Holiday Ready!

The holiday season is officially here and thus begins the holiday travel and shopping season.  This past weekend I packed up for Thanksgiving and headed upstate to spend it with family. I filled my suitcase with some soft and cozy sweaters and scarves I could layer. Buffalo was unusually warm for this time of year so I was able to get some photos outside minus a coat , though I was hoping for snow! I stayed casual and comfortable with a soft and lightweight cashmere sweater that has a longer length (just for us tall girls) and a faux fur vest. I'm obsessed with the pattern on the inside and the leather piping on the edges. It adds extra detail and richness!  I opted for more neutrals and a laid back look by wearing an oatmeal colored  cashmere sweater from Ann Taylor. My booties are Michael Kors, soft and stretchy denim by Joes. Excited l finally found a lush leather bucket bag (Rebecca Minkoff) that can be worn different ways, yes please! 

Bag, Rebecca Minkoff Boots & watch , Michael Kors similar found ( here ) and (here).

Wishbone necklace (So fitting for Thanksgiving!). Sweater, Ann Taylor similar (here)

Fur Vest, Philosophy similar (here)

It's become a Thanksgiving weekend tradition that my family and me go pick and cut down our own Christmas tree! Then, we drive it back to our little apartment in the city, crazy I know but there's nothing else like it to jumpstart the season!  Last year it snowed the whole time and this year it rained. It was a restful and rejuvenating weekend, so I just have a few photos the day I went tree hunting. 

Italian wool hat similar (here), plaid blanket scarf (here), Ralph Lauren jacket (here), Hunter rain boots (here)

When Home Sweet Home in the Fall

In October I took my annual trip upstate to visit my family and enjoy some wanderlust outdoors. We have made it a tradition to apple pick and wine taste at the most quaint and lively place, Becker Farms located in Upstate New York. The weather was unusually warm for fall so layers for chillier mornings and warm days were packed for my visit! 

I snagged this great turtle neck style tunic from Riverland in the UK when I was there over the summer. I knew it would be the perfect piece of neutral color to layer under longer sweaters for fall. Of course rain boots were in the mix for this adventure out into the fields. I love the green pop of color and Hunter makes a color for every personality. These are a vintage version a friend snagged for me as a gift. 

Apples, Pumpkins, & Fall's Country Vibes

This season New York has been warmer than usual for early fall so I'm slowly transitioning into layers and easy denim for a relaxed weekend look outdoors. Blanket scarves are a must for chilly days ahead. Plaid prints, distressed denim, and laid back booties or comfortable slip ons will update a look without being over stated. Cheers to fall and bringing this country look to the city girl! 

As an original upstate New York girl I surprisingly never got used to our cold winters with below negative temperatures. Though after hot summers I always looked forward to the end of September and October for crisp fresh air that fall brought forward with the warmest of foliage in the trees. I'm a girl of my word so I try my best to hold true to traditions, especially around the seasons. This fall I'm continuing a longstanding tradition of apple picking, wine tasting, and pumpkin picking both outside the city and back upstate in hometown land.

Upstate New York and the finger lakes region is home to some of the best vineyards and when living back in Buffalo I had one of my first dates at an orchard. Fast forward 6 years and we've kept it a ritual to apple pick our transition into fall. Though much has changed since our move to New York we found a way to keep our outdoors festivities alive. We love heading out of the hustle and bustle of the city to see the sites of fall and get out into the fields to apple pick and eat way too many cider doughnuts (who can resist?!) We look forward to a good fall festival at an orchard we visit once a year. 

I can't help but get giddy over the idea of baking pies, fall drinks, and seasonal scented candles. Let’s not forget oversized sweaters, boots, and the scarves!