the world according to sherimaven

Good morning, Monday. Hope you had a lovely weekend- we had a lovely one that ran the gamut from a sound bath in a Brookyn zen studio to an early morning jaunt through Dumbo to me declaring I'm never watching GOTS again. I can't with that show...I feel depraved just watching it at this point.

But depravity aside, today is one of those weird, charged kind of Mondays where the air outside feels heavy, mopey, and fraught. I spotted this amazing story from Vogue in 1999, shot by Mikael Jansson and featuring one of my favorite spirit animals, Stella Tennant. These pictures perfectly capture the air out there, and the style is timeless yet somehow feels so very right now.

Such a great story perfectly capturing my lethargy today. Love.

Wondering if you're feeling the weirdness today too? Or is it just Monday?

Cause that's what's up this Stella can fix everything kind of Monday in the 212. Yours, in eerie chic. XO

Good afternoon, Friday. I'm so grateful for the weekend. Can't wait.

So you're going to either love me or hate me for this, but have you heard of the brand Mes Demoiselles? 

It's an insanely chic French (naturally) boho brand that makes Calypso look like last year's hippie. I can't believe how great the stuff is, if you embrace a more relaxed boho vibe come summer, then start shopping. They are based in France but they have an E Shop and ship to the state. Mon Dieu. It's dangerous.

Some of my favorite looks are above- really digging this fresh take on boho (those pants) and as expected, it doesn't come cheap. So buy one dress or pant or kimono and wear it over and over again.  So good. Stateside, Anthropologie, Shopbop and Free People sell some of their pieces, but the whole collection is on the Paris based brand's site and it's all that.

Hanging on to my hippie dreams as the weekend begins. Cause that's what's up this gypset fantasy Friday in the 212. Yours, in loosening up and powering down. XO

Good afternoon, Thursday. It's chilly in New York today but I like it. I know everyone loves the warmth but I like my weather in the 60s and low 70s. Feels great to me and this colder weather allows me to wear some of my favorite cold weather pieces just a little bit longer. (I'm glad I got that wool blend Rag and Bone blazer on sale last month. It's served me well the past week or so.)

So I've noticed that even though I've spent my whole career in marketing, I am far from impervious to a good hook. Case in point- any fashion blog or brand that touts something as "everyday" gets my immediate attention and lunch money. I'm talking specifically about designers like Miranda Bennett, (who I'm loving thanks to a post on I Want to Be Her) whose "Everyday top" and "Everyday dress" had me at, well, you know.

I don't think I need a therapist to figure out why I'm so ensnared by that particular phrase. What I love are clothing pieces I can literally wear everywhere, and every day. I've talked about my love for a more uniform approach to dressing- and if that means the same dress in different colors and fabrics, then so be it. I love a piece that can go with me from day to night with ease. I like an all purpose approach to dress, and it's not because I'm lazy, it's just because I like to take the guesswork out of everyday style. It makes my overly crowded life that much easier. 

I was also thinking that the notion of "everyday" clothing is the next phase after normcore. If normcore spoke to the more casual, less fussy sides of our fashion personae, then everyday dressing speaks to it in a next level kind of way- we take a uniform approach to how we dress not because we want to look "normal" or not care, but because we know what we like and we're sticking to it. 

And when it comes to content of the blog/media variety, who doesn't love a click through on 12 looks/eyes/shoes you can wear every day? I know I do. Maybe instead of every day the new term should be "any day", as in any day and any time is good to wear a simple piece of clothing that works with your lifestyle. Letting yourself wear the clothes and not vice versa. I'm all for it.

And I think what's interesting amidst so many questions on gender and what it means to be a woman these days is that notion of just what your version of "everyday" dressing is all about. If you are a yoga teacher, your every day may be leggings and good tanks and an every day cashmere sweater or lived in sweatshirt to go from class to lunch and back again. Or if you're a corporate raider, maybe your every day is a great, season-free blazer that goes with skirts, pants, and jeans on the weekends.  As someone who is lucky enough to work in a profession where "dressing up" is more about looking stylish than being literally dressed up, my every day is something cool and chic and simple that I can put on in a hurry and dress up for night time with a pair of heels or dress down with some flats. My every day could also include some version of a blazer, a good pair of jeans, and a great tee shirt. All black for the most part. Nothing tricky to see here, folks. Just me. Because really, I'm just looking for pieces that get me through the day, and every day for that matter. It's really all about those basics you interpret as your very own, because your everyday is just that- yours. And because I'm so in love with this notion of the everyday, I'm going to dedicate one post a week to something that's on brief with the whole idea of wearability on the regs. Look out for that.

Cause that's what's up this semantic laced Thursday in the 212. Yours, in everyday style. XO

Good afternoon, Monday. It's been a busy day yet again but what a lovely weekend I had knocking around the neighborhood with Khan and David.  From checking out our local (and overpriced) flea market to enjoying our backyard, it was a lovely few days. But damn if those white walkers don't scare the absolute Bejesus out of me on GOTS. I actually had to leave the room for a minute. Scurry.

But besides terrifying creepy dead guys with magic powers, here's something else I'm afraid of.  And that is, my overly bare legs. Sure, the much beloved Nora Ephron felt bad about her neck, but as another birthday approaches, I'm feeling kind of meh about my legs. My neck is ok for the moment.

Truth be told, my legs have never caused me too many problems. I've always been more concerned with other parts of me as my legs have always been pretty good.  But now that I'm at a different age in my life, I intuitively know that shorts that are too short (same for skirts) is just not my jam anymore. I'm not one who recommends not wearing things past a certain age, but I do believe one needs to be one's own whisperer when it comes to do's and don'ts. And for me, too short is a don't at this stage in the game. It just feels wrong for me. 

So now, I'm wanting to channel more of a Deneuve in the 60s Belle du Jour kind of silhouette when I wear skirts or dresses. It's just above the knee, a length that suits almost all women well. I am personally not big into super long skirts or maxis, though I'm not opposed to the scary tea length (mid calf ) that many women find unflattering. But if we're talking about "just right", just above the knee feels pretty for Summer and nice for Winter with pretty tights. It's funny how these little style moments happen to us- for me I'm just not featuring anything super short, and I really do favor pants for the most part. But I'm leaving the short denim and cute short beach shorts to the younger set from now on, and there's most likely not going to be a mini moment happening for me again in this lifetime, and I'm cool with that. It's not that I feel really bad about my legs, I just feel that they desire a drop of the hemline.

And perhaps on the day we found out that Bruce would rather be called Caitlyn, it's fitting to note that women should do as they like. For me, that means a bit of restraint- after all, I've had a whole lovely lifetime of showing my gams. Thank goodness I don't have to be on the cover of Vanity Fair in a bustier, let alone a mini, anytime soon. Bravo to Caitlyn for baring it all. The good news is now more than ever we can be and wear and do whatever we like. Cause that's what's up this we got it covered kind of Monday in the 212. Yours, in being whoever you are, and wearing whatever you want to wear. XO

Good morning, Friday. It's been a WEEK.

Lately I've been feeling like my whole life is on deadline. If you have ever worked in advertising or any other time sensitive industry, you know that being on deadline is the norm. As a freelancer, you are perpetually chasing time for project based spurts, and more often than not, it's hairy until the bitter end. When you work like this, you put a lot of things in life on hold, because if you're not laser focused on this thing you have to make or do within a tight grid of time, you're not going to make it.

There's a weird autopilot thing that happens to you when you are chasing a deadline- in many ways you feel like you are in the spin cycle at the laundromat. Wake up, jump out of bed, try and solve a bunch of problems, go home, stuff a bit of dinner down, and go to bed. And then repeat repeat repeat. Sure once in a while a glass or two or ten of wine sneaks in and maybe you are too tweaked to sleep late so you make it to a very early class at the gym. But for the most part, you are a deadline's bitch, and that's the absolute truth. If you remember to put your shoes on let alone lipstick you're keeping it together just fine, but for the most part, you're living for a calendar date vs. living a real life. And you tend to eat things out of bags. 

I'm thinking about this because none of us are getting any younger, in fact, we're all on a time sensitive mission through life until we watch that very final deadline, emphasis on the dead part. There's much talk about work/life balance but it's so hard to connect to that when you're constantly in a sprint against time. It's almost cliched to talk about, but wondering what all of this deadline based work is doing to my brain and my body? Will I reach a natural expiration date myself when I can no longer watch the clock on an endless loop? It's a very big challenge, at times super exciting and heady and rewarding, at other times, completely depleting and beyond stressful. And because somehow I've found a career that requires an indefatigable pursuit of bringing order to chaos, I'm well knackered right now. 

It's no surprise to me that at times like this, I yearn for going within and shutting it all down. I crave like-minded spirits who are kind and connected and compassionate. I find myself fantasizing about silence and solitude. When all of the deadlines pile up into one big pile of stress, I start thinking about what it would be like to have the time and energy to write a book, learn a skill, or cook something I've never tried before. I'm wondering if all of this deadline based work we do is taking us out of the real race- the one we should be most focused on- that one formerly known as life. Oh, yea. That. It's very cool to be the order bringer, but with so much disharmony caused by too little time and too little sleep, it's no wonder I want to crawl under the duvet all weekend and make like a mummy. It takes a lot of buoyancy to be a harmony maker, and right now, I'm trying very hard not to deflate.  I'll be better next week when the next deadline feels more attainable and not so intense, until of course that next calendar date comes around to remind me that indeed time is just not on my side. I need to change that. PS before you hashtag the crap out of this post with first world problems, I'm aware that I am lucky to have work and do work that is interesting and fun.  I'm lucky to have the life I have and the love I have and the home I have. But besides the gratitude for what I've got, sometimes I think (probably too much) about what I've not. #sueme.

Phew. I needed to get that out. I'd love to chat with you more on this but I'm on deadline, closing in on the dream but losing sight of reality. 

I hope wherever you are you are not chasing a deadline, although most likely you are because who isn't these days. Needless to say, it's the weekend, we're breathing, we're alive, we're lucky. I'm going to try and be in that moment come Saturday morning, but until then, my head's gotta stay in the game. Cause that's what's up this running out of time kind of Friday on my favorite little island of Manhattan. Yours, in catching up and breaking the cycle. XO

Good afternoon, Thursday. I've been so remiss with the blog of late I can't even stand it.

I'm so busy and maxed and stressed and fritzed and frazzled. The good news is I'm almost there, but while I wait for that, I'm full on in the zone and can't afford many distractions other than a barre class and some sleep.

So on that note, I came across this picture on favorite online retailer The Dreslyn's Instagram feed. It's of some amazing little wispy slips from John Patrick Organic, a designer I am madly in love with for his spare silhouettes and yummy fabrics. I found the photo so captivating and simple and elegant. The pared down simplicity is so what I'm craving in life right now, so it spoke to me. Plus, I need more slip dresses. That's an ongoing obsession for as long as I can remember. All I can wonder is how wonderful life would be if it felt more like that photo- clean, minimal, and light. A girl can dream, can't she?

And that's what's up this too legit to quit kind of Thursday in the 212. Yours, in slipping up. XO

Good morning, Tuesday. I hope you all had a blissful weekend. We had the best time with our dear friends up in Mass and Khan not only got to herd goats, but also swim in a beautiful pool as well as learn to boogie board. I didn't realize how in need I was of some good friends, laughs, and a good amount of rose. There's really no substitute for any of those things. Reminiscing about a past life well lived in the heady, early days of my time in New York is always fun. 

And as Summer begins, I can't help but think about another big part of my youth, and that is- The Grateful Dead. Say what you will, but many of you know (and I've spoken about it before), that I remain a humble fan and always will. Even though I have succumbed to corporate life and the machine, my heart loves the time I spent going to Dead shows way back when. 

They really were the architects of some serious revolutionary shenanigans- the first social media, the first hipster flea, a forerunner who set the tone for all of the Coachellas and Bonaroos and just about every other music festival where people don a floppy hat and beads (yes, Woodstock too duh). It just so happens that every time the sun starts to shine a little hotter, my Spotify is suddenly deluged with the Dead. It's just how I roll. 

If you look at all of these fab photos of people dancing, you'll see why. I mean doesn't Summer make you want to spin a jasmine and patchouli scented circle too? Don't you want rings on your fingers and bells on your shoes? And maybe I'm not going to go to the big shows in Chicago on July 4th, but that's because I want to remember the Dead the way I want to. And these pictures help the cause. All you needed was an Indian dress, a Sierra Nevada, a burrito, a smile, and really whatever else you needed to go to there. Wherever your there was. And I was there many times.

Summer is simply a dancing hippie vibe well served. In the winter I go back to my jagged, minimalist self, but in Summer- Jerrrrryyyyyy.

Cause that's what's up this China Cat Sunflower of a Tuesday in the 212. I may you may not be down with some Dead, but I'm so glad I got to experience them when I did.  Yours, in not overdoing the patchouli but still playing in the band. Walking in the sunshine.  XO

Good morning, friends.

I'm aware I'm nothing short of a terrible blogger of late- I've been so beyond swamped with shoots and such I just can't right now.

But since it's a long weekend and I'm seeing the light at the end of that very long tunnel, the hubs and I are hitting the road with Khan man in tow, to go see some friends and enjoy the weather. 

Next week, I promise to be a better blogger. But for now, I leave you with this absolutely adorable dress from Lucky (yes Lucky Jeans Lucky) that is on sale and is a great beach/vacay/long weekend look. I like it with barefeet, good novel or biography in hand, and of course, a bit of color on the skin.

Tots cute, right? Link to buy here. 

And that's what's up this long weekend memorial of a Friday in the 212. Happy beginning of Summer and have a fab weekend. XO

Good morning, Wednesday.

It's a beautiful day and I'm looking forward to a long weekend.

So it occurred to me in CVS last night that whenever anyone asks me if I need help, I find myself feeling blank, but ready to unleash all of the things I need help with, which are vast. Yesterday was a long day full of dings and I was feeling so tired when the CVS greeter (we have those in Cobble Hill for some reason) asked me point blank, "do you need any help?"

It was unwarranted and unsolicited. But it was a nice question to ask after a day like yesterday. I feel that I have a problem in not wanting to or being able to ask for help when I need it. I'm sure you can relate- it's not something that comes naturally to all of us. I'm a major fixer and hate not being able to do everything myself. But damn if it wasn't nice having a complete stranger ask me, even though it was intended to assist me in my search for cough drops or body wash vs. how to solve my existential crisis. Regardless, I'll take help where I can get it. And I was grateful that someone even asked. 

What struck me is how infrequently we ask the people we care about, work with, and play with that question. Because it doesn't hurt to ask, and although we are all wound in our own tight little ropes these days, surely we can find it within our hearts to ask how we can help, even if the response is met with an eyebrow raise or shrug.  And if you need my help, all you have to do is ask. It's tough to do, but I'm a big believer that asking for help not only benefits you, it benefits the person you ask, who is a better person for bringing some compassion into the world by honoring your request. 

Cause that's what's up this help me if you can Wednesday in the 212. And I do appreciate you bein' round. Here's to better customer service.  XO

Good afternoon, Monday. 

Last night I went to a very fun BBQ but should know better than to drink some lethal margaritas and then attempt to go home and watch the series finale of "Mad Men". Needless to say, I didn't make it through, and woke up in a bit of a sweat reminiscent of a more
rookie-esque version of myself. I can't hold my booze anymore.

But besides my sad intolerance to alcohol, I wanted to trend spot 'atcha cause I've been noticing a particular print making a big play for our closets this spring/summer season, and that is- the marble print. To me, this print is very in tune with our collective mind and mood- I keep thinking of "the big blue marble" and how all of us (or most of us) are trying harder to take care of our planet, so it's not surprising fashion types would take note.  Last season, we saw a lot of attention towards the starry skies with galaxy prints, but right now, it's all about planet Earth and a marbled point of view.

From Emerson Fry to Balenciaga to the Gap, designers are keeping the world spinning on its stylish axis. I think it's a lovely choice- my favorite is the one below from Emerson Fry- a pretty soft take on the trend. Its popularity also speaks to our obsession with handcrafted, handmade, and artful living.

I would love to see it on sheets or accent pillows for the home- very pretty with chrome finishes and metallics when it comes to marbled home goods. 

So there you have it- a marble print is a great way to go green this summer- here's some more great pieces and photos to keep you inspired to take your marble game to the next level.

Love this dress from Zimmerman.

Fabulous from Stella McCartney.

Scarves are pretty in this print too.

Love it in a bathing suit-  this River Island version is no longer available but great.

This Carhartt sweathshirt must be mine for chilly beachside nights. This particular marble tactic makes me crave a good pair of denim with some serious splattery marbled goodness.

Love the batiky vibe of this button down- calling all DIY types. I'm sure you crafty peeps can make one for your own.

So there you have it- keep on keepin' on as the work week has just begun, cause that's what's up this big blue marble of a Monday in the 212. Yours, in swirly whirly earthiness. XO