recipes for a stylish weekend.

Over the weekend, I noticed a little trend in my wardrobe: I paired a button down with stud earrings on two separate occasions. Though I "talk" a big game with Friday's Fancies, my weekend outfits are usually focused on something easy and comfortable. With that in mind, I decided to pull together four different combinations for weekends to come...

top left: J.Crew Jacquard Dot Popover + Kate Spade Gumdrop Earrings
bottom left: Madewell Dotted Chambray Boyshirt + Loren Hope Neon Sophia Studs
top right: Madewell Penfield Haverhill Flannel Shirt + Kate Spade Skinny Mini Bow Stud Earrings
bottom right: Mossimo Button Down Blouse + Bauble Bar Ebony Sun Studs

Though I don't own any of these goodies, this planning will help me plot out future outfits with pieces already in my wardrobe. I know button downs aren't always the portrait of fashion, but they work beautifully under vests and sweaters as I endure another brisk fall in New England. I love pairing fun studs with them because they add just enough flair without going over the top.

catch your breath.

Let me start by saying that I had bold plans for my Sunday. With football season in full swing and a windy day in the forecast, {cv} and I planned to hunker down and enjoy the day at home. I woke up at 7:21am to my phone buzzing on my side table to discover the power had flickered. No biggie, I thought, until I heard a strange whistling noise from downstairs.

The cats discovered the source of the whistling before I did: the plug for our modem/router. In other words, it signaled the end of my productive Sunday. It ruined my skype date I had later that morning. Two fruitless hours on the phone with tech support and countless other inconveniences aside, {cv} and I are without internet at home until late Tuesday.

As I write this post in a crowded Panera, it realized something I should thought about at 7:22 on Sunday morning: maybe I just really need to catch my breath. I don't need to spend the entirety of my Sunday prepping for the week ahead. Maybe I need to lay low, watch football, and eat some chili with {cv}, even if my to-do list is growing by the minute. Why? Because it always gets done anyway.

The lesson I will take away from this goofy fiasco? I need to slow down. And be ok with it. Really.

P.S. I know having the internet is a luxury in and of itself, so I don't mean for anyone to think I'm taking that for granted. I was just surprised at what a wake-up call this incident gave me!

friday's fancies #98.

Happy Friday! This week, it finally felt like fall in New England. With autumn on the brain, it makes sense to share our love of leaves through our Friday's Fancies ensemble. {cv} and I are planning to soak up the gorgeous red, yellow, and orange hues this weekend in Rhode Island. Here's what I would love to wear on our leaf-peeping adventures...

With a friendly pricetag, these Kate Spade Retro Sunglasses make chic more accessible!

Who doesn't love a gorgeous gingham button-down? This J.Crew Perfect Shirt in Check Thomas Mason Fabric is an easy winner for any fall road trip.

This Tory Burch 797 Clutch is the ideal size for a day of exploration. The hybrid envelope clutch + crossbody bag will transition well into the cooler months.

Blair's recent Bauble Bar collaboration is beyond amazing. This Flame Duo Strand Necklace needs to find its way to my jewelry box. Pronto.

I am dying to try these Jack Rogers Pima Wedges. The soft tan suede is the perfect shade to mix with nearly every fall outfit. I'm in love!

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Like the idea of Friday's Fancies? Join in the fun on your own blog! Click here to join the mailing list to get the themes in your inbox each Monday. Any and all fashion posts are welcome, so don't feel confined by the theme! It's all about dreaming big and trying something new :)

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To those fabulous ladies linking up this week: you. are. the. best. {if you didn't know it already!} I am so happy to have you as a part of this family! Can't wait to see how you brought your leaf love to life!

one day in lucerne.

Happy Thursday! Though our European adventure ended three months ago, I still have two
more countries to cover: Switzerland and Germany. I'll start with Switzerland today :) 

{cv} and I wanted to make the most of our only day in Lucerne, Switzerland, so we took an early {and I mean early} train from Paris. After a quick turn in Basel, we were bound for this small Swiss city.

When I say the views from the train were unreal, it is a vast understatement. Even though we were exhausted from our early morning departure, we couldn't help but be glued to the mountain views.

Little towns like these were around every bend on our way to Lucerne. 

Even with the rain, it was positively beautiful.

Once the train pulled into Lucerne, we were inundated with signage for the Blue Balls Festival. 

Yes, it sounded weird, but there were actually a few acts we recognized. More on that in a sec...

The rain made it infinitely more difficult to take photos, but I snagged a few cheapy plastic hoods at our local camera store. These ugly monstrosities managed to keep my Nikon dry, though I looked like a complete crazy person using it. This lake on a clear day is absurdly beautiful. On a rainy day, the charm factor is still out of this world. Don't you agree?

Though I don't think the Swiss are known for their beer, {cv} had to capture the crazy volume of yellow during our afternoon happy hour. We also beasted those Swiss chocolates at the far left while sipping those beers. It may not have been the best combination, but we were carpe-dieming.*

*self-coined word

The Blue Balls Festival {complete with its crazy "fair" food options--Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, etc.} ended up being the perfect way to cap off our day in Lucerne. Because of the rain, we chose to hang out in a pub around the corner during Robert Randolph's set. Thirty minutes before Gary Clark Jr. was set to take the stage, I ran to the pub bathroom--during which {cv} realized we'd actually been sitting at the bar with Gary the whole time. He was gone by the time I got back to our table, but we managed to snag front row standing room at his amazing show which made up for the missed connection.

Lucerne played a gracious host during our 24-hour stay. Though it is a bit on the touristy side, it is a terrific place to start a Swiss adventure like we did. A rainy travel day forces you to appreciate the fact you're thousands of miles from home. At home, we spend those days inside. While traveling, we learned the weather makes your stay that much more memorable.