Sweet November

I love November.  The colors of fall, the cool weather, the quality time with family, and the anticipation of truly beautiful holidays. Thanksgiving is of course a holiday highlight this month, but November is also National Adoption Month. I was able to volunteer this month with a great organization that matches children with foster families that could lead to adoption. There have been several adoptions in our family, so it was near and dear to my heart to see how families can form in all sorts of situations.  My own family grew over Thanksgiving when my husband and I brought home two little puppies. With the exception of potty training challenges and sleep deprivation that comes with two puppies, they are bringing us a lot of joy already!  

Living in the pacific northwest with cool November weather has made me a big fan of vests. Not only are they warm and easy to throw on but also they pair well with everything from jeans to dresses. The fabric on the brown vest below is so soft and makes me want to curl up on the couch with a good book and a puppy (or two). I paired it with old brown boots and grabbed dinner with a sweet friend of mine.  I also wore another comfy vest when my husband and I and took the puppies on their first walk in the park. Certainly a great end to a sweet November, and I have a lot to be thankful for.  Hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving!

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." Meister Eckhart

Tribute to Paris

I woke up this morning reflecting on my Thanksgiving holiday; the ability to enjoy quality time with my family and friends, and most importantly, giving thanks to God for everything I have been blessed with in this life that I am fortunate to call my own.  As I managed to get my day going, I tuned on the TV to see news coverage of French President Francois Hollande leading a tribute to the 130 victims of the Paris terror attacks:

“These women and men were the youth of France,” he said. “We will carry this fight until the end by being faithful to the idea of France: The art of living, togetherness, commitment to secularism, a confidence in our collective destiny.”

After viewing this tribute and hearing the above words, I decided to make my first post an homage to a city my husband and I love to visit, the City of Lights.  As President Hollande alluded, Parisians make living look like art.  Fashion is one of the preeminent ways that they accomplish this – their seemingly effortless style inspires me to elevate my own aesthetic sensibility.  The resulting outfits was one of my many attempts to do so.  I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to sharing my perspective with all of you. 

Lauren

Loving Paris

Waiting for the train in Gare du Nord

Hectic Day Into Date Night

My packing list for the pre-opening of the historic Hotel Emma included heels, a scarf, and a fun cocktail ring. No bag needed! I was invited to stay as part of a friends and family "soft opening" and, well, nit pick with the end goal of calibrating food and service prior to the official grand opening the following week. Dream come true!  My nickname is Peeves (I'm sure it started as a term of endearment when I was younger, really...surely...), so you might see a bit of that side in future postings :)  But back to the event at hand; so between the hand crafted cocktails, the Guayabera wearing friendly staff, the food- I can't even- and my Belle moment in the gorgeous library, it was heaven on earth.  And since all this bliss took place on a Thursday after work, here's how I went from school drop off, client meeting, boss meeting, bus pick up, grocery store run, dinner made, babysitter hand off, sneak email checking while husband packed, to hotel check in.  I chose the same dress to utilize as a transitional base layer to take me through such a whirlwind day; a trusty co-pilot that stayed with me through what could best be summed up as three applicable "scenes."



Scene 1: Mommy mode
Black flats, aviators (no makeup at the school drop off, no problem!), leather tassel necklace.

Scene 2: Working woman
Stud earrings, wedges, blazer.

Scene 3: Hot date 
Statement ring, nude heels, red glasses - inspiration for intelligent, adult only conversation at dinner, aka solving the world's problems over one (or two) glasses of wine; and a soft scarf for an after dinner walk along the River.

I've learned: leave the flats in the car and your blazer hanging in your office, to uphold the Boy Scout motto, and all you add is lipstick and coffee.  Dressed and ready for whatever the day brings!

Xo, Kelly

Happiness in a Yellow Dress

 

Photo credit Jennifer Franco Photography // Shop this look below

I love events - any excuse to get dressed up, especially now more than ever as a new mom. A fresh face and clean clothes by noon is a big win - a miracle if my makeup and hair get done too. This is my new normal. 

After our move this year, I've been fortunate to work remotely on special projects with my company. Working from home with a child gives a whole new meaning to 'multitasking' - it's hard, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My big project was planning one of our largest corporate events, and last month, I got to see all the hard work and planning pay off.

In my previous life, I would plan what to wear to formal events months in advance. My go-to typically is a LBD and red lips - classic and timeless - but for this event, I went bright yellow and didn't have time to rethink it.  

I chose this Elizabeth and James dress because the color made me happy, and it was different from anything I'd typically wear. It was fun and flirty yet still work appropriate. The neckline gave this classic, simple silhouette the right amount of edge. Not wanting to compete with the dress, I opted for nude pumps and kept accessories to a minimum. The necklace was the perfect complement to the dress's pop of color. 

The event was a huge success, and I had so much fun letting loose with friends (and a bunch of strangers and executives). You know it's a good night when you look back through your phone the next day and see this. Winning.

Xo, Jenn

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

My typical Tuesday involves meetings, metrics, presentations and a late night of work. Earlier this month, I had a different sort of Tuesday though when I went to NYC for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The music, the outfits, the environment... it was all electric! I started the day getting my hair and nails done, so it was already the best Tuesday I've had in a while. Then I ran into Caroline from one of my guilty pleasure Bravo TV shows, "Ladies of London," at the hotel. I ended the night having dinner with one of my best friends in SoHo, so it was an all around great day I won't ever forget. 

I stressed out about my outfit, which my husband thought was funny considering the focus would be on the room full of supermodels, but I ended up deciding on this LBD. The outfits at the event ran the gamut from floor length gowns to jeans, so I felt comfortable with my decision. I can't wait to watch the show on TV Dec. 8 to see how they edit it!

OUTFIT DETAILS: LITTLE BLACK DRESS HERE AND SIMILAR HERE // BLACK HEELS SIMILAR HERE // LOOP EARRINGS SIMILAR HERE