Eat, Wear, Do, Edition II

Eat, Wear, Do, Edition II

Wear: I’ve had various conversations with girlfriends about the quintessential leather tote bag. You know the one that you’re always looking for, and can never seem to find? Well it appears that Baggu has the answer. BEAUTIFUL, leather, totes (and other accessories) in a range of colors. I’m kinda needing the coral, or perhaps the black?

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Eat: Imagine a dish with fresh tomatoes, lime juice, and topped with avocados. The perfect summer dish, you can make in 20 minutes, and doesn’t require any cooking is gazpacho! My favorite lifestyle video channel, LEAF, made a lovely visual recipe log to take you through the process …. eating not included.

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Magdalena Frackowiak

Do: Become a J.Crew girl. I’m not ashamed to say that this is actually an aspiration of mine. Follow these instructions to achieve the laid-back, cool-girl hair that appears each season and still stays enviable.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition! I’d love to hear your feedback on which feature you’ll try out.

With Ease

With Ease

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[The Details: Tee: J,Crew, Sweater: Gap, Jeans: Levis (old), Belt: Coach (thrifted), Sandals: Steve Madden]

I’m back from vacation where I spend my days sunning, boating, and relaxing with family. It’s such a necessity to get away and just “be” for a while to recharge. When on vacation, and attempting to pack light, I always lean towards a more preppy, classic aesthetic. A great item that will get you far, is of course, a white tee shirt. Paired with simple jeans, and bright sweater and belt, you can stay interesting even when you don’t want to “try too hard.”

Soak up the rest of the summer – I can’t believe August is almost upon us!

New Feature: Eat, Wear, Do

New Feature: Eat, Wear, Do

I’m excited to kick off a new feature series today on Steeped in Style.

When I find something amazing, I usually want to share it – hey, having a blog is perfect for this tendency right? Look out for upcoming things that I’m dying to eat, wear, or do (or I might be actually eating, wearing or doing them as you read … ) I can be quite decisive when it comes to something I want.

Eat: Who doesn’t crave a refreshing popsicle in the heat of summer? Anna Jane, of See Jane, shared a simple recipe that seems just as much fun to make as to eat. First step for me is buying some popsicle molds!

 Wear: Karen Walker Resort 2014, doing all things good by me. The small details, like the frayed edges on tweed pieces, and the short suit in gingham, kill me. You can see the whole collection at Style.com.

Do: I stumbled across this amazing relational experiment and couldn’t stop reading. 40 Days of Dating is a project following two friends who decided to exclusively date each other for 40 days, while documenting and sharing their whole experience. They’re on day 11 and I’m hooked! You can follow their story here.

Hope you all enjoy this new feature as much as I do, xo.

Up & Down

Up & Down

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[All The Details: Top: F21, Skirt: Gap, Sandals: ASOS, Necklaces: Urban Outfitters, Bracelets: J.Crew, F21, Vintage]

Throw up your hands, your hair, and your expectations for the rest of the summer. Here’s to more unexpected joys and pleasures for the rest of this beloved season.

[Note: perhaps for the next few scorching weeks, your should throw your hair up. Here’s a great tutorial for the top knot]

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Stay cool, friends!

High Heat

High Heat

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[Lots of love for the Brooklyn bridge]

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[Welcome to Manhattan!]

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[The Details: Chambray blouse: Madewell, Shorts: H&M (old), Shoes: Converse, Headscarf: Vintage, Nails: Revlon Spirit]

OH MY LANTA, this heat that ensued this weekend. Let me advise you not to attempt to cross the Brooklyn Bridge for a leisurely sightseeing tour, but to instead, stick it out with fun activities within an AC’d building. Needless to say, I had a successful jaunt with the above combination of airy chambray, and a headscarf to keep the hair out of my eyes, and with the help of a hair-tie, off my neck.

Now to get through the rest of this week without melting on the sidewalks …

The cat is back

The cat is back

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[The Details: Blouse: Target, Pants: J.Crew, Sandals: Zara, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Necklaces: Thrifted, F21]

This may be my third article of leopard print from J.Crew … but who’s counting? When you find something that functions as a basic, but isn’t boring – you work it into your wardrobe! Maybe you’re more of a floral gal, or have a plethora of stripes, whatever it is, stick with what you’re naturally inclined to and make it part of your signature.

Just a reminder to subscribe to Steeped in Style through Bloglovin’ or email subscription (both buttons are at the bottom of the site).

Hope everyone’s having a great week – we’re more than halfway done!

The top of the world (or building)

The top of the world (or building)

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[The Details: Jumpsuit: Target (surprised?), Jewelry: F21, J.Crew Factory, vintage; Sandals: Kenneth Cole: Nail: Essie Clambake]

I’ve always had an affinity for rooftops – you can ask my parents, who had the pleasure of accepting my apology for spending stolen afternoons on my childhood house roof during my “rest hour.” The point being, I love being up high, and feeling the breeze, sun, and taking in gorgeous views.

Now getting down to the fashion business, jumpsuits are where it’s at. I have been fully converted to the full jumpsuit, or romper short situation – they’re so easy to wear, super comfortable, and can be dressed up with accessories based on the occasion at hand. While it’s sticky and hot in New York, I can appear to be pulled together and stay (relatively) cool. The only, and I mean only, downside, is that is takes a little more planning when you need to visit the ladies room ….

What do you all think – anyone else out there a fan of rompers/jumpsuits? Let’s discuss.

(All photos taken by Melanie)

Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes

photo(2)The setting sun off the docked boat/Frying Pan restaurant

Today I wanted to share a few moments of my life, or the life I live “behind the scenes” of Steeped in style. I love sharing new experiences, purchases, or views that make me happy – hey, that’s what this space is about anyway?

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My new Zara addition that I have been stalking … for months

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The MOST amazing, time-consuming, birthday cake my Mom made for me! Thanks Mom!

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Don’t worry, I won’t share outfit details on this pictures. Regardless, blueberry (or any berry picking for that matter is a summer must for me!)

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So, this eye makeup palette has changed my life – you can find the Naked 1 or 2 here

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View from my neighborhood – can’t wait to watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks over the Hudson!

Remember to:

Follow me on bloglovin, twitter, and instagram @gemilbourne  – xoxo.

Stars and Stripes Forever

Stars and Stripes Forever

Happy 4th!
J.Crew dress / J.Crew long chambray shirt / J.Crew chino shorts / J.Crew shoes / San Diego Hat Co. / Opening Ceremony sunglasses

I am always one to savor dressing up for holidays; it must be my festive nature. Strategically speaking, you could go the route of wearing as much red, white and blue as possible, but that could be a little too much, don’t you think? Stick with solid colored pieces, some sparkling jewels and a few choice accessories and spend the rest of your day reveling as you should.

Here’s to a 4th of July where you truly express who you are, and celebrate how amazing our country is.