shell chic'd

The Hamptons

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Sixteen plus hours spent in buses and cars this past weekend was no walk in the park, but was more than worth it for a trip to East Hampton, New York to surprise + celebrate one of my best friend’s birthdays. As much as I love New England in the summer, it was a real treat to take a mini vacation to The Hamptons and enjoy some super soft sand, noticeably warmer ocean water, beach bonfires, and of course drinks + laughter with a group of my best college friends.

Weekend trips like these are what constantly keep my motivation up, especially on Mondays! Do you have any planned for this summer?

Windsor [Tea] Castle

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Saturday was spent with my sister having high tea in a seaside town in honor of The Royal Wedding. Windsor Tea Shop is possibly the cutest establishment in New England…

You should probably stop by. I recommend the cucumber tea sandwiches + peach tea.

Windsor Tea Shop
1 Pleasant Street
Cohasset, Massachusetts 

NYE in NYC

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Happy New Year everyone!!

While I would one day love to brace the crowds and see that glittery ball drop in person, I had a more untraditional New York New Year’s and instead stayed pretty far away from Times Square. But I did have such an incredible time ringing in 2012 with some of my best friends! Here’s a little taste of my night, and as always I’m linking up with a {little} dash of ash for an Instagram Link Party— first of the new year!

New York City

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Finally, some photos from my trip to NYC last week!

Every time I visit New York, I think I begin to see it less and less as a tourist. But I still can’t help but attempt to capture it through a thousand photos! So maybe once a tourist, always a tourist…

Instacity

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Happy Monday!! Oof and a sleepy Monday it is, as I didn’t get back until pretty late last night from my weekend in New York with one of my oldest friends, kTk!

I have some “real” photo sorting to do before I can give you a full recap, but here’s a little taste of my trip through Instagram photos… enjoy! xx

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Alice’s Tea Cup

Visiting the Lilly Pulitzer on Madison Ave, and trying on the dress from my Friday’s Fancies!

Dylan’s Candy Bar, the most colorful place ever.

Laduree!! I’ve been waiting for a chance to visit the NYC location ever since I first heard it was opening and wrote about it way back when.

While having lunch at Fred’s at Barney’s, we saw this adorable Gossip Girl-esque Sweet 16 taking place next to us.

Dream shopping… 🙂

Raspberry champagne and macarons=a perfect end to a perfect day.

More to come!! And for anyone who follows me on Instagram (emilyshell), I’m so sorry for overflowing your feeds this weekend!

The Moral of Coral + Other Weekend Things

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Happy Monday kittens!

How were your weekends? Mine started off super hectic, as we had lots of visitors at the new house (and Puffy does not let visitors come to a dirty home!), but ended up very relaxing.  On Thursday, the closest thing I’ve ever had to a little sister, Morgan of I Call it Lovely, came up to visit with her mama.  She stayed in the city with me Thursday (I dragged her around apartment shopping and to dance class– what’s family for?), and then we spent the rest of the weekend at my parents’ house on the water.

We went out for seafood Saturday night and I finally got to use the gorgeous coral clutch she got me for my birthday.  I loved how sharp the color looked against my white dress, and that’s what I had been waiting to use it with, but after seeing how Cupcakes and Cashmere paired hers, I know I need to be more adventurous with it.  I figured out that it’s actually hard to find much that doesn’t go well with coral, especially in the summertime!

Having Morgan and her mom in town made me realize again how hard it’s going to be to not have my childhood home to go back to at holidays.  We always have Christmas Eve with their family but now with the move it looks like we have new traditions to start!  But like my mom said to Morgan’s, “those girls will always find their way back to each other.”  And we will– love you sissy 🙂

Rhody & Rings

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Happy Monday lovers!

I got to spend a wonderful weekend in Rhode Island with a bunch of my college friends… can’t believe it’s only been six weeks since we graduated because it feels like we’ve been apart forever! Anyway, seeing one of my best friends, Samantha, gave me some inspiration for this post.

Sam has got to be one of the best people I know at accessorizing. I’ve always envied how easily piling on jewelry comes to her– she can wear about nine bracelets and a ring on every finger and make it look so natural! Example A:

She has a style that’s hard to copy, but I can at least offer you some cute rings that remind me of her. These picks are from pretty mainstream stores, but I find that this style of jewelry is best found at little beach shops and individual boutiques– you’ll find incredibly original pieces there. Also, don’t shy away from those jewelry kiosks in malls; some can be pretty tacky, but a lot also have some hidden gems. Literally.

Sealife Ring, Free People, $28

Aged Leaf Ring, Anthropologie, $88

Silver Spoon Ring, California Spoon Rings, $25.50

Delicate Arrow Ring, Urban Outfitters, $12

Delicate Leaf Ring, Urban Outfitters, $16

Dragonfly Stack Rings, Fossil, $36

Frank Gehry® Torque Micro Ring, Tiffany & Co., $125

And on another note, can we talk about how fun Instagram is? Here are some other edited shots from our beach day:

Here’s to a great week for you all!

Weekend Carryalls

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First weekend trip of the summer starts tonight after work– heading to Rhode Island for a graduation party and beaching with college friends!  I actually find it more difficult to pack for two days than I do for a week-long trip… so much I want to wear and not enough time!  I limit my packing by forcing myself to fit everything within a small duffel or tote.  It’s never easy, but I’m so much happier in the end with a small shoulder bag than a clunky rolly suitcase or oversized duffel.

These are some great sizes to go with for weekending, and what fun looks too!

Small Duffel in Blue Lagoon, Vera Bradley, $69 (select colors on sale!)

The Gardiner's Island Seersucker Acrylic Duffel Bag, Wm. J. Mills & Co., $130

Denim Beach Tote, Lucky Brand, $79

Jute Based Tote, CALYPSO St. Barth for Target, $14 (sale!)

Key-Per Duffle Satchel, Fossil, $98

Medium Weekender, LeSportsac, $98

Safe travels!!