Topshop.com - $90

My two favorite holidays for fashion are definitely Halloween & New Year’s Eve.  Halloween because you can get away with wearing something completely different from your norm & New Year’s Eve because it is all that is glitz, shine & fun.

This dress would be perfect, but alas, it is out of stock.

Last year the B’s enjoyed a fabulous New Year’s Eve outing in Pittsburgh – complete with a day museum visit to see dinosaurs, cupcakes & an event at a lounge in the Strip District.  The bar will be set high this year, but I’m pretty positive we’ll easily get on that level again.

So imagine my surprise when I found this fringed vest:

Leather fringed vest Forever 21 - $39.80

Now, its price tag is slightly steeper than F21′s usual $20-30, but, my friends, that is because it is REAL leather!  Most of F21′s outerwear pieces are pleather to, obviously, keep costs down, etc. etc.

However, with this being real leather, it’s something I can actually continue to wear for a few years!  (And I probably will, even if fringe isn’t cool anymore.)

Another awesome feature is the back:

Party in the front AND the back!

It bothers me to no end when things only have embellishment on the front.  Like embroidery that magically stops at the shoulder seam.  It makes things seem so cheap, I think.  So I was very pleased to find that they not only made it out of leather, but didn’t skimp on the back!

“I die!”

The North Face "Adrianne III" Boots - $195 @ Bloomingdale's

They’re pretty darn stylish for a utility boot.

I struggle walking on a dry, clean sidewalk in the middle of summer (I’ve always been really klutzy) so once winter hits, I am basically done.  Even if the roads are completely cleared and safe to drive, parking lots still contain a ton of ice.  Therefore causing maximum danger of falling for Belinda.

When I was in college, walking to class took an extra long time due to the fact that I was walking so slowly, praying I didn’t slip on the ice & break something.  I’m just not used to these winters that actually have snow.  Granted, Morgantown’s climate is not as arctic as say, Grantsville, MD (the hometown of my company’s headquarters that is continuously a full 10 degrees cooler than Morgantown, even in the dead of summer) or, you know, the North Pole.  But for the greater part of my first 17 years of life, I lived in a more temperate climate nestled in a river valley.

Ben, who is from Pittsburgh & is used to the exact same winter as Morgantown, is constantly amazed by the fact that I can fall so easily on ice/snow.  One night last winter, we headed downtown to pop in a friend’s birthday celebration.  There was a bit of ice on the sidewalks on the walk downtown, so I wore treaded boots.  Ben wore rubber, smooth-soled dress shoes.  I gripped his arm the entire walk and almost pulled him down a handful of times as I slid.  Meanwhile, he was trotting along normally.  I’m pretty sure I have some sort of brain malfunction when it comes to surviving in wintry climates.  (Perfect reason to move someplace that is warm & sunny 365 days a year!)

A few years ago, my tense walks to campus merited my purchase of a pair of intense North Face boots with grippy treads that would aid in my trek.  They’ve saved me from many a fall.  (Unfortunately not every single fall, but who’s counting!)  They work, you see, but they leave a lot to be desired in the looks department.

These boots would be a perfect compromise.  Still waterproof, lined with space-age material to keep my little piggies warm, & lots of nice grippy treads on the bottom, but a style that doesn’t make me bring a pair of shoes to change into as soon as I enter the door.

Plus they incorporate the tall boots / moccasin-like boots trends all into one!

On Friday, I was the only person at my office to acknowlege that Halloween was the next day. (Sweet skeleton socks by Betsey Johnson)

Tissue-papered lantern & hanging skele-man

Lovely outdoor decorations + our pumpkins

Ben as a Gangster & me as an Old Hollywood Starlet. We owned everything pictured ("in real life") minus Ben's hat & suspenders and my wig. "Homemade" costumes are always cooler.

Unfortunately we had no trick or treaters, so Ben & I have two large bowls of candy that we’ve been enjoying.  (Oh, plus all the discount candy Ben bought the day after Halloween at the grocery store.)  So, we’re still celebrating the holiday.

Also, once I have a chance to edit the video, we’ll be posting a sweet video of our hunt for the perfect pumpkin and subsequent carving experience.

Inspiration via Elle Street Chic

( Minus the red tennies & Gucci bag)

And plus:

Marc Jacobs Hobo

&

Isaac Mizrahi for Target booties

I love these booties because I bought them shortly after Christian Siriano’s fierce Project Runway-winning collection & they remind me of the super tall booties he showed.

I feel like it wasn’t all that spectacular.  However, I remember it as being so delicious.  I used to love pizza from McDonald’s & hot dogs in burnt orange Styrofoam containers from Hardee’s.  Yum.

This grainy image from a commercial says it existed!

Said hot dog container. Only mine contained a hot dog with only ketchup.

Granted, it probably was kind of a stretch for McDonald’s to do pizza.  They’re really not equipped to make that quality of a pie.  But I think they should be recognized for their “class” of pizza.  I could probably eat pizza every single day.  I absolutely love it, in all of its forms.  However, I recognize that pizza has several classes including: cheapie fast food (McDonald’s!), chain (Any of the many chain pizza restaurants), local (Places that say they’re the best pizza in town, etc.) & gourmet (All that fancy stuff.)  Appreciate within the level, and you’ll never be disappointed.

The other day I mentioned something to Ben about McDonald’s pizza (more about this later) but he didn’t seem to have the same delicious pizza happy meal memories.  So, I took to the internet to research the short-lived pizza phenomenon.

And what did I find, you ask?

Well, not much.  Except for a few blips here and there saying the pizza pretty much only existed in test markets before being discontinued.  Bummer.

But I did find the following puzzling photos (shoutout to SoGoodBlog):

Ummm, what?  Terrifying.

Also, please note the gun, knife & tape measure?  But then at least there’s the candle to add a little romance.

So back to the story with Ben.  The whole reason for bringing up McDonald’s pizza was my discovery of Sheetz pizza.

Yes, I mean the gas station.

Ben & I often hit up the Sheetz MTO (Made to Order, for you non-Sheetz goers) section for a quick snack.  There are a million options and usually it’s pretty cheap.  So imagine my excitement to learn that Sheetz was now offering pizza which fit very nicely within the “cheapie fast food” class.  Not really the best, but it’ll do the job.  Sometimes it’s burnt around the edges, but I swear, it’s still delicious.

Here’s hoping that Sheetz Pizza finds their niche & sticks around longer that McDonald’s Pizza!

J.Crew Toothpick Ankle Cord in Dark Aubergine

They're even cuter on!

I’m hoping that the color in real life is a darker shade of purple.  I’m thinking closer to the Aubergine walls at Draper’s Cafe at the Greenbrier.

Said aubergine walls during a lunch in the summer of 2008

Since going to the Greenbrier at a young age, I have loved the decor.  However there was something special about those walls at Draper’s.  I think it was the combination of the walls and the fabulous black and white photograph of Dorothy Draper with feathers in her hair.  I was always intrigued by that photo, mostly because of the hairstyle.

The other day my mom said to me “It feels like fall in the air.  You know what that means, right?  We should be going somewhere.”

Immediately, I knew the “somewhere.”  For quite some time, a chill in the air meant it was time to go to the Greenbrier.  Every fall, usually right before, or on, my birthday we would accompany my dad to a conference at the Greenbrier.  We went every year, but then things started happening like my brother and I started to have more pressing extracurricular activities in high school, I moved away for college, the economy took a downturn and extra expenses like conferences to maintain friendly relations were cut.

Last summer, we went to the Greenbrier as a family for the first time in a while.

Outside with my dad & brother

Mom & Dad at tea

There are perks to the Greenbrier in the summer.  Like the outside pool being open and being able to enjoy outdoor sports (if you are my brother, but not if you are me. )

But in the fall there are special perks like the nip in the air after dinner.  Fall fashion at the Ralph Lauren store.  Throwing on layers to walk out to the Artist’s Colony.  A game of bowling before tea.

I love going to the Greenbrier in the summer.  It really is wonderful.

…But there’s nothing quite like the Greenbrier in the fall.

Until then, I have Elle News’s Street Chic coverage.  Here are two faves:

From New York Fashion Week

How cute is she?!  I love it.  Simple pieces, stunning combination.

From Paris Fashion Week

This one is such a show-stopper.  The hair, the eyes, the coat – just fabulous.  She’s doing so much more than just wearing a coat; she’s bringing the garment to life.  Amazing.

Here’s the video (I’m so proud of him! )