This weekend those of us on the East Coast had a major weather nightmare with the wide spread Hurricane Irene that caused destructive and scary stormy weather up and down the coast all weekend long.  Now that the weekend is over I'm happy to say that we were finally able to leave the apartment and take our daughter on what was an absolutely beautiful late summer afternoon walk.

But all the stormy weather this weekend reminded me that no matter the season, you always have to have rain ready apparel on hand!

I have already picked up a pair of these versatile grey skinny jeans from the Loft, and my fingers are crossed that they will fit me soon!  If you like these jeans I would pick them up soon as they will be 25% off for the rest of the evening!

I love this North Face Jacket because it is sporty and functional, but also sleek and figure flattering with it's sleek belted design...and it doesn't hurt that its currently on sale for $143...not bad for a North Face jacket!

And the rain boots...aren't they so chic?!  No one would ever suspect they were $35 from Target!

Do you have any favorite but affordable rainy weather staples?

But let's just hope that the sun sticks around for a few more days so you don't have to bring out your rain boots until at least until September!

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

I apologize for my absence from writing, but since my last post we have had an exciting addition to our family!  The day after my last post, on August 9, our first child, a beautiful little girl was born weighing in at almost 7 pounds!

Everyone in my growing family is doing well, but it has been quite an adjustment getting used to an infant's schedule!  I'm sorry to be away for so long, but it is going to take me a little while to get back in the swing of things as we adjust to life with a baby.

In the meantime I found what I think is a great deal for fashionable footwear for fall!

Starting this spring the high heel wedge has been back in style in full force.  I have always been a fan of the wedge for its comfortable and easy style, but ever since Kate Middleton was seen in this shoe after her wedding, there have been different versions of the wedge popping up everywhere.

To make this popular shoe work for fall, I would recommend investing in a suede high heel wedge which is versatile enough to go from the work day to an evening out with friends in a dress, pants, or a skirt!

Here is a LUXE version of this shoe...

This week at both of the lovely blogs Elements of Style and Kelly Market, the company O'verlays was featured.  And even though it seems like O'verlays is already on it's way to taking the interior design blogosphere by storm, I am so in love with their product that I could not resist but give them one more shout out myself!

O'verlays was founded by Danika Herrick and Cheryle Rhuda...two interior designers with a similar design aesthetic who came together because of their husbands, but quickly realized how their interior design companies and point of view often overlapped in both projects and perspective.

The concept for O'verlays officially came to be when Danika decided to use vintage fretwork panels along with mirror to update a client's Ikea Pax cabinets.  This was a brilliant idea, and just look at how fabulous the cabinets are after their remodeling...

After seeing the success of this project, both ladies saw the potential for creating their own line of flexible, painted, and reasonable priced panels that would be cut in the same dimensions as Ikea furniture. 

Brilliant idea isn't it?!

Here are a two pieces of furniture that have drastically been improved by the simple addition of O'verlays panels...

Aren't they fantastic?!

There are many things to love about this new clever design product, but I think that my favorite part is how this company has taken DIY design and made it so simple and approachable for the average consumer.  Even though I love interior design and finding ways to decorate my home for less, I'm the first to admit that I'm not the most handy when it comes to remodeling.

But O'verlays has really taken out the anxiety and guess work from remodeling your old furniture on your own...this product is so attractive and makes such an impact, yet it is so affordable and simple to use that I think even I could do it...and as soon as I have a new piece of furniture to remodel you can bet that I will!

For those of you in NYC this weekend, the restaurant group BR Guest is offering two great deals today and Sunday at many of their restaurants including Atlantic Grill, Blue Water Grill, Ocean Grill, and Blue Fin...

In honor of today being National Oyster Day they are offering $1.50 oysters, $5 glasses of Muscadet, and a special $10 oyster appetizer that features Deep Cove Oysters with melon, summer radish, and lemon ice...yum!

And in honor of Sunday being National Brunch Day they will be offering your first cocktail free, and then all subsequent Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Screwdrivers, and Mimosas will only be $5!

Cheers and have a wonderful weekend!

Almost every year my whole family packs up and heads to  Cape Cod for a week in August.  It's one of my favorite summer rituals, and something I look forward to all year long.  Well this year because of my August due date, we are staying put in NYC and have not been able to go away for our annual summer vacation.

If you are in a similar position and are just not able to get away to the beach this year and you live in NYC, you should head over to Reunion Surf Bar and you may just feel like you have been transported to the sunny west coast, or even better the island of Reunion...a small island off the coast of Madagascar, known for it's premier surfing and laid back lifestyle.

Reunion Surf Bar is located on the NE corner of 44th Street and 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen.  If you have any trouble finding it, it says on their website to "look for the big yellow surf board..."

The bar was created by Thomas Wilson and Eugene Ashe, who also happen to be the creators of one of my absolute favorite restaurants in NYC: Mas (farmhouse).

Reunion has fun and original cocktails like a Frozen Corona, as well as some old standbys like my favorite summer cocktail the Dark and Stormy!

According to Daily Candy they also are now offering Snow Cone Cocktails like Lime with kaffir lime infused vodka, and Raspberry with infused raspberry vodka.

From now through the end of the weekend several stores are offering Friends and Family promotions for 30-35% off both sale and regularly priced items! 

The Gap, The Loft, and Ann Taylor are all offering 30% off your entire purchase through August 7th, and if you use your Gap card you will get 35% off!

To take advantage of the Gap's Friends and Family offer just enter the code 30OFF at check out, or 35OFF if you are a Gap card holder.  This sale is also available in stores.

If I weren't 9 months pregnant, here is what I would be ordering with my Gap card this weekend...

Here is one look from the Loft...

...and Ann Taylor that I'm loving right now!

It's that time of year where many city dwellers are traveling out of town and to the beach almost every weekend.  But when you are just going away for two nights you don't need a huge bag to carry along all of your weekend essentials.

My friends and I have had our eye on this colorful and sturdy canvas bag from Wm. J. Mills & Co. for awhile as the ideal weekend bag...it seems like the perfect size and weight for just a few nights out of town!

Another great overnight bag option is this canvas duffel from J.Crew...it comes in both hot pink and navy, and I love the contrast of the ivory with the bold color for summer....

For those of you have been pregnant before you know that it is unfortunately very easy to start to question every single thing you eat or beauty product you use during your nine months of pregnancy...

During my pregnancy I have had several people question whether I still get my nails done, and whether I believe this could be harmful to the baby.  I must admit that I have NOT given up my manicures and pedicures during the past nine months, and on the contrary I see them as one of the few luxuries I have left that allow me to pamper myself and feel good about my appearance while my waist line expands more and more every day!

Although my manis and pedis were business as usual at the beginning of my pregnancy, as I started to become more aware of the "pregnancy and polish debate," I figured it could not hurt to invest in a few "3 Free" or toxin free nail polishes just so I knew that I was using the safest product possible during my pregnancy.  "3 Free" polishes are nail products that do not contain the three major chemicals found in most polishes: toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate.  As I researched this topic more I found that there are several  eco friendly polish alternatives , all which do not contain these three common chemicals.

In my quest to find toxin free polish to indulge my mani/pedi addiction, here are a few of my favorite "3 Free" polishes that you can use knowing they are chemical free, but will also provide you with great looking nails for days!

Zoya Polish

Zoya Natural Nail Polish is by far my favorite "3 Free" polish that I have tried in my quest for eco-friendly nails.  These polishes are reasonably priced at $8 a bottle, the website is super easy to use, and they offer an incredible selection of polishes to choose from.  Zoya also offers a wonderful chemical free nail polish remover that happily will not leave you choking for fresh air the next time you decide to take off your polish.  In my experience these polishes also lasted longer than any other polish I have tried in the past, including Essie and OPI.

Julep

Julep is a Seattle based hand, nail and foot care company that focuses on offering woman chemical free salon services in a both a calm and relaxing environment.  Their website offers a variety of polish and nail treatments, and a beautiful selection of bright and unique colors.  Julep polishes are also priced around $14 a bottle, but if you are interested in trying this colorful brand of polishes you can currently get a Julep nail set for 50% off at Daily Candy deals!

And if you like the Julep Spring Collection that I have featured here it is currently marked down from $42 to $35 dollars!

Scotch Naturals

I have yet to try this brand of Vegan, Paraben, Toxin, and Fragrance Free polish, but the packaging is absolutely beautiful, and the colors they offer are brilliant.  At $14.99 a bottle this is the most expensive of the "3 Free" Polishes I have featured today, but if you felt like splurging on yourself I would definitely recommend checking out this brand of natural but striking nail color.

Shopafrolic is one of my favorite resources for all things fashion and beauty related when it comes to staying in style AND getting a great deal!

If you are not signed up to receive Shopafrolic's daily emails from the two always fashionable sisters Liz Lange and Jane Wagman, I definitely recommend that you add your name to the mailing list so that you can stay in the always stylish Shopafrolic loop!

Today's email from Shopafrolic featured a great deal for the new fall collection from Trina Turk.  With the code, 20FROLIC, you can get 20% off all full priced items from Trina Turk from Aug 1 to Aug 7!

Here is one of my favorite looks from the collection...

If I wasn't pregnant this top would probably be coming home with me today!