Sunday Sprinkles // Earth-y Accessories

An un-intentional color scheme and the earth-inspired origins are the two main themes holding this edition of Sunday Sprinkles together.  Check out the gorgeous teal and tan goodies that I'm loving this week, and let me know what accessories you're pining over for fall!

1. //  I know dainty and delicate rings are all the rage, but I'll never get sick of a snake-y showstopper that weighs down your finger or this one that just oozes the glittery drama of an agate.

2. //  Completely drawn to anything spotted lately, these sexy little ankle booties are making my heart race.  Love the clever cut-outs that will make something as simple as the side of your foot just a smidge sassier than usual.

3. //  Feathers and even fun prints inspired by them are having a major moment, and for under $15, this scarf would be a great way to dip your toe in the trend without making a massive investment.

4. //  Don't even tell me you haven't started thinking about dressing for cooler weather yet... I caught a chill last week after getting caught in the city without a sweater, and I'm thinking about snatching up this faux fur fluff to keep nearby for when I need something warm to snuggle up with.

5. //  Embossed leather gives added interest to an otherwise classic material, and adding a bold color to the mix ups the ante even more.  Love the mixture of crocodile texture and a perfectly peacock-inspired hue in this gorgeous oversized clutch.

*Layout designed by Sarah Sherwood

Peppery Picks // Surprising Shoe Source

I was clicking around the Ann Taylor website the other day, and literally could not keep myself from exclaiming aloud (YES, to myself...) about how everysinglepair of shoes on the site was cuter than the last...  See for yourself above, and tell me in the comments which one is your fave!

Shoppety shop shop:

1. // Delaney Colorblocked Platform Pumps - $228

2. // Isabel Ankle-strap Suede Wedges - $160

3. // Jackie Bow Heels - $198

4. // Parker Patent Leather Loafer Heels - $198

5. // Marlee Spotted Haircalf Booties - $278

6. // Carter Buckle Wedge Booties - $198

7. // Harper Leather Gladiator Sandals - $130

8. // Bianca T-strap Platform Pumps - $178

9. // Quincy Buckle Leather Boots - $338

10. // Delaney Spotted Platform Pumps - $228

11. // Greta Patent Bow Heels - $130

12. // Faye Pointed-toe Booties - $228

13. // Joelle Embossed Leather Platforms - $198

14. // Perfect Suede City Flats - $68

Concrete Catwalk // Pajamas in Public

Looking for a little bit of weekend-wear to get you excited for the next few days?  You've come to the right place. (And I'm SO glad you're here.)

Read on to see how I style up the "pajama" trend we've been seeing so much of recently, and for a kick-butt photo of me doing my best ninja impression. ;)

Peppery Picks // Business Chic

Get the Look:  Floral trousers, White blouse, Sequin shell, 

Black pumps, Tortoise Glasses, Deborah Lippman polish, 

YSL ring, Nars lip crayon, Gold Nixon watch, Cobalt tote

Looking at my schedule for the upcoming weeks, I'm realizing that with a handful of business events, meetings & projects on the calendar, I'm needing to scheme up some fall outfits that will keep me appearing professional, yet looking very much my quirky, style-focused self.  ...This comes from someone who is currently writing this while sitting at my desk in my running clothes and tennies. :)

I feel fortunate to work in an industry that allows for lots of creative liberties when it comes to dressing, but rather than throw caution to the wind ALL the time, I think that striving for a polished look is an important and effective tool for entrepreneurial success.  (How's that for a lighthearted Thursday morning sentiment??)

Today's Peppery Picks are a collection of pieces that are business-worthy when worn in an intentional way, and on their own would be perfect for creating a more experimental "off-duty" look.  I started with the abstract floral Erdem trousers and the sequined Alice + Olivia shell (both from one of my favorite shopping resources, eBay!), and continued on by adding classic basics to up the chic-factor and balance out the boldness.

I'd love to know what you wear to work each day, and how the day-to-day environment has an effect on your sartorial choices... My style has changed so much every time I've switched careers, and I think it's so interesting to hear about the getting-dressed thought-process of others as it relates to their job!

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This post is kindly brought to you by eBay. 

From the new to the hard to find, when it's on your mind, it's on eBay.

Concrete Catwalk // Mauve on the Move

Some of the only outfit photos I snagged from actual NYFW events, these might just be some of my favorites in a long time.  See below for how you can get the grecian-inspired look for yourself, and to hear why I'll wear vintage until the day I die.

S&P-TV // Braided Top-knot How-to from VO5

Alicia, Caroline & I... All ready for a night of "hairspotting"!

I love a great hair moment, and that's one of the reasons that I was so excited to partner with VO5 for Fashion's Night Out a few weeks ago with two of my favorite fellow bloggers and friends.  We kicked off the evening by creating our own custom hairstyles with celebrity stylist and VO5 spokesperson, Chris Lospalutto, and each got to work with him to film a little how-to video to show you how to achieve each look on your own.

I had on a mod-ish vintage mini dress with puff sleeves (natch), so Chris and I decided on a chic little braided updo that would sit right on the top of my head.  Check out the video below, and be sure to take a peek at Caroline & Alicia's videos, as well!

Music: "The Great" by Broke for Free

The next part of the night included hitting up a handful of the shopping parties and street events that were going on, and doing a little thing we liked to call "hairspotting" while we were at it!  (This part was my favorite.)  We kept our eyes peeled for anyone rocking a cute-'do that we loved, and then asked if we could snap a pic of them for our project.  I got such a kick from including other people in our antics, and I actually decided to continue looking for #fabhair throughout the rest of the  week!

Here is a little collection of my favorite "hairspotting" snaps, and I'd love to hear which style you love the most!  Any tricks or trends you've been wanting to try that you'd like see another how-to video for?

I've loved joining forces with @MyVO5 in this way, so feel free to follow along on their social channels to keep up with more great videos, tricks & tips!

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Concrete Catwalk // Late-Summer Shorts

Admittedly, I'm wearing a sweater as I write this post (fall is officially here, people!), but these shots were taken last weekend when the temps were a little warmer and we were doing our best to soak up the last final rays and hazy days of Summer.

Click through to check out the rest of the look, and to hear about a fun new project that I'll be working on today...

Spicy Scoop // Stay in the Know!

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I've got some very exciting things happening behind the scenes here at S&P, and after realizing that some of my upcoming projects, features and announcements will deserve a much more prominent mention than just a blog post, I've decided to launch my own spicy little newsletter!

Sign up here to stay in the know 

and you'll receive a heaping portion 

of exclusive content including: 

• Extra style tips and beauty tricks that go beyond what you see on the blog
• A peek at how I stay healthy & keep my body feeling/looking my best
• Early access to all of the latest and greatest at Style & Pepper - subscribers will be the very first to know when something is up!

I totally understand that email in-boxes can sometimes pile up quite quickly, and that's why I promise to keep things as valuable, interesting and brief as possible.  At this point, I'm hoping to stick to a monthly or bi-monthly schedule so that it never feels spammy, and of course - your information will never ever be shared with anyone.  Naturally, I'd also love to have you follow along on facebook and twitter, but the newsletter - affectionately titled the "Spicy Scoop" - will be the very first place that S&P news breaks.

SO looking forward to connecting with you in this new way, and I truly hope you'll consider joining me for this extra-special, spicy new way to connect! 

Concrete Catwalk // Ruffled Red

Nothing like throwing on a little red dress (bonus points for ruffles!) and heading out for a night on the town with my main man.

This look was from an event that we attended during NYFW, but the same dress would be perfect for this evening's date-night agenda.  After kicking things off at one of our favorite comedy clubs (our usual Friday night jam), we'll be heading to a tequila-tasting salsa-dancing class, making it quite literally a trifecta of some of our all-time favorite things!  Ole!

Click through for the full outfit, and to see me get a head start on practicing my moves... ;)

Technology // HP Design Challenge

Sometimes I honestly cannot believe how much our lives depend on technology these days, but it's times like the launch of an exciting new product or the integration amidst different industries that make me want to embrace that involvement, and use it to the fullest of our advantages, you know?

My own fascination with our tech-obsessions reaches far beyond the amount of time my eyes spend glued to some type of back-lit device (hello, astigmatism!), and I'm always inspired by fellow fashion professionals who have found a way to harness the power of technology and use it as a tool to create something great.  We've been seeing so many incredible examples of this recently, and whether it's on a NYFW runway, behind the scenes of a fashion blog or in the thick of the design community, it blows me away to think about where we'll be in the next five to 10 years.

I realized recently that as much as my gadgets mean to me, I don't always take the best care of them, and sometimes skip protecting them in the right way because I don't want to sacrifice anything in the way of great design.  Before I let this little bad habit of mine come back to bite me in the butt, I know I need to get myself the proper cases and protectors for all of my tech-tools, stat.

If you happen to be in the same boat, you might be interested in this interactive design contest that HP is running in conjunction with Project Runway to find the best look for the next HP Ultrabook laptop case.  The submissions have been narrowed down to 40 different options, and now it's time for the public to choose their favorite designs.  The bag with the most votes will inspire the next generation of Ultrabook cases, and the designer will be awarded a $10,000.00 prize and a new laptop - pretty awesome if you ask me! 

Now it's your turn to either confess or put me to shame... Do you currently carry your laptop or tablet in a sassy little case?  I have a Stephanie Johnson case that I love for the latter, but my computer currently gets tossed into a oversized leather clutch like this one when I need to take it on the road.  Makes me a little nervous, but I just can't seem to find another functional option that I love!

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This post is kindly brought to you by
the sleek, stylish, lightweight HP Spectre XT Ultrabook ™

Vote for your favorite design today! 

Event // Clarks + Lucky Mag at Lord & Taylor

Hey, NYC friends!  I've got a fun little event to tell you about, and if you're a shoe-lover like me, you're definitely going to want to have the head's up. :)

Next week, I'm co-hosting a fun shopping party at Lord & Taylor with Lucky Magazine and a few of my blogging buddies, and I can't WAIT to shop and share some of the gorgeous new fall footwear from Clarks.  

Check out the details below, and feel free to let me know if you'll be able to make it so that I can get my hugs ready!!! :)

DATE // Thursday, September 27th, 2012
TIME // 6 pm–8 pm
ADDRESS // Lord & Taylor, Fifth Avenue, at 39th Street (2nd floor)
GIFTS // Try on shoes from Lucky’s Love List and receive a special gift. Make a Clarks purchase during the event and receive a $25 gift card and Lucky’s favorite fall bag! (Supplies limited. One per customer.)

I love shopping for shoes just as much as (ok, maybe more than) the next gal, but to be completely honest...  What I'm most excited about is the chance to meet some of our local readers face to face, so please come say hello because I'd LOVE to see you!

XOXO - Jessie

Concrete Catwalk // Goldenrod

I can't think of anything else to say about these photos except that if it were socially acceptable to wear this vintage Yves Saint Laurent blouse every single day, I'm pretty sure that I would. (I've mentioned my affinity for a great puff sleeve before.)

Click through to see the outfit details, and find out where I snagged this gorgeous goldenrod gem for a mere EIGHT DOLLARS!

Healthy Living // Lean Cuisine Roundtable

L to R: Brad Farmerie, Lucien Vendome, Michelle Bernstein, Elizabeth Karmel, Paul Kahan, Lior Lev Sercarz

When Lean Cuisine, invited me to join them for their innovative Culinary Roundtable meet-up in Northern California a few weeks ago, I literally jumped (yes, up and down!) at the opportunity and was so excited for the chance to observe the brilliance of the best chefs, culinary experts and restaurateurs behind the brand (team pictured above).  I just love an organization that embraces their story, and Lean Cuisine's line of creative and healthy frozen meals is truly a great example of a company who holds freshness, flavor & innovation at the forefront of everything that they do.

Keep reading for a full run-down of my experience (complete with lots of photos - including a farm-inspired outfit!), and stay tuned for more fresh and flavorful cooking features here on the site!

Concrete Catwalk // Swimming with the Fishes

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've actually gone swimming (not nearly enough trips to the beach this year), but this fish-print vintage dress made me feel almost like I could have been in a more tropical locale...

Check out the rest of the photos and the outfit details, after the jump!

S&P TV // Little Black Bag

Sorry for the wonky audio at the end... A few technical difficulties, 

but just use it as an opportunity to practice your lip-reading skills. ;)

Hey-o, chickadees!  I've got a little "weekend edition" of S&P-TV for you this morning, and today's video features me digging into a fun little package sent to me by the social shopping site, Little Black Bag.

If you're not familiar with LBB, let me give you a quick rundown... After signing up and filling out a quick style profile, you choose your first item to go in your shopping bag, and then the site adds a few extra goodies for you.  You then have several days to swap items with other members on the site (this part is my fave!), and when the contents are finally to your liking, you click "ship" and the package is on its way!

Check out the goodies that I swiped and swapped on the site, and definitely give it a go if you're in the mood to share in the shopping fun!  Added bonus: if you use the code 25FREEITEMPepper, you'll receive an extra item up to $25 in your bag - for free! (Code is active until Friday, September 21, 2012 at 11:45pm EST)

Have you ever used Little Black Bag for a little social shopping fun?  If you've been reading S&P for a while, you may remember that I've featured them before, and I still get SO many compliments on the adorable dinosaur salt and pepper shakers that were in my last bag.  Would love to know if you end up trying it out for yourself, and be sure to let me know what goodies you get if you do!

//

This post is kindly brought to you by

Guy Style // Accent Outerwear

Hi, All - Mr. Pepper here!  I've got the latest installment of Guy Style to share with you this morning, and as you may have guessed by the blindingly bright shade in the photo above (or the title, for you smarties), today we're talking about accent outerwear for men. 

Concrete Catwalk // Urban Jungle

A little abstract animal print and a view from the trees (well, kind of...) can only mean I'm doing my best to blend in with the urban jungle...

In Pictures // Eating our way through SF

My stomach is grumbling just looking at these foodie photos from our trip!  Our friends have teasingly asked if we went all the way to California just to eat our way through San Francisco, and the answer is pretty much a big fat YES! 

Check out some of the hunger-driven highlights from our trip, and be sure to bookmark this page so that you can try these spots for yourself next time you're in SF!

• Grilled salmon fish tacos and boiled artichokes at Ferry Plaza Seafood
• Sauteed chickpeas, roasted shishito peppers, olives and delicious cocktails at The Alembic
• A yummy Vietnamese-fusion dinner, dessert and vino at Out the Door
• Incredible sushi spread and Japanese beer at the J Pop festival in Japantown
• Soy tart frozen yogurt with fig compote, walnuts and chocolate shavings at Fraiche
• Broccoli rabe, kale and roasted garlic white pizza at Pizzeria Delfina
• Mezcal sippers (with ground caterpillar!), tequila & a Mexican food feast at Nopalito
• Brown sugar banana pancakes and a perfect patio brunch at Zazie
• Sauteed chard and chickpea borek and a Jun elixir at Source

Later this week, I'll be sharing a little more about the time I spent doing even MORE eating and enjoying myself with the Lean Cuisine team, so pop back by for the final recap of my little West-Coast Adventure!

Concrete Catwalk // Frizzy Fringe

A few drizzly outfit photos from before the IFB Conference that I spoke at last week... More shots, outfit details and my favorite new beauty must-have after the jump!

Sunday Sprinkles // Fall Fashion

We're in the midst of (a pretty toasty) New York Fashion Week to view next year's Spring/Summer collections, but I've loved seeing everyone start to work in their their best interpretations of some early fall fashion.  Today's Sunday Sprinkles are just a few of the looks I'm inspired by...

1. // One of the most beautiful editorial shoots I've seen recently - these shots incorporate a few of my favorite things: Red lips, cropped blonde hair & quirky sunnies.  Toss in the turtleneck that will be all over the place as soon as the temperatures drop, and you've got yourself some pretty gorgeous eye candy.

2. // After what feels like years, I'm STILL on the hunt for the perfect boyfriend jeans.  I've heard that Zara has a good pair, but after transitioning my wardrobe via this post, I'm really trying to find some that fall more in line with my revised shopping values.

3. // Don't put away your spring and summer florals just yet... I loved this how-to round up of how to mix and match them like a pro, and think that it'll be a great way to transition into the cooler temps by adding the perfectly quirky bit of interest to your look.

4. // A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece for another site about rich burgundy & merlot colors for fall, and if you like the sneak peek above, be sure to check it out to see my interpretation and a few tips on how to wear it.

5. // Printed trousers! And in a moody crimson & black pattern, nonetheless.  The pair you can see in the snippet above has my heart a-flutter, and I'm already trying to find a version that I can work into my own wardrobe. (Maybe these?)

The list could go on and on, but I'll stop there... What fall trends are you excited to try?

*Layout design by Sarah Sherwood

Travel // San Francisco Style

Hi Friends! Finally getting a chance to share some of our fun photos from our San Francisco trip last week!  We pretty much planned our entire itinerary around shopping & eating, so today I'll show you a few casual outfit shots that we snapped, and then tomorrow I'll share a round up of yummy food and more details about our fun adventure.

Click through to check out the photos, and I'll see you back here tomorrow morning... Happy Friday!

Event // Hair-spotting at Fashion's Night Out!

As you've probably already heard - Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week has begun, and tonight marks one of the most buzzed about events of the whole season.  The yearly Fashion's Night Out is this evening, and Manhattan is going to be crawling with some of the most stylish and eager shoppers the city has ever seen!

To celebrate in true Style & Pepper fashion, I've teamed up with Alberto VO5 and a few of my blogging buddies to hit the streets of New York City in search of the evenings hottest hair trends.  I'll be tweeting and instagram-ing our finds along the way, so follow along with the hashtag #fabhair, check out VO5's facebook page & twitter, and feel free to join us in your own "hairspotting" as well!

Concrete Catwalk // Paneling & Peplums

Popping in with a quick post for you this morning, and and in the meantime, I'm off to the IFB Conference to speak on a panel about the Business of Blogging with a few of my favorite gals.  Click through for the rest of the outfit photos and a full re-cap of my look below, and if you're new to the site - I'm happy to have you and thanks for stopping by!

S&P TV // An Afternoon with Jessie Artigue in NYC

I've got a fancy new installment of S&P TV for you today, but I can't take credit for this one... My dear friend and videographer extraordinaire, Beto Vargas, and I knew we wanted to collaborate on a profile project together, and today's video is the final product!

I'll admit that not everyday at S&P is quite this glamorous, but we did our best to highlight the best parts, and I'm happy to give you a glimpse at what an exceptionally awesome afternoon at Style & Pepper is really like. ;)

Hosted by:  Jessie Artigue, @styleandpepper
Video Photography by:  Beto Vargas, @betovargas
Directed and Produced by:  Jessie Artigue & Beto Vargas

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
LifeBooker, @lifebooker
Miss Pop Nails, @misspopnails
Kara Eschbach, @keschie
Verily Magazine, @verilymag
Poppy NYC, @poppynyc
Joy Cioci, @joycioci
Bollare, @bollare