Palette Cleanse

New York has been incessantly rainy and gray for the last two weeks, and now that Labor Day is behind us, the reality of fall is settling in.   As usual, I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to summer.  This one was particularly sweet- I had two design installs, spent a few weekends in the Hamptons and one in Nantucket, and I fell in loooveee.  Nevertheless, a change in season is always the perfect time to step back, re-access goals, and cleanse the palette for a fresh start.

{Alexa Chung}

{Delphine & Reed Krakoff}

{Cottonwood & Co}

{Collage Vintage}

{Lovisa Hagar}

Shop This Board (from left to right, top to bottom):

Leather Handbag

White Sweater

Carlo Mid-Century Chair

Vince Brown Suede Boots (already have my eye on these for winter snow)

Adobe Box Mudcloth Throw Pillow

Mid-Century White Task Light

Hester Sweater

White Free People Dress (also love this one)

Troube Belted Jacket

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'm off to Tulsa for the weekend to see a high school best friend tie the knot!

Fourth Annual Chelsea Textiles Clearance Sale

If you live in or around Manhattan, I highly recommend getting yourself to the Chelsea Textiles x Holland & Sherry x Vaughan warehouse clearance sale today or tomorrow.  The sale is located at 980 Park Avenue at Wallace Hall inside St. Ignatius Loyola Church (on the corner of Park Ave and 83rd St) and the deals are unreal.

I stopped by after work yesterday and left with a new pretty Vaughan lamp purchased at 50% off (!!!):

In the background of the image above you can see lots of cute Chelsea Textiles dresser styles.     I loved this pretty glossy demilune- the perfect size for a New York apartment:

Another thrill of the sale were all the rolls of luxe fabrics heavily discounted.  There are bins and bins of rich Holland & Sherry cashmeres, velvets, mohairs, wools and silks:

Chelsea Textiles also had prepackaged rolls of fabrics available- I was thrilled to see one of my favorite embroidered vine patterns (2166/03) marked at $21/yard (normally $205/yard):

Vaughan Designs was the other big draw for me.  They had several lamp styles and shades marked down as well as flush mounts, pendants, and sconces on display:

Vaughan pleated fabric lampshades:

There was also a whole section of vintage books for sale.  Everything from cookbooks to style books to novels:

If you're in the need for any home decor, I recommend stopping by ASAP before all the great merchandise gets scooped up.  I had a blast perusing and digging through the rows of fabrics, rugs, pillows, and furniture.

Happy Shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving turkey heads!!  What's there to be thankful for?  Lots of people seem to feel that 2016 is a year we are better off forgetting- but I'm not so sure of that. If anything, the world continues to spin in New York and I have a collection of iPhone snapshots to prove it...  

{the view from the east side of Jackie O reservoir in Central Park}

{Washington Square Park}

{Central Park boat pond}

{an Upper East townhouse with a particularly festive stoop}

{the view from lying down one Sunday afternoon in Central Park}

{Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Cathedral}

{"Subway Therapy" wall at Union Square Station}

{Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, seconds after spotting Amy Poehler with her adorable son}

{Another view from Central Park}

{my brother and me, at Thanksgiving circa 1989- this one was taken by my mom, of course}

And the world spins madly on...

Hug your loved ones tight, and it wouldn't be a Thanksgiving if I didn't post this movie scene (I think I mainly just love the Neil Young song mixed in)...

XOXO,

Sam

Best Nordstrom Anniversary Picks for Fall

It pains me a little to write this post because I'm not one to acknowledge the impending fall/winter before I absolutely have to.  I spent the entire weekend by the pool basking in the sunshine, and if it were up to me summer would be the ONLY season. Moving to New York has made me appreciate moments in the sun even more than I used to as most of the time the concrete jungle keeps you from catching any rays during the work week. Nevertheless, one simply cannot ignore the incredible prices of Nordstrom Anniversary Sale items, and I feel it is my duty to keep you in the know and ahead of the curve so you can stock up before everything is sold out.  Here's what I plan to purchase for fall weather:

Shop this Post:

Illesteva Leonard White Camo Sunnies $173.90/North Face ThermoBall Hooded Parka $169.90/Hald Round Mesh Strap Watch $99.90/Faux Leather Moto Jacket $64.90/Lush V-Neck Crepe Blouse $27.90/Distressed Skinny Jeans $58.90/Fringe Infinity Scarf $11.90/Wool Fedora $19.90/Steve Madden "Gleemer" Over the Knee Boot $99/Halogen "Owen" Pointy Toe Flat $59.90/

My good friend Vicky is a style maven and my go-to girl for all the latest and best in fashion. She swears by Illesteva sunnies, and I love the white camo version for $100 off the original price. 

My first winter in New York taught me that a below-the-waist jacket is worth it's weight in gold, and North Face is my favorite (proof here). 

These Steve Madden boots are just as cute as Stuart Weitzman, and it doesn't hurt that they're under $100. 

Happy shopping my friends, and have a great Monday!

Color Crush: Caramel

I've never been one to gravitate towards brown, but one fall color that keeps catching my eye is caramel.  Richer and a tad more red than camel, it's the perfect neutral to add to your gray/black/navy repertoire:

{Katie's Bliss}

{Burberry}

{WhoWhatWear}

{Design Daredevil}

{Glamour}

{Habitually Chic}

{One Kings Lane}

I plan to be doning carmel all season long, and burled wood is calling my name. Are you a fan of this jazzy neutral?

Fall Essentials

A change in season always inspires me to reorganize and reevaluate my closet- donating outfits and shoes I never wear anymore.  The process of having done this over several season changes has taught me to stick with the timeless, classic pieces that work well with my figure.   While timeless pieces are often require more of an investment,  over time your ROI is much larger than bargain shopping for clothes that will fall apart after one season.  I tend to wear a lot of black in the fall and winter months, and I love how a silk blouse looks when paired with leather-

And how gorgeous are those black leather booties?  I have these Tory Burch booties on my birthday wish list.  I also love the idea of pairing leather with a cotton wrap skirt:

Another essential piece is a chic navy blazer.  I love this option from J Crew.  It's perfect to wear over a dress for work, or pair it with cutoffs and a striped tee for a more relaxed, casual look:

{Maja Wyh}

A camel top or sweater is great for layering and can also be dressed up or down.  I love this J Crew merino wool option.

A black leather jacket is one of my most coveted fall essentials.  It goes with essentially everything.

{Fashion Me Now}

I love this all-black look - especially the crop top!

{Atlantic-Pacific}

Just as versatile as black, navy goes with almost every other color (and CAN be paired with black!)

And a few more fall looks I love...

{Linn Hagglund}

{Atlantic-Pacific}

I've gathered a collection of pieces I love and feel are great for fall, but are essentially timeless.   What specifically is on your fall/winter closet wish list this year?