Mwah!

Happy Friday All! Last week some of my favorite gal pals were in town (more on that later) so we had to venture over to Shake Shack at Madison Square Park for a quick bite. As you may know, I'm 95% gluten free but had to make an exception for one of my touristy treats!

Big thx to Sarah for snapping these, I love being part of your journey as you discover in photography.

Fur: Michael Kors (similar) // Sweater: Khols, believe it or not (LOVE this one) // Dress (under): Forever 21 // Bag: Kate Spade (old, obsessed with this one, and this one on sale!) // Hat: Marc by Marc Jacobs // Coat: Zara - on sale // Sneaker Wedge: Sam Edelman (also here) // Sunnies: Karen Walker (also here) // Rings: H&M // Necklace: Marc by Marc Jacobs // Bracelets: Taylor Morgan // Lip: Mac, Ruby Woo

A rep lip has become my go-to accessory, and part of my signature look. So when I found this sweatshirt ages ago at Khols of all places, I knew it had to be mine! Since, it's become one of my favorite casual day sweaters, that I pull on when I need a bit of a fashion facelift. Every gal needs a piece like that, something that's comfortable and easy for lazy days but still makes you feel good when you pull it on! What's yours?

Cheers to the freakin' weekend!

I hope yours is nothing short of fabulous!

Exciting things have been happening in Courtney land,

and I've been working like a crazy lady. But starting next week I'll

actually have days off again (yay!!!). I'm looking forward to stopping to

smell the roses and filling my sundays with brunch,

museum hopping, some serious thrifting and adding to my record

collection. And I can't wait to share what's been happening in my world as

things begin to slow down. Stay Tuned!

AZ >> East Valley Thrifting

Remember a few weeks back when I announced the big changes

I'm making to CMC including the introduction of an Arizona based contributor?

(if you're lost, read all about it here). Well today Katrina is taking over for

her first official post (yay) so without further ado, here's Katrina...

<< 1509 N Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ 85225 >> 

Today I am going to share my favorite place in the entire

(Arizona) Valley to thrift: Merchant Square. It kills all the downtown

antique malls and it isn’t pruned, edited and marked up like the some (admittedly awesome) antique/thrift shows. To sweeten the deal, less than a mile away sits Savers and a St. Vincent De Paul’s thrift shop

(which is a close second). So if you are in for an afternoon of thrifting, Merchant Square is your place. Here is the thing that I love most about Merchant Square: the diversity of product.  They have old books, clothing, furniture, knick-knacks and jewelry. I don’t tend to go there with a specific agenda so the purchases are usually pretty serendipitous. 

Yesterday’s highlight was this authentic Hudson Bay blanket,

I about fell over when I saw it.

shop the retail hudson bay blanket: one // two // three // four // five

You can usually find a “fur” coat or two and

yesterday I happened upon several leopard print coats.

(shop similar more non vintage leopard coats here)

There are some staples that you are always going to find like typewriters and vintage luggage.  This trip I found typewriters and old cameras for days.

Another staple I love to shop are the vintage ads. There are some beautiful pieces that would make a completely original addition to a gallery wall. Oh and checking out the old cleaning ads is worth it, they are hilariously offensive. 

And as always the clothing and jewelry are worth the trip alone. I died over this gold bar bib necklace and adored the cardigan clips.

Call it what you will, but I have always found piece that I thrift are generally much more specific to my taste. There is no consuming what is laid out for you according to season or trend; it is a process of seeking out and paring down classics and selecting things that are more authentic to your true style.

Okay, It's Courtney again. I hope you enjoyed Katrina's first CMC contribution, Isn't she just fantastic? I used to spend most Saturdays thrifting in AZ, the finds are so affordable compared to NY shops! I really loved the leopard "fur", if I didn't have this one I would be coveting it ... who are we kidding, can you really have too many leopard coats? (yes, you probably can ... but I don't care). Anyways, Katrina be back next month for another AZ-esque post, stay tuned. Until then, learn more about Katrina here!

Wild

Somedays call for a casual look composed of a hipster-esque hat and graphic tee ... paired with a full skirt & sneaker wedges of course.

Tee: c/o Lola & Lex (also love this one) // Vest: Old Navy // Coat: Zara - on sale) // Skirt: Modcloth (similar) // Scarf: Old Navy // Sneaker Wedge: Sam Edelman (also here) // Sunnies: Karen Walker (also here) // Rings: H&M // Bag: Coach // Necklace: Marc by Marc Jacobs // Bracelets: Taylor Morgan

I'm loving my new tee from Lola & Lex. I'm not usually a big t-shirt wearer, because I prefer poofy dresses & twirl-worthy skirts but I feel in love with this one! It's simple enough to pair with other loud pieces, yet stylized enough to stand on it's own ... plus it's amazingly soft! Try giving your tee a girly twist by layering it over a collared shirt or tucking it into your fullest skirt! 

Leopard is the new Black

A little leopard can go a long way in pumping out an otherwise bland outfit. So instead of falling into the all-black slump that can happen during these wintery months, I leapt into leopard! A spotted coat and a red lip can add an element of effortless glam to an otherwise all black look.

Coat: Asos (similar here // just a little leopard here) // Purse: c/o Francescas // Skort: Zara // Turtleneck: Forever 21 // Booties: Kate Spade (similar) //  Sunnies: Karen Walker // Lip: Mac, Ruby Woo

If a little leopard isn't enough, add a bright bag for fun contrast. I picked up this bag at a blogger event last fall before Pantone announced the color of the year, but now 2014 is the perfect time to rock a radiant orchid color pop!  

Designer Dreams

Happy Wants-day! With fashion week right around the corner and some of the too-good-to-be-true end of season sales still looming, I've been going a little bonkers for some of my favorite brands! So I thought I would share some of my wednesday wants to help you through the hump-day blues. Enjoy

The girls are all here! Featuring Tory, Diane, Milly, Alice and Olivia! Plus other courtney-esque brands like Tibi, Red Valentino and Moschino.

Soon-to-splurge:

Guys make passes at girls who wear glasses. I was roaming around Soho last week when I stumbled into Stella McCartney and found these pretties. I've been on the hunt for a new frame and these beauts are just what I'm looking for ... so they will be mine! // see my current frames featured here
Shop Stella McCartney 2002 frames in taupe & tortoise here

After my rendezvous with Stella in Soho, I was wondering through meatpacking, starring at some of my favorite store windows when I stopped to smell the roses at Moschino and fell instantly in love with the Watering Can Shoulder Bag. I need to wait until next month (I've already done enough damage in January) and have yet to try it on, but I'm pretty positive that this will be my next big splurge

Shop here & here
Shop the equally adorable menu clutch here (right)

Tea & Sympathy

What's a quirky brit-obsessed gal to do on a gloomy Wednesday afternoon? Enjoy a spot of tea in the west village of course!

Tea and Sympathy is the most charming little tea house and restaurant spot in the West Village, and my "sitcom hangout"! This British owned and operated neighborhood gem serves the most addicting cream tea and delightful little scones, along with other authentic British favs. Plus the owners are so sweet (one helped me carry furniture home once when I was struggling on the street) and the proud owners of an adorable English Bulldog. 

British Invasion! Right next door to my favorite Tea Spot, are two other must-see stores: Carry On Tea & Sympathy: the cash & carry store front sister of Tea & Sympathy; and A Salt & Battery: home of the most brilliant fish & chips and the cutest dang name in restaurant history!

Tea & Sympathy is also almost as celebration obsessed as I am! They often decorate for various landmark British events such as the Royal Wedding, Queens Birthday or the birth of Prince George!

photo via new york mag

Sweater: Forever 21 // Skirt: Modcloth (similar) // Bag: Coach // Boots: Bacio 61 // Fur: Michael Kors (similar) // Coat: Zara - on sale) // Bow: Thifted // Socks: Ralph Lauren 

Drink Up Butter Cup! Next time you need a mid day pick-me-up or just something sweet, you must pop by Tea & Sympathy on Greenwich Avenue for fabulous finger sandwiches, show-stopping sticky pudding or my favorite: Shepard's Pie that will change everything ... 

your taste buds will thank you (and me)! 

I share more of my NY Favs in a recent Room Suggestions feature, see it here

Although I do frequently dine at this snazzy establishment,

I am in no way affiliated with Tea & Sympathy