Sugar and Spice

Today was such a beautiful fall day! The air was crisp, the skies were blue, and the leaves were falling, scattering the ground with their lovely jewel tones. I layered (as usual) and wore my new JCrew bejeweled sweatshirt.

Shirt: JCrew; Sweatshirt: JCrew; Pants: JBrand; Bag: Kate Spade; Watch: Target

Matt's team likes to make fun of my bejeweled sweaters, but I get lots of compliments on them! So even if they're not guy friendly, I like them and wear them anyway :)

Shoes: Kate Spade

The sweatshirt and denim shirt I layered under it went great with these eggplant colored JBrand jeans. 

This leopard print wrap watch is from Target... It always adds some spice to your look! 

These Kate Spade two tone flats were the perfect compliment to the bedazzled and colorful outfit, and they match my Beau Bag perfectly. 

Until next time,

Xo

T

Polka Dot Party

I haven't posted anything in about a week... Sorry! Matt and I have been in the process of moving into a new house, which is as exciting as it is tiring! I think I have come down with a little cold as a result of all the craziness... But it was such a beautiful fall day today! I wanted to dress the part :)

Jacket: JCrew; Shirt: JCrew; Pants: JCrew; Necklace: JCrew; Bag: Kate Spade

I wore my polka dot skinny jeans from JCrew... They're always just what the doctor ordered when you need some getting ready motivation. 

The outfit actually ended up being pretty much all JCrew, with the exception of my Beau Bag. But since I wanted to be comfy I just paired my chambray button up with a light pink bubble necklace to add some polish. 

My double breasted navy blue blazer made it work day appropriate, too. 

Shoes: Tory Burch

And these nude colored, patent leather Tory Burch flats added the perfect neutral tone.

Until next time,

Xo

T

Nike Women's Marathon

This last weekend, some of my friends and I ran the Nike Women's Marathon. 

The finish line!

It's held every year in San Francisco on the same weekend as my birthday. I've always wanted to do it, and my friends and I decided to sign up while we were still all together in North Carolina, along with 30,000 other women! 

All of the ladies in the 9-10 min bracket lined up behind the start line!

This year was the events 10th anniversary.  The marathon benefits the Lukemia and Lymphoma society, a cause that is particularly close to my heart. Over the past 10 years, the Nike Women's Marathon has raised over $143 million for the LLS. Amazing! 

At the finish line, you are given a custom Tiffany and Co. necklace by a San Francisco fireman in a tuxedo. It definitely takes the sting out of 13.1 miles! 

Honestly though, it would have been enough just to finish the race. I had such an amazing feeling of accomplishment afterwards! And, when you know that your hard work is benefitting not only you but a noble cause like the LLS, it's an even better feeling. 

Until next time,

Xo

T 

Road Trip Attire

Jacket: Barbour; Top: Trina Turk (old); Pants: Rag and Bone (old); Shoes: Tory Burch; Bag: Kate Spade

Yesterday I had to drive back to the Northwest from my Mom's lovely house in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I had spent my birthday weekend. I always like to still look put together, even when I travel, so I wore my quilted Barbour jacket (a birthday gift from my Grandfather, who I think is more of an Anglophile than me...), paired with a Trina Turk top in a similar color. I paired them with my standard cropped skinnies and ballet flats.  My Beau Bag came in particularly useful - it's structured shape was perfect for holding everything from my laptop, iPad, books, magazines, AND my camera. Love it! 

And yes that is me in front of my Mini Cooper - that car is my baby! 

I like to wear headbands pretty much constantly.  They are a good way to add some polish to my super straight hair. The "T" earrings were a birthday present from one of my good friends and best shopping buddy. 

My arm party! My best friend gave me a set of French inspired bracelets,the one I'm wearing here says, "oui." So cute! 

The pretty view on the drive. I probably shouldn't have been taking this... 

My "mom's" puppies saying goodbye to me from underneath the gate at the end of her driveway.  I miss them and their wiggly butts so much when I'm at home in Washington! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

A Ladylike Edge

I went to meet up with some friends in San Francisco for lunch.  I wore some of my swag that I bought on my birthday shop-a-thon. 

Shirt: Milly; Pants: JBrand; Shoes: Joie; Bag: Kate Spade; Glasses: Jimmy Choo; Headband: Nordstrom

I felt very ladylike, I must say, from my headband to my black skinnies.  I had wanted this shirt from Milly for awhile, she is one of my favorite designers, so I was very excited when I found it.  The shoes are from Joie, and are totally outside of my comfort zone.  They are pointy toed loafers, but they had a little gold bow on the toe so I couldn't resist them! Then there's my Beau bag, which I bought a few months ago from Kate Spade when I had a 20% off coupon.  I had them wrap it up for me though, and I left it at my mom's house so that I could open it on my birthday.  The wait was definitely worth it! 

I love the neckline on this top. I have a total weakness for sleeveless shirts with cute collars, embellished or otherwise.  The gunmetal colored studs added an fun edge to the otherwise girly top, which is something Milly always excels at. Her designs are always feminine but perfectly balanced. 

The Beau bag! It's amazing. The black bow on the front is actually an additional pocket, which is great for keys and my phone, or whatever else I need to be able to grab quickly.  The interior is so roomy and fits all of my daily needs and then some. It will be perfect for work and travel and whenever I need a lot of space. 

Bangles: Anthropologie and Hermes; Watch: Michael Kors; Ring: Kate Spade

My arm party was fairly subdued, since I thought too many bright colors would look cheesy with the black and white ensemble. The Hermes bracelet was a gift when I graduated from college, wearing it makes me feel like some sort of starlet! I also received the Kate Spade bow ring for my birthday.  I might not be taking it off! 

This is a detail shot of the loafers.  I initially wanted the plaid version of these, because when is plaid not a good idea, but when I saw this pair in the store I fell in love.  My friends think are thinking about staging a bow intervention sometime soon though... they are definitely taking over my life! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Liebster Award

I would like to thank Lauren, of A Touch of Southern Grace, for nominating me for the Liebster Award! It is an award for new blogs with fewer than 200 followers.  I would never have thought that when I started this blog a few months ago that I would have already been nominated for two awards.  It is surreal and I'm so honored! 

The rules of the award are as follows: 

1.             Thank the blogger who nominated you and link them back. 

2.            Answer the eleven questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.

3.            Nominate other bloggers who have under 200 followers and give them eleven questions to answer.

Questions For Lauren's Nominees:

1.             What inspired you to first start blogging?

Answer: I first started blogging in order to create a place for all of the things that I'm interested in.  I wanted a place where I could express my interests in a way that I can't in my everyday life between going to work, etc. This blog is that place!

2.            What is your favorite children’s book?

My favorite book when I was little was realistically any of the Nancy Drew mysteries.  I have always loved all things suspenseful and scary (Does anyone else remember Are You Afraid of the Dark from Nickelodeon? Because I LOVED that show :) Nancy Drew was such an awesome heroine, I used to like to pretend I was her!

3.            What are some of you hobbies?

I love baking, it's been a hobby of mine since I can remember. I also love sewing, anything with glitter, yoga, hiking, but if I could spend a Saturday any way, it would be with a good book and a nice cup of tea! 

4.            What are three random facts about yourself?

Answer: I am half Swedish.  I have had three Australian Shepherds over my life, and I think they are the best dogs ever! I am a huge history nerd, especially American history. 

5.            What is your favorite blog post you have written thus far?

Answer: I am really proud of all of my posts, but I think my favorite so far has been "A Different Kind of Stripes." I love that outfit!

6.            What are your top three favorite stores?

Answer: This is always such a hard question! I think if I had to choose, though, I would say: Kate Spade, JCrew, and Saks Fifth Avenue. I also love small boutiques, like Monkee's where I used to live in North Carolina!

7.             What is your favorite monogrammed item?

Answer: I have a bright red, cashmere cardigan from JCrew with my monogram on the chest. I wear it constantly.

8.            How would you describe your style?

Answer: I am definitely very girly. From a young age I've loved makeup and clothes and all things girly. I also think that I have a classic sensibility to my style, as I'm very inspired by classic silhouettes and have never wanted my future children to look back on pictures of me and say, "Mom, what were you wearing??"  Of course I also am very preppy! Even though I'm from California, my family is very Southern and old-school, and I spent a majority of high school in Washington D.C. as my mother worked there, so there's not a lot of California girl in my style! 

9.            What is your favorite color?

Answer: Pink. Forever and always. 

10.         Who are your favorite bloggers?

Answer: Atlantic Pacific, Girl Meets Glam, Cupcakes and Cashmere (All SF girls, too!), The College Prepster, Classy Girls Wear Pearls, and A Touch of Southern Grace!

11.          What is a current goal of yours?

Answer: Longterm I would love to open a boutique where I get to play with clothes that I love all day long! Short term I'm excited to move into my new house and get it decorated! 

Thank you again to Lauren from A Touch of Southern Grace for nominating me! It is such an honor! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Birthday Dinner

Yesterday was my birthday, so my friends and family got together to celebrate at the Buckeye Roadhouse, which I think is honestly the best restaurant in the Bay Area. My family used to go here for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they have such a great, modern take on classic, all American cuisine. They also make a cucumber gimlet that is to die for! 

Shirt: Kate Spade; Pants: JBrand; Shoes: Miu Miu

I paired this Kate Spade blouse with my black J Brand jeans that I wear with pretty much everything when I'm not wearing my JCrew Minnie pants.  It was casual enough for just a simple dinner, but with a fun twist that made it special. 

This print from Kate Spade a few months ago was designed by New York street artist Darcel in order to honor the company's love of New York. It features donuts, taxi cabs, hot dogs, champagne flutes, and basically all sorts of things that make me think of New York, and it's pink, so it combines two of my favorite things perfectly. It's a little loud, but I absolutely love it! 

I thought that these pointy-toed Miu Miu pumps complemented the blouse nicely, as they added some edge to the fun and quirky print. 

Then the back of the pumps is just covered in glitter... I mean how could you not love these? I thought the combination was so me, which is perfect when you're dressing for your birthday dinner and you can get away with pretty much anything!

I didn't wear any jewelry, with the exception of some simple gold pyramid stud earrings that I could get a good picture of.  I'm sure they'll show up on here again soon though! But I thought everything else was so busy that I didn't really need anything competing for attention. 

Until next time, 

xo

T

Biker Chic

Jacket: Joie (old); Dress: Nanette Lepore; Shoes: Chanel; Bag: Kate Spade; Glasses: Jimmy Choo

Today I went on a birthday shopping trip with my mom in San Francisco. It was so much fun! 

Weather in San Francisco requires lots of layering. Today it was foggy in the morning and lovely as the fig burned off. So I paired my SF-approved leather jacket with this Nanette Lepore snake print dress I bought specifically for this shopping trip. Perfect! 

I paired it with these classic flats so they wouldn't compete with the wild pattern of the dress. 

Earrings: Chanel - from a store in North Carolina called Monkee's.  I miss that place so much!

I also accidentally wore my Chanel earrings with it, not realizing that it was a little overboard. Oops!  But I love them because they are actually vintage buttons turned into earrings. Adorable! 

Until next time,

xo

Tara

Girls Lunch

Today I went to check out the new Target that opened near my mom'a house in California. Kind of dorky, I know, but my best friend and I used to go to Target all the time when we were bored growing up, so we had to check out this new one!  We decided to make a lunch date out of it, which was perfect since it was a beautiful day: 80 degrees! In October! It made me remember why I love California. 

Dress: Lilly Pulizter; Shoes: Tory Burch; Bag: Kate Spade; Sunglasses: Jimmy Choo

How gorgeous is this view? This is literally the view from the parking lot. Amazing. I decided to wear this Lilly Pulitzer dress I bought a few months ago, and that I usually wear with boots and a jean jacket, but it is perfect with just flats for an unseasonably hot day like this. 

Shoes: Tory Burch

I also wore my favorite signet necklace: 

Necklace: Jennifer Zeuner

I must admit, I have such a weakness for monograms! Honestly, if I could monogram everything without serious inconvenience, I would. 

Watch: Michael Kors; Bracelets: Kate Spade

I also threw in some pink to play off of the blues of my Lilly dress. I wore this bangle that says "Girls just want to have fun" on it. Perfect for a girls day if you ask me! 

Until next time,

Xo

T 

Autumn Colors

Jeans: Madewell; Boots: Tory Burch

It's my birthday on Friday! I had a tiny celebration this weekend with Matt and some friends, and Matt surprised me with these new boots! I had wanted them from a while, and was so excited to get them! 

I wore them for work today with these red Madewell jeans.  This is the only pair of Madewell pants that I have actually fallen in love with, all of the others I've bought I've ended up returning for various reasons.  I wore my chambray JCrew button-up under this tan cable knit JCrew crew neck that I think I've had since high school, but it's such a great classic that I keep wondering why they don't still sell them! 

Sweater: JCrew; Button-up: JCrew; Necklace: JCrew

Of course I added a statement necklace (also a JCrew purchase - last Christmas on sale!), because I thought otherwise the outfit was pretty casual and a little too tomboyish for me. 

Wrap bracelet: Tory Burch; Bangle: Kate Spade; Watch: Michael Kors

Last but not least, my Michael Kors watch, Tory wrap bracelet and my new Kate Spade bangle! This outfit is pretty casual for me for work, but it's my last day of the week today, because I'm taking a mini-vacation back home starting tomorrow! Woohoo!

Until next time, 

xo

T

Pink Makes the Boys Wink

Jacket: JCrew (old); Shirt: Milly; Skirt: Theory; Shoes: Kate Spade

I spent last night out on the town with Matt and our friends who were in town visiting. I took the opportunity to wear this pink tweed jacket my Mom got for me last Christmas. It is one of my favorite things in my closet! 

Shirt: Milly; Jacket: JCrew

This jacket is seriously all of my favorite things wrapped into one: it's pink, tweed, and it has little bits of lurex thread woven in giving it an extra bit of glam. I wore it with my go-to black Theory skirt and this Milly top. I love how the Milly top is refined and ladylike with it's pointed collar and tuxedo pleats, but then adds some edge with the leather bow at the neckline. I do love a good bow! 

Bracelets and watch: Kate Spade

My Kate Spade stacked wrist... 

Ring: Kate Spade

And this Kate Spade bow ring Matt got for me a few Christmases ago. This is one of the only rings I ever swap out my signet ring for! 

Until next time,

Xo

T

Sweater Saturday

Sweater: Tory Burch (old); Shirt: Vince; Pants: JCrew; Boots: Stuart Weitzman (old)

Matt and I spent today in downtown Seattle with two of our best friends who are in down visiting us from Nashville. We  showed them all of the typical touristy stuff, like the fish market and the space needle.

Sweater: Tory Burch

 It's pretty cold here already (we are only about 150 miles from Canada!) so I wanted to be comfy and warm. So I wore this Tory Burch cardigan with my favorite JCrew Minnie pants. It's basically the perfect outfit for a day of wandering around and eating at all of the best Seattle foodie spots. 

Boots: Stuart Weitzman (old)

I paired it with my favorite Stuart Weitzman boots. I bought these a few years ago on sale at a boutique in San Francisco, and I wear them constantly. Such a good investment! 

Wrap bracelet: Tory Burch; Bangle: Kate Spade; Watch: Michael Kors

The bracelet in new! My friends brought it from Kate Spade in Nashville for my birthday next week. Kate Spade might be the best way to celebrate a birthday! 

Until next time, 

Xo

Tara 

Friday Stripes

Jacket: JCrew; Dress: Theory; Scarf: Target; Shoes: Tory Burch; Headband: JCrew

Today was one of those days. You know what I'm talking about. Those days when you wake up but the outside is grey and ominous. But I was determined to make

It not that kind of day. So I wore this! I didn't wear tights or boots, which was a terrible idea around lunch time when it was pouring, but worse things could happen. 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Sweater: Kate Spade; Dress: Shoshanna; Shoes: Jimmy Choo

As you probably already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Which means that everything is pink! It also means that this pink has inspired me.  As I was window shopping online the other day, I saw this bright pink Shoshanna dress and was immediately struck by it.  I thought that it would make the perfect cocktail dress, which is particularly fitting since maybe you'll have a pink-themed breast cancer awareness gala to attend!

I am a particularly big fan of the line Shoshanna, and many of my dresses for weddings and even for work come from this New York based designer.  Her pieces are always perfectly feminine and fun, without being too frilly or over-the-top (I say as I post about a hot pink dress the 5 year old me would've loved).

I paired the dress with a simple black cardigan from Kate Spade.  I love this cardigan with it's little crystal bow buttons... they really add a little black-tie element to an otherwise simple wardrobe staple.

Finally, this Jimmy Choo pumps are my dream evening shoes.  I have a friend who has a wedge version of these, and she wears them pretty much all the time. I'm so jealous! Well, maybe someday.

Until next time, 

xo

Tara

Cat Burglar

If I were a cat burglar, a la Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, this is what I would wear:

Sweater: Equipment; Pants: JCrew

I felt so sleek and cool today! I bought this leopard print Equipment sweater a few months ago after I had waited a solid month for it to end up in stores. I paired it with my JCrew Minnie pants, which are completely amazing in that they're comfortable and stylish and appropriate for work. 

Watch: Michael Kors

Seriously, I walked outside my house and felt like Audrey Hepburn playing the role of a cat burglar. 

Shoes: Kate Spade (old)

I paired the two with these cap toe Kate Spade flats.  I bought them a few years ago because I thought they were a perfect work and play shoe... and they're tan with black, which goes with essentially everything in my wardrobe. 

Earrings: Kate Spade

I also decided to wear these new Kate Spade earrings I recently bought.  I love that they're bows, but also that they're a little edgier with their streamlined lines a pyramid stud in the center.

I thought I'd finish with a close-up of the front of the sweater... yep it's only leopard on the front! The sleeves and back and finely knit wool, and the front is leopard print silk. Seriously THE softest silk. Equipment is such a great company, as they sell classic button-ups and funner, trendier pieces like this one, but everything is absolutely amazing quality. I also just love leopard print for the fall.  It goes perfectly with richer, fall appropriate jewel tones like burgundy, and also adds a little spice to more traditional pieces like riding boots. So try out a sweater or a scarf! 

Until next time, 

xo

Tara