One Piece, Three Ways: Faux Fur Vest

Many of you probably picked up a fur vest this season. I (C) have loved wearing mine in so many different ways! They are super warm, but still a fun take on a trend. Here are some more "classic" ways to incorporate the vest.

Look #1: This is a little bit more daring with the colored denim. However, the classic creme blouse and the black boots tone it down a little bit and keep it more classic! This is a fun look that could be worn into March as well! (If you're like us and in a chilly climate!)

Look #2: This is a dressier look. The black skirt and top are simple, while the vest pulls in together turning a potentially drab look into a fun one!

Look #3: This is probably the most practical. I've worn an OCBD with jeans, flats, and the vest multiple times this winter, and have received many compliments on the look!

Do you all have fur vests? How do you wear them? What is your favorite look?

Love,

A+C

Mind Your Manners Monday: Facebook Edition

Facebook is something the vast majority of us use frequently. However, it's important that we are not annoying and that we stay polite, and well, mind our manners!

1. It's your status-not your diary. It's so not necessary to write about every little thing. No one wants to read about your debate between eating an apple or an orange for breakfast. Those kinds of things go for twitter more than facebook.

2. Don't brag. Another thing that irks people is constant bragging. No one wants to come off as pretentious to 853 of your closest friends. Even if you are going meet Lady Gaga at her concert in London, don't make it your profile picture, status, or other wall post.

3. Avoid PDA. End of story. No one wants to see any form of PDA between you and your significant other.

4. Do not send out millions of app requests. Nothing drives me crazier than "farmville" or "quiz" requests on facebook. It's annoying, and chances are, the other person is not interested.

5. Refrain from adding strangers. It makes it more awkward if you do meet in person, and it's rude and confuses the other person.

6. Lastly, If you wouldn't want your grandmother, mother, boss, or professor to see your facebook, it's probably time to delete some posts.

Via

Keep minding your manners, lovelies!

Love,

A+C

Happy 18th to A!!

I couldn't resist acknowledging the birthday of A! A is absolutely wonderful, and I could not ask for a better "blogging partner" Everyone be sure to leave A some love for her big 18th birthday! And now for some birthday humor....

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Give A some birthday love!!

xoxo,

C

What We're Listening To

Here's a playlist of what we've been listening to as of lately. Enjoy! 

Don't forget to share what you're listening to with us!

xoxo, 

A+C

PS- It's A's 18th birthday today! Wooooo

Love It Or Leave It: Neon Footwear

This trend is popping up everywhere!! So many companies have hopped on the bandwagon! Here are a few examples, and tell us: do you love it or will you leave it??

Via J.Crew

Tory Burch Via Pret-A-Beaute

Betsey Johnson Via Endless

Kate Spade

Perhaps the mother of all neon shoes....

Giuseppe Zanotti Via Bergdorf Goodman

What do you think of this trend? Will you be rocking bold hues on your feet this spring, or will you stick to more neutrals? Let us know!!

Love,

A+C

Winter Outerwear

We are definitely not the first to say that we struggle finding the balance between cuteness and weather appropriateness of our outfits during the winter. Here are a few outerwear options to stay warm while still looking fabulous!

Barbour Beadnell Jacket: Considerably light, but good for layering. 

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The Peacoat: This (short) one is Calvin Klein, available at Macy's, Bloomingdales, ect.

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Longer Version: Available at J. Crew. 

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Toggle Coat: Available at Burberry and department stores that sell Burberry. 

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Puffer Jacket: Available at Club Monaco

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Puffer with fur trim: Marc New York, available at Bloomingdales. 

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Remember your mittens, scarves, and hats too! Stay warm and fabulous, ladies. 

xoxo, 

A+C

"I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps..."

"Being in New York is like falling in love, over and over again, every minute." -Rachel Berry


New York is perfect. There is seriously no other place like it. I (A) have been lucky enough to live just about 45 minutes or so outside of the city, so I spend as much time there as possible. 

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Here is our daytime guide to New York City:

• The High Line- The relatively short buildings of the Meatpacking District provide for a beautiful view of the Hudson. 

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• I love museums and New York just happens to have some of the best museums in the world. Whether its The Frick, The Met, MOMA, The Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim...the list could go on and on. Madame Tussauds isn't exactly a museum, but it more like a gallery of wax figures. Who doesn't love posing next to a wax figure of Jackie O? 

The Met!

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• 'Tis the season...to go ice skating (for free) in Bryant Park! Although it is lovely to visit Rockefeller Center during the winter, the rink is just way too crowded. If you to Bryant Park earlier enough, you can avoid the crowds and skate for as long as you wish!

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• Enjoy afternoon tea at The Plaza. A truly unforgettable experience. Enough said. 

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• The Central Park Boathouse is an incredibly serene area of the park in the middle of a crazy, bustling city that really doesn't ever sleep. I recommend taking a break from the hustle and bustle to sit by the water. 

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• You should feel obligated to see a Broadway Show in New York! You will not regret it. 

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• Shopping. You can find anything from cute little boutiques to the typical chain stores. And you can find them pretty much anywhere. Department stores like Barney's, Bergdorf's, Bloomingdales, Bendel's, Saks, ect. are full of so much selection. Go downtown and you can find some major treasures. I also suggest going to sample sales (quite an experience to say the least), which is something you can't do in many other places. 

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• I probably shouldn't be suggesting to ride bikes in the city, considering the fact that the cabbies are crazy and no one stops for anyone else, but I seriously love riding my bike in the city. Also, you can ride your bike along the West Side Highway and get an incredible view of the Hudson. 

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Places to Eat: 

Ruby Foo's 

Serafina

Rosa Mexicana 

Shake Shack

JG Melon

Eataly

Uva

Spice Market 

MXCO

Heads up for our nighttime guide sometime next week!

xoxo, 

A+C

Winter 2012 Nail Polish Trends

Here are our favorite nail polishes for the winter! 

A's Favorites: 

Wicked: Wicked is such a classic. Described as "a deep and dark creamy sinister red", it is the perfect alternative for those of you who aren't daring enough to try black nail polish. 

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Mink Muffs: Mink Muffs is my absolute favorite earthy colored nail polish. Described as "a smokey plush taupe", it is the perfect transition from fall to winter. I've been wearing it on my nails for the past week or so and I never get tired of it!

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Power Clutch: I'm always a bit hesitant to wear green nail polish (I went through a phase where I wore kelly green nail polish in 6th grade...every day. Not cute), but I absolutely love Power Clutch. Described as "a striking, deep gray-green", it is the perfect combination of green and gray. Its this year's Sew Psyched! 

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C's Favorites: 

OPI Warm and Fozzie: This is such a fun and festive color. I received this in my stocking, and I've been loving it! If you look closely, you can see so many different shades in the polish, and it's gorgeous. It's from the Muppets collection, so if you can find it, snatch it up!

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Essie Chinchilly: This is definitely the best grey that I've found. It is a perfect not too light, not too dark grey. I wore it a lot during the fall as well!

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Essie Tea and Crumpets: This is definitely one of my favorite colors ever. I never get sick of it, and I love the little sheen it has in it as well!

Via

What are your favorite winter polishes? We're always excited to hear about new colors! 

Love,

A+C

One Piece, Three Ways: LBD

Everyone loves a classic little black dress. The options are endless. Here are three of our favorite and different ways to rock the quintessential black dress.

Look #1: If you're like us, the first way you would think to wear an LBD would be the classic way with black pumps and pearls. It's a look that will never be out of style and it's generally appropriate to wear.
Look #2: This is much more bold and creative. The polka dot tights add a whimsical touch, while the classic flats keep the look elegant.
Look #3: This is the most casual look. The fun flats keep it interesting. It could be work appropriate to wear it with a toned down necklace, but can be transformed with a fun statement piece for a party later!

How do you wear your LBDs? Do you love them as much as we do?!
Love,
A+C

Mind Your Manners Monday: Email Etiquette

In this day in age, we are sad to say that Email has pretty much done away with traditional snail mail (who doesn't love getting letters in the mail?!). With that said, everyone should know the wrongs and rights of Email etiquette. 

When writing an email...

• Include the purpose of the email in the subject line. These days, there is so much spam mail being sent around that important emails often get lost in the shuffle; add a word or phrase to decipher your email from a spam email. 
• Include a friendly and appropriate greeting. Always. If it is to a superior or an adult, show respect by calling them Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss (Insert last name here). Always make sure the name of the person you are sending the email to is spelled correctly!
• Include all of the details necessary. You do not want to leave anything out and cause confusion. 
• Proof reading is so important. Use spell check! Read your email out loud to hear if it makes sense. Proper punctuation and capitalization is a must. Do not use shortened versions of words (i.e. text talk). 
• Multiple instances of "!!!" or "???" may be considered rude or disrespectful. Avoid that. 
• Check the address(es) you are sending the Email to before you send it. The last thing you want is to send your Email to the wrong person. 
• Don't beat around the bush. Keep emails brief and concise. 
• Sign your email courteously. (I.e. Sincerely, All the best, Best regards, Thank you, ect...)

Example: 

To: WMBostwick@gmail.com

Subject: Babysitting on 1/30

Dear Mrs. Bostwick, 

I hope all is well with you and the family! I just wanted to confirm that I will be able to babysit the kids on Monday, January 30th at 7:00pm. If that time or date changes, please let me know. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me at ###-###-#### or send me an email to this email address. See you soon!

Sincerely, 

A

When responding to an email...

• Always include the proper greeting. Always be courteous and respectful. 
• If the person is asking you (a) question(s), answer all of them! Go through the email from them and read through sentence by sentence to make sure you address any question they may have for you. 
• If the person is doing you a favor, make sure to thank them! Show your appreciation. 
• Again, being clear with what you are writing is important. You do not want any of your responses to be misconstrued or misinterpreted. 
• Before sending, you must proof read what you have written and confirm that you are sending the message to the right Email address. 
• A proper closing is again required as previously mentioned. 

Example:

To: WMBostwick@gmail.com

Subject: Babysitting on 1/30

Hello Mrs. Bostwick, 

I'm glad to hear all is well in the Bostwick household! I have no problem coming to the house at 6pm, as opposed to 7pm on Monday, January 30th. Yes, I will have my car, so driving Lucy to ballet class will not be an issue. I appreciate you letting me know about the change of time. I look forward to seeing you and the rest of the family on Monday! 

Thank you, 

A

Keep minding your manners, ladies! 

xoxo, 

A+C

Literature We Love!

We've gotten a few requests to do a post on some of our favorite literature, this time we'll do some of the "classics".

C's Favorites:
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is a total classic, I think everyone has known and loved this book! I read it in eighth grade, and haven't forgotten it since!

Via

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I'm embarrassed to say that I just read this book over winter break. It was absolutely fantastic. The characters, the writing, everything about the book was so eloquent.

Via

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is honestly a fairly unpopular opinion. Many of the other students in my class could not stand this book. I loved it. I think it was the truths and the sense of growing up that compelled me into this book so much.

Via

A's Favorites:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The classic story that made the angst ridden, phony-phobe (definitely just made that word up haha) teenager, Holden Caulfield, the ultimate icon for teenage rebellion. Catcher is an obligatory read for all preppies. I've read this one about three times and it never gets old. 

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Despite being published in 1813, a time of entirely different social standards, the timelessness of this novel is what I appreciated so much. The humor, the conflict, the wittiness, and above all, the love story is what is so meaningful and charming about this book. Jane Austen's writing is impeccable. 

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The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Admittedly, seeing the movie Easy A is what sparked my interest in reading this book. After breaking my promise to read it this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to be assigned to read it for my AP Literature class last month. Hawthorne's critique of the inherent evil and sin of humanity was immensely fascinating. Contrary to popular belief, I really don't understand how anyone could dislike Pearl's character; she was my favorite!

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Share your favorite classics with us! Any must reads we should know about? We're always up for a good read!

Love, 

A+C

Nutella Cheesecake Bars

Here's a recipe that we are dying to try this weekend. Nutella + cheesecake...enough said! 

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2 cups Oreo crumbs
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/3 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8×8 baking dish and line with parchment paper, making sure that the parchment is well pressed in the corners.  Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they become crumbs.  Add in melted butter and pulse until moistened.  Press Oreo mixture evenly into the bottom of your baking dish.  Bake crust until set, about 12 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Clean out the food processor. Add cream cheese, eggs, sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, and vanilla. Pulse until smooth.  Put 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture in a bowl and set aside.  Add Nutella and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to the remaining 1/3 cream cheese mixture in the processor.  Pulse until smooth.

To assemble, spread the plain cheesecake mixture over the cooled Oreo crust, being careful of the crust. Then pour the Nutella cheesecake layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer and spread evenly.  Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the center jiggles slightly.  Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

When ready to serve, lift the bars out of the pan by lifting up the parchment paper (it should release easily).  Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Recipe via Tide and Thyme

Let us know if you plan on doing some baking this weekend as well! 

xoxo, 

A+C

What We've Been Wearing!

We though it would be fun to give everyone a little bit of a look into our outfit choices this past week!! Check them out!


Also: If you don't follow us on Polyvore, Check out: A's Polyvore and C's Polyvore! We'd love to know if any of you have accounts, so link them below if you do so we can follow you!


A's Outfits:

C's Outfits:

What have you all been wearing this past week? Let us know! And remember to link your Polyvore accounts if you have them!

Love,

A+C

How to: Survive A Group Project

You know what's worse than regular individual projects? GROUP PROJECTS. They are dreadful. The work load never seems to be split up evenly between each member of the group. There's almost always that one person who somehow manages to evade completing their part of the work load.  Finding a time for the entire group to come together to work on the project is awfully difficult. There are often disagreements over the content of the project. 
Ok, enough ranting. Here are some tips on how to survive these painful group projects while avoiding the aforementioned situations ultimately coming out of the experience with an "A" next to your name in the grade book! 

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• Planning ahead is so key for group projects. Don't ever leave a group project for the last minute. Although you may be able to pull off a last minute project on your own, you can't be sure that the others in the group are able to do the same. When you first get the assignment, make sure to look over it as a group and begin to brainstorming. Figure out the direction in which you all want to take your project from the get go. 
• Assign each member a specific job for the assignment. All of the work that needs to be done should be divided evenly. Don't be the one to do the entire project for the group (guilty) and definitely don't be the one who leaves slack for the others to pick up. It's all about everyone carrying their own weight. 

Don't be that person.

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• Set deadlines and check in points for the group. It often helps to have a deadline in mind to keep you continuing with the work you're doing, as opposed to procrastinating. Make strides on the project little by little and the task will seem less daunting. Depending on the amount of time between the day the project was assigned and the day it is due, establish one or two dates to meet with the group as a whole to check in. 
• If your schedules are all crazy and you truly cannot find a time to congregate, Google Docs is a great option. As long as all the members have Gmail accounts, each person can create a document with all of their work in it to share with the other members. This way, you can keep updated (literally to the second!) on the work that the others are doing. If you have any suggestions or comments, they can easily be shared through Google Docs. 

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• Regardless of whether you opt to use Google Docs to communicate or whether you can pull off a meeting or two before the due date of the project, I highly suggest a meeting to make final changes and review the finished project before it is handed in. Being physically together makes the process much easier. 
• If the project is to be presented to a class, teacher, or other group of people, its important to rehearse the presentation! Make sure that each member of your group has a specific part of your work to discuss and elaborate on. This too should be divided as evenly as possible between members. Public speaking is a hard task, so make the process easier by all being on the same page.
• Present and/or hand in the project and get that "A", ladies! 

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Good luck, ladies! 


xoxo, 
A+C