The Kitchen

EAT SIGN:: Restoration Hardware - also sold here! // CHAIRS:: Amazon // LIGHTS:: old - similar here // Potted Box Wood 

When we moved in and I saw that the kitchen had a little nook to eat in - I was thrilled! The previous family kindly left the perfectly sized table for us so all we did was reupholster the cushions, install new light fixtures ( these are super cool too ) and put up the marquee lights! 

I chose to reupholster the cushions with a faux lizard leather - something easy to wipe down! I also went with a pretty neutral soft shade since the walls are a very pale blue / grey but I do foresee myself spicing this up in the future. One thing on my near future checklist? New hardware, and high glossing my cabinets! I would love this hardware on all the cabinets! 

The two chairs I put at the table I actually found on Amazon! I put another one ( sans arms ) in our foyer and one with arms for our desk chair in the office. They were such a steal and are also super easy to clean! Fabric in an easting area that will stain or is hard to get anything up you will total regret. Here is a tip - unless it's faux leather and you can wipe it down, I highly recommend fiber sealing! We fiber sealed both our living room rugs and liquid actually just sits on top of it! 

I'm also thinking of one day putting up a really fun wallpaper on the vertical wall behind me. Just to break things up and keep the rest of the walls, like the ones above the eating area a clean shade. But I know I need to table that little fantasy of mine for a bit and focus on some other major projects I am itching to do. It seems like home décor is never ending but I've come to realize if you do it right the first time you wont need to keep redoing things over the years. I have made a few mistakes but who doesn't! As my project list continues to grow or even little changes like rearranging my étagère I will keep you guys in the loop!

xx Kaitlin

Photos By Julia D'agostino

Resort 2018

DRESS:: Poupette St. Barth (different color here) // BAG:: Palmer & Purchase 

There seems to be a pattern going on in my house. I'm not sure if my kids are plotting against me or what but they've been taking turns getting up at night, every night for the past three weeks. I'm not going to lie, I can function pretty well with little sleep. I don't mind waking up early. 5AM is my usual wake up call from my boys. Lila generally likes to sleep in. And by sleep in, I mean she sleeps until 6AM at the latest. But this week, I feel like I can barely think straight and I'm exhausted. I feel very blah, especially with this miserable cold weather. I'm counting down the days until our next sunny escape and decided to round up some favorite resort wear this season. A few things I'm obsessing over::

1. This bag by Hat Attack. I love a good beach tote and this macrame straw one is so unique.

2. This beach coverup. Melissa Odabash does beach wear so well and I'm always loving her coverups. I also love this one. Yes, they are definitely on the pricier side but I've said it before...I'm crazy when it comes to protecting my skin in the sun and will always splurge a little when it comes to beach coverups because I wear them practically every day of the summer. I try to find ones with sleeves and a higher back. 

3. One Pieces. My bikini days are long gone...Maybe when I start working out again I'll wear a bikini but for now, one pieces are my best friend. This is the one I bought last year (in white) and was stopped almost daily on the beach for info on it. This year my eyes are on this one in pebble and this one. 

4. Love this off the shoulder beach dress

5. I've been wanting this clutch for such a long time. I love the details on the side and it would good well with everything. 

xo Chrissy

MORE RESORT WEAR FAVORITES::

Staying Cozy

JACKET:: Derek Lam 10 Crosby // PANTS:: Joie // SNEAKERS:: APL // HAT:: Plush // WAFFLE:: Wildfox

I've said it before and I will say it again, my weekend uniform is very simple. After a long work week and although my office is casual I cannot wait to spend Saturday and Sunday in sneakers, a cozy knit and fancy sweats or leggings. I should probably invest in more weekend appropriate clothing but when we are staying in the city and just taking walks in the park or running errands I want to be as cozy as possible!

 These Joie pants remind me a little of the Joie mariner's with the jogger style ankle and the elastic waist. They also come with a matching grey sweatshirt style top but I had to say no to another grey sweatshirt! I feel slightly more "dressy" in these pants as opposed to leggings, but I do love these leggings - hands down the best fit and the most flattering! And speaking of Joie, how great is this sweater!?

I have wanted a pair of APL's for a while now - and just a disclaimer they are not for the gym! They are solely for athleisure and if you're like me and have a shoe rack dedicated to athlesiure, then APL's are for you! I have my eye on this high top style..

I've rounded up some of my favorite athleisure pieces below! 

xx Kaitlin

Photos by Julia D'agostino

Lately

JACKET :: ASOS // JEANS:: 7 for all Mankind // BOOTS:: Club Monaco (on sale) // BLOUSE:: Rebecca Taylor // EARRINGS:: ASHA 

I went to an amazing dinner last night hosted by Dudley Stephens and had such a great time. It was a much needed girls night out but I'm paying for it this morning. When I got home from dinner last night, I heard Lila coughing and then she started to cry. I went in to check on her and she had thrown up in her crib and had a high fever. We were basically up alllllll night and I'm running on fumes this morning. Who else is counting down the hours till bedtime?

And an FYI:: You've seen me wear this Park Slope turtleneck constantly on stories- it is seriously my favorite thing ever to wear and you can preorder yours today. You will not regret it. 

On to the post! This coat was another one of my ASOS finds that I talked about in this post. I absolutely love it and think it was great piece to add to my closet. It is technically "petite" but I think anyone can wear it. I would maybe order one size up. It's also not really a "warm" coat per say, more of a layering piece. It's the perfect little coat to throw on over a pretty blouse or thin sweater. 

I was all set to post a boutique of some of my favorite jackets and coats right now but my mind is set on all things spring. So I ditched the coats and jackets and made a boutique of some of my favorite spring-y finds! Hope you enjoy!

xo Chrissy 

WHAT I'M LOVING LATELY::

Etagere Updated

ETAGERE:: sold out! similar here and here // BOOKS:: Halston, Dogist, American Beauty // KNOT:: here and here // ARTICHOKES:: Sculpture and votives! // CANDLE:: Bais

I had always wanted to rearrange my foyer etagere but it honestly just took me a a little longer than planned! If you caught my office post, the shelving in that room is my pride and joy. It can take time to find these little decor objects, and memories to put in frames - you want it to come together organically! I have a bad habit of standing there for hours at a time ( not kidding) rearranging, then standing back then repeat. 

After I completed phase two of this etagere I put it on our Instagram stories - it was right around Christmas time and we received a ton of DM's about it! I am sad to say that this particular etagere is no longer available on Horchow ( where I have gotten a ton of high end things for less) but I have created a boutique below with many similar etageres and pieces! This one is probably the most similar I have found!

My number one recommendation for any type of shelf whether its a built in or etagere or bookcase - is as many coffee table books as you want. They are the perfect piece to add anywhere and look great vertical or horizontal. They are a fun platform for an object or a frame and you can play around with the colors as well. I was lucky enough to score a majority of these books at an Assouline sample sale (this one in particular) because I know coffee table books do not come cheap! 

After buying the two different sized ceramic artichokes at Folly ( a super cute home / gift store on the UES) that's when phase two started to take place. I immediately knew I wanted them on this gold piece and then worked around them. Even though I say I am done, that's a total lie. I want to add one more coffee table book to the top artichoke stack and I would like to print our wedding photo bigger with a new frame. So stay tuned for those changes!! 

Piece of advice… move things around and then stand back and get a good look at how everything flows. It is a tricky task to design shelves, and I will say it until I am blue in the face but it just takes time! I always want it completed in one night but it's never going to happen. So collect pieces here and there, and if anyone asks you what you'd like for your birthday or Christmas - tell them a coffee table book!

Shop my shelves and other pieces I am loving below!

xx Kaitlin

Photos by Julia D'agostino

Monday Sales

SWEATER:: Anthropologie // SUNNIES:: Le Specs // EARRINGS:: ASHA

I'm at the point where all I really want to shop for is spring clothing. We have a great roundup of resort wear coming your way this week. On the tippity top of my list is this new Cult Gaia bag. No, not the arc bag that was all the rage last year. But Cult Gaia's Stella Bag with rattan handles. It's so so pretty and gets me so excited for warmer weather!

The reality is though, we still have a few months of frigid temps. Ugh...The sweater above has been a recurring favorite in my weekly wardrobe. It's an easy sweater to throw on with my jeans and sneakers and is so incredibly soft. I'm actually wearing it as we speak. It comes in four colors and is 20% off today only! Anthropologie has some great every day pieces and an amazing denim selection. All full priced clothing is 20% off today. I'm dying for this little white top and these (they come in petite!) jeans. Check out more favorites below. 

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend!

xo Chrissy

Budget Friendly Finds

 SWEATER:: ASOS // JEANS:: 7 for all Mankind // BOOTS:: Vince (on sale) // SCARF:: Palmer & Purchase (similar here and on major sale and similar here) SUNGLASSES:: Le Specs

I'm a deal hunter. Seriously. I hardly ever buy anything full price, I will search high and low for a coupon code, and love a good style steal. When I'm in the mood to add a few pieces to my wardrobe without spending a ton, I always look at the three same places. ASOS, H&M, and Zara. I just recently purchased a few things from ASOS. Four items to be exact, and three of them are keepers (I'll be posting them over the next few days). This one went immediately back (free shipping and returns FYI) because it is hands down the itchiest fabric ever. 

BUT...The three pieces I'm keeping I absolutely love, including the sweater above. I love wearing whites and creams in the winter and I realized I didn't have any good oversized cream sweaters. I saw this one and loved the fun pleat on the sleeve. For $48 it was a no brainer. I also love this sweater. 

And for all my pregnant friends, ASOS and H&M have some great maternity pieces as well. Check ASOS out here and H&M here. 

More style steals below!

xo Chrissy 

photos by Julia Dags

Breakfast Cookies

SHIRT:: Derek Lam 10 Crosby // JEANS:: Mother (old, but love this pair) // SHOES:: Aquazzura 

I would definitely say in the past year I stepped up my cooking and my baking. I gravitate towards simple, healthy recipes that are not only easy to follow but don't take a long time. After work it's probably the last thing I want to do but if its going to be quick it will be worth it. I bake a lot on Sunday's, I like have a little treat before the week! 

One treat I recently made were Breakfast Cookies, courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction. I am obsessed with all of her recipes - the pictures alone making me hungry! When I saw these cookies (bonus they gluten free) I thought they would be perfect to bring to work whether it was breakfast or even a little snack. I am pretty straight forward with my breakfast at work ( egg whites &  avocado or oatmeal) so I was leaning more towards having one of these oat bites for a snack. After I made them for the first time,  I put them on our Instagram story and received SO many DM's from you guys I knew I had to make an actual post about them!

See below for the recipe and some pretty kitchen items I am loving right now! Also for my next batch of these I was thinking of adding chocolate chips! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe medium bananas - mash!

2 and 1/2 cup old fashion whole rolled oats

1 cup any nut butter ( I used peanut butter only because I hate almond!)

1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts ( I did not use either!)

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 - line baking sheet with parchment paper

Add everything in a large bowl and mix together

Scoop mounds of dough, about 1/4 each onto baking sheet - this should make 6 so you may need two baking sheets for 12!

The cookies will not spread much in the oven, so gently press down when making the mounds to create a flatter shape

Bake 18-21 minutes until lightly browned on the sides ** my oven at 325 did not bake these well at 21 minutes so I left them in for almost 30** just use your judgement, they are thick so they take longer to cook but are supposed to be soft!

Remove from over and let cool on baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

* cookies stay fresh in sealed container for a week and they freeze well for up to 3 months!

xx Kaitlin

Photos By Julia D'agostino

Living Room Refresh

COUCH :: Similar // ACRYLIC TABLE :: Ballard Design (similar here) // PILLOWS:: Antelope, Mist Velvet // PRINTS:: Southern Sunset (love this one and this one) // LAMPS:: Juliska // RUG:: Stark (similar here)

I had been itching to change up our living room for well over a year and kept loading up my cart on different home decor sites but never actually pulled the trigger. Kaitlin was probably ready to kill me because I constantly called/texted/facetimed her asking her to help me pick out new throw pillows and asking her opinion on which prints would go well over my couch. If you haven't checked out her home tour, you need to! Her NYC apartment is stunning and she has such an eye for interiors.

I finally bought new throw pillows in November from Little Design Co. and I love them. I'm a pretty neutral color kind of gal and always shy away from bright colors. The mist blue velvet pillow and the grey antelope print were just enough to give the space a little pop while still giving off a calming and serene vibe.

The prints above are a part of the Southern Sunset collection. I cannot find artist info ANYWHERE so if anyone knows would you please shoot us an email! I did some major googling and finally found three of the four prints available here. Two of my other favorite places to find some great prints are Minted and One Kings Lane. I've created a boutique of some of my favorite pieces below!

xo Chrissy

photos by Julia Dags

Five Ways to Kick the Winter Blues

It's that time of year again...The holidays are officially over and now we have about three more months of frigid temps and grey skies. Every year around this time, I kind of fall into a funk. I'm a little bit lazier than usual, definitely more tired, and basically just feel blah.

Here are 5 ways I kick my winter blues::

1. GET OUTSIDE:: Yes, I know this seems funny but on days when it's not bitterly cold, I try to get outside and take quick walks. My two older kids are in school in the mornings, so when the weather isn't too freezing, I bundle Charlie up and take quick 15-20 minute walks around my neighborhood. Breathing in fresh air does wonders.

2. GET SOME FLOWERS:: It's hard when all you see is grey when you look out the window. I don't know about you but as soon as I see the tiniest bit of green coming from the trees my mood instantly picks up. Unfortunately we won't be seeing any green on the trees in quite some time, so I try to buy fresh flowers every week (sometimes they last two weeks) in the winter time. I swear it lifts my mood every time I see them.

3. CHANGE IT UP:: In the summer we are hardly ever home. We are out at the beach or with family and friends almost every single day. The winter however, we spend way more time at home and we often go stir crazy. If you follow us on Instagram stories, you saw that I recently switched out the mirror and sconces above my couch to some fresh artwork. The mirror was originally supposed to be a temporary piece when we moved in almost five years ago (ah where has the time gone??) It always bothered me as I wasn't a huge fan of the way it looked and felt like it didn't do much for the space. But I kept putting off a change because I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to go above the couch. When I saw these prints at a local boutique I knew they would be perfect. I bought them and had them hung up the same day and I cannot tell you how happy it has made me. Every time I walk past my couch, I smile. When you are stuck indoors for a good portion of the day it helps to be happy in the space you are in. So make a little change- switch out your old throw pillows or hang up a new piece of artwork. And if you aren't looking to change anything in your home, you can always make personal changes. Changes to your hair color or length. You get the deal! A little change can often times go a long way.

4. MAKE A PLAN:: I think this actually applies year round but definitely more so in the winter. I find it so important to have something special to look forward to. Doesn't necessarily have to be anything big. Maybe a date night or a fun dinner out with some friends. We are planning on going down to Florida but not until March. While I'm sooo excited for some family time and some sunshine, we have a long way to go before we get to March. I'm trying to arrange some fun things for my husband and I these next few months. Maybe a massage or two? Definitely more dinners out sans kiddies and of course a few with them as well :)

5. MAKE YOUR MEALS:: During these cold months I honestly look forward to dinner. I love making hearty soups and stews and plain old comfort food. We try to keep it relatively healthy and incorporate as many veggies as possible so you feel good after eating. I love planning ahead of time and of course love when my husband takes over and cooks for us instead (which he does all the time).  Sunday in particular, is my favorite day to cook. We usually head to the store as a family in the morning and Chris and I will prep and cook the rest of the day. We plan on making chicken tortilla soup tonight which is one of my all time favorites.

What are your tips for kicking the winter blues? Would love to hear what you do. You can either comment below, send us a DM, or comment on our last Instagram post! Can't wait to hear!

xo Chrissy

Madewell Sale

CARDIGAN COAT:: Madewell // TOP:: Madewell // JEANS:: J Brand 

Madewell has been one of my go-to's for everyday basics for a few years now. They are having 20% off when you spend $100+ or 30% off when you spend $200+ with code STAYCOZY. This cardigan coat and my bell sleeved tee are perfect every day pieces. I also have this sweater which I know is on the funkier side. You will either love it or hate it. I personally love it!

This is one of Madewell's most basic cardigan sweater and it comes in a ton of colors. It is so soft and so easy to throw on with a tee. I also think its the perfect length and hits at just the right spot. 

xo Chrissy

MADEWELL SALE::

Office Update

I know I posted about my office a few months ago but with better quality pictures I thought why not post again and just in case some of you happened to miss it! I love my little nook that is bright and cozy. With the help of the Rinfret Group, it's the space I always wanted in my home! Somewhere fun and vibrant that really showed my personality and where I could sit down at the computer and hash out some emails, work on the blog and of course run through Shopbop, Revolve and the Daily Mail ( lol ). The mother, daughter duo at the Rinfret Group helped me with paint, paper and fabrics! They really understood the spot theme against a neutral wall but with pops of orange. How fun is the bathroom wallpaper!?

I originally had the Gray Malin pieces in my office at work but decided they were too good to have at my real office so I brought them home and had them re-framed. The orange chair right below them as the last addition to the office. It was SO perfect the fit and color couldn't have been better! A lot of my pieces not only in my office but around the apartment are a mix of high and low end ( I scored a ton of pieces for way less on sites like Horchow and One King's Lane). I also have this ghost chair in my kitchen and in my foyer! This one for desk purposes I got with arms, but at my kitchen table and foyer no arms. 

There is definitely a lot going on in this room but I totally love it. My speckled gold cow hide rug (also love this hide rug) was my first purchase and then I went wild from there. I love texture, color and spots and there are a ton of spots! The ceiling, bathroom and carpet are all adorned with some type of colored or speckled spot and that's why I kept the walls really simple. 

It took quite a while to finish my étagère ( I also have a habit of moving things around 20 times) but if you're impatient about styling shelves just know it does take a long time. You have to collect objects, books , photos overtime until it kind of all blends together organically at the end! Shop below for some of my office items and feel free to DM @inmyclosetblog on Instagram for any questions!

Photos By Cristina Lozito Photography & Florals and Julia D'agostino