Stripes, Button-Up Denim, & the J.Crew Chateau Trench

Coat: J.Crew Chateau Trench in 'Barley'-- 20% off right now with code GETSHOPPING
Striped Tee: Topshop | Skirt: ASOS | Shoes: Converse | Bag: Chloe 'Drew' in 'Motty Gray'
Bracelet: Vita Fede | Watch: kate spade | Necklace: Roberto Coin | Earrings: Gorjana via Rocksbox

I'm sharing a casual spring look from the weekend today--we are still loving our early spring weather in Denver. (And it's hard to believe that bare legs are possible in early March!) The spring temperatures have brought us some rain instead of snow recently, and my new spring trench from J.Crew is perfect for cooler, damp weather.



You may remember that the J.Crew Chateau Parka was one of my favorite coats this winter (read my review here), so I was happy to see that J.Crew had taken the same silhouette and designed a similar spring coat in a lighter, water-resistant fabric. The Chateau Trench is lined in a darling gingham fabric and has slightly longer sleeves than the Parka, so turning up the cuffs to reveal the lining is a must.

I debated between the Barley color I got and the bright red Fiery Sunset for a bit. I love bright-colored outerwear, but I felt the more traditional color was a better fit with my mostly-neutral work wardrobe. I saw the bright red on Kelly in the City recently, and love how the color looks in contrast with the gingham lining, so if red works well in your closet, go for it!



Since the coat is advertised as water-resistant, I decided to take it for a spin while walking Stanley during a light evening shower. As raindrops hit me, I could see them bead up on the fabric and run off without any soaking through. While I'm not sure if it would keep you totally dry during a downpour, I'm happy with how the Chateau Trench protected me from the average spring rain. I also gave it a quick test under a faucet for about ten seconds, and my arm stayed dry even though the sleeve was completely wet on the outside.



As far as sizing goes, I took my normal 00P, but I noticed that other reviewers thought the fit was a little small in the shoulders. I've found that many of J.Crew's coats are on the smaller side in the shoulders, so if you're looking to layer underneath, it's often a good idea to size up. The bell shape of this coat (something I really like about it) is not as obvious in photos as it is in person. If you're looking for a more fitted, classic trench, this coat is probably not for you. I'd suggest the Icon Trench instead--it's also available in petite and regular sizing and is currently 20% off as well.

This button-through denim skirt is another new addition to my closet. I have a couple denim skirts in my wardrobe already, but I liked the A-line shape and 70's styling of this one. It's such a versatile piece and can be styled for warmer or cooler temperatures. At under $40, it was a budget-friendly option, too! When shopping at ASOS, keep in mind that their sizing runs quite small. I'm wearing a Petite 0 and could have probably gone up a size if I wanted it to sit a little lower on my waist.

Hope you had a great weekend--happy Monday!

x, Tam

Happy Holidays + Resolutions for 2016 + End-of-Year Sales

Coat: J.Crew | Shirt: J.Crew (sold out, but I like this one that's still available) | Skirt: ASOS (exact cut is out of stock, but this slimmer cut in the same fabric looks great) | Scarf: J.Crew Factory | Bag: Valentino | Boots: Stuart Weitzman | Lips: Stila 'Fiery'

Sean and I spent a wonderful Christmas holiday in the Winter Wonderland that is Breckenridge with family and close friends. We loved every minute of skiing, drinking hot chocolates and hot toddies by the fire, soaking in the hot tubs and watching the skiers go by, and stopping by the cute little shops in town.

I'm a little sad that Christmas is over, but even though I'm not much for resolutions (they fall apart so fast!), I think I'm going to try to instill a few. My husband wants us to slow our lives down and eat a little better, which is a great idea. I want to improve my blog and hopefully find more time to share what's in my head with you. We both want to exercise more since that so easily goes by the wayside when you're two busy lawyers with dogs, hobbies, volunteer work, and other obligations taking away your free time. I think the gist is that we want to encourage ourselves to find that "productive downtime" that has been seeming so elusive for us. Wish us luck!

For those of you who are looking to do a little wardrobe refresh in the new year, I thought I'd do a quick run-down of after-Christmas sales for you.

• Nordstrom: the Half-Yearly Sale has arrived, with sale prices up to 60% off + price matching. My top picks are these extra-comfy Sam Edelman ballet flats that are pefect for commuting or running errands without a blister in sight, this amazing Bobeau wrap that works for any and all figures, and these rarely-on-sale glossy original Hunter rain boots.
• J.Crew: 40% off hundreds of styles, including certain colors of the coat I'm wearing in this post. My favorite petite tee is on sale, too.
• Ann Taylor: 50% off all items + free shipping with code EVERYTHING. I love this pink tweed skirt with matching top and this all-season stretch dress that seems like the perfect addition to any closet.

Happy holidays!

x, Tam

Weekend Vibe + A Couple Reviews of my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

Top: Urban Outfitters (on sale!) | Denim: ASOS | Shoes: Joie via the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (#NSale) | Bag: Mansur Gavriel (hint: these are notoriously hard to find, but you can pre-order one at Barney's right now!) | Bracelet: Vintage | Earrings: Nadri via the #NSale

Some of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks from my previous post have finally arrived! While not everything is summer-appropriate of course, I thought I'd show you a look with couple pieces that I was able put to work right away and will transition easily into fall, my Joie lace-up sandal-booties and the Nadri Ear Jackets. Remember, the Anniversary Sale is still going on this week, but prices go up on August 3.



I've been looking at earrings in this style (with a back jacket) for a while now, and these pretty Nadri ones really caught my eye while I was browsing the Anniversary Sale. I was delighted to find that they are even prettier in person, and they are light as air on my ears.

I find it difficult to wear heavy earrings for an entire day; these are so light I even forgot to take them out before bed and had no trouble sleeping in them. The jackets have a couple different holes where you can insert the earring, so you can control how low you want them to hang below your ear. The backs are nice and sturdy, so you don't have to worry about them loosening or falling out. I think I'll be wearing these a ton this summer and fall!



One of my other favorite pieces I ordered from the #NSale? These Joie sandals (booties? a hybrid?). Getting into them takes a little effort, but once they're on, I found them to be very comfortable as long as I left myself plenty of room in the laces. The heel on them is a very walkable stiletto, and the leather is buttery-soft, so no blister issues there. I'm excited to style these in a bunch of different ways--they have so much potential!



I wore the look in this post yesterday, which was a very busy Sunday. Because of our work schedules, Sean and I don't get to run many errands during the week, so we jam as many as we can into our weekends. When we stopped to quickly take these photos, we had a car full of groceries, so I decided to grab my bunch of supermarket roses and use it as a prop here.



This location is another great Denver spot. Behind me you can see the interesting architectural features of the Denver Art Museum, and I'm standing on the promenade between the museum and the Denver Public Library. There are some fascinating pieces of public art around this park--here's a little more info on some of the big pieces if you're interested.

Happy Monday!

x, Tam

Winter Wonderland

Sweater: ASOS | Collared Shirt: H&M | Scarf: Zara (similar here and here) | Denim: J Brand '620' | Boots: Stuart Weitzman | Bag: Mansur Gavriel (sold out in most places, but Bergdorf's has a few available for pre-order) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Watch: Michael Kors | Necklace: Theresa Mink | Bracelet: J.Crew | Rings: Vintage, SIX | Lips: NARS 'Dragon Girl' | Nails: OPI 'You're Such a Budapest'

Last week's bikini weather quickly devolved into a big snowstorm on Saturday, so on Sunday morning, we woke up to this winter wonderland right outside our door. The day wasn't quite as chilly as it looked, so I was comfortable in this layered ensemble, using my Zara blanket scarf as more blanket than scarf. I layered a collared shirt under this warm, furry sweater, and I was set for a quick walk with Stanley in the snow.

Hope you have a lovely week!

x, Tam

Orange Crush

Jacket: Zara | Sweater: J.Crew Factory | Jeans: ASOS | Boots: rag & bone | Bag: Valentino (on sale!) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Necklace: Banana Republic | Bracelet: Vintage | Watch: Michael Kors

Today I'm sharing an easy, casual look from one of our warmer winter days last weekend.

Hope you're having a great week!

x, Tam

A Little Sparkle

Dress: ASOS | Coat: H&M | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Tights: Forever 21 | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Clutch: Jimmy Choo | Necklace and Earrings: J.Crew | Watch: kate spade

Sharing some New Year's Eve outfit inspiration today! I've worn this dress a couple times already this holiday season already, and I may reach for it again this Wednesday.

Hope this look brings a little sparkle to your Monday!

x, Tam

Merry Merry

Coat: J.Crew (last year's--see it styled here; find a similar one in petite, regular, tall and plus sizing at Old Navy) | Turtleneck: H&M | Skirt: ASOS | Boots: Stuart Weitzman | Bag: Valentino (available at Nordstrom or Farfetch, where I found mine) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Necklace: Ann Taylor | Watch: Michael Kors | Lips: NARS 'Cruella' + Fresh Sugar Cherry

I wanted to wish all my lovely readers a very merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays--from my little family to yours! Below are a couple watercolor illustrations (including Stanley's Christmas portrait) and some lettering I did for my holiday cards this year. Hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating with your loved ones.

Happy Holidays!

x, Tam

New York Part I: Central Park & The Met Museum

Last weekend, as part of my Style of Summer campaign with David Yurman, Sean and I flew to New York for a few days. I hadn't been to NYC since beginning my blog a couple years ago, so it was so much fun to revisit some of my favorite spots in the city.

We rented a great apartment through Airbnb, similar to what we had done a few months ago in Paris. It was in Chelsea, right on the High Line--I'll post a few pictures from that area later this week. On our first full day out, we headed for the Upper East Side to visit the DY Townhouse and do a little shopping.

Top: Topshop | Skirt: ASOS (out of stock, same style here in black) | Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider and J.Crew (in photo below) | Bag: Givenchy | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Jewelry: thanks to David Yurman | Lips: NARS "Yu"

For a day of walking and sightseeing, I chose a light, comfortable jersey skirt and my new favorite crop top. Similar to the black midi I wore in Paris, this skirt travels really well, and it was a perfect weight for the hot, humid weather in the city. My white Sperry sandals were a great choice for walking long distances given the weather--the footbed is thicker and more supportive than the typical summer sandal, and the skinny, adjustable straps make it easy to stay comfortable even if my feet get a little swollen in the heat.

As we were walking around, I noticed there were so many pretty little flower shops everywhere! I loved all the corner delis with their little grocery sections and big displays of flowers out on the street.



We stopped by Laduree for some macarons and little macaron-topped sorbet cups, then we took our snack into Central Park and settled in near the sailboat lake, where it was about ten degrees cooler than it was on the city streets. There are a bunch of small remote-controlled sailboats on this lake, and you can rent the controllers and sail them around. It was so nice and peaceful to sit by the water and watch the boats go by.



 



The Metropolitan Museum of Art was our next stop after wandering through Central Park. Sean had never been there, so I was excited to show it to him. We walked through a few galleries, then headed up to the rooftop garden for some sparkling rosé (for me) and a John Daly cocktail (for him) and to check out the amazing views of Manhattan.





We stayed up on the rooftop as the sun set (with what seemed like a good chunk of the rest of the people in Manhattan!), then headed back to the galleries to see some more art before the museum closed. Our day ended back toward our apartment, at Eataly, a huge, authentic Italian marketplace with amazing restaurants and food products all under one roof.

Stay tuned later this week for more from my visit to NYC!

x, Tam

In Black & White

Top: ASOS | Skirt: ASOS | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Shoes: kate spade new york | Bag: 3.1 phillip lim | Necklace: Ann Taylor | Bracelets: David Yurman | Watch: Michele

Quick post today as I'm just getting back into the swing of things after attending a destination wedding in Hawaii last week. I did a whole bunch of lettering work for this event, and it was awesome to see the results in action (see my Instagram feed for photos of my work and the amazing scenery).

Skipping back to the outfit I'm wearing in these photos--let's talk about crop tops. Love them or not, they seem to be everywhere. I actually own a few, but you'd never be able to tell since "crop top" for most people means "yay, a top that comes down to the top of my skirt/pants and not below my butt" for me. I thought I might be able to find one that looks a little more "cropped" on me by buying a petite-specific version, but the ASOS top I'm wearing here seems to be more of the usual. Although I thought about returning it, the scoop back really sold me on this one. I loved the way it looked with this checkered midi-mini hybrid skirt.

Have any of you found a good petite-friendly crop top (that is at the same time not a glorified bra)? Please share if you have!

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