The Velveteen Rabbit

Row 1: Kate Spade // Sophia Webster // Salvatore Ferragamo

Row 2: Miss KG // Aquazzura // Senso

Row 3: Stubbs and Wootton // Stuart Weitzman // Mango

Row 4: Barney's New York // River Island // Aquazzura

The most romantic and incredibly luxurious trend this Fall 2016 season is velvet. All designers have embraced the plush fabric as there seems to be a plethora of silhouettes to snag. Make an entrance by snagging one of these beautiful styles in a gorgeous and rich hue. For a casual look, grab a basic flat and pair with jeans, or for something more sophisticated, grab a high-heeled nary-jane for your little black dress. Either selection you are bound to make a statement this season.

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

There's no denying that once Rostam Batmanlij left Vampire Weekend, he’s gone on to produce some pretty awesome music. For instance, this little gem and this little gem are just a few of my favorites. This past Friday, another dollop of Batmanlij goodness hit the music scene on NPR and the internet went into a joyous tizzy. Enter Rostam’s latest producing project, I Had a Dream That You Were mine, which was also co-written with Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkman front man). What’s interesting to note is that during the songwriting and recording process, no genre or pop-music era was ruled off-limits. Anything was game and the results are incredible. The two musicians play homage to the past, and place Leithauser’s vocals at the center of a truly beautiful album. My favorite tune is “Rough Going (I Won’t Get Up)”. Head over to NPR and stream the whole album right now. Your Fall Playlist will be overjoyed.

I Had A Dream That You Were Mine - Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

I'm a Barbie Girl

{Barbie and Ken Photos - Girls Headstands on the Beach}

When I was a child, I was obsessed with Barbie. My mom could leave me for hours by myself in the living room playing with my Barbie dolls. The thing that I loved the most was dressing and undressing her into different outfits.  Who would have thought that what constituted as "playing" in my youth, would shape my full blown career decades later.

Over the weekend, my mom, sister and I went to Washington Square Art Festival and stumbled upon a booth that had me beaming with excitement from my childhood Barbie days. The artist, David Parise, photographs vintage Barbie and Ken dolls in their original 1960s outfits and utilizes the backdrops of New York, Miami, Paris, etc. to craft a whimsical scene. His prints are fun, make you smile, make you laugh, and for most (myself included) hit a nostalgic chord. 

He has over 75 prints on his website that you can purchase in a variety of sizes. It was so hard to narrow down my favorites because all of them are so fantastic. I recommend heading over to his website immediately to browse through all of them. But for now, here's a peak at my top contenders. Which one do you love the most?

Local Natives

It was the Summer of 2009, I just had a crazy breakup and needed a night out on the town. I begged Hillary to accompany me to a concert at Bowery Ballroom. The headliners that evening were this little band from Orange County called Local Natives who I met through my very good friends Sharon and Paul a year prior.

The concert that night made the worries of approaching single-hood fade away. For one, I was completely mesmerized by their energy on stage. They had a vibrate eclectic sound that would completely separate them from everyone else. Lastly, I could only hope for massive success in their near future. 

It's been seven years since that concert and what a whirlwind of success and popularity this band has ensued. Their third studio album was released on Friday titled "Sunlit Youth" and once again I am mesmerized. Take a sneak peak at my favorite song below and then go out and buy the album. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Everything All At Once - Local Natives

Four Year Blog-Anniversary

It's crazy to think that 4 years ago, Pewter and Puddles was born. I've created 450+ posts and garnered over 148,000 unique page views which is reason enough to celebrate, don't you think? To all my family, friends, and readers, thank you for the support and encouragement to continue this creative outlet throughout the years. It wouldn't be possible without all of you and for that I am forever grateful. Cheers to the next four!

In typical blog fashion, who doesn't love a good roundup? Here is a look back at the top four posts about Music, Fashion, Home Decor, and NYC (based on page views) from the last year:

MUSIC:

Maggie Rogers crafts her songs from personal experiences - a spiritual journey abroad or from a hike gathering a sound bank of birds and noises for rhythm. The song mixes her folk, banjo roots and pairs perfectly with an EDM sound and I can't get enough of it.

FASHION:

It's almost that time again - NY Fashion Week. Take a peak at one of my favorite shows WHIT from last year's Spring 2016 show. The designer's collection was inspired by the idea of colorful hot air balloons over the Savannah. Every girl wanted a piece of her clothing, including myself.

HOME DECOR:



Furbish Studio is the best kept secret on the internet especially when it comes to home decor. Carefully curated by style-maven Jamie Meares, this powerful shop is a mecca for trend-setters and holds a constantly changing collection of original artwork, designer pillows, barware, vintage textiles, etc.

NYC:

This Summer, NYC lost an icon, Bill Cunningham. In my head, the infamous New York Times fashion photographer would live forever.  After all, the daily cyclist, spent decades documenting fashion from New York City streets. You are missed in the Sunday Style section every week. 

Anna of the North

The Scandinavian beauty, Anna of the North, makes your heart skip a beat with her infectious dream pop tunes and alternative sounds. Originating from Oslo, her latest synth-fueled pop track 'Us' is something that everyone can relate to you. We've all dated someone in the past where we felt a very strong connection, but timing was just off. Or their light wasn't on, right ladies? Well then this is the anthem for us. Enjoy!

Us - Anna of the North