Dueces, 2015.

(Jeans, DL1961; Top, Banana Republic (similar here - ON SALE!); Jacket, J.Crew (another fun pattern here); Boots, Madewell)

I hope everyone had a great holiday! Tommy and I spent time with our families back home and are looking forward to having a relatively quiet New Year's Eve. Seems like everyone is really feeling the laid back vibes this year more than the party scene. Looking back on 2015, it has been a very busy year. Besides starting a new job and moving into a new apartment, we got engaged(!), which will surely bring on an even busier 2016. 

I'll most likely be in jeans and a simple top and a fun pair of earrings like this pair my sister, Sam got me for Christmas. If we head to a bar for the ball drop, I'll throw this fun plaid jacket on. I'm usually one to opt for camel colored and grey coats but this jacket, as are all patterned jackets, is perfect to pair with a simple look to spice things up a bit! 

Have a fun and safe New Year's, see you in 2016!

Denim Flare.

(Jeans, Rock & Republic (similar here);  Sweater, J.Crew (sold out but similar here); Blanket Scarf, Madewell; Hat, Rag & Bone; Jewelry, Hermes)

Trends come and go and more often than not, they come right back around. Take flared denim: My mom had some awesome-looking flared jeans in the 70's and has the pictures to prove it. Had she held on to said denim, I'd totally be rocking them today. Instead, I purchased a pair for myself a few years back and actually got a good amount of wear out of them until they were "out." Enter skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are just so easy. They go with any kind of shoe - be it flats, heels, oxfords or boots and you don't need to put much thought into the rest of your outfit before heading out the door. 

However, this fall I decided to try my flared jeans on after skipping over them every time I reached in my closet to get dressed the past couple seasons. BAM! I forgot how flattering flared jeans can be. They give the illusion of lengthening your legs and due to the flared bottom, also flatter your waist. There are definitely some trends worth holding on to and flared denim should be one of them!

Photography: J. Michael Walker

Chucktown Chic.

(Jeans, DL1961 (now on sale!); Top, J.Crew; Boots, J.Crew; Cape, Madewell (similar here))

This past weekend, Tommy and I were in Charleston. A few years back were in Chucktown for a full week. It's kind of funny though - how when you only have a couple of days somewhere, you somehow seem to pack it all in, see the sights, more so than when you have a lot of time. Similar goes for me in life - whenever I'm really busy, I tend to get so much done as opposed to times when I'm not as busy where it can take me forever to do one task.  

We stayed along King Street, which is the main street in Charleston with tons of shopping (which I fully took advantage of and actually needed to check a bag on the way back - haven't needed to do this since I studied abroad 6 years ago). Where we stayed and even the wedding we attended really gave us the Charleston experience in the few days we were there. The wedding was at the historic William Aiken House on King Street and the guests were picked up for the ceremony in rickshaws - how fun!?

Brunch is my favorite meal so we managed to get two brunches in while in Charleston. One was at Husk and the other was at Lowcountry Bistro - two places we hadn't been to during our previous visit. Husk has a small menu, so you know whatever is on it will be good and they change their menu twice a day, which is pretty impressive.  Another great place I loved for coffee and juices was Whisk. It is in a key location so you can grab a coffee or juice and take it for a walk along the water. I also loved the ambiance - very cozy with friendly service - something I noticed each day I was in Charleston - the people are so friendly! 

Photography: J. Michael Walker

Rails.

(Jeans, J.Crew (I also love the wash of this one); Top, Rails; Belt, Madewell) 

Late fall in NYC has been pretty mild so far - and I don't hate it! I'm happy that on most days, I don't even need a jacket until the sun starts to go down. One of my favorite new pieces for this fall is this Rails top (now 25% off at Bloomingdales w/ Friends & Family!). I find that it is my go-to if I need something casual to throw on with jeans or even just hanging around in leggings. I've also layered it under sweaters (for those token cooler days we've had). 

Tommy and I are off to Charleston for the weekend for his best friends wedding where he is the best man (big deal!). I can't believe it's been over two years since we've last been. You can see my last post from Charleston here. There are so many great restaurants and we're having brunch at Husk on Saturday - can't wait to get down!

Engaged!

This summer has been such a whirlwind! Kicked it off with a beautiful wedding in Newport, RI, had my 5-year and then got engaged! I feel like I have told the story of our proposal so many times but haven't quite been able to consolidate it to a short 2-minute overview. I'm always so detailed oriented - even when telling stories. I think I get it from my mom - she always likes to "draw the picture" down to what shoes she was wearing at a certain event while telling a story. Irrelevant details that causes us to digress (but still important!). 

I'd like to attempt to give a quick synopsis of how the day went down. I was completely surprised and Tommy couldn't have planned it better. :-)

For a few months, we had planned on going back to my parents house for the weekend to go to a good family friend's graduation party. The plan was to grab a drink at Ninety Acres, which is one of my favorite spots in the area and also around the corner from the graduation party. All week my sister had planted some seeds - making sure I was dressed appropriately, nails done, etc. She did not lead on whatsoever and I thought nothing of it. She even helped me put on my make up that day and I still thought nothing of it! 

When we arrived at Ninety Acres, the hostess told us that the bar wasn't opened yet to non-members. (This was something Tommy had worked out in great detail with the Event Planner at Ninety Acres along with the rest of how everything unfolded). She went out of her way to "accommodate" us. Since the bar wasn't opened yet to non-members, she brought us each a cocktail of choice and offered to walk us around the farm in the back until the bar was opened - the restaurant portion is all farm-to-table so I thought this was awesome! 

Once outside, her queue to leave was Tommy asking a question that would prompt her to grab the owner, since she didn't know the answer. His question was something completely random about the tomatoes - I remember thinking how odd of a question it was and I smirked at him at the thought of it as she walked off to grab the owner. 

The rest is somewhat of a blur. Tommy asked the question right there and our hostess friend filmed the whole thing - she was never actually going to grab the owner. He also hired Alicia Savoly Photography to capture it all followed by a session with her and a tasting dinner at the restaurant. 

After dinner, Tommy had one more surprise for me. He had a car take us to Washington House, another hometown favorite that has live classic rock music on Saturdays. There, we walked in to Van Morrison playing in the background and both of our families greeting us and ready to celebrate and party the rest of the night. What an amazing day!

P.S. - The Joie skirt I wore is now on sale here! 

(Top, Madewell; Skirt, Joie; Heels, Stuart Weitzman)

So College.

I recently went back to college for my 5-year reunion. It was so much fun to stay in our Sophomore year dorm, get ready with friends and travel around in packs. I still see most of my college friends regularly but nothing compares to being back on campus - where it all started. 

It's funny though - a few months ago I decided to look through my wardrobe and pull out the things I wanted to give away and sell. Most of them were clothes I wore in college and hadn't touched since then. In college, I had my "going out" clothes and my "daytime" clothes, which consisted of workout clothes and library attire. Now, working at a tech start up and in a pretty laid back environment, I only have one wardrobe with things that can easily transition from day to night. 

That being said, my college "going out" uniform which consisted of tight, short black dresses (for the most part) did not sell on e-bay - both a sign of the times and evidence that my own style has evolved (thank god!).

P.S. - The below linen shirt from J.Crew is a perfect summer staple and now 30% off with code "GOSHOPPING"

(Shirt, J.Crew; Jeans, Rag & Bone; Sandals, Birkenstock; Belt, Club Monaco; Hat, Madewell; Bag - Reed Krakoff)

J.Crew "Perfect" Linen Shirt

Pumpkin Spice.

(Vest, J.Crew; Sweater, J.Crew; Denim, J.Crew; Necklace, J.Crew (similar here); Belt, Madewell) 

If you saw my last post, you know last Friday I was prepping to head home for "The Hunt" on Saturday. It was a fantastic weekend with perfect weather for the races and as tradition, my parents hosted a brunch of bagels, eggs and mimosas so we could fill up before we all headed into the day's festivities. 

There were a lot of restrictions compared to past years along with heightened security, but I actually think it made for a better Hunt! - Far less crowded so it was much easier to spot everyone you knew outside of your own spot!

I opted to wear my J.Crew utility vest over a lightweight sweater that usually has a jeweled collar that I took off and replaced with an actual necklace. I have also been looking for the perfect wash of denim and I recently found them, right in time for this past weekend! 

Fall Foliage.

(Shirt, J.Crew (love this one too!); Sweater, Boast (similar version here); Jeans, J.Crew; Backpack, Madewell; Shoes, Vince Camuto; Cap, J.Crew)

Pumpkin patches, apple picking, wine tours and (insert here)fests. Day trips during the fall are the best to take in the crisp weather and colorful foliage. The key to being prepared is wearing layers, comfortable shoes and bag large enough to carry anything else you might need. Village Tannery has me on a backpack kick lately and they are also more practical for traveling with than a large tote.

September Surf.

(Hoodie, Vintage Havana (I like this similar one here too!); Shorts, Madewell (similar here); Kicks, Keds; Sunnies, Ray-Ban; Nails, Essie "Borrowed & Blue") Photog: thanks Hershy :)

Okay, it's official. My summer hiatus is now over and bop is back! 

Summer went by too quickly as it always does and this summer included trips down the shore, to Bermuda & Montauk, weddings and an apartment move to NoHo. 

Although I'm excited for fall weekends in the city, I'm lucky to have a couple more September weekends down in LBI with T. I love when the weather gets just cool enough to cozy up in a comfy sweatshirt on the beach, and this past weekend was perfect to do just that - at a surfabout!

A bit on what I'm wearing: I got these cute Taylor Swift x Keds at Nordstrom in the beginning of the summer and they are now 50% off! They're super comfortable and come in a couple of different patterns. If they don't have your size, check out some other fun patterns here and here. 

Greetings from Charleston.

(Shorts, Madewell; Belt, Madewell; Shirt, J.Crew; Vest, J.Crew (also seen here); Hat, Forever21; Scarf, Free People; Jewelry, J.Crew, David Yurman)

I can't believe my trip to Charleston is almost over! I feel like I've been on a Chucktown food tour for days. There are so many great restaurants, it is impossible to try them all in the few days we were staying downtown. If you are ever in the area, I would definitely recommend S.N.O.B for some lowcountry fare and Halls Chophouse if you're in the mood for a steakhouse and live music southern style. We'll be finishing off our trip at Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms, which is slightly outside of Charleston and on the beach. After lots of sightseeing, I'm excited for a few days in the sun!

Bodysuit Babe.

bodysuit babe by chelsbop
(Left to Right: Bodysuit, Alice & Olivia. Outfit 1. Jacket, Madewell; Denim, DL1961, Purse, Tory Burch; Shoes, Chanel, similar and cheaper! version here. Outfit 2. Skirt, Similar Here; Sunnies, Ray-Ban; Jewelry, Kate Spade, on sale here!; Shoes, Sam Edelman. Outfit 3. Shorts, Malene Birger; Jacket, Helmut Lang; Shoes, Kenneth Cole)

Gearing up for my trip to Charleston that is at the beginning of May and I pulled some vacay outfits together that all would work fantastically with this Alice & Olivia bodysuit that is currently on sale. 

The first outfit to the left works great for sightseeing and walking along King Street. Comfortable shoes are always a must and while I love these Chanel espadrilles, Tory Burch has a similar pair that are less expensive and I love just as much (see link in the caption!)

The nautical maxi and bright Ray-Bans over on the right are perfect for a beach stroll. The bodysuit could totally double as a swimsuit.- Strictly for bathing purposes!

For a night out in Lowcountry, I'm sure I'll still want to dress it up a bit with some heels, but a pair of none denim shorts can keep it casual and still appropriate for night. I'm really into these sandal booties right now (you can find a similar pair here)!

P.S. The back of the bodysuit is fully open! ;)

Black and Blue.

(Jacket, Forever21; Oxford, Madewell; Pants, Zara (similar here); Gloves, Bloomingdale's; Purse, Zara; Sunnies, Ray-Ban; Shoes, Vince Camuto. Photog, SamLaj)

It has been awhile since I last posted! I have practically gone into hibernation mode since the weather has been so cold. Not too much has happened in January, however, aside from turning the pivotal quarter life and completing level 2 of the BluePrintCleanse.

 A little bit on the juice cleanse: Not sure how I feel about it the second time around. The first time, although I complained the whole three days during the cleanse, I actually felt that it was worth it because it left me feeling more energized and craving healthier foods (without thinking twice!). As I finished the BPC for the second time all I could think of was how much I was going to eat to make up for the last three days of juicing...and I feel like I've been "making up for it" ever since.  It somewhat had the opposite effect this time around so might be some time before I do the full on detox again. 

A little bit on turning 25: Truth is, I actually feel less of a sense of urgency. It is probably (definitely) all in my head, but other than that I feel no different in matters of maturity than I did a week ago. We'll see what the year has in store..

P.S. SamLaj got me this awesome oxford from Madewell for my birthday and I've already worn it multiple times in the past week. - It goes with everything!