skipping the skinnies

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We run around all day in denim, and needed/wanted a little quick change-up. Skipped the skinnies and went maximum.

A long dress can be just as easy as the usual, legs are under-cover.

Every day dress and skipping the skinnies, for now.

Dress | W by Worth

Jacket | Worth New York

 

three small steps

No staff here, nary even a committee. We believe, yet getting there can feel huge.

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Yesterday, wore some new red shoes to the office.

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Today, picked up a pair of white poinsettia to bookend the fireplace and a pair of ivy topiary for the countertop of home central. White and green, we can do that all season long.

Three small steps, and so it begins.

No gift guides here, simply some amateur photography, peace and good will.

Happy Friday everyone. xoxo

coconut cake with tea lights

 

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Monday night, 6:15 pm, and wickedly procrastinating about putting together some dinner. Long weekend was a food and drink fest, always serving in the double digits. Second daughter turned twenty-four Sunday, and as usual we celebrated with a dinner at home.

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Food is looking robust, night before we were doing cocktails and champagne, thank you Gabby and Danny.

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Love the balloons.

Stuffed some chicken breasts with local herbed chèvre and basil leaves, stove top roasted tomatoes, peas, and quinoa.

Cake was homemade, four sticks of butter with the cream cheese frosting, butter is love. Found we were out of candles and couldn’t bear another grocery visit so simply stuck a red rose on top and surrounded the platter with tea lights.

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We did pick up some new dishes, grey, and grey linen napkins. Dishes are french, and like the ones we’ve loved and used for years, simply a new color.

It’s always double Monday after a long holiday.

Happy Birthday Booie. xoxo

(couldn’t get the post up yesterday, way too exhausted).

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Okay, Tuesday night, 7:24 pm, and waiting for the teens to get home to have pan sauteed scallops and sugar snap peas and they are now looking pretty sorry.

When you’re the one that makes the house hum you’ve just gotta go with it- coconut cake still sitting around yet those scallops can’t wait.

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Every day dress and coconut cake with tea lights. xoxo

some new makeup

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We like some makeup, not a lot of makeup. In fact, it’s kind of our ethos here: put on some makeup.

As we’re living with two teens and a make-up loving young adult, our kit is usually MIA, really can never even find mascara. Went out and picked up these things here, all Bobbi Brown. We like her mojo, ‘The secret to beauty is simple: be who you are.” And, she wears lots of denim. Natural looking makeup and a lipstick that looks like lips, count us in. Bobbi, thank you.

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It’s eve of Thanksgiving eve and if you’re wondering this is what our kitchen really looks like. xoxo

 

a little softer now

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We’re adding prints, and soft color, into the rotation.

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For WNY Women’s Foundation annual Fall in Fashion luncheon, wore a twill dress, tied up with a bow.

As for style, loving this Australian sister duo: ZIMMERMANN.

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Every day dress women, and a little softer now. xoxo

meet me here

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Always moving and working to make good things happen, I was recently asked ‘what do you do all day after you drop your daughter at school?’. And she’s youngest of six.

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Like women (and men) all over, plenty.

Really no need to list it all, we all get it, I think. And with that thought this post is titled meet me here.

Kind of where I like to meet all the humans in my life, where they are, doing their best.

Now, some style notes: had my momma take this photo outside of our work space, at the bus stop. She likes the pink silk, not so much the rips. Promised myself that I was not buying one more pair of denim with rips at the knee, yet this was the favorite Emerson fit, and there was embroidery. Sold. Thank you Juliana and Tony Walker & Co. As for the blouse, you know, what we do most days, Worth New York. They show it looking fab all tied up in a bow, we style it kind of rogue, a loose square knot with sleeves all rolled up. Momma, we always try to wear good shoes, especially with our rips. 🙂

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Every day dress, meet me here, and I’ll meet you there too, wherever you are at that time. xoxo

Powder Pink Charmeuse Tie Neck Blouse | Worth New York

Citizens of Humanity Emerson | @ Tony Walker & Co

Bag | Vintage Hermes | Heritage Auctions

Shoe | Christian Louboutin

photos aren’t perfect, this is the every day 

event dressing with separates

Start your engines, it’s go-go time with event dressing. While we adore a great dress, separates give us wardrobe miles.

As we’re back working trunk through November 10th, (the entire month of October was a wipeout with a wicked head thing), here are a few Worth New York images for outfit inspiration:

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the black taffeta ball skirt is a carryover from last winter, 

already have that piece in the wardrobe rotation

thinking of adding that decadent black cutaway for an upcoming gala

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LOVE the simply red taffeta pieces,

and how about that one shouldered cashmere sweater 

with a pair of jeans after the party?

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navy velvet slip dress with navy velvet pant?

fashion forward worn together, as separates simply stunning

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gorgeous beaded top, after the party why not back to denim?

amazing Valentina pant in navy that can go desk to dinner to event anywhere…

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putting in your gym time? show it off in gold lame…

again, that navy Valentina pant, we love separates that go places…

professional images all Worth New York

We’re booking style sessions so you can look your best now and after the big night. We have all this and more including some gorgeous stretch silk taffeta blouses in colors like Verde and True Blue. (we all love a little stretch). Over are the days when you just want to get home to take off your clothes, or not. 🙂 www.worthnewyork.com/rebecca-collins

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in the office and unless it’s a great dress of course we’re wearing separates

and often black while the focus is on what YOU are wearing

get your fishnets on

 

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It seems every five years or so fishnets are back on, although Carine always rocks them.

We love them as they disguise some of the good times we’ve had with our legs.

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dress and jacket | Worth New York

We always love a strong boot with a dress, not for everyone, we know, happy that trend is happening now too. So much easier to get around town when you can walk strong.

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We love a good little bomber jacket with a dress as well, especially in plush chenille, and more so when it has a hood. Sixteen year old daughter promptly picked that one up, might not see it again. Guess that’s okay, keeps her warm while she’s learning to drive.

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Professionally we’ll be working trunk again, this weekend through Thursday, November 11th. Give us a ring, we’d love to share the best fishnet source out there.

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Every day dress and get your fishnets on. xoxo

a quick getaway

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Saturday afternoon husband and I snuck away for a quick little Canadian overnight: wine tasting, spa time, an early dinner, theatre, and a nightcap. Breakfast the next morning, a brisk fall walk, and out of there. All in twenty-four hours, we were back stateside before game time on Sunday.

We stopped at Two Sisters Vineyards, one of our favorites, love the idea of sisters being proprietors of a Niagara winery. Spa, room, and dinner all at Oban Inn. Theatre at Shaw Festival Theatre, we try to get there at least once a season.

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image courtesy Worth New York

Wore a version of this outfit Saturday and Sunday, but in black, of course, and packed a dress for dinner and theatre. Kept it super simple.

Every day dress, a quick getaway, highly recommend.

feeding others

Most recent comment on the blog gave me great pause: ‘while I enjoy the fashion posts, I love the food, celebrations, family and just your style and attitude posts the most. They are the ones that inspire me to light the candles, stop at the farmer’s market and enjoy it all! Thank you!’

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two tenderloins, prepped for oven roasting

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serving up 4 scratch blueberry pies with whipped cream, all out at the country house

My reply was that fashion is a true professional and personal passion, feeding those I love supersedes all. It’s like this thing that I have to do to make the day whole, and right.

Last night I was on deck to lend support to colleague, partner and friend at a gig she was in charge of, a fundraising fashion show with 375+ women in attendance. To get there without guilt needed to have dinner ready to go for the crew at home, even while I wasn’t there. It was sautéed chicken breasts, with fresh herbs, and roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Nothing crazy; simple, honest food. No photos, it was a weeknight work night. We know men and women all over are cooking for those they love, we LOVE that. We LOVE coming together at day break or days end to break bread. We’re really all about feeding others.

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gotta love hosting in an apron, this time is ski town for fall festival, when it’s all ready to serve, off it goes

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arranging the porterhouse and the rib eye, always by hand

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we like to serve on huge platters

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steak and greens, always a hit

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ketchup and A1 on the table, yikes, fresh flowers on wrapped gifts, yay

So, our true roots here of this little blog are every day dress and that encompasses the clothes we wear, the way we move, the food we eat. It’s even as simple as making the bed, even though no one else is looking. It’s like a lifestyle kind of thing, taking what needs to happen each day and putting forth some effort and making it a little special.

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bacon, eggs, pancakes and bagels, next morning |  we had a houseful, 14 of us in all 

Sharing here some iPhone photos of recent food happenings, the digital camera just really doesn’t happen when we’re in the thick of it.

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we’re kind of liking pumpkins that aren’t orange this year

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casual weeknight table setting, real linen, not necessarily matched

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fast food = salad, ciabatta rolls, burgers, lettuce, tomato, and lobster ravioli

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oops, we’ve got two knives here 🙂

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we hang at home in our mens’ shirts, sleeves rolled, and make single colored simple flower groupings 

If you’ve been reading and have arrived here, thanks for being part of our community. xoxo