Anthropologie Tiered Skirt & Five Fun Facts about Me….

 

Happy Friday Loves, the first week of the New Year and its not how intended it to go at all to be honest. I have been sick as a dog since Tuesday and have been fighting this cold that just seems to keep creeping back every month which is no fun at all BUT I am not going to let it get my spirit down and I am going to keep with my post and power on. No cold or flu will stop this lady on a mission.

With the start of the New Year, I  really want my readers to know who they are following and reading about behind the lens. In the end I want to be connected to my readers and my readers connected to me and not just through clothing but on a more personal level as well. I have made it resolution to connect more with my readers and other blogger boss babes this year.

So here it goes Five Facts about me:

1. I am born and raised NJ gal but definitely not your typical jersey girl. I grew up in Summit, NJ about half hour drive from NYC. I lived with my mom at home till I was about 26 when I moved out with my Boyfriend (now husband).

2.I just recently turned 33 this past summer, I am a summer baby (but yet I love Fall over all the season especially my own). With that being said I am a Cancer gal, which means family is everything (very true they are my life and I love them), I am super sensitive (yes yes and yes ask my husband and any friend), I wear my heart on my sleeve and very loyal to everyone in my life.

3.If you haven’t noticed in my posts, I work in Fashion and have worked in the industry for almost 8 years. I work for Banana Republic as a Denim Product Development Manager, sounds confusion but very it’s been my passion since I learned about it when I first started in the industry. Basically we are the middle man between Design & when our products go out for bulk into the market. We are the in between to help streamline the process but it can be very fun because you see the process from beginning to end which I love.

4.My husband and I have been together this coming year will be 6 years and we have been married this coming April 2 years. We met at a bar (longest story every) but we had a double date that didn’t go well, I mean the worst double date ever of life. So we didn’t talk after that for about a week and then I contacted him because I was annoyed he didn’t call me back. We finally went on our solo date and we talked till almost 2 am and it was all history from there.

5.I am the middle child of 5 kids, 4 girls and 1 boy (he actually survived unscathed). I loved having such a big family because always someone to rely on or lean on for help. My older brother and sister are 1 year and a day apart and my two younger sisters are 1 year and 5 days apart and I am smack in the middle. Which was hard at first because the older kids were cooler and wouldn’t let me play with them (but my brother let me tag along). If you see me and him we are basically spitting images of each just a guy and girl version lol. Even though I have so many siblings, I really only want to have two kids (I would love twins). This will be the year that me and Mark are going to start trying for our own little bundle of joy.

So that is a little about this gal but I will be sharing more each week, now I want to hear from all of you and tell me few fun facts about yourself. : )

Another great fact about me I love a great skirt, mostly midi or maxi (short I get weary because I am not a huge fan of my legs even though my husband loves them and says I should show them more). This Anthropologie tiered beauty is on my top favorite list and how could you not love it. From the beautiful floral print to the tiered structure it is just to pretty. I have received so many compliments on this skirt (work & street compliments). I wanted my skirt to stick out so I paired with some of my favorite neutral pieces especially this suede moto jacket that I can’t take off even in the most frigid of weather. Now with the cooler weather you can pair this piece with a sweater top to keep yourself extra warm.

Loves I hoped you liked this post and learning a few fun facts about me, I did really like sharing some insight and who I am with you all.

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend.

Thank you for following or just reading along

Anthropologie Tiered Skirt – (love & love & love)

Sweater – old (love & love)

Nordstrom Suede Jacket (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

Club Monaco – Gold Skirt

Well here it is another year has gone by (see ya later 2016) and a new chapter begins (HELLO 2017). It still just seems so crazy to me that another year is upon us and with that comes so much opportunity and so many great new memories. In 2016 I learned a lot about myself and a what I want for both my personal and professional life. I really want to write the newest chapter in my book for 2017 and make it the best year yet both for myself and for my blog. This blog has been such a outlet for me whether it is a long day of work or a bad week, I find so much comfort and joy sharing myself and my adventures. Someone like myself who is very shy, this year has been a total jump for me with my blog. I am getting more comfortable with myself and gaining more confidence each day but with that said I want to continue to grow myself and A Styled Love Affair. So 2017 will be seeing some changes which are all great.

Resolutions for 2017:

1. Style Make over – A Styled Love Affair. Since having my blog I have kept with just having the generic WordPress platform rather than updating this beauty and bringing out the potential it has by updating it to a actual full fledge website. We all need a makeover in life whether it be personal, career, lifestyle and for me this will be my 2017 makeover. If anyone has any recommendations would love the suggestions.

2.New Content. As many bloggers know it is easy to get into a blogger rut which I can get into a lot trying to figure out ideas of what to write. Since I like to keep my readers engaged I usually write 3x a week but it is usually the same content of myself and my outfits. Since I am looking to get my blog a makeover so does the content I contribute to my readers. I would love to share more How-to’s, beauty posts, My Favorites of the week etc. There are so many possibilities and I want to bring that to A Styled Love Affair

3.Blogger Meet-ups. As I have mentioned I am very shy and tend to stay behind the screen more than most I think. This is my year to quit that habit of being so shy and getting to meet some amazing blogger babes. I would like to make more connections with people that love to do the same passion as me. I do tend to get nervous to reach out to other bloggers since I don’t want to seem creepy but I am actual very genuine in trying to connect.

4.Go For It.  With this New Year and new possibilities I want to make new opportunities with A Styled Love Affair. I want to go for new opportunities with Blogger Collaborations, Style Collaborations, maybe add some styling refreshes to readers who might want a closet refresh and really expanding into vlogging. Now I know that vlogging can be very tricky but I want to dip my hand in it all this year. Mark and myself have been playing with the idea of trying this out and I want to make that jump and go for it. What is the harm of trying you just keep working at it and make it better over time.

5. Get Behind the camera. Mark 100% of the time is taking the photos of me which is super helpful and so sweet of him (especially those early morning wake up calls) but I want to start to learn more about photography and enjoy it as much as my husband does. Lately we have been trying to take out both cameras so I can start to get better at handling the camera and learn how to shoot.  Photography is such a intricate and delicate world that I want to learn, yes it will be a lot of hits and misses but I want to know what I am doing to and what my husband does behind the camera. I am looking forward to getting to know more about this craft.

Personal Goals

1. Love & Family. Mark and I do spend a lot of time together yes but much of that time I am on my phone trying to update all of you of my latest outfit post or latest adventure. I would love to make more time for him and my family while balancing my blog life too. I am not sure how to balance this but I want to find a way without it always having to be about social media or blog posting. While I do love my blog and this passion I don’t want to forget about my loved ones who need the love too.

2.Lifestyle. I am a active person and work out every morning at least 4-5x a week (if you haven’t seen on my insta stories) but that is the only time I can get my workout in because I work late a lot of the times and after work I am so pooped and/or need to work on my blog. With that being said I want to make time to really find some newness into my workout whether it be a new class or activity (I love kickboxing) or if that means getting out more during my work day just to take a quick walk around the block to get some fresh air and just get some me time. With that healthy lifestyle also comes eating well, which my friends will make fun we eat to well (except weekends are the worst). With the holidays I got off the healthy eating kick and was eating out a lot but I want to get on the wagon of eating well not just during the week but also more healthy on the weekends while keeping active.

3. Get out and Explore. Many of the times when Mark and I go out it is mostly for photos and that is it. We never just explore and with the temps going lower and lower it gets hard to want to get outside but we have decided to change that and get out and explore. We live in such a great city and live by the most beautiful city in the world with so many nocks to discover we are just letting it go by the wayside. I want to get out there and explore where I live and also get my hands on photographing other images other than just myself.

4.Travel. This is always one of my resolutions which I like to make every year no matter what. Travel does not always have to include a trip to a big overseas destination or a white sand beach, it can include a day trip to a new town or a train ride to another city. With the coming of the new year I have some big and small plans for travel with the hubby and possibly a family trip (my mother would like to take us on a big family trip this year looking forward to planning this if it does happen). My bucket list has surely grown a lot over the years and I hope to cross a lot of those destinations little or big can get crossed off this year. : )

My list of resolutions could go on & on & on really and they will come as the year comes along and I can’t wait to just jump head first and go with these new resolutions as they come.

As we know the Holiday celebrations and sparkle of the New Year’s celebrations are over but that doesn’t mean that we have to fade out of that shine all together LOL. Which is why I am bringing the shine today on this first Monday of the New Year in this amazing Club Monaco beauty. I am so into pleated midi skirts whether warm or cold I can’t get enough of them. One since they are so easy to go from day to night or work to play with a touch of different accessories or pieces and Two they are such a classic piece that are great paired with just about anything a sweater, t-shirt or blouse. Since I just wanted to add a dab of shine and not go overboard, I paired this gold pleated beauty with a simple gray turtleneck (which can I say every girl should own every neutral color in a turtleneck lifesaver) and my favorite leather jacket its been a outfit repeater a lot these past few months but I can’t get enough.

Loves Happy First Monday of the New Year whether you are home enjoying the last day or few days of your Holiday I hope its with the ones you love.

Let’s make this year great, what are some of your resolutions for the new year?

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

Club Monaco Gold Skirt (love & love)

H&M Turtleneck -old (love & love)

Nordstrom BlankNYC leather jacket

Strappy Heels -old (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

Favorite Posts of 2016….

 The last two official days of 2016 and I am still pinching myself wondering where has another year gone BUT I know that I say that same phrase every year to be honest. With 2016 coming to a end there are so many memories and life experiences both good and bad that have made this a year that to be honest I will never forget and I would not change them for anything. From Mark and I celebrating our 1st year of marriage, new jobs, birthdays, new friends, and all the ups and downs in between it has been another year for the books which I was so happy to write this chapter and glad to put it away and start another 365 day chapter book with new experiences and memories.

Since the New Year is almost about to arrive I have decided to bring back some of my favorite looks & moments of the past year for everyone today. Now I couldn’t choose just 12 and added a couple extra. Hope you guys enjoy it : )

January 2016 – Pretty in Pink

February – A Styled Love Affair Turns 1

March 2016 – Spring has Sprung

April 2016 – Savannah

June 2016 – The Trip of a Lifetime – Greece

July 2016 – Bursting with Florals

August 2016 –  Polka Dots

September 2016 – First NYFW

October 2016 – Who What Wear Collection

October 2016 – LWD

November 2016 – Playing with Layers

December 2016 – Red & Sparkle

Loves I hope you enjoyed my favorite moment & looks from 2016 because they are surely my favorite moments and adventures that I will cherish for a long time.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and amazing New Year and are celebrating with the ones you love. Let’s make this New Year another great one : )

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

XOXO

Nicole

It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas….

 

The most wonderful day of the year is finally upon us, Christmas day and I could not be more excited. Santa has delivered all his presents to all those wonderful children who have been good this year and adults of course too : )  Even as an adult I get excited for Christmas day and opening presents feeling like a kid again (I know that most of you can agree with me.) but that is not why I am thankful this Christmas. This year we have so much to be thankful for and I could not express how blessed I am for this life. This year marked our 1 year anniversary or marriage which I believe is a great milestone, we experienced hardships which have made us stronger and have really tested us good and bad and this year has shown us how truly great life can be and to be so thankful because you can’t predict what each day may bring. As I right this post and see what I have been blessed with I can say that my life is truly full and I can’t wait to make it even fuller this coming year.

Mark and myself started our own Christmas tradition when we moved in together 4 years ago where we have our own mini Christmas at home before we head out for the day to visit our families. We get up extra early to give our presents to each other, Mark is so cute he has a actual number system that he knows exactly which gift he is giving to me which I think is so cute. Whereas I just go with the wind and give away lol. I truly love our little tradition we have made for ourselves, just the two of us in our little moment together before the day gets away with us.

This Christmas I am going for the classic rocker chic look to change things up from the normal. I found this gorgeous pleated Club Monaco skirt while doing my Cyber Monday shopping and so glad I did. The color, length and pleats are perfection rolled into one and give me a pleated maxi and I am one happy lady. I paired this skirt with my favorite button down bow tie top from Banana Republic which I love to wear all the time around the Holiday season because it goes with just about everything. To bring out my rocker chic I have added my go to leather jacket (which has been on repeat a lot this past season) from Nordstrom to complete my look. I swear this jacket goes with everything and I have gotten so many compliments on it (linked below) it was my best purchase. Now just add that red lip and we are good to go for Christmas dinner with the fam.

 Loves I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Christmas and you are spending this Holiday with the ones you love.

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

Club Monaco Skirt (love & love)

Banana Republic Bow tie top-old (love & love)

Nordstrom BlankNYC leather jacket (love & love)

Banana Republic heels-old (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

 

New Year’s Shine…..

Taking a little break from all the Holiday chatter BUT bringing out a fun New Year’s Eve look that surely will turn heads. I swear every time the New Year comes around, I am the one running around the mall like a frantic person trying to figure out my look for the night (have you happened to notice from my last few posts I am the worst procrastinator lol). This year I have vowed to get my look ready way in advanced to bring in the New Year. I feel that with New Year’s there is a unwritten rule that the more bling the better and that no New Year celebration is complete without a little or a lot of shine.

On New Year’s I feel as if there are no holds bar as to how far you want to bling out your look. You can be more classic with a simple black pencil skirt or want to be that sexy vixen make it a plunging neckline sequin dress and if that is to much you can bring in a fun accessory such as a great sequin clutch or earrings or vamp up those feet with some fun bling to dance the night away. I tend to sway towards the classic yet very fun side when it comes to my New Year’s Eve style (except this year I might just change it up). For a fun classic look I love a great midi skirt with a little bit of shine, which is why I am in love with this Tulle Asos sequined beaut, she is sure to be a stunner and turn a lot of heads. It is the perfect amount of shine and tulle that is not overwhelming. I love how the sequins cascade down the skirt which will give off enough shine to make you sparkle extra bright through out the night. To finish off my look I paired it with a simple velvet top that always the skirt to have all its sparkly glory.

Happy Wednesday loves, I hope everyone is having a great week and getting wrap to wrap up the week and go enjoy the holiday festivities with family. What are everyone’s plans to ring in the New Year?

Thank you for following or just reading along

ASOS Skirt (love, love, & love)

Zara Velvet top (love & love)

ASOS Silver Heels (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

LBD for the Holiday’s

It’s the final countdown to Christmas and I couldn’t be more excited, it really is my most  favorite holiday of the year. Besides all the hecticness that seems to follow (especially with the procrastinator in me) I can say that at this point in my life I am so grateful and so blessed. My most biggest blessing is being able to celebrate with my family on Christmas especially my husband Mark. This will be our sixth Christmas together and I am going to get a little personal but me and the hubs are planning on making this our final Christmas as two (and no not pregnant yet) but this year we are hoping to add to the pack.

 This Holiday season has for sure had it’s many celebrations with both friends and families.  Of course with every party or dinner you want to dress it up differently correct? The golden rule that every girl has learned is that you can never go wrong with a great LBD, they can be timeless, classic and super chic that you can wear all season long. Going into the Holiday season a great LBD is the perfect go to especially if you have multiple parties because it is easy to change up with shoes or a cute clutch. This polka dot ASOS LBD dress is going to my perfect look for the remainder of the Holiday season. It is super adorable from head to toe, from the polka dot mesh to the peplum hem. This beauty has a touch of classic sophistication that will turn heads and get so many compliments. It is the perfect dress for a Holiday office party or dinner party. Pair with a great pair of fun pumps and a red lip and you are ready to have a great time at the Christmas party.

 Loves I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great Monday, my weekend was surely packed with lots of running around and plenty of last minute shopping. I hope everyone is just as excited as me for all the Christmas celebrations to come, does anyone have any great plans?

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

ASOS dress – sold out (love, love, love & love)

Banana Republic heels – old (similar here & here)

XOXO

Nicole

 

Chunky Knits & Floral Pleats

So as the saying usually goes Rain Rain Go Away, yea us New Yorkers I am sure are saying all together Cold Cold Go Away. I am so not ready for the chilly temps to roll on in but I guess we had it so good this season with Fall extending itself.

With the cold temps I can say my favorite part are for sure the vast varieties of sweaters, fun coats and even adorable winter accessories. So there are positives that do come with the cold : )

When it comes to sweaters the bigger the chunkier the better because when it is cold you need that extra comfort and being cozy to stay warm on those extra cold days. I swear every fall and winter season those are my first purchases that I love to stock up on because I know they certainly will come in handy (and no stone unturned). On the hunt for a new chunky sweater to add to my assortment came this amazing beauty from H&M (OMG in love and ha been on several repeats this past season). I really can’t get enough of this great sweater which has kept my very warm with the cold temps creeping in lately. This chunky knit sweater literally goes with everything jeans, skirts, over dresses endless opportunities.

I knew exactly how I wanted to pair her (of course insert adorable pleated skirt my fav). This pleated skirt is also from H&M (linked below & currently on sale) and is the perfect combination to go with this amazing knit sweater. I love the floral print that is scattered all over the skirt and isn’t to overwhelming and the color is certainly also my favorite. It’s the perfect piece to keep the look super casual and of course to keep me super warm on top.

Happy Monday loves and I hope everyone had a superb weekend mine for sure was very casual and laid back which is exactly what I needed after a very long work week. And currently I am freaking out that there is less than two weeks till Christmas and my shopping has not even started.

Thank you so much for following for just reading along

H&M floral skirt (love & love)

H&M Chunky Sweater (love & love)

Nordstrom Leather Jacket – BlankNYC

Banana Republic Heels – old (similar here & here)

XOXO

Nicole

How to bring your LWD into Fall

It’s no secret that the LBD is the essential staple piece in any woman’s closet. It’s basically a women’s mission once she hits the right age to start buying her own clothes that the LBD is the basic piece we must all have. Finding “the one” can take a long time and takes man power to sift through the good and the bad but when you find “the one” it’s magical I know lol. But today I am taking a different route and discussing the new “the one” piece that all girls are hunting for these days the perfect LWD.

So let’s talk about the new must have piece, the new sister to the LBD but this time we actually like her. This past summer you couldn’t pass at least one girl on the street without seeing them wearing their version of the LWD. Now that summer has come and gone we ladies don’t want to bury our LWD after the summer is over (at least not myself), we want to bring them out as long as we can. We all know that the “no white after labor day rule” has surely come and gone and no one actually really follows this fashion myth anymore. So you ask “how can I bring my LWD into fall” with the cooler fall weather?

1. You can pair up your LWD with a fun leather jacket to bring out the rocker chic moment, which I have done for my post today. The leather jacket brings out a fun chic affect when added to your LWD. It gives your LWD a classic edgy look without feeling to harsh.

2. Want a more softer classic look? Wear your LWD with a chic white blazer or white overcoat for a ultra polished look.

3.  Want to dress her down? Pair your favorite LWD with a soft long cardigan and sneakers. Your now casually cool.

4. Add a long cardigan for those cooler, rainy days. Pull out your favorite booties or flats and add a long cardigan for a casual day on the go.

5. Add layers underneath. Grab that turtleneck and layer under your LWD for added layers. To go further pair with your favorite denim jacket or trench and grab those sneaks again and your ready to tackle the windy day.

Ladies there are so many ways to bring out that LWD from hiding and don’t be shy to play it up how you please. Pop of color, military jacket, sneakers I mean the list is endless ladies. So lets bring out those LWD for fall and have fun.

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

Asos Lace Dress (love & love & love & love)

BlankNYC Leather Jacket (here & here)

Banana Republic heels-old (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

Anthropologie Renna Turtleneck Tunic

Finally back in action after a very rough week last week, if you follow on instagram you might have noticed that i literally deleted all my photos by accident (I really hope this hasn’t happened to anyone else). It was probably my worst nightmare to date on the blogging side of things. Since I work full time it is hard for me to do photos in the morning (this is my workout time) so my only option is to take photos on the weekends. Which means several outfit changes in the car so that I can have my posts ready for the following week or week after. So when this happened there started the major meltdown plus endless amounts of tears. No worries my amazing husband literally was such a trooper this weekend and literally helped me recreate each look again (now were talking major outfit overhaul). I am literally so grateful for his help, I seriously don’t know what I would do without him.

To start off the beginning of October (shy of a few days) I decided to bring out my current obsession this Anthropologie Tunic Sweater. This is the perfect fall go to piece right now for me, especially with the weather being so finicky. It is so light and airy which I love and even on those hot muggy days it is perfect. The open side details give it a little added fun (business front and back, sexy side lol). Casual pieces like these flood my closet throughout the Fall and Winter seasons because they are easy neutral pieces that can go from day to night with a change of outfit. For today I have kept my look casual with my favorite pieces for Fall (old & new), I have attached all these pieces below. This is my go to weekend look for sure (heels will probably be sneakers though lol) if it is a day in the city but a night out for sure the heels will be put back on.

 

 Happy Monday loves, I hope everyone has a lovely day today.

 

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

Anthropologie sweater (love & love & love)

Zara utility jeans-old (similar here & here)

BlankNYC Leather Jacket-Nordstrom (love)

Nine West heels-old (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole

 

Yumi Kim Floral Dress with Shopstyle

Today officially marks the first day of Fall, I have certainly been waiting for this day all year to be honest. It is truly my favorite time of year over all four. While it is great that I live in a area that I am able to experience every season, I truly can say nothing can beat Fall.  From driving through the beautiful bursts of fall colors, to pumpkin picking, winery visits, to of course the beautiful chunky knit sweaters, plaid patterned scarves, and over excess of suede boots lol, honestly the list is endless and for me nothing can beat such a amazingly beautiful season. (so get ready for PSL Instagram posts lol)

I will be living in my favorite fall pattern over and over this season, Floral. Hopefully I am not driving everyone crazy with all the fall floral posts lately but I feel like its one of those staples that comes back time and time again like tweed & plaid every fall season. I recently attended the ShopStyle Social House event during NYFW and one of the many perks we were able to rent clothing and in the midst of all the chaos I was able to find this amazing Yumi Kim floral maxi dress. Right when I saw it on the rack I knew that it was the dress for me since one its a maxi (love) and two its floral (love love). I love the beautiful all over print and the front slit surely helps give a little va-va voom. Knowing that Fall was approaching I knew exactly that I wanted to style this a fall look and blend the soft florals with a little edge. So I paired her with my favorite new leather jacket from Nordstrom, Anthropologie floppy hat and my absolute favorite fringe suede booties (all linked below). I swear the flow of this dress when you walk is so beautiful just moves so nicely with every step, hello Soho runway. This dress can be dressed up or dressed down, whether a day in the city like mine or a casual day for brunch (add a denim jacket) its works for any situation.

Loves I hope everyone enjoys the first day of Fall, PSL in hand and all.

Thank you so much for following or just reading along

Yumi Kim Dress (love & love)

Leather Jacket (love)

Dolce Vita Booties-old (love & love & love)

Hat-old (love & love)

XOXO

Nicole