shower as well, so it was great to have everyone together! I'm wearing a Zara dress from last year, an anthro necklace, and my trusty Aerosoles.

So I really wanted one of those fancy schmancy elastic hair ties, but really didn't want to shell out a lot of money for it. Then I turned to etsy, and the prices there were better but I wasn't satisfied. I actually ended up buying some elastic myself, and making these in the exact colors that I wanted! They are really comfortable to wear, and I love all the different possible color combinations (my favorites are the neons and the minty color). 

I must be in a crafty, DIY phase right now, because the same thing happened with customized name/monogram note pads. I have a slight obsession with stationary and fonts, so I knew I had to figure out how to make them myself! So after doing some research and investing in a few little things, I made my own tear off notepads! As someone who loves to make lists and take notes, these are perfect. I can list-make to my heart's content. I'm also a sucker for a good monogram.

I was lucky enough to spend a part of last weekend out in CT to celebrate a friend's birthday! Not only was there creek floating in the rain, but we got to go out on a boat as well. It was so nice to be out of the city and get some face time with the water. 

And click for more of my backlog of OOTDs...

May the 4th Be With You

Want to know what's absolutely glorious? Knowing that you have the 4th of July off from work, as well as the 5th, and then getting the 6th off as well as a nice surprise. I was already planning on heading home for a long weekend, but now I get to save a much treasured vacation day. Had a lovely weekend in Atlanta, but now it's back to work. I feel like I've been gone for ages, I can barely remember what I was doing last Tuesday!

jcrew dress & boat shoes

As you can tell from the layout of this blog, I have an anchor obsession. Multiple people had sent me links to this j.crew anchor dress when it first came out, saying that I probably own it already! I held out for a while, because I need another striped dress like I need a hole in the head, but when I saw it on major sale this past weekend, I snapped it up. I do feel uber nautical pairing it with my neon pink boat shoes, but I still love it. The bright pink definitely brightens up any day!

polo oxford, jcrew outlet skirt, aerosoles sandals

I have definitely been feeling the preppy vibe lately, and my trip down south didn't hurt! Love me some madras.

madewell shirt, zara lace shorts, aerosoles sandals

Some variation of this look was pretty much my uniform the whole time I was home.

 

my awesome lil sis / puppies!

target timex / korean food

Hope everyone had a lovely 4th, and a lovely holiday weekend if you were lucky enough to take the time off! Now it's back to reality...