Outfit Post: Apple Picking Finest

So I was recently contacted by BostInno to whip up a look for a Fall Activity, one of my favorites being Apple Picking. It's such a fun and typical New England type thing to do, that I thought it was an excellent opportunity to show one of my favorite types of looks... the casual haha. Thankfully, the man was game for an impromptu Fall Fashion photo shoot. Let me know what you think!

The Vintage Bazaar Fall 2013

This past weekend, I took in The Vintage Bazaar in Salisbury, MA with my girl Erin for the Bloggers and Bellinis event. The Vintage Bazaar is a semi-annual event with over 125 ‘boutiques’ featuring antiques, vintage finds , architectural salvage, rusty junk, repurposed goodness, indie crafts and one-of-a-kind artisans. This weekend festival also offers unique fare, live music, free family-friendly activities and fun demonstrations.sHeld at the fairly awesome Pettengill Farm, the greenhouse smelled of fresh flowers and an oh so delicious brunch... but most importantly, there was a bellini bar, courtesy of the team behind The Vintage Bazaar (thank you, Devon!). I have sort of highlighted some of the things I loved about the bazaar, most of which will be nothing new to those who know me.

Best and Worst Dressed Emmy's 2013

I didn't watch the Emmy's. I actually watched a Sister Wives marathon all day yesterday and to be honest, I had committed myself to the finale and then reunion. Sorry. From what I have seen and heard, I did not miss much and in looking at the fashion from last night, I wasn't tremendously floored. I feel like I saw a lot of mermaid type strapless gowns... but of course I did have some stand out Best and Worsts, oh the worsts.

Brimfield Friends and Finds

Last weekend, I took in Brimfield (a town and what people call the antique shows) for the first time ever and I have been thinking all week about how I need to share with with you guys. I had a great time with my new friend Holli (met her at a wedding, it can happen!) and we were both debating how it was going to be haggling prices in person because neither of us had done it before. Let's just say that the fear subsided once we saw how effective it would be. There were so many interesting things on hand, from the ordinary to extraordinary, that I thought I would share some of my favorite shots as well as my fanciful finds! I think I would have gotten more if I had been able to carry more haha!

Old Metal Turn Knobs

My Fave Collections from NYFW SS 2014

I kind of missed what happened at New York Fashion Week... I kind of only realized it had happened just a few moments ago haha but once I started going back into the archives of what had transpired over the week of shows, I remembered why I am interested in fashion in the first place. It's like sitting down and reading an In Style from front to back, looking at every article and snippet. Fashion Week, I feel, is best reviewed on a Sunday morning, over coffee, at a leisurely pace. Some of my favorite designers were obvi my favorite collecgtions of the week (Alice+Olivia, Rachel Roy and Nanette Lepore) and then I was surprised by some (Anna Sui, Christian Siriano and Tracy Reese). I have recapped some of my favorite looks if it is something that interests you:

Tracy Reese

Must Have Items for Fall

There are things that I am always on the lookout for Fall. I am sure you remember just last week I had my Mood Board and now I am narrowing the mood down to actual items that I think every girl should stash for the Fall and some of my faves in those categories. I'd love to get your thoughts on what are "must haves" for Fall in your book, what your staples consist of.

Every girl needs the following items for Fall: A Transitional Coat ...My pick? This Oasis Drape Coat in Creme provides enough warmth to keep you on the go but not so much bulk like we need in the Winter. A pair of skinny jeans or jeggings because there are riding boots that need to have pants tucked into the. I am loving the denim jeggings at Very. A Backpack... we love to be out an about with Fall activities and this girl likes to carry a lot of business with her. This ASOS Backpack Tartan is my favorite and on trend for Fall in plaid print. A Printed Dress ... to wear to occasions. You have to wear a dress sometimes, even in the Fall. A nice print in Fall inspired colors is a great staple for work and for play in the upcoming months. I just scored this 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Animal Print Dress... And like I was mentioning before, there is nothing more exciting than taking out your Riding Boots in the cooler weather. They are fabulously easy to wear but also chic at the same time. Love love love the River Island Leather Contrast Knee High Boots.  Something Sparkly, hey gotta be a girl! My friend Elise gifted me a pair similar to these Kate Spade sparkly stunners as a Bridesmaid gift and I think these bad Larries are going to be a nice staple in my Fall wardrobe.

What do you insist on for Fall?

Live Lokai

I was recently gifted a Lokai bracelet from a guy named Steve. Steve happens to be the founder of a company that makes these bracelets that have a really cool message. The idea of the bracelets? Remaining balanced and humble, something I think is uber important. Do I love it? Yes, I have been wearing it non-stop since I got it a few days ago and not just because it looks pretty cute but because it represents something so refreshing.

The story of the Lokai bracelet began in founder, Steven Izen 's Freshman year of college, on a beach with his family and friends, Steven thought about how fortunate he was to be there. Just a few days earlier he had learned the difficult news that his grandfather, lovingly known to him as “Papa,” had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.The experience of such joy and sadness so close together got him to thinking: life is circular, and throughout your highest highs and lowest lows, it’s important to always remain balanced. The lokai bracelet is Steven’s way of sharing that message with the world - a constant, wearable reminder to lead a balanced life, staying humble through the highs and hopeful through the lows.

When you receive this bracelet, there is a "Mad Lib" of sorts about paying it forward. It's an encouraging addition to an already encouraging message. I instagrammed my message to share with my friends and family. When my husband threw me a surprise birthday party, I felt so loved and appreciated. My good friend Alicia turns 30 today (Happy Birthday Alicia!) and we are going to Hibachi like there is no tomorrow to celebrate her milestone birthday. Someday, perhaps Alicia will plan something special for someone else, paying it forward... it's all about keeping the love flowing and moving forward. I love the message so much that I am sharing it with you obviously.

Steve has offered to bestow this same gift on someone who wants to be reminded to find their balance by wearing a Lokai bracelet ($18 value). Do you want to win a Lokai bracelet for yourself? Comment on this post letting me know that you either Like Lokai on Facebook, Follow Lokai on Twitter or both. That's it! I'll choose a winner random, this time next week! *Must be following Lokai to be eligible.

Leave a comment and let me know you want that balance, girl!

King Richard's Faire and How Your Child is in for some Fun errr Danger

This past weekend, the man and I hopped in the car with some friends and headed down to King Richard's Faire in Carver, MA... which we might as well call the Cape. None of had ever been to a Ren Faire and lo and behold a Groupon made itself available so how could we not go? We had a really fun time. I had my sights set on a turkey leg and seeing a joust but there was so much more to do there than I would have thought... but one thing I found hilarious about the whole day, is not that there were tons of children there but that they were allowed to do things that I would assume that today's helicopter parents wouldn't let their child participate in. Turns out that I was wrong.

Give A Minute, Help Make-A-Wish

Hey guys, you know what I think is important? I think giving back is important. I can honestly say that I am one of the luckiest people I know. I have a great life full of blessings and am surrounded by wonderful people. There is really no hardships that I have experienced that I have not been able to get through because I have a great support system. This is one of the reasons that I am a sucker for charitable giving. I love supporting others who do walks for great causes or promote things that are near and dear to their hearts. This is one of the reasons that I wanted to tell you guys about the Give A Minute, Help Make-A-Wish promotion. Every Saturday in September, Straight Talk Wireless will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish foundation for each person that visits their participating Walmart and takes a minute to learn more about Straight Talk.

That's easy for me, personally, because I plan to make a trip to my local (and large) Walmart this coming weekend... can I spare a minute? Heck yes I can. Really, I don't know that I will be talked into changing my Wireless provider but I sure can appreciate that Straight Talk is going to donate a minimum of $500,000 to Make-A-Wish and will donate up to $1,000,000 with the help of folks like you and me. So what do you do if you don't live near a Walmart? Well you can share a video from straighttalkwish.com and it's worth every second of the share. Now that is too easy not to do. Am I right? Nothing is greater than granting a sick child's wish. Straight Talk is pretty stoked to be able to make this happen a second year in a row, so won't you help in this endeavor? I know I will.

Will you help Straight Talk and the Make-A-Wish Foundation?

*I participated in this sponsored campaign for One2One Network. I received monetary compensation, but all opinions stated are my own.

My Fall Mood Board

I have been visiting Mood Fabrics' site pretty much every day, checking out their most recent arrivals and most definitely their Fall and Winter fabrics (I've been toying with the idea of making a coat). On my last trip to peruse (might have been today), I started a "Mood" board, so that I could keep track of all the fabrics that I have been crushing on. Mood boards are great, FYI, for keeping track of anything you want to lump together to inspire you to something different.

Mood has recently added the "profile" option to their site and I think it's a great way to bring people to the site and also parlay from the Mood Sewing Network... in any event, if you are a fabric shopper, this might be worth looking into. So here we are at press time, and I have a lot of different fabrics that are inspiring me for the upcoming Fall months. Some are prints, while others are simply rich colors. Any way you slice it, I am taking this mood board and I am running with it.

Pictured Top Left: ASOS Print Jacket with Pockets, TopShop Basic Ribbed Vest, Bright Flouro Shirt, TopShop Modern Tailoring Red/Blue Jacket, MOTO Indigo Denim Pencil Skirt, BB Dakota Benns Jacket in Syrah Red, XOXO Bonsai Boot, Crown Vintage Scout Pump,  LIPS in Trigger, ,SpaRitual Wilde in Running with Wolves and Burst,, L.A.M.B. Jocelyn Pump,  

Do you ever keep a Mood Board for inspiration?

*You can check out my Mood Fabrics Mood Board for all the fabrics highlighted here.

The Haircut, Before and After

You remember how early in the Summer, I asked my readers to help me choose a new haircut? (If not, check out the post here) Well, I did actually get the haircut and have been rocking it for nearly a month now but I never officially shared it with you all. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I am sure you have already caught a whiff of it but I wanted to show you the before and after so we can all be like, yeah, Amanda is a woman of her word.

Labor Day Weekend, a Wedding, the Cape and Love

Labor day weekend we say goodbye to Summer but this past weekend, the man and I headed down to the cape to say hello to celebrating love and marriage! Our good friends, Noah and Elise, had a vow renewal at the Red Jacket Resort in South Yarmouth. Last Winter, they eloped ever so romantically, had a beautiful baby daughter and decided that this Summer they would invite everyone to celebrate the marriage in style. The man and I were both in the wedding party so we were on the go but we made it special by having a little quality time with each other exploring and also having a fabulous time with our friends together. It was a fantastic way to send the Summer out in style!

Mayur by SNS Jewelry Studio necklace (#SNSSTUNNERS) popped with my Joe Fresh Smocked Blouse and Giant Vintage Sunnies