hello autumn: fall home decor

WREATH | MARBLE CUTTING BOARDS | SUNBURST MIRROR | BRASS PEACE SIGN | MIRRORED PILLOW | DIPTYQUE CANDLE | PLAID THROW | APOTHECARY CANDLES | IKAT PILLOW | GOLD WALLPAPER | MERCURY GLASS LAMP | KILIM RUG | LEATHER BUTTERFLY CHAIR |

it’s officially october, and i can’t get enough of warm, cozy neutrals and candles that smell like bonfires. if i had a million dollars, i’d buy each and every one of the items above. kilim rugs, leather butterfly chairs, mercury glass and wool throws are what it’s all about come autumn. i just want to snuggle on my couch, light nine million candles, and marathon each and every season of chicago fire.

speaking of chicago fire, all of my fall shows are back, and i’ve been binge-watching tv like nobody’s business. like, i’m entering anti-social territory. but honestly, a girl can’t help it when the voice is on twice a week and dick wolf keeps creating amazing shows with hot guys that have ginormous hearts (swoon!).

this time of year is my absolute favorite, and i just want it to last forever. i’d roll around in a giant pile of leaves if any piles made themselves available to me. good thing i’m headed up to vermont this weekend! i’ll leave you with that lovely image, and for now, go admire the pretty things above, and drink some apple cider while you’re at it.

HAPPY FALL!

6 jumpsuits to wear now into fall

TOP ROW: ONE | TWO | THREE      BOTTOM ROW: ONE | TWO | THREE

hi my name is sarah and i think i need to check into jumpsuit rehab. i can’t stop buying them. i can’t stop wearing them. my coworkers probably think i only own three outfits (if a jumpsuit can even be considered an outfit). i can’t wait to transition my jumpsuits into fall outfits, complete with slouchy sweaters and oversized scarves. i just CAN’T GET ENOUGH. i mean, they’re essentially pajamas that can pass as real outfits. what more could you want?

thankfully, it seems like i’m not the only one who’s obsessed. topshop and nordstom, as well as my beloved anthropologie, have jumped on the jumpsuit train, and jumped on hard. this printed version is soo chic for september (insert rachel zoe voice), and this one is straight up sex pot. hellooo, strapless sweetheart neckline. i like you, yes i do. above are six options i’d happily add to my closet (i think i might just splurge on this joie option after seeing it on emily schuman). what about you? are you on the jumpsuit train?

what i want this week: volume 13

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE | THIRTEEN

this week’s shopping list is an odd blend of fall-focused items (hi cozy sweaters and cute chestnut leather totes) and a few final odes to summer (those mirrored j.crew sandals are sold out, sadly, but they’re still on my wishlist). i cannot believe that summer has flown by so fast. it’s usually my least favorite season, but new york has mercifully been spared the terrible sweat lodge days i hate, and this summer has actually been quite lovely. i’ve been away for the past 2 weekends at the beach (rhode island and my first visit to montauk, respectively), and tonight, i head away for 5 days in asbury park. dirty jerz, here i come! i feel like once this weekend is over, and i settle back into my routine, i’ll be ready for fall. cold weather, crisp air, brightly colored leaves…ahh, autumn, i heart you.

what i want this week: volume 12

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE | THIRTEEN | FOURTEEN

end of the season shopping, also known as SALE TIME, is my favorite kind of shopping. maybe this is my inner cheapskate coming out, but there’s really nothing like scoring a piece you’ve had your eye on for months at 60% off. the thrill of the hunt, i guess. men have hunting and gathering, we have shopping.

that might be the most superficial statement i’ve ever written. please forgive me.

this week’s shopping list is brought to you by three things: pieces i can bring to mexico, pieces i want in my apartment, and pieces to carry all the little pieces of my life (helllooo, tote bags). seriously, though, santa baby, can you shimmy that bar cart down the chimney to me? i’m sure hanukkah harry would be happy to help. i’ll leave you both some cookies, and some gelt for harry.

happy shopping, and happy august! holy moly, this summer is FLYING by.

what i want this week: volume 11

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE | THIRTEEN 

is it just me, or has this been the LONGEST week ever? i don’t know what it is about coming back to work after a vacation (apparently, even 2 days out of the city sours me on it), but on tuesday, i already wanted it to be friday. and now that it’s thursday, well, let’s just say i realllly want it to be friday. thankfully, my new job offers summer fridays, otherwise known as the world’s greatest summer invention. i’m pretty summer fridays are unique to new yorkers, offering a chance for the rich folk to get a head start on the trek out to their hamptons home each weekend. i don’t have a hamptons home and likely never will, but you can bet i still love getting out at 1pm every friday. though actually, i’ve had so much work to do that i’ve been leaving closer to 4pm. but STILL, there is a difference between leaving at 4 and leaving at 7 or 8, and that difference smells like sunshine and feels like heaven.

since this week has been a rather stressful one, i’ve been doing a whole lot of imaginary online shopping (and i may or may not have actually ordered that bobbi brown beach body oil, because, well, sometimes a girl needs body oil). you  might notice i switched up the font a bit for this week’s shopping list. how do we like the script? it’s kind of pretty, right? feels a bit more summery, i think.

i’ve got a biiig crush on these smokin’ hot kate spade studs – how cute are they?! – and also on these ear cuffs from baublebar. and let’s talk about that mara hoffman jumpsuit, which is only as good as the somewhat-matching mara hoffman beach towel (from madewell, oddly). mara always does the coolest prints, and these two pieces are no exception.

happy shopping, folks! ps: just 2 days ’til it’s officially summer.

what i want this week: volume 10

 

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN 

can we talk about

rifle paper for hygge & west

wallpaper has experienced a serious renaissance in the design world over the past few years, and honestly, thank goodness, because there is a WHOLE lot of unfortunate (read: fugly) wallpaper in the world (70s and 80s homes, i’m looking at you), and that shit needs to be replaced.

in the past, wallpaper was reserved for 70s era kitchens, bad bathrooms, and even worse bedrooms with wall to wall carpet. but it seems those days are behind us, and we’re all moving in the right direction, towards wallpaper that is beautiful, intricately designed, and best of all, uber chic. who has two thumbs and loves uber chic wallpaper?

THIS GIRL.

as a renter, wallpaper is in my dreams, not my reality, but that doesn’t mean i can’t do some imaginary shopping, or real shopping for the folks that DO own their homes. so, where does one look for cool wallpaper? there are a lot of options, but one of my favorite places to shop is hygge & west. you may recall that a few years ago, h&w did an awesome collab with joy cho of oh joy! it was this collaboration that put hygge & west on my radar (the collection is still on sale today, and trust me when i say, it is to DIE for. cho’s “petal pusher” print kills it. i’ve seen it used in dozens of rooms, and never has it looked too busy or out of place. GLAM to the max).

i didn’t think anyone could match cho’s designs. that is, until i heard that anna bond of rifle paper co. would be doing a line for the brand. i am a HUGE rifle paper fan, and, thanks to anna bond, have become a bit of a stationary snob over the years. bond, who is rifle paper’s creative director, hand sketches/paints* all of her whimsical, beautiful pieces, so it’s no surprise that her wallpaper line (which is screenprinted in chicago) is TO DIE FOR.

*if you’re not following her on instagram, you’re missing out.

i picked out a few of my favorites above, and, just for fun, i had a little think sesh about where i’d use each of them in my dream home. laundry room, powder room, kid’s room, library. check, check, check and check. miss bond, you’ve done it again.

shop the entire rifle paper co. for hygge & west collection here.

on the hunt: work totes

on the hunt: work totes by sarahlesliee featuring leather bags

why is it so hard to find a good work tote? i know, champagne problem, first world problems, etc., but really, why is it so hard to find a good work tote?! tote bag gods, i want to know: can’t a girl get a sturdy, simple, chic bag that can easily fit laptop, lunch, and assorted kitchen sink-eries? oh, and also, have two cell phone slots? and be slouchy but not too slouchy? and have shoulder straps that are strong enough not to break when you also throw in spin shoes and maybe a sandwich for lunch? and a kindle and a wallet and a few lipsticks?

generally, i leave my apartment around 7am, and am not back until 7pm or later. since i work out before work, i’m consistently toting all of the above around with me, plus a change of clothes, my makeup, a comb, a brush, deodorant…the list goes on and on. add to that the days where i’m also lugging my laptop, and it ain’t pretty. i regularly carry an extra lululemon bag around with me for lunch and my other assorted things-that-don’t-fit-in-my-actual-bag, which means i’m the annoying girl who bumps into people accidentally on the subway/in the line at trader joes/on the street. if only i could find a bag that could fit it all.

what i need, when i think about it, is a mary poppins bag. one of those magical bottomless bags where you can store your entire life and never run out of room. why haven’t they invented that yet? sigh. until then, i’ll be eying the options above. i think this madewell tote might win.

happy spring!

tibi neon and gray sweater | madewell hoops | loeffler randall mint satchel | j.crew sun hat| otte silk tank | deborah lippmann polish | gap chambray dress | illevesta sunnies | j.crew soludos | nars angelika | loeffler randall starla sandals | madewell neon lace skirt | rebecca taylor lace crop top | old navy striped hoodie | diptyque rosamundi candle

in honor of the first day of spring (and man, is it lovely in new york today. helllooo, sunshine!), here are some picks (click the link to shop on polyvore!) on my wishlist for the new season.

ps: i already splurged on the candle, and let me tell you, it was worth every penny. it makes my room, and pretty much everything i own that sets foot in my room, smell insanely delicious. light, fresh, but still a little bit sexy (dare i call a candle sexy?), it’s the perfect spring scent.

what i want this week: volume 4

bar cart | crystal earrings | tortoiseshell sunglasses | bath and shower oil | sequined lip sweater | mbxss flats | eyeshadow palette | starla sandal |

this week’s wants are full of spring goodies: a peachy neutral eye palette with hints of sparkle, a pastel pink sweater with sequined lips (lara’s lips, to be exact), and two pairs of ‘must have’ shoes for spring: matt bernson x grace atwood’s glittery lavender flats (LOVE) + the loeffler randall starla sandal i’ve legitimately been coveting for YEARS in a new colorway. i WILL make those babies mine this summer. also on the list: a body oil/bath oil that supposedly smells luscious (that word always makes me slightly uncomfortable), that target threshold bar cart (need more storage/must stop buying all of the things), super cute (but way too expensive to actually purchase) tortoiseshell aviators, and sparkly stunners from j.crew.

spring can’t get here soon enough.