Travel Time: NYC & IFBCON
At the beginning of last September I headed to sweltering New York City to attend my first IFB Conference and Fashion’s Night Out – The conference was such an amazing experience that I’ve decided to further my fashion blogger education with another once-in-a-lifetime trip back East.
{You can read about my trip & enjoy some fabulous Summer fashion from September here: IFBCON Preparation, IFBCON – Trends, Styles & Inspiration, MCLV Style: New York City, MCLV Style: IFBCON Day One, MCLV Style: IFBCON Day Two, and New York Fashion Diary}
As with my trip in September a huge part of the fun – And the stress – Is deciding what to bring for the trip. Not only is New York City a fashion capital whose streets beg for killer footwear & fun, one-of-a-kind looks, the conference is also a chance to meet inspirational people within the industry and connect with other fashion bloggers – Some of whom may have been instrumental in you decision to start a blog in the first place.
Nerve-wracking.
I was right on the edge of beginning to panic when I read this amazing article from Hilary Rushford at Dean Street Society about similar anxieties & a solution to her own fashion crisis prior to attending the Alt Summit Conference in Salt Lake City – Why I’m Not Going To Win Best Dressed at Alt Summit. After reading it – And quickly becoming enthralled by her blog – I realized that she’s one of the speakers at IFBCON this week. How serendipitous!
With Hilary’s permission to not win best dressed I decided that I needed a better way to approach the packing conundrum. Ultimately I know that for me picking out each piece & styling it in advance is the best way to go – That way I can relax and enjoy myself once I arrive. The other thing that I love is getting inspired by fashion magazines, other bloggers, and all the beautiful pictures I can find online.
Enter Pinterest. 🙂
The other thing that’s fun when you’re packing is to get inspired by the professionals. And by professionals I mean the fabulous fashion set who have been gracing New York Fashion Week {or IFBCON} with their presence for years – Jetset Style Guide – NYFW February 2013 from Hitha On The Go, Fashion Week Beauty Essentials from Late Afternoon, {What to Wear} To A Fashion Blogging Conference from Beautify My Life, 8 Looks Inspiring Our NYFW Wardrobe from Glittery Guide, and of course Bigger, Better, Bolder: What To Bring To IFB Con from IFB.
Have you ever gotten stressed out by the notion of getting packed for a trip? How did you calm yourself done & get yourself packed?
Be sure to follow my New York City adventures on these platforms for pictures & updates:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moicontrelavie
- Twitter: @moicontrelavie
- Instagram: @moicontrelavie
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
My Spring cleaning urges are clearly starting to kick in early this year – Check out Gala Darling’s Blog On, Babe: Get Organized! for some great ideas for organizing your work – Whether you’re a blogger, a writer, or any other creative type.
Did you enjoy my recent organizational tips & recommendations for closet cleaning {Closet Organization}? If so you’ll love these suggestions from Apartment Therapy – Get Sorted: 5 Functional Shoe Organizers.
I’m in an outerwear state of mind these days – Between San Francisco being colder than I can ever remember and a trip to New York City scheduled for two weeks – I’m determined to find the perfect coat. Stylish but warm. Leave it to Olivia Palermo to have all the answers to our statement coat questions – How To Rock: The Coat.
It’s just about time to start daydreaming thinking about planning your Spring vacation. So why not take some advice from stylist-to-the-stars Brad Goreski – How To Travel In Style.
In the market for a new lipstick? Get the right one with Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Lipstick Guide to help you through the process!
Health & Fitness:
You know that coconut oil is good for you and I’ve shared some tasty ways to get coconut into your diet, but have you tried using it in your beauty routine? Glitter Guide has the scoop in their piece 10 Ways To Add Coconut Oil To Your Beauty. Routine
Whether you’re gluten-intolerant, following a paleo/primal diet, or just interested in eating a healthier diet kelp noodles are a great new food to try out, you should read Choosing Raw’s Kelp Noodle 101: How to Prepare and Serve Kelp Noodles.
I’m always interested in learning how my nutrition affects my health & how my body feels, and clearly I’m not the only one. Check out Purely Twins’s – Day 18 interesting reads about fructose malabsorption & hormonal acne.
As we grow up we need to pay attention not only to our overall health, but to our bone health at all. You may think that eating a calcium rich diet or taking supplements is all you need to do, but staying educated and aware is what you really need – Best Foods For Your Bones.
If you’re interested in strengthening your thighs than FitSugar has the answers in their Inner Thigh Exercises post – Work it!
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Finding a stylish, warm coat for Winter that you can wear in various situations – Everything from over a dress for a night out on the town to picking out a Christmas tree with your family – Can be a challenge. Too thin. Too thick. Too expensive. But Refinery 29 is here to save the day so check out their 10 Casual-Cool Coats To Keep You Warm On The Weekends and find the perfect Winter coat for you.
The oh-so-stylish Karolina Kurkova has done it yet again – It takes a master to pair plaid, white cropped pants, and flat ankle boots and look this good, so WhoWhatWear helps us out by breaking down her fabulous look so that we can recreate it ourselves in their Why It Works: Karolina Kurkova.
I like to mix up my beauty routine by changing products, trying new brands, and cycling great drug store finds into my morning routine {see MCLV’s Makeup Bag & MCLV’s Medicine Cabinet for more}. Glitter Guide agrees and have laid out all of their favorites for you to try – Our Top 20 Drugstore Beauty Buys.
If you’re like me, wrestling with your locks each morning and trying to find an acceptable arrangement isn’t your favorite thing to do each day. Luckily Style Bistro picked some great hairstyles from the runways and laid out the basic for us hair novices – 15 DIY Hairstyle Ideas Straight From The Runway.
If the studded, spiked & leather adorned world of Lisbeth Salander is your fashion fantasy you must check out Catwalk Azure’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo post for some sartorial inspiration.
Health & Nutrition:
After reading Organice Your Life’s Salad Making For Dummies you’ll have no more excuses for not making yourself a quick, healthy, nutritious dinner each night!
Eat protein. Don’t eat protein. It seems like there’s always a new study relating to protein consumption and health or weight loss, but reading up on the topic can help you make healthier choices, just be sure to keep an eye out for future research! Eat THIS, Lose Weight from Women’s Health.
Living a healthy life means more than just keeping an eye on your waistline, especially as you get older, you need to pay attention to the tests that your doctors run – Including your blood pressure. The Huffington Post’s Ways To Lower Blood Pressure: Exercise, Meditation, Diet And More.
With the hectic, non-stop holiday season upon us it’s easier to grab a sugary snack and try to relax on the couch when we have a few extra minutes but trust me, you’ll feel MUCH better if you use those few precious minutes to sneak in a quick workout! Check out Refinery 29’s 10 Minute Workout.
I’ve had a number of friends over the years who suffered from season depression – A number of whom were Southern California natives who had trouble adapting to the foggy, rainy Bay Areas winters in college. Gala Darling to the rescue! How To Beat The Winter Blues: DENIAL Is Key!
Fall On A Budget
At the beginning of October I shared my Fall 2012 Must Haves, which included eye-catching patterns & prints, faux leather, fun pants, tweed pieces, asymmetrical details, and the color de jour for Fall – Oxblood.
It’s easy to see pictures from the Fall 2012 collections and put together a mental list of all the things you want, and then give up in frustration because you can’t afford straight-from-the-runway pieces. But I’m here to tell you that we can very easily update your wardrobe for Fall without having to dip into your 401k. I promise!
I like to get one or two great new investment pieces each season – something like an updated but classic Little Black Dress, a chic new handbag, or a timeless trench – but I’ll also collect a handful of fun, on-trend pieces from less expensive stores that quickly update my looks for the season. There are great stores like Zara, ASOS, H&M, and TopShop were you can find trendy, well-made pieces each season for a steal. Read on for some of my personal suggestions & recommendations as well as a collection of great articles that’ll steer you in the right direction for all of your Fall 2012 needs.
- Where Do Editors Really Shop from Refinery 29 is just the sort of article that I love to read – Knowing where the most fashionable and stylish women in the fashion world shop is like being handed the keys to the kingdom! And wouldn’t you know it, along with the high-end designers that you’d expect them to mention, they also list great inexpensive shopping destinations like E-bay, Target, Zara, Amazon, Madewell, J.Crew, TopShop, JewelMint, ShoeMint, and even The Salvation Army. Great news, isn’t it?
- The Glitter Guide’s Caitlin’s Budget Buys: Fall Essentials Under $80 includes fabulous beauty & fashion finds from Target, TopShop, Old Navy, Dorothy Perkins, Christian Siriano for Payless, ASOS, L’Oreal, and Sole Society.
Another lucky break for us fashion obsessed is that more and more high-end designers have been coming out with reasonably priced collections for retailer giants like Payless, Target, and Macys.
{Long-sleeve Shirt Dress in Red Geometric Print – $40 @ Kirna Zabete for Target, Long-Sleeve Satin Blazer – $60 (on sale) @ Nicole Richie for Impulse & Racquel Side Zip Bootine – $50 @ Christian Siriano for Payless}
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Lucky Magazine’s 100 Cheap Fall Finds is a trove of fun Fall pieces from printed pants and embellished collars to chic dresses and leather trimmed jackets. In addition to featuring clothing from Luckymag.com, they included other retail websites like Romwe.com, Pixiemarket.com, Urban1972.com, Levis.com, and Ulta.com.
- Two of the trends that I’m most excited for this Fall are printed pants and leather-trimmed pieces and luckily for all of us the fun website The Cheap Chica’s Guide to Style featured fabulous recommendations for both trends – Geometry Class & Just The Sleeves Please. So no matter what type of fashion you’re in the mood for this site has what you’re looking for!
The less expensive secondary lines created by designers and sold at department stores like Bloomingdale’s, Macys, Nordstrom, and Kolh’s are great pieces to keep an eye out for.
{Left to Right: Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Jac’ Denim Leggings – $140 @ Nordstrom, MICHAEL Michael Kors Sleeveless Cowl Neck Banded Bottom Dress – $45 (on sale) @ Bloomingdale’s, and LC Lauren Conrad Embellished Ruffle Tee – $40 @ Kohl’s}
- Not quite sure how to approach stores like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, or Ross? Refinery 29 took it upon themselves to teach us how in their piece Discount Shopping – How To Shop At Marshalls where they had three different editors put together 6 cute looks under $50. Wow!
- Waiting for stores to have announce a big sale is a great way to find the pieces you’re craving without paying full-price. Not sure just how to make this tactic work for you? Check out Sales Rack Skinny: The Subtle Statement’s Sale Shop Tactics for tips that’ll help you find just what you’re looking for in stores or even online.
Are you still in the mood for more tips, recommendations, and suggestions for updating your wardrobe, Fall dressing, and online shopping? Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Style For Hire and a series of informative posts all about online shopping.
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Outerwear is always one of my favorite parts about dressing for Fall, and with all of the fun patterned and colorful blazers in stores this season I’m even more excited than usual. Not sure where to start? Time to check in with the experts! The Glitter Guide’s Fall Shopping Guide: Blazers.
One of my new favorites to keep an eye on during Fashion Month is Russian designer and photographer Ulyana Sergeenko. Her style is dramatic, eye-catching, and perfectly over-the-top. And luckily for us fashion lovers she’s just one of many chic up and coming Russian fashionistas making the scene these days! You’ll thank me after you check out all of these lovely ladies in Bougeotte’s Modern Russian Czarinas Are Being Born.
Beauty lovers have been buzzing about the new Courtin-Clarins beauty blog that launched last month. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see what these French beauties have to say now’s the time! WhoWhatWear – The Scoop: Claire & Virginie Courtin-Clarins.
Patterned pants and all-over-prints on suits and shorts suits are all things that I’m excited to wear this Fall and next Spring, so why not check out some fabulous versions worn lately to get you in the mood? The Next Evolution of Fashion’s Print Obsession: The Printed Suit.
I recently discovered a fun new fashion blog that I’d love to share – Advanced Style was created by Ari Seth Cohen and celebrates the fabulous fashion of the older generations. As someone who grew up on Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant movies, couldn’t wait to start working after college so I could have a formal wardrobe, and dresses up to travel – this is right up my alley. I love the formality and classic approach to fashion celebrated by previous generations and this website is a great place to find stunning photographs of just that. Enjoy!
Health & Fitness:
I remember thinking at 18 that 30 was so old but now as I’m swiftly approaching the big three-oh my thinking has changed – I’m looking forward to the things that I’m going to accomplish in my thirties, the goals I’m going to set, the places I’m going to visit. Needless to say I was thrilled when I saw this article – Does life really begin at 30?
Sweet potatoes are a great favorite of mine – I love that there are an endless number of recipes that you can make with them, from snacks to savory dinner to sweet desserts. Versatile and delicious, what more could a girl want? More recipes to try of course! 10 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes: Easy and tasty sweet potato recipes, each with about 300 calories or less.
Finding new recipes, reading about food, health & nutrition, and finding great food blogs written by creative, passionate people are some of my favorite pastimes so I was thrilled when Green Thickies posted a list of the their favorite blogs – Some I already knew and others I eagerly looked up. I had dozens of recipes printed in minutes! 🙂 Check out 8 Best Vegan Blogs for links and recipes to try!
Sometimes when I look at a recipe I’ll immediately think “no” in my mind when I look at the amount of oil, butter, or sugar being recommended. Rather than count certain recipes out, we can substitute healthier, nutritious ingredients for the more calorically dense, fattening ones. Apple sauce is one of my go-to ingredients to lighten up a recipe, but for Fall why not try pumpkin? How to Substitute Pumpkin Puree For Butter and Oil.
Speaking of pumpkin, this was one of the first pumpkin recipes I made this season when Trader Joe’s started stocking the shelves with canned pumpkin – How To Make A Quick Healthy Pumpkin Pie Fudge. So. Good.
Fall Fabulousness
Fall is by far my favorite season – I love the weather, I love the fashion, I love the holidays, I even love the decorations – From Halloween pumpkins to Autumn leaves to Thanksgiving turkeys. And here in San Francisco, Fall has most definitely arrived.
As far as I’m concerned the decorations box or closet it one of the best parts about changing seasons! So why not try some of these fun ideas to spice up your home for Fall – Glitter Guide’s 10 Simple Fall Decorating Ideas.
If you’d like some seasonal pictures frames why not try this too cute technique to spice up your photos! Easy Halloween Framed Pictures from Lilac & Lace.
If you’re not in the mood for traditional orange pumpkins this season than give this fun new style a try – DIY Glitter Pumpkins from The Glitter Guide.
Taste of Fall
A lot of what makes Fall to me is what I’m putting in my mouth! 🙂 I’m always dying to break out the squash, pumpkin, and apple pie by the time Summer wraps up. Here are some fabulous recipes to get you in the mood too.
- Eat Live Run’s Chewy Caramel Apple Chip Cookies
- OhSheGlow’s How To Roast A Sugar Pumpkin & Make Fresh Pumpkin Purée and All-Natural Pumpkin Butter From Scratch
- The Fitnessista’s Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Choosing Raw’s Apple Pie Smoothie
- Glitter Guide’s Spiked Cider Cocktail
- Post Punk Kitchen’s Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
- Eat Live Run’s Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- OhSheGlow’s Creamy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Choosing Raw’s Pumpkin Pudding and Chocolate Mousse Parfait
- Eat Live Run’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- OhSheGlow’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale and Almond Pecan Parmesan
What’s your favorite part about Fall? Do you like recipes that showcase all of the Fall produce that’s hitting the stores?
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Whether you’re watching the US Open or America’s Cup, a stylish spectator outfit is a must – US Open 2012 from Net-A-Porter.
Are you starting to prepare your wardrobe for Fall? A great skirt with tights & killer boots is always a fabulous option so check out WhoWhatWear’s suggestions for Fall 2012 – Market Watch: Fall Skirts.
One thing that I always look forward to when Fashion Month rolls around are the Garance Dore and Net-A-Porter Fashion Week video collaborations Pardon My French. She talks to fashion greats, reviews the collections, meets designers, interviews fashion insiders, and just generally gives you a great behind-the-scenes look at all of the Fashion Month madness.
- Pardon My French/Anna Dello Russo Dancing
- Pardon My French/Amanda de Cadenet
- Pardon My French/Lunch at Miss Lily’s
You know how much I adore a versatile piece in my wardrobe – especially when it comes to packing for a trip. Refinery 29 clearly agrees – Oxford Shirt Styling Tips: 1 Oxford Shirt, 3 Easy Ways To Style It.
One of the fun Fall trends this year will be finding pieces that have your favorite artwork translated onto them – Whether you’re a fan of the Renaissance Masters or Graphic novels, there are pieces out there for everyone! This Time Tomorrow – Wearing Your Art On Your Sleeve.
Health/Fitness:
Don’t have time for a run? Not interested in the membership fees at your local gym? Why not head online to find the perfect workout for yourself – Fit Club: The Country’s Best Virtual Workouts.
Are you looking for some healthy meals to feed your family to ensure that they’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that they need? Here are some great recipes to try:
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The Wannabe Chef’s Grain-Free Muffins
No matter how much time you spend in the kitchen familiarizing yourself with new tools – or re-familiarizing yourself with tools you haven’t used in a while – is an important part of staying on top of things so check out The Blissful Chef’s Cooking Tool of the Month Series.
Medicine and bosu balls are two of my favorite gym toys – If you use them right they can keep your workouts both challenging and fun. Don’t believe me? Check out FitSugar’s Don’t Let the Medicine Ball Intimidate You — 5 Easy Moves!
Moi Contre La Vie 