Alt Summit NYC

I arrived in NYC today, 

excited to experience first hand an Alt Summit conference, 

hosted at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

I'm eager to soak up all that is offered over the next couple days, 

and look forward to being surrounded 

by inspiration and ideas,

to help motivate and create 

in the coming months.

Recap to follow!

Diving Into Decor

I've always been passionate about style and beauty, and since college, my interest in food has grown quickly, becoming a prominent factor in my life. But more recently, my interest in home decor and design has been emerging, creeping in, catching my eye more and more.

While I've enjoyed decorating in the past, helping my Mom choose wallpaper and paint colors, collecting swatches at Home Depot, giving my opinion on what item to place where, it has been as I've matured, developing my own sense of style, and as I've moved into my own apartments that I've had the opportunity to create something that truly represents me. 

Most recently, with my current apartment, my eagerness to create an authentic sense of home, one that reflects my personal style meshed with that of my (good sport of a) boyfriend, has grabbed ahold of me. Moving in together was a chance to take stock of the odd assortment of items we've each collected over the years, and since we weren't able purchase new versions of each and every item of furniture and appliance, it's taking time as I continue to streamline our aesthetic, slowly replacing old items from college with newer, better standing, more mature counterparts (goodbye plastic bins.)  

I'm eagerly diving into the depth of decor and design inspiration available, replying on my classic resources that arrive in my Inbox (One Kings Lane, Joss & Main) and excited to discover new sources (Pine Cone Hill and their gorgeous linens) and the endless amount of glorious design sites and blogs (Apartment Therapy, Elements of Style, Things That Sparkle & more.)

But as much as I'd love to dive into the deep end and start a full redecoration project in my little humble abode, it truly is one step at a time, one purchase at a time, and first up on my list is a new table lamp for our living room, one with adequate light for reading when the main ceiling lamp is off but nothing that takes attention away from our big, beautiful built-in window shelf unit.

Here are a few that caught my eye during a recent online browsing session, but I'm not ready to settle with just one yet...the searching continues, but I'm finding out that that is half the fun. 

Lamps sourced from:

Top Row, L to R: Pottery Barn for left and center images, Restoration Hardware

Bottom Row, L to R: One Kings Lane, Restoration Hardware, Ones Kings Lane

Top photo via Pinterest 

Blues & Browns, Stripes & Splashes

As I explore my late twenties, I've enjoyed discovering my own style, the looks that speak to me the most, those that truly represents my own aesthetic. 

In this process, I've often struggled to find the right words to use to describe my personal style, and in these situations I'm finding it best to take a step back and take in a broader view. 

Someday, in my own fabulous little home office, I will have inspiration boards that I can use to surround myself with images and words that I adore, but until then, Pinterest will have to do. I gather images there, collecting and organizing in the hope of making sense out of the chaotic clutter that is everything around us.

Style is part of our overall evolution, as we figure out our relationships, our beliefs, what we truly want to do for work, figuring out your true style, is just another facet to discover.

In taking a step back, and looking at all the little pieces that make up the style that I keep pinning, the fashions, the designs that I truly love, I hope to be able to better describe my overall vibe. 

Why search for the right words, why is it needed? Because I like to package things nicely, to quantify them and understand myself. I like being able to stamp a label on it, for better or worse. I like the 30 second elevator pitch concept applied to anything.

And so, here are some looks that I am consistently drawn to, no matter what may currently be on trend, these types of outfits I will always choose. 

As I look at this collection, my own trends stand out, and I'm able to put together a language to describe it: I adore stripes, anything with them, but especially blue. I like classic, but not always conservative, looks, clean shapes, not overly girly or feminine but often with a touch of whimsy.  

  

  

What best describes your style and how have you discovered it over time? I'd love to hear :)

all photos from Pinterest