LCY Shops: gold, black, and white

when looking over recent items i've been wanting, wearing, using, and adding to the new place, a trend quickly appeared. lots of black, white, and gold. a year ago all i wanted was color. bright, feminine colors! is this me maturing? living with a boy? or simply hanging out with danielle too much?

• i think this black and white image of the ferris wheel in paris would look perfect on our living room mantel against the dark grey walls.

• we included these gold coach loafers in our fall footwear essentials feature on the everygirl and i've been coveting a pair for myself.

• you may have noticed two of these black and white colorblock pillows on my couch in my restyled home tour in chicago home and garden magazine (full tour coming to LCY soon!). they are from stone textile and i love the bold yet simple look they create when two are placed right next to each other. stay tuned since we'll be giving one away on the everygirl in the next few days to celebrate the brand's one-year anniversary! congratulations, elizabeth!

• credit on my favorite budget home goods site - joss and main - allowed me to purchase these ivory laguiola steak knives. we don't have a good knife set and the price seemed reasonable ($67) for quality knives made in france. plus they're pretty.

• we regularly use danielle's gold watch as a prop for photo shoots so i've kinda sorta been wanting one of my own. i love the classic design of this gold eco-drive style by citizen watches - available at watchco.

• saw this cursive design necklace on pinterest and immediately repinned. so beautiful.

• i was enjoying brunch at the bongo room with mike a few weekends ago and was delighted that my latte came to me in this double glass takeya tumbler. i quickly googled the brand when i got home, and now i have one of my very own! highly recommend! makes a fantastic stocking stuffer or coworker gift at $20!

• love love love this oversized leather butterfly chair from eurostylelighting - it's perfect for any room of the house, including the our room!

• kelsea, the very talented designer behind kslademade, was generous and sent over her newest style crossbody bag in dark brown. i use it every day. it's become my go-to bag for fall.

what's your favorite item out of the bunch?

and if you haven't voted yet - please do! turns out anyone who votes gets entered to win a pair of the clarks boots for themselves!

Leather Boots Style Contest? Sign me up! (read: pretty please vote for me?)

OnlineShoes.com sent me and three other style bloggers a pair of Clarks Mascarpone boots and knee-high Wigwam socks and asked us to style a fall look around the preppy shoes. I by no means consider myself the fashionista, but because riding boots are my go-to footwear in the fall and winter months, this didn't seem too challenging. Now you get to vote on whose look you like best!

I immediately thought to pair the brown leather boots with another fall staple: the blazer. This one I got half off for $40 at Gap since it had a button missing (I've since fixed this). I love the bright girly hue and the white trim. I also reached for the Coach Penny Over-the-Shoulder bag in emerald and my knew Pan collared blouse from Aqua at Bloomingdale's. The final prop? Buddy the pup, of course! Who doesn't enjoy a long walk on a crisp fall day?

Clarks Women's Boots | Wigwam Socks | Blazer | Handbag | Glasses

The whole look was very reasonably priced - with both leather items, the Clarks shoes and the Coach bag, being the most costly (as most leather goods are).

If you like the look, please vote "Alaina" on the contest page over at OnlineShoes.com. You don't have to sign up or anything - simply hit the "VOTE" button under my photo.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

However, if you want to sign up, you'll be entered to win a pair of these boots for yourself! Good luck!

photos by Danielle Moss

what is it with fall and bags?

how is it that anything worthwhile in fashion comes out in the fall? is it the rich hues of hunter green, navy, and cognac? the metallic sheens and leather accents? the luxe, cozy fabrics? or is it because i am unconditionally obsessed with this season (allergies be damned). whatever the reason, this new handbag collection - a collaboration from jane mayle and club monaco - has got me all excited. the fashion designer closed shop a few years back which makes this limited edition series of five styles all the more appealing.

one | two | three | four | five

i love the navy stripes on #5. which one would you pick?

What I Wore to NYFW (sneak peek)

sequined peter pan collar

pink tufted bag

turquoise trousers

bow ring

black nails

and a soy latte

Each and every item bought on sale. It's funny to see how my style has evolved over the years... in high school, my friends all told me I dressed like a mom. I wore a lot of black and grey, button-down shirts, sweaters... (ok, I guess I still wear all of those things). But I've definitely branched out quite a bit to more fun, bold pieces! I'd say this look - which I wore to the Kate Spade show - is pretty much me in a nutshell! Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this nutshell?

I know some of you have been asking for details about New York, and don't worry, there's plenty more where this came from. Be sure to check The Everygirl on Monday for a full NYFW recap!

photo by Danielle Moss

it's baaaaack.

i'm talking about fall. affectionately referred to as sweater/blazer/leather boot season. and have i mentioned i love it?

j.crew always does it up right. the tippi sweater (my favorite) in an array of new styles.

wham. bam. thank you, ma'am.