Simply Stylist New York

Me with Catt Sadler

Me with Corri McFadden

Me with Jacey Duprie

Me with Jay Manuel

Shirt: TJ Maxx, Leather Pants: H&M, Wedges: Steve Madden, Crossbody: Banana Republic

This weekend, I attended the "Simply Stylist" event at the Park Central Hotel in New York. I had heard about it after one of my biggest role models, Catt Sadler, tweeted a link and said that she was going to be there. I had heard of the event before, but this really made me want to go. On top of that, I saw that two of my favorite fashion bloggers (Damsel in Dior and WeWoreWhat) were going to be there. The event is all about learning tips and networking etc. for bloggers, so I also figured it would be a good learning experience!

I went with my sister, Olivia. At first, when we walked up the stairs in the hotel, the "shopping & pampering" aspect of the event was going on. We walked around and browsed through the clothing--everything that I did like was over my budget, so I was a good girl and just looked. After meandering around for a little, a crowd of people came up the stairs, and leading the pack was Jay Manuel from America's Next Top Model! So Olivia and I walked over to where he was standing and got on the line to take a picture with him. Why not?! Luckily for us, although we were towards the front of the massive line, we were one of the last people that got to take pictures with him...he's a busy man! 

Afterwards, we went on a mission to find Catt Sadler. I asked one of the girls who was working at the event if she happened to know if Catt was there, and she told us she had just taken a picture with her, so she lead us around to try and find Catt. (Side note: All the girls working at the event were super nice!!) We ended up bumping right into her, where we then chatted for a little (my heart was racing a little bit, not gonna lie) and then we took some pictures. For all of you who don't know, Catt is one of the hosts of E! News, an amazing interviewer and fashionista and she was seriously super genuine and sweet.

Next, while Olivia and I were mid-conversation, she turned to me and went, "Is that Damsel In Dior?" (Jacey Duprie). Olivia's comment was then followed by me pulling up Instagram to compare the Jacey in pictures to the woman standing next to us. For some reason, we could not figure out if it was her or not! And if any of you follow Jacey on Instagram, you will know that The Damsel is oftentimes sporting sunglasses so our task was made even more difficult. Finally, we decided (although not 100% sure) that it was her so we awkwardly asked if she was Jacey, and sure enough it was! Jacey was one of the nicest people I met. Everyone there was just so friendly! My sister and I talked to her for about 20 mins. about blogging, school, running...and she seemed like she was in no rush and was really invested in the conversation. Her story also really inspired me.  

Shortly later, my sister & I attended some of the "breakout" sessions which included tips on social networking, blogging, etc. One of the women, Corri McFadden, was my favorite speaker. Besides giving essential tips, she was hysterical!!! 

Overall, I'm so happy I attended the Simply Stylist event; I definitely had an amazing time. If any of you fellow bloggers have the opportunity to attend any beauty/fashion events-- go! I promise getting away from your computer for the day will truly be worth it. I learned so much and spoke to people that I've always dreamed of meeting. 

PS: I didn't bring a camera so these are all iPhone pictures. I'm due for a new iPhone very soon as this one is about two years old so the camera quality is pretty much crap. Sorry about that :)

Casual Autumn OOTD

The weather has finally cooled down and October now feels as it should (brisk and windy). Today, I decided to keep it casual and show you guys what I wore to school today.

For the bottom half, I kept it classic: skinny jeans and nude flats. For the top, I went with an orangey-red/rust colored shirt, to fit in with the leaves that have now truly began changing color. To complete the outfit, I threw on a gray anorak jacket. What I love about jackets like these are a) they go with everything and b) are the perfect layering piece. As of right now, the mornings have been absolutely freezing, then it warms up during the day, and is cool again in the evening. A jacket like this is super handy to have when you're not sure exactly where the weather is headed. Originally, I wanted an army green utility style jacket, but once I saw this one at Aeropostale I decided the slate gray was actually a perfect color. And how could I pass it up once I saw the sneaky little neon green zippers inside?

I hope you guys enjoy the rest of my Autumn looks!

Anorak jacket: Aeropostale (similar here & here)
Jeans: American Eagle
Shirt: Urban Outfitters (similar here)
Flats: Target (similar here)

Gold Rush

Polish: Essie "Good As Gold", Flats: Target, Headband: Forever 21 (similar) 

     Now that fall has arrived, I feel like I can get away with wearing golds more than I could in the summer. 

    This Essie Polish called "Good As Gold" is my absolute favorite nail polish that I own; not just because of the cool color, but because of how amazing the formula is. This particular Essie creation glides on like liquid gold--seriously, I can't even explain it, it just smooths on right over my nails. I'm not the best (or even necessarily good, for that matter), at doing my nails, but the formula of this polish makes it impossible to mess up. What's even better? It dries in about 5 minutes. Yesterday, before going out to dinner for my friend's birthday, I painted my nails with this and was out the door in 10 minutes with completely dry nails.
     
    Another thing I've wanted for a long time now have been pointed-toe flats, but I always felt like maybe I couldn't pull them off. The gold on the tips of these makes them much easier to pull off because it breaks up the shoe where your toes start, so it doesn't look like you have a long & pointy set of witches' shoes on. Plus, the gold makes them more special than just a plain black flat.

     The last gold item I've added to my closet is this plaid, gold-chained headband from Forever 21. Plaid, as I'm sure many of you know, is super in right now, and I love how the print looks against the gold. It might be a bit of a wintery purchase, but you know what, who cares? I think it's super cute and it was only $5.00...how can I put that away until December?!

Ankle Boot Obsession

When I think about it logically, it doesn't make sense. Why do I want 4+ different pairs of black booties? All of them come just above or just below the ankle, they are all black, and they are all constructed out of leather or a faux-leather material. Yet, the details make them  all so different from each other that I feel like (if I had the money) it would be justifiable to buy them all. Am I officially classified as an insane "shopaholic" now?

The first pair of shoes I really like because of the height. These are the types of ankle boots that come below the ankle, and look super cool with shorts/skirts...basically with any ensemble where your legs are bare. Because they don't cut you off at the top of the ankle, they don't make your legs look shorter and stumpier like over-the-ankle booties sometimes tend to. The buckle detail on the side of these add just a little somethin' extra.

If you're an avid reader of my blog (which, I'm assuming you probably aren't...but if you are) then you will recognize this second pair from my How To Wear the Punk Trend (Without Looking Scary) post. I just can't get over how cool these are. With cutouts at the ankle and in the back by the heel, these are surely unique--but also classic and will go with everything. I also love the gold hardware because black & gold is one of my favorite combos. (Did the song "Black & Yellow" just pop into anyone else's head?)

The third pair of booties would also go with anything and everything. The stretchy fabric on the sides breaks up the leather, and the wooden heal makes these look more expensive than boots with rubber heals. I also really like the little doo-dad, for lack of a better word, that hangs out the top for some reason. Why? I'm not really sure...

And finally, the fourth pair combines two of my favorite aspects of black booties: cutouts, and the little doo-dad thingy at the back. If I got these boots I don't think I would ever take them off. I'd probably shower in them, sleep in them, maybe work out in them. I mean come on, how CUTE are they?!

So what's the verdict? Am I mentally crazy for wanting four different pairs of black ankle boots? Which are your favorites?

Blogger Update

Picture uploaded from Tumblr

Hi everyone!

My blog, known previously as www.emptypocketsexpensivetaste.blogspot.com--or Empty Pockets, Expensive Taste--has had a little face lift and is now (and hopefully will forever be) Coffee & Caroline.

The result of this blog re-vamp has caused all of your lovely comments to be deleted (which I'm sooooo sad about, but hopefully this will all be worth it).

I just think coffeeandcaroline is a lot easier to type & easier to remember than emptypocketsexpensivetaste.

Just wanted to post this to clear up any confusion. :) Also if you were following me on Bloglovin' you will need to re-follow my blog under it's new name: coffeeandcaroline.blogspot.com. Apologies for that, promise it won't happen again!

Talk to you all very soon,
Caroline

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11058621/?claim=rg5ewb64gty">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

From Fancy to Funny

                                                Féline |  Ain't Laurent Without Yves  |  Célfie |  Homiés |  Céline Me Alone

One trend I can get behind: Easy, chic, designer-inspired pieces that make you laugh as well.

This year, designers such as Brian Lichtenberg, Jules Sarinana and Yves Saint Laurent have created looks for the streets that poke a bit of fun at designer merchandise. The Céline label seems to be a popular one to spoof--Lichtenberg's "Féline -Meow" & "Caniné -Ruff", as well as Sarinana's "Célfie" and Glamzelle's "Céline Me Alone" shirts are all extremely popular amongst bloggers and celebrities such as Ashley Tisdale, Zanita (of zanita), and of course, Jules (Sincerely Jules) herself.

One of Lichtenberg's most popular creations is his "Homiés" merchandise, (written in the signature Hérmes font) --ranging from t-shirts to sweatshirts and even hats and shoes. His "Homiés" creations have been sported by model Jourdan Dunn, the Kardashians, and Miley Cyrus, Nina Garcia, Elie Goulding, and Cara Delevigne, to name a few. Then there's Yves's "Ain't Laurent Without Yves" products, available in t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats. I personally have my eye on the black sweatshirt version, as long as I can get past the price tag. That's the thing about these tops--none of them are cheap. The shirts are all around $40-60 which isn't too bad (certainly not a bargain however), but the sweatshirts are around $80. Yikes. But hey, they are super trendy AND will look much better than the gray, tattered sweatshirt I'm currently sporting now. (That's me trying to convince myself I need to have one).

Other versions of the trend include What About Yves's "Hornés" Shirts (spoof of Hérmes-- with a picture of a Rhino), Lichtenberg's "Ballin Paris" apparel (spoof of Balmain Paris), as well as the brand Alex and Chloe's "Lovin Paris" (spoof of Lanvin Paris) and "Panda -Bear" (spoof of Prada). What I love most about all of these is that the fonts used are the exact same as the ones on the true designer merchandise, so the puns are all easily recognizable.

Feeling inspired, I attempted (for around 5 minutes) to come up with my own brand-name spoof, and all I could come up with was Céline on Me....as opposed to "Lean on Me"...haha...no? Okay then...before you make fun, can you do any better? Let me know in the comments!

Scoop these up here:
Alex And Chloe, What About Yves, Brian Lichtenberg, Revolve Clothing, Glamzelle

DigiTour 2013 - NYC

When you hear that all of your favorite YouTubers (with the exception of a few, ie. Louise Pentland of Sprinkle of Glitter and Jack & Finn Harries of jacksgap) are going to be coming all the way from England to NYC, you don't just sit on your butt on and think, "oh, that's cool." No. Here's how the scenario went in my house.

Caroline (myself) is sitting on twitter, scrolling scrolling scrolling until she sees a tweet from Alfie (@pointlessblog) which says that VIP tickets are available to meet him & his YouTube friends who will be coming to New York as part of Digitour in October. Caroline then hyperventilates a little, texts her friend in all caps indecipherable text messages, and races down the stairs to ask her mom if she could pretty pretty pretty please meet these people who are on YouTube (something I'm sure she still does not really get).

After I had my tickets in hand, I was super excited because I watch these people almost every day on my computer and now I was going to see them in the flesh.

I have to admit, things were EXTREMELY rushed, and we were told we were "not allowed to hug, touch, or talk to the 'British artists'" as the security guard called them. This was kind of disappointing--I mean, I knew I wasn't going to be able to sit and chat to them but I at least wanted to hug them!

When it was my turn to meet them, my twin sister and I went together to take the picture because we thought that it might help us get noticed a little more--which it did! When I said that we were twins Alfie was like, "no way!" because we look nothing alike and then took a good look at our faces. (And I almost fell on the floor).

I was so happy my sister and I wrote them all letters that we got to give them--hopefully they read them because they say so much more than I got to say to them which was basically nothing...haha. After meeting them we met a bunch of other YouTubers like Lohanthony, Sawyer Hartman, the members of O2L and couple of others. For some reason it didn't occur to me to take selfies with any of them except for Sawyer and Luke Conard who were towards the end (and I have to be honest I've never even watched Luke's videos...I only knew of him as Ingrid of missglamorazzi's former bf...sorry Luke).. I do watch and love Sawyer though! (And Luke seemed really nice!)

Anyway, after that was all said and done we made our way to the third row which my friends and I stayed in for about 45 mins but then we just could not bear to stand their any longer. I was really upset because I wanted to be super close to the stage but the crowd was just way too crazy. We were getting smothered and I just could not breathe and everyone was screaming and pushing and being super rough-- and this is before anyone was even on stage! So I wish I could have stayed, but all I was thinking was I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE. I don't really think I've ever had a panic attack and I'm definitely not trying to make it sound like I'm a victim of panic attacks because I'm not--but in that moment I swear I was going to have one. It was seriously INSANE. Why can't everyone just play nice?!

So after this my friends and I made our way to the very back which actually worked out fine... we could even see everyone on stage really well. Once all of the hectic things were all said and done we all ended up having a really great time. The people who sang were really talented (I'm obviously talking about Chip Chocolate), and the British (+ 1 South African) YouTube crew were obviously perfect. At one point we all started singing "New York," giant plastic balls were being passed throughout the audience, beach balls were flying everywhere, and everyone calmed down (well not really "calmed down," just became happy and dance-y rather than shoving and pushing) and it was really fun.

The highlight was definitely taking pictures, having Alfie stare at my sister & I and giving them all my letters.

Thank you all for coming to New York!!!

Who I've Followed On Instagram This Month

In my opinion, you can never follow too many Instagram accounts. Everyone has such a unique style, story, and voice, and I love finding new Instagrammers to follow! This month, I've found myself following quite a few people who have all made my Instagram feed significantly prettier. These lovely ladies are:

@viviannamakeup
While I've been an avid reader of her blog, viviannadoesmakeup, for a while now, for some reason it never occurred to me to follow her instagram. And let me just say, her instagram posts are just as pretty as the photos on her blog. Expect photos like:

@parisinfourmonths
After taking a trip to Paris about a year and a half ago, this city has stolen my heart. I'm convinced there isn't one part of Paris that isn't beautiful, and Carin, writer of parisinfourmonths, is surely supporting my case. Expect photos like:

@carolinaengman
A Swedish fashion blogger & stylist living in New York, Carolina writes fashionsquad-a classic and chic fashion, design and lifestyle blog. Expect photos like:

@emilyschuman
Another blog I have followed for a long time, cupcakesandcashmere, is written by Emily, and again for some reason, I never thought to follow her on instagram! Her posts are down-to-earth & full of fashion, food and life. Expect photos like:

@intothegloss
To finish up the theme of "blog I've followed forever but never thought to follow on instagram," intothegloss's posts are full of beauty shots, model shots & some random bits in between. Expect photos like:

@officialjdunn
Jourdan's instagram radiates "cool." Ever wonder what it's like to be one of the most popular young models in the industry? Besides her posts giving insight into her not-so-typical fashionista lifestyle, there are also BFF shots of her and Cara, and who doesn't love Cara?! Expect photos like:

@margaret_zhang
Margaret's photos are a happy dose of color on my instagram. Her posts range between fashion, travel, food, etc...but one thing remains consistant: all her photos are pretty! Writer of shinebythree. Expect photos like:

@raspberrynrouge
I found Rebecca through a tagged picture of her from another blogger I follow, and thought hmm..this girl looks like she has style. Sure enough, she did not disappoint. Amsterdam based, she writes raspberry-rouge, blogging about her travels and fashion and her photos are always gorgeous. Expect photos like:

@zanitazanita
Zanita is an Australian photographer and fashion blogger who writes zanita. While her style is a little more "vintage" than mine, her posts are always refreshing to scroll through on my news feed. The photos she takes of her travels are always beautiful, and expect front row coverage from fashion shows. Fun fact: her and Rebecca (of @raspberrynrouge) are very good friends. Expect photos like:

I know, I followed lots of new instagrammers this month, but each and every one of these girls has made my instagram experience even more enjoyable. 

I hope I helped you find some new instagrams or even new blogs to follow!