Date Night : Dinner at the Lake

Some sunset photos from a night off together Owen and I had last week. We threw together some dinner, packed it with some Miller Lites in our cooler and sat down by the water watching the sun go down. Hanging by the water + food + our camera + a little booze = a typical summer night for the Perks couple. We are just so exciting. Hah. Happy first day of fall!

Mt. Philo State Park & Daily Affirmations

This afternoon Owen and I drove to Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte, VT to get outside for awhile after a long weekend of working indoors. We didn't get there in time to do any major hiking, but instead drove to the top and walked around, checking out the breathtaking views of Vermont and the Adirondacks in New York that the outlook provided. It was so relaxing to sit and look out at all that green and blue, and immediately took me from a slightly stressed state of mind to a calm, centered one. 

I have been reading the morning affirmations I wrote about months ago every morning, which I printed out and taped to my computer screen. Saying them out loud every day first thing reminds me to stay calm, remember I am on the right path, and be grateful for what I have. Looking out from Mt. Philo did the same thing this afternoon, so I decided to share them again in case they may do the same thing for you! Hope it starts your week off right : )

Happy Weekend : Favorite Links

A few of my favorite links from this week to bring you into the weekend. Happy Friday!

1. 12 things to do this autumn. I want to do all 12!

2. This DIY Wall Notepad would come in so handy, and looks so stylin at the same time.

3. Have you guys heard of at{mine}? I found out about the Pinterest/Tumblr hybrid site that is solely home inspiration photos from Drea. You can search for inspiration by room, which makes it so easy and fun.

4. You know I love a good bandanna look.

5. It's all about the small things in life, isn't it?

This and That : Waffles in Bryant Park

Yes, I am dedicating the title of this post to the waffles we had at Wafels and Dinges in Bryant Park while I was in New York with my mom, because they were just that good. I mean, check out that picture above and tell me your mouth isn't watering! Chewy waffle, chocolate fudge and ice cream. OK, now I'm hungry. 

Anyways, whenever I visit NYC I always find myself gravitating towards Bryant Park mid afternoon, when I have hit an energy slump after walking around the busy streets. Its always nice to sit down, drink some coffee, and watch everyone else relaxing on the lawn around you. I used to come here when I was in college and needed a break from my tiny dorm room and busy campus. Its a nice little semi-green space smack dab in the middle of everything, and usually has some type of fun event going on. One time my friend and I caught a square dancing event and had a blast dancing with about 300 other people on the lawn. Craziness. This time, our coffee and waffles sit down energized us to do a little shopping in Herald Square before we headed home. So fun : )

Hope everyone is having a great week, and check in with me at the shop as I am listing lots of new vintage this week, including tons of fall items!

NYFW Street Style : Outside Concept Korea and Jeremy Scott

Yesterday I flew to New York for a one day inspiration / fabric buying trip with my mom. More to come tomorrow on what we did, but our main activity was checking out day four of NYFW, mainly the Concept Korea and Jeremy Scott shows. And yes, I know, this is the third post on fashion week and you're probably sick of it. Sorry to not be very sorry, but I love it. Regular posting will resume soon I promise ; ) Here are some of my favorite photos that I shot throughout the day. Fashion week is crazy and slightly ridiculous, but it is amazing for stirring up your creative side and getting you to think outside of the box. Enjoy!

p.s. Spotting Chiara was the best. She's just so so good.

New York Fashion Week Favorites : Days 2 & 3

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New York Fashion Week Favorites : Day 1

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I get way too excited for New York Fashion Week, especially in the fall. I think it comes from my first semester at F.I.T., where it felt like as soon as we got to school, Fashion Week started and we were immediately immersed in it. I volunteered at an amazing designer's show dressing models for the runway, and the experience was just so fun and exciting (and he took us out for dinner and drinks the next week as a thank you which didn't hurt). I try to get to the city every year at this time to gather inspiration from the excitement in the air, and will be heading there this week again.

I love seeing all the fashion both on and off the runway happening every September, so I will be sharing some of my favorites from the shows throughout the week. I've been catching some of the shows live on nyfw.com, which runs a live feed of the shows happening that day. Here is a roundup of my favorites from day 1 of NYFW 2015 (all photos courtesy of vogue.com)

Weekend Recap : Labor Day Weekend

A few photos from Labor Day weekend, which was spent split between hanging out at my parents boat, going to the Champlain Valley Fair, setting up my new photo studio kit (yay!) and waitressing. Hope yours was just as fun : )

Wore : A Day in Vegas with Vegas.com

When Vegas.com asked me to style an outfit inspired by a day in Vegas, I of course had to go vintage. Las Vegas is a place where you can really have fun with your outfit choices, so I decided to go a little more glam than usual.

The resort I chose to inspire my outfit choices was the Mirage. Owen and I stayed here a couple years ago while attending a friend's wedding, and we have been wanting to go back ever since. Between lounging at the pool drinking pina coladas (our main activity, I mean why not?), playing black jack at the casino, watching a dolphin show, grabbing dinner at the many awesome in-resort restaurants or a cocktail at one of the nightclubs, we just didn't want to leave. 

The first look I styled is a night club outfit that would be perfect for a night at 1OAK, a dance club in the Mirage. The blouse is a vintage sequined silk blouse with an asymmetrical zigzag hem. The second look, a vintage 1960's caftan style dress, is so amazing for an afternoon spent lounging by the pool, reading a magazine and sipping a frozen drink.

Have I inspired you to plan a trip to Vegas yet? ; ) If so, definitely check out the Vegas.com Hotel page for booking accommodations, they really do have everything!  

dress and blouse available HERE

Shop Talk : Taking a Chill Pill

Hey guys. Today's Shop Talk is a quick little tidbit about a personal project I have been working on - taking a gosh darn chill pill. I've talked about it before, but I can tend to get pulled in 34,987 different directions if I let myself stray from my to-do lists, specific goals and focuses in my business. Starting a small business requires you to put a lot of work in (duh. obviously). For me, putting that work in is super fun, and I usually wake up excited and ready to jump into another day right away. Most days I start out with my to-do list, and slowly work my way through it, taking a break when needed and enjoying the process, stopping when I feel like I have done enough for the day. Some days, however, I find myself frantically trying to jump from one task to the next, trying to get everything done but in reality getting not-too-much accomplished. I start stressing about my larger goals, and focusing on all that I have not accomplished yet instead of what I have. Usually these days happen when I am off balance. When I haven't taken the time to let myself just "be" or to spend time with friends and family. I have found the only solution to be to resist the urge to frantically hack away at undone tasks like a madwoman, to walk away and to just take a frickin chill pill already.

For me, a chill pill means a walk down to the lake, people watching and breathing deeply. It means reading a book (not business related) on the back porch with a glass of wine. It means going for a run even if I don't feel like it and feeling the nervous energy drain out of me. It means a much needed girl talk with a friend. Afterwards I can return to work with a much clearer vision of where I'm at and what I need to get done. 

So I guess the point of my rambling (sorry) is that no matter what you do, make sure you take time for yourself, listen to your body and what its telling you and make taking a chill pill a priority. Then maybe you won't scare your husband with your crazy eyes as he gently suggests you walk away from the computer and take a nap. Just sayin' : )

(above photo is of one of my Kris Carr Crazy Sexy Love Notes card deck-thanks Mom!)

Roundup : Fall Road Trip OldSchoolSwank Style

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Can you believe its September 1st? Crazy, but I love it : ) I have been driving around Vermont a lot this past week visiting friends and family, and its inspiring me to keep exploring more of the Vermont towns I've been wanting to check out since we moved here. I love walking around a town and checking out the local shops, cafes and hikes. And fall is such a perfect time to do that with the crisp sunny weather and the beautiful foliage. I've rounded up a few vintage items currently in the shop that would be perfect for a fall weekend road trip!

(photo above was taken at the Vermont Welcome Center last week)