Life Lessons from Don

What I should be doing right now: writing a paper for my Law&Ethics class. 

What I am doing: overthinking decisions made about my personal life, what my next career step is, online shopping, stumbling through social media. 

Lucky for you guys I came across Don. Don is an incredible, outgoing, charismatic and vivacious shoe shiner. He has zingy one-liners, a smile that is contagious and has pretty much figured everything out about life. 

Here are 7 life lessons we learned from Don:

1. Don't be afraid to go after what you want.

2. You can learn a lot from a person's shoes.

3. You can't be good at EVERYTHING. Just accept that.

4. Work hard.

5. Give a damn.

6. Learn from your past, and move on.

7. Strive to be the best person you can be, but stay true to who you are.

And if all else fails, make sure your shoes look good.

"Can't look neat if your shoes look beat."

RL does it again.

Always a fan of my man Ralph, he really nailed it with this sweater. It caught my eye the other day when I was walking around in the mall and then when I saw it paired with this tartan skirt. GASP, I'm in love. Check it out.

Perfection? Ya, I'd say so. 

HELLOOOO FALL! I plan on greeting you with riding boots, tartan fabrics, suede accents and of course, BLAZERS! 

Style

With NYFW upon us, I thought I would share one of my favorite quotes with you all... 

"Style - all who have it share one thing: originality." 

-Diana Vreeland

Happy Sunday ya'll! 

Thought of the Day.

Hey all. So this afternoon I was putting some finishing touches on the master suite of 105 Oakland (pics coming soon) which included constructing a large arrangement of hydrangeas, and I realized - hey these flowers are absolutely gorg! 

So here is one of my many thoughts of the day. 

Hydrangeas are pretty. Plain and simple. They make me feel happy when I see them and I just want to lay in a bed made of them. Go Hydrangeas. 

Seeing that they're in season right now, go pick up a bouquet to brighten up a room in your house! Perfect for a kitchen counter or coffee table! 

PS. It's already the middle of August!? Where did this summer go!?

BR Issa Collection

Hey all you replikates, guess what! The day is finally here! Banana Republic has finally unveiled its Issa collection!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYA

So what are you waiting for, go check it out!

GEORGIE BOYYYYYYYYY

I've been so busy with work and life, but uhhhh....

The Cambridges...LOVE

YAYYYYYY!!!!! 

HOW GOOD DOES SHE LOOK! 

It's already been a week and I'm still SWOONING!

Happy One Week Birthday George Alexander Louis! 

Baby Cambridge Ya'll !!!!!

BEST MIDDLETON MONDAY EVAAAAA!

Our girl Kate has FINALLY gone into labor. And how perfect, because its MIDDLETON MONDAY! I don't know what I'm more excited about, if its a girl or a boy...OR THE NAME! I seriously can't concentrate today, I'm checking CNN and twitter on the reg impatiently waiting to find out. Fingers crossed everything goes well for the Duke and Dutchess. 

PS. cannot wait to see what she'll wear at the big reveal! 

David Easton

One of my favorite things to do is spend an hour or two in Barnes&Noble just flipping through interior design and fashion books - you know those huge books full of fabulous pictures that make the best coffee table books EVER. Well on the way home from work a few weeks ago I did just that and I was introduced to the brilliant mind of designer David Easton. 

I spent more than an hour marveling over his book Timeless Elegance. The text was captivating as Easton tells the story beind each of the projects presented in the book. The versatility of his talent is portrayed in examples of his work that range from a magnificent 45 room Georgian style house in Virginia, to a Mediterranean stucco house in Mexico and a modern vacation house in Aspen. One of the things I loved about the book was the fact that they included the black and white pencil drawings and floor plans. The quality of the pencil drawings and watercolors of the rooms are incredible, they could be in a museum. 

If you haven't checked out some of David Easton's work you should. The guy is amazing. The way he combines interior design and architecture is incredible. 

But seriously, love. 

Heat Stroke or Crush of the Week?

Despite the fact that it has been scorching hot for the past few days in Boston and we have only just begun summer up here in the Northeast, this afternoon I stumbled upon this pic of Olivia Palermo and now the only thing I can think about is wearing this blazer and scarf. I think I have heatstroke - or maybe I'm just daydreaming of fall because I'm in need of some serious cooling down from these cray temps. 

But seriously how fun is the pink lining of this blazer?! And the leather detail on the scarf! 

I'm obsessed - is it fall yet?

Corkswooning

Hey party people! 

First off, I know I'm totally slacking in the "posting almost every day" department, but I've been cray busy. But lets be honest, I'm never too busy for Kate Middleton and its Middleton Monday! 

Last night I finally came to my senses and ordered the Corkswoon Wedges that Kate rocked last summer during the Olympic Games and her Southeast Asia tour. 

I’ve been eyeing these babies for a few months now and I was really struggling with what color to get. At first I was all like, ahhhhhhhh what colorrrrrrrrr!?!? Then I took the time and reflected on the wedges that are already in my closet –

Black ones that are reminiscent of Kate’s favorite LK Bennett slingbacks.

Navy ones inspired by Pippa’s LK Bennett wedges.

 

And nude ones that I bought on impulse last summer because I was bored – but they can basically go with anything and they're SO comfortable. 

PS. you can score an AMAZING deal on them right here!

It looked like all signs were pointing to white – so that’s what I ordered. Now a wise woman (one of my roomies) once told me that when debating a pricier purchase, you should be able to picture at least 3 outfits you can wear the piece with - and I did just that! I recently scored a major deal on this super fun shirt-dress from C. Wonder a few days ago that would look great with the wedges and this past weekend I bought a super comfy sweater from J.Crew that I know is going to look really cute with a pair of skinny jeans and these fab wedges. Yes I know that only two outfits, but I can wear them to work too! I’m working for a baseball team this summer and coincidentally their colors are the same as Great Britain’s colors…so obviously I’m using this summer as the perfect opportunity to dress the way Kate did during the Olympic Games - aka CORKSWOON WEDGES!

Love them as much as I do? Get them here!
Did I mention that THEY'RE ON SALE!

If you're in the market for a new pair of wedges I would recommend all of these, but you definitely need to check out the corkswoon wedges. They're easy to walk in, well made, look awesome...and above all, Kate has them! 

See, even Kate is happy I bought them! 

Happy Middleton Monday!

C. Wonder

Hi all! I meant to post this forever ago, but since I’ve started my summer internship the amount of free time I’ve had has decreased significantly….but who doesn’t love a 65 hour work week? 

While out on Nantucket the other weekend I finally set foot in a C.Wonder store to see what all of the hype is about. Owned by Tory Burch’s ex husband, C. Wonder offers a diverse assortment of beautiful, versatile, and spirited products that pair timeless design elements with fresh twists, such as unexpected vibrant colors and patterned linings. They offer a collection of total must-haves — key items to enhance a room, refresh a wardrobe or inspire a memorable experience

There are so many things I love about the store. The fact that you can basically monogram ANYTHING you find, makes me grin ear to ear. And the prices are super reasonable - most items are between $25 and $200. 

I loved these mugs! Such a great way to brighten up your morning coffee!

As much as I wanted to purchase nearly everything in the store, I am getting a very modest paycheck from my internship so I only picked up a few pieces. One was this super comfortable knit sweater that I absolutley LOVE.

obsessed.

How cute is this! A little candy station where you could put some goodies in a bag while your'e walking around the store - perfect for the bored boyfriends&husbands

If you haven't taken a look into the wondeful world of C. Wonder, I suggest you check it out. And asap! Today is the last day you can score a great deal with 25% off clothing, shoes and bags - total summer essentials. 

So what are you waiting for, treat yourself and make your Monday a little more enjoyable!

Beverage Bliss

This past weekend while taking part in endless shenanigans out on Nantucket, I was introduced to Lime – A – Ritaaaaas! 

Pure Beverage Beauty. 

Yes I know, I’m like the last person to discover the sugary amazingness of this perfect summer beverage. But I owe so much happiness to this drink. I became obsessed after my first sip and from that point on the rest of my holiday weekend was a blur of friendship, fun and puppy love. 

As you can see, I'm in pure bliss and enjoying everything life has to offer. But can we talk about how great my cheekbones look in this pic. Gotta love a good swipe of bronzer to really make them pop. 

If you haven't tried this drink that is basically god's nectar, you need to go out and get yourself one. RIGHT NOW. Cheers!

Where the Figawi?

As some of you know, this past weekend was FIGAWI out on the wonderful island of Nantucket. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, Figawi Race Weekend is one of the top sailing events on the east coast and is known nationally as well as internationally. It kicks off the Cape Cod and Nantucket summer season and basically what you need to know is that IT IS AWESOME.

The weather wasn't ideal for the weekend, but it made for some great photo ops. 

A few of my friends and I spent memorial weekend out on ACK  for the race and it was nothing less of a shit show. I made new friends, fell in love with lime-a-ritas, fell in love with the island even more and above all, serious husband potential EVERYWHERE. I basically found love in a hopeless place. No, I wasn’t in heaven - I was on Nantucket.  

As soon as we docked on the island it was straight to the bars, we obviously ended at The Box, also known as the Chicken Box. They always have great live music. This band was awesome, and obviously my bestie Kenny thought so as well.

(Shes the one in the front loving life featured in both pics)

The next morning we made moves and headed over to one of Kenny's friend's house. Our method of travel, Tom's latest impulse buy...a jeep wrangler - as seen above. If you're wondering what windward is, its Tom's company. They make awesome sail cloth belts, key chains, t shirts. Check it out! Father's day is right around the corner. 

What we didn't realize was that it's a stick. Emma swore she knew how to drive stick...

Then we almost ran the jeep into a fence...Tom quickly came to her aid. 

Once we got to the house we were introduced to about a bazillion people. Some of them included the fine specimens you see below - few alumni Harvard lax players. Yes, it was a great day.

You're welcome ladies.

Just 30 pounds of prime meat..no not the boys, this kind. 

What was for lunch?

It was only fitting that we drank Dark n Stormys...with the weather and all. 

Don't let the tent fool you, this was one of the hottest spots to stay. 

Then there was that time we hitch hiked into town via some band's bus. The driver was actually super nice, AND HAD A BRITISH ACCENT!

The weekend as a whole was a total success and was so much fun that reminiscing about it will get me through the rest of my summer, which will most likely involve working, working, working and a summer course. But fingers crossed I’ll be able to make it out a few more times before the summer ends! I would share more fun activities with you all, but I'll save that for another time...like not online for the world to read. 

Sadly the weekend came to an end, and we had to return to the mainland…and reality. But can you understand why I could of stayed forever?

Hope everyone had an awesome holiday weekend!