a pumpkin post.

fall is here! so as usual my sister has turned all festive. she literally won't leave you alone until you join in on her merriment. if you enter a store that happens to have seasonal candles she will smell everyone -- then ask your opinion on her favorites to make a final decision.

needless to say, she has way too many candles. 

with all these celebratory acts of fall going on my sister decided to rope me into decorating pumpkins with her -- oh the joy!

well, if i'm going to spend a day decorating a food that will eventually perish in the sun, why not document and blog it. my sister started with this little guy:

i wasn't going to purchase any pumpkins, but once we got to Home Depot i couldn't resist this cream colored pumpkin and this light peach pumpkin that looked like someone threw-up on it. i bought some iridescent copper paint by Ralph Lauren and lightly painted the bottom half of my cream pumpkin as such: 

 my sister continued on her merry decorating spree with gold and silver spray paint by Rust-oleum, some glitter, and painters tape.

clearly she was a very proud mother hen. she is also a perfectionist and needed to make deep inspections at the completion of each pumpkin decor endeavor... as seen below:

after we completed our pumpkins we put them together for a little photo shoot. i think my sister's orange and gold striped pumpkin is reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

i put my two pumpkins on a mirrored tray with some candles and and scented pine cones.
yes, my sister won me over and now our house is all fall festive.

of course Lyla had to give her approval -- and by approval i mean she needed to taste the pine cones.

and if you're interested my sister even took the time to name each pumpkin.
she REALLY gets into this seasonal stuff.
mine on the top and hers on the bottom:

   

ain't got time for that!

i recently acquired this tee with text that reads, "i woke up like this." loved it for a couple reasons; it's grey and it's super soft. once i brought it home i re-read the text and realized how true the statement is for me. since having Lyla, getting ready (brushing my hair and teeth) or dressed (putting on any item of clothing) is no easy feat. i have had to accept the fact i can no longer leisurely get ready and most days i throw on shorts and a tee and... look like i just rolled out of bed. thank goodness messy hair and big sunglasses are a "thing"!

Lyla, however, always looks like a little princess -- she never misses!

::or so her very biased mommy thinks::

all that said, this is just a season and soon i'll have time.... right?!

WHAT I WORE:
shirt/franchesca's
jeans/abercrombie&fitch
shoes/gap

WHAT LYLA WORE:
bow/target
onsie/carter's
moccs/freshly picked

   

oh clothes!

oh clothes! when you really think about them they are the most frivolous and unimportant items to obsess over. yes, they can make or break a first impression - but in this day and age if someone is forming a complete opinion of you based solely on your attire then they have some major issues. the only arguments for "proper" attire are the seasonal elements and the risk of being charged with indecent exposure.

regardless of the above mentioned - i see clothes as such a creative outlet on the daily. whether people choose to admit it or not, they daily express themselves thru their outfits.... no matter how much effort was or was not put forth.

personally, it's fun to dress up or down, to put an outfit together, to try the unexpected, to read up on trends, to appreciate the artistry and deep creativity designers put into their collections, to watch bloggers put forth their interpretations of "what looks good"... i could go on for a while.

the best part about getting dressed is very similar to art -- it's all open to interpretation and personal taste. what one person may love, another may hate.

alright, enough said. here's a fun little outfit featuring white after labor day, a plaid shirt in honor of autumn heading our way (fingers crossed miami),  and the cutest polka dot shoes i got for $9.99 from GAP (originally $34.95 -- deal!).

WHAT I WORE:
glasses/rayban
necklace/james michelle
shirt/target
shorts/target
shoes/old navy

   

#theblankcanvas: Kit and Ace

had such a unique experience the other night.

twelve people local to this vast community that makes up Miami came together for a supper club experience hosted by the retail company, Kit and Ace. the four course dinner was held inside the private underground wine cellar, La Cava - which is a part of the restaurant, La Bottega in Coconut Grove.

the food and wine were exquisite, but the conversation was even better. everybody brought their individual personalities and perspectives to the table. it was refreshing to engage with so many different opinions and have no one disrespected for their specific point of view. i personally enjoyed every person and discussion point of the night!

the supper club is just one of the community oriented ways that Kit and Ace connects with the cities its stores are located in. their first store here in Miami will be located in Coconut Grove. this specific location is headed by shop director, Cristina Menendez, who i was once an intern for with Gen Art and i now consider a friend. Cristina hosted an amazing night and continues to put all her efforts into creating an amazing shop - the interior is curated for and by locals. for example, the lighting sculptures have been made by the talented artist Brookhart Jonquil.

most importantly is the product. Kit and Ace boasts the groundbreaking use of "technical cashmere" that is machine washable - its overall designs are all about "athleisure" wear and being able to take the pieces from running, to running errands, to running late for a date. ha!

(really good article about Kit and Ace in detail, including an interview with the founders, here.)

a huge thank you to Kit and Ace for a beautiful evening and introduction to an awesome company, along with the gift of this Erin Tee. i wish everyone could feel through their computer screens because this shirt melts on your skin. although it looks simple at first, it really has very specific detailing: the overall cut, the seamless armholes, the curved hem, the darts in the back, along with the subtle impressed logo. all is perfection.

below i came up with two easy looks -- it was tough though as this is #theblankcanvas of shirts and i could have made-up a bazillion looks.

FIRST is a look for a casual lunch with the girls, nothing too fussy. paired the top with some high waisted and very flared F21 jeans, some vintage pony hair mules, a gold pendant James Michelle necklace, lilac cross-body Balenciaga purse.

SECOND is a look for a fun happy hour or date night. again simple and chic. tied the back of the top in a little knot because it's a trendy twist and a little more form hugging. paired some loose fitting dirty-pink GAP pants with some peep-toe ZARA heels. added pearl and crystal J.CREW earrings, mix-match gold Madewell bracelets, and a monogrammed leather J.CREW purse. 

let me add that both these looks could have been made to look wildly different just by changing the accessories - goodtimes!

hope you enjoyed my take on the Erin Tee from Kit and Ace. now the countdown begins for the grand opening...

   

a striped duo.

currently, Lyla has a much better wardrobe than I do. as if budgeting my own fashion purchases wasn't hard enough, now I have to include my babes stylish finds too.

so how do I solve this first world problem of having to keep our purchases in a neat budget... we recycle!!!

as seen in these pics: my dress I wore while preggo - once was very snug, now it's a loose shift dress. Lyla first previewed this little outfit around 4months - and she'll continue to wear it until it's just too tight. 

best part about this striped outfit combo: we kinda-sorta match. and let's face it, this fun event won't last that long for me. eventually she'll be telling me how uncool I am, and how I'm too old to shop at F21. 

::sobs pitifully into palms::

WHAT WE WORE!

on me: bow/F21, dress/Target, shoes/Birkenstock

on Lyla: bow/Target, bloomers/Jcrew, shoes/Jcrew