Concrete Catwalk // Flapper

Dropped waist dress and drenched in sunlight... full outfit photos after the jump!

Sunday Sprinkles // Jetsetting

 Image via this gorgeous pinboard... Source unknown.

Heading off on the first leg of my BAZAAR on Air tour tomorrow, and have been in a very travel-focused mindset over the past few days.  Couldn't help but share a few of my favorite links from around the web that have me thinking about zipping around the skies in style.

• I love my kindle, but one of the things I miss is being able to share and swap real-life books with friends.  I recently discovered Lendle, and it seems like it could be the perfect solution to my book-borrowing woes.  Do you have any other tips on e-book sharing?
• Speaking of e-readers... I'm in need of a cute case for mine.  Thinking about getting this tangy tangerine one; perhaps I could justify it by using the excuse that it would help me read more!
• I don't think anything will ever replace the special coffee-shaped nook in my heart, but I've recently become obsessed with a new brew!  My favorite place to grab a quick cup in the West Village even has one named after me, and I made sure to pick up a handful of singles last time I was there so that I could carry my tasty tea with me on the road!
• Speaking of brewed beverages... I'm always on the hunt for well-designed and functional travel mugs, and this one might be my next purchase.  Extra points for being microwave and dishwasher safe, plus - it's SO on-trend with the pastel color options.
• I spotted the perfect plane outfit from one of my fave fellow fashion bloggers a LONG time ago, but have never been able to forget it.  Time to start thinking about how I can recreate my own comfy springtime version for my 6:30am boarding time tomorrow!

Would love to know what your travel must-haves are... any tips, tricks or products that I must know about to make my frequent flying a little easier?  Check out my last travel essentials round-up to find out what I can't make a trip without, and feel free to share your own in the comments!

Travel // Bazaar On-Air

Alright, kittens - Something big and exciting happening here at S&P HQ over the next several weeks...

I'm thrilled to announce my new partnership with BAZAAR as the spokesperson for their ultra-chic television tour, BAZAAR on Air!  Over the next six weeks, I'll be traveling to 12 cities across the country and will be hosting on-air style segments at a local news station in each city.  I have plenty of fabulous, of-the-moment fashion and beauty products to share on behalf of BAZAAR, so please tune in if I'll be visiting your hometown.

I hope you'll bear with me and my jam-packed travel schedule, and I'll be sure to blog about all my adventures as I go.  I leave for the first leg of my trip on Monday (Eek! Packing to do!), and can't wait to kick-off the tour in my hometown of Phoenix, AZ.  See below for my full schedule, and I'd love to have you follow along on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram, because I'll be sharing plenty of details there, as well.

Schedule:

May 1 - Phoenix, Arizona (CW, Good Morning Arizona, 9am hour)

May 2 - Las Vegas, Nevada (FOX, Fox 5 News This Morning, 9am hour)

May 3 - Denver, Colorado (FOX, Good Day Colorado, 8am hour)

May 10 - San Antonio, Texas (FOX, Fox 29 News, 9am hour)

May 11 - Dallas, Texas (ABC, Good Morning Texas, 9am hour)

May 16 - Boston, Massachusetts (FOX, Fox 25 Morning News, 9am hour)

May 24 - Detroit, Michigan (FOX, Fox Morning News, 8am hour)

May 25 - Minneapolis, Minnesota (NBC, KARE 11 Today, 11am/Midday Show)

May 26 - Chicago, Illinois (NBC, NBC 5 Chicago Morning News, 9am hour)

May 30 - Miami, Florida (NBC, South Florida Today, 11am/Midday Show)

June 6 - Los Angeles, California (ABC, Eyewitness News This Morning, TBD)

June 7 -  San Diego, California (FOX, Fox 5 Morning News, 8am hour)

Feeling so grateful for and inspired by this new opportunity, and I'm not sure if I've told you this recently, but I really appreciate that you swing by when you do - this community means SO much to me, and I'm blessed by each and every one of you.  :)

Have a great Friday, and I'll see ya soon!  XOXO - Jessie

Concrete Catwalk // Spring Shorts

Me and Miss Sara B!  Check out her outfit post here!

Coming clean right now: I've been a shorts-fiend, lately!  I was thinking about how much I love them while I was editing these photos, and I realized that something like 75% of my Spring purchases have been shorts.  Teaser: there might even be a high-waisted pineapple print pair in the bunch!

I'll take them corduroy and casual any day, but I also love wearing them dressed up with ladylike heels and a sheer peplum sweater for a night out on the town with friends (this particular outing involved Korean BBQ and Karaoke!).  Not only do I get to skip worrying about a gust of wind causing a wardrobe malfunction on the way to the train station, but there's just something super fun and playful about them that brings to mind that tomboy vibe I told you I've been digging these days.

Check out my past styled-up shorts for Summer inspiration, and don't forget to swing back by tomorrow for my fun news - Can't wait to share! ;)

Top to Bottom:
Necklace - Angel Court Jewelry
Sweater - Vintage, Boomerang in KC (almost identical Alexander Wang on sale!)
Bracelets - Gorjana and c/o Charming Charlie
Rings (L to R) - Brooklyn Charm, J. Crew & Vintage
Shorts - H&M via Buffalo Exchange (similar)
Clutch - Macy's (similar)
Wedge heels - Zara (this Marni pair is calling my name!)

Technology // Intel-Inspired Ultrabook

 Oh, hey! That's me blogging from a new little machine!

Remember the Inside Generation Style Fashion Show I walked in a few weeks ago?   Well, one of the cool things about being a part of the event was that we were given the opportunity to test drive and review one of the new Intel-Inspired Ultrabook laptops.  I have to say that as a committed Apple-user, I was a little hesitant to give it a go, but my MacBook Pro seems to be just about at the end of her rope lately, and the last thing a blogger wants is to be left computer-less!  Eek!

So, here are my honest thoughts about the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, written after more than a full day of using the computer for blogging, answering emails, working on a few upcoming projects and even a client meeting via Skype!
  

Narrower than my MacBook Pro and thinner than two magazines!

HIGHLIGHTS

+ Teeny tiny and light!  I still can hardly believe how thin this laptop is and have also noticed that it doesn't get as hot or make as much noise as my current computer does.  I'll be on the road working for most of the month of May (more on that later!), and I'm pretty sure I'll be bringing this little guy with me to keep up with blogging and emailing while I travel.

+ Has an HDMI port.  This handy feature allows the computer to connect directly to a TV or projector (perfect if you watch your TV shows via Hulu/Netflix like we do and don't want to buy an extra adapter).

+ Incredibly long battery life and quick charging.  I'm on the computer QUITE a lot, and used it exclusively for an entire day and night without having to plug in, and then noticed that it was already ready to go with a full charge after being plugged in for a little over an hour - incredible!  Yet another reason that it would be perfect for traveling.

CHALLENGES

+ Hard to get used to new key arrangement.  I am amazed by how much extra my brain had to work to get a hang of the finger placement (though this might say more about ME than the computer), and the mouse functions are totally different, as well. The clicking areas within the fingerpad & even the way that the cursor highlighted text is totally different than what I'm used to, and may have ended up losing me a little time, but I'm sure this would improve in the long run.

+ Different screen resolution.  When I first turned the Ultrabook on, it looked like the screen was a little fuzzy (and YES, my glasses were clean), but all it took was a little fiddling around with the brightness/contrast to make it seem just as clear as my MacBook Pro or iPad.

+ New operating system/interface.  It had been so long since I was last on a PC that I had completely forgotten about the switch away from Microsoft Windows to a more streamlined Vista.  It seemed much more intuitive than I remember it, and that was both a big surprise and something that I was nervous about prior to trying it out.  Still took some tooling around to figure out where everything was, though.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the convenience of the weight and size, combined with the battery life and quick charging time, and I know I'll be toting this little bad boy with me quite a lot these days.  I'm still planning on using my MacBook Pro as my primary computer (especially to keep my editing software, photo files, music, etc), but am excited for a new high-powered and portable option for this blogger on the go!

Curious about where I'll be off to next month? (Twelve cities in under 6 weeks!)  Stay tuned for an exciting announcement and details on how I'll hope to connect with you in your hometown!

Disclaimer: I value you SO much as readers, and I consider review opportunities very carefully before entering into an agreement with a brand.  This computer was given to me courtesy of Intel, but I'm not being compensated for the post otherwise.  The review you'll find here is 100% in my own words, and contains my totally un-edited thoughts about the Intel-Inspired Ultrabook.  Thanks so much!

Concrete Catwalk // Poppy

Doesn't this skirt look a little like a bright pink poppy turned upside down?  The pleated waistband, full skirt and punchy color were all instant bonuses for me when I picked this item to style from the Delightful Dozen... I've been wanting to wear it for so long, and we've finally had a few days where it has been warm enough for bare legs here in NYC. (Happy dance!)

Because the skirt is so sugary sweet, I wanted to pair it with some unexpected extras, so I went with a sporty t-shirt from the little boys section at TJ Maxx, some patent wingtips and a tucked-under faux-bob instead of my usual long curls.

Top to Bottom:
Necklaces (in order) - Bauble Bar, J. Crew & Clyde's Rebirth
T-shirt - TJ Maxx (similar)
Cardigan - J. Crew (similar)
Belt - J. Crew (similar)
Skirt - the Delightful Dozen, from Terra!
Nail polish - A Roll in the Hague, OPI
Handbag - Vintage, thrifted
Wingtips - Swapped from Yen!

Trendwatch // Boyish Basics

Perhaps it's because I grew up playing baseball and ditch 'em and with the neighborhood boys, or the fact that I have a brother and no sisters, but I've always been drawn to style with a quirky androgynous edge.

Pretty much any look that incorporates menswear-inspired trends totally intrigues me, and even more so when the contrast is increased by combining it with flirtier, feminine items.  I couldn't help but notice that I've been pinning a lot of these types of looks lately, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites here for a little Spring inspiration.

Image via The Minneapoline

Two-tone wide-leg trousers are genius by themselves, in my book, 

but a floral peplum shell topped with a quirky vintage bowler hat 

(plus a kick-ass hair cut) make the look a creative take on simple basics.

Image via The Little Black List

Tess is always so great at pulling off these wonderfully inventive style experiments, 

and her vintage floral mini layered over a little boys thermal (!), 

looks great paired with classic low-top Chuck Taylors.   

(I love tennies with skirts and dresses... see me give it a go here!)

Image via De Lune

Claire knows how to mix in some great boyish basics, 

and this is one of my recent favorites of hers.  

Not easy to do denim overalls well, but she totally nails it here;

A drape-y cardigan and delicate jewelry complete the look.

What are you thinking about these tomboy-ish trends... are you going to be working in any menswear pieces into your outfits this season?  Which look above is your favorite?

Video // Angel Court Jewelry

Video by Beto Vargas

Wanted to share this fun video from a photo shoot that I helped out with during NYFW in February... We spent the unseasonably warm afternoon snapping photos of some of my favorite new jewelry from Angel Court, and who doesn't love a few hours of beautiful baubles and sweet friends.

The shoot also featured one of my dear and darling fellow-bloggers, Anna from Tulip Louise... if you haven't already checked out her site, you must take a peek... one of my must-reads, for sure!

Event // Poshmark Posh Party in NYC!

Shop for the items above, along with much more in my Poshmark closet here!

Posh Party [posh pahr-tee], noun: a virtual, real-time shopping event where thousands of women across the country meet up on the Poshmark app to shop and sell clothing & accessories.

Fun event coming up, friends: The lovely left-coast-ladies of Poshmark are throwing the ultimate live Posh Party in New York City next week, and I'm honored to be co-hosting with a handful of my sweet fellow-bloggers! 

The best part is that you don't have to live in the area to make an appearance!  Keep reading...

• What: Spring Trends Posh Party!
• When: Wednesday, April 25, 7-10pm EST
• Where: Liberty Hall, Ace Hotel (and in the app as well!)
• Co-Hosts: Laura of On The Racks, Caroline of Sweet Caroline in the City, Jessie of Style and Pepper, Christina of Profresh Style, Christine of Court & Hudson, Bonnie of Flashes of Style

If you’re local, we’d love to have you join us! Come mingle, meet, shop and have a cocktail with the Poshmark team and my fabulous co-hosts.  Space is limited, so if you'll be joining us in person, please RSVP by April 23rd to rsvp@poshmark.com.  If you're not in NYC, the best part is that you can STILL join us for the party on the app (download it to your iPhone here) and use the invite code HBSVO!!!

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, and I hope to see you there!!! XOXO - Jessie

Concrete Catwalk // Glitter Stilettos

Wore this look to a fun dinner with some gals in my neighborhood, and it felt like just the right combo of feminine and edgy.  I finally found a replacement for my distressed boyfriend jeans (you can buy my pair right here!) and am surprisingly really happy with the ones you see above from Forever21.

The glittery heels really just make any outfit look glam, and adding those after a day of running around in flats instantly upped the Friday-night-out factor.  What's your favorite way to day an outfit from day to night?  I always love reading your tips and ideas in the comments!

Top to Bottom:
Necklace - Given to me by my Dad (they were his Mom's!)
Blouse - Vintage, thrifted
Jacket - H&M (similar - and only $75!)
Jeans - Forever21
Clutch - Express (similar)
Heels - Zara (similar)