Meet Your New Lifestyle Spirit Guides: LEAF

Whether it's a brilliant new blogger to follow and emulate, an amazing new brand to shop the shit out of or the latest and greatest workout craze (see: the time I tried a Miami-themed dance class),  I'm constantly discovering new things online that seem impossible to have ever lived without. I fancy myself a listserv queen, constantly bookmarking new websites and signing up for email subscriptions from my favorite corners of the internet.

This year, I'll be sharing some of the aforementioned websites that you must have in your life, starting with how-to heaven over at LEAF.



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Things You Need Right Now: Flamingo Everything

via 100 Layer Cake

My recent trip to Florida with Nick and his family was a seriously much needed break from the New York winter (and New York Spring, which I often forget is also freezing). I got my first "tan" in six months and came back to the city totally renewed. But back in the city I certainly was as my favorite Penn Station squatter reminded me that Monday by dancing a jig around his trash can and chatting animatedly with the air. Hi air! Damn you air! Aw.

Something I brought back with me beyond the tan was a distinct nostalgia for beachy things. My parents' home was always filled with authentic drift wood accents, vases filled with shells and coral that we found on our habitual weekend trips to the water and artwork scattered on the walls from beach-town artists that my dad would work on for good deals. Having seen more fish and birds, including pretty flamingos, in my life than I can count, I've also been seeing a lot of flamingo accents for this Summer that I'm super into:

Hey Boyfriend Jeans, I love you.

I have a serious meaningful love affair with anything classically found in a man's closet. Over-sized button downs, waffle tees with the sleeves rolled up, big soft t-shirts, it's all so much more comfortable and alluring than almost any women's top I own. However, I have always had trouble fitting into men's pants which is just annoying.

The boyfriend jean trend entered my life while I was still in college a la something I saw somewhere on the internet and copied immediately. I tried out a few different styles - some too baggy, some too tight, some too harem-y. Nick hated them all which assured me I was onto something good.

Things You Need Right Now: Floral Accents

As my friends and boyfriend can attest, I tend to dress as I decorate - "for women." I have a natural inclination towards Betty Draper-esque silhouettes when getting dressed up and my daily look consists mostly of skinny jeans and assorted over-sized sweaters or somewhat wrinkly t-shirts (casual dress-code in the work place is the jam). I'm much more interested in a high-neckline vs. cleavage because sweet statement necklaces totally clash with boobs and full skirts are more fun to twirl around in vs. yanking a skin-tight mini down every other step - you walk too much in NY for spandex mini skirts. You just do. 

This is the official warning of my disposition for any fashion-related posts I put out there to the world.