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.