Fall 2016: If the Shoe fits…

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Each new season gives us a reason to clean out the old (consign, donate, give to a friend, all of the above) and refresh with the new. I haven’t yet fully switched over my closet from spring/summer to fall/winter as the weather keeps seesawing, but I do try to stick to the rule of however much comes in an equal number must go out.

Fall 2016: Always a Chic Combo

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You’ve probably read numerous Wardrobe Must Have features. I know I have. Three pieces that always seem to make the list: White Shirt, Skinny/Straight Jeans, a classic pump. My closet already houses several white shirts/blouses and undoubtedly too many pairs of jeans. But there’s always room for a shoe that takes classic to killer.

Cabin Fever

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As much as I love my “city” weekends, I can’t help missing our cozy cabin up in Keene, NY.  As soon as we saw the view, Chris and I knew we had to make it ours. And so began a complete life change. Make this mountain house ours, sell the suburban home our sons grew up in, move to Jersey City…you get the picture. It was a BIG change, but also an exhilarating, scary, fun, what-have-we-done one.

I’m going to share our gut renovation of the cabin in upcoming posts, but first I want to introduce you (if you aren’t already acquainted) with the Adirondacks where our 101 Aker Wood (as in Winnie the Pooh) is located. The Adirondacks are a natural wilderness unlike any other. Created in 1892 by the Sate of New York, the Park is a constitutionally protected Forever Wild area and spans 6 million acres — roughly 1/5 of New York. The Adirondacks are home to over 3,000 lakes and ponds and more than 30,000 miles of streams feeding 6,000 miles of rivers.

The Adirondack High Peaks, the region in which you’ll find our cabin, boasts 46 mountains above an elevation of 4,000 feet. The tallest is Mount Marcy at 5,343, and yes, I’ve climbed it. Ask my Achilles tendons about that experience!

Friends and family sometimes wonder why we don’t mind driving 4+ hours 2 weekends a month to go there…and basically any other time we can. But everyone who visits becomes a believer. And I think you will too as you learn more about this magical, majestic area.

If you’d like to start your adventure now, check out this PBS series preview or this site.

So Long Summer 2016: Caught in the Crosswalk

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September seems to be the month that’s caught between Summer and Fall. Jersey City is looking at sunny and a high of 97 on Thursday, while up in the Adirondacks (where we have our cabin) nighttime temps are dropping below 50. Magazines, blogs and stores are filled with cozy sweaters and stylish boots, but the AC’s still on! All of which can make getting dressed a challenge. But we’re up for it.