Cognac-colored (Plus the Perfect Pair of Boots)

Last week, I made my first return trip to New York City since I re-located to Chicago four months ago.

I’ve mentioned this to you before, but one of the first questions that people ask me these days is whether or not I miss living in Manhattan…

My honest answer has been no — and still is — but nonetheless: It was so wonderful to be back in the city for a few days.

I made the trip back primarily for work (SoulCycle), so from a packing perspective, most of the things that I brought were of the spandex/latex variety. Like, 90% of my suitcase was workout gear.

Of course, I tacked on a few blog- and friend-related things while I was in town, so I had to bring a few stylish staples: Black jeans, a suede moto jacket (everyone was asking me where I got mine — it’s 15% off with code Signup15) and a striped shirt that paired easily with anything is what fit the bill.

Oh, and these boots, but we’ll get to those.

I flew in late last Monday evening, so Tuesday was my first full day in the city. Not surprisingly, I fell back into my old routines very, very easily: Stopping into Birch Coffee on my morning walks to the subway, always finding a reason to walk through Madison Square Park, and hitting up Juice Generation for a post-workout smoothies — just to name a few.

One evening, I even had “a very New York night” and had dinner by myself at one of my favorite restaurants: Westville. (If you go, get the turkey burger with avocado and goat cheese. Life-changing!)

There are certain things I miss about New York, of course — like grabbing breakfast from a bodega or jaywalking without consequence; or wondering what colors the Empire State Building will light up with at night.

But by the end of my three-day trip, I was reminded of a few things I definitely do not miss, including touch-and-go, make-your-stomach-turn taxi cab traffic all the way down Sixth Avenue, everyone always seeming to be in a hurry, and the subway during rush hour.

It was a productive trip indeed, but the end of each day, I was downright exhausted. (Although in hindsight, this is probably because I was taking three or four classes every day.)

At any rate, I returned to Chicago over the weekend feeling re-energized and really inspired, so I’m more than ready to hit the ground running this week.

And speaking of running, let’s talk about these boots real quick (… real f-kin’ quick).

I’ve been looking for a cute pair of over-the-knee boots that are good for day or night, and these definitely fit the bill. They’re walkable and under $150, so you really can’t beat ’em. Quick tip, though: Order your regular shoe size, don’t size up to your boot size. Steve Madden has most sizes in all three colors in-stock!

*IN THIS POST:

Clothing

Black aviators: Ray-Ban (25% off on Nordstrom this week!)
Cognac-colored moto jacket: c/o Azalea SF (15% off with code Signup15)
Striped shirt: Joe Fresh ($16, comes in five colors)
Black jeans: 7 for All Mankind (they stretch!)
Over-the-knee boots: Steve Madden (less than $150, here in more sizes/colors)
Beige clutch: c/o Gigi New York

Beauty

Nail Polish: Essie ‘Really Red’ (similar shades here)
Hair styling: Living Proof’s No Frizz collection (get the introductory kit here)
Blush: NARS ‘The Multiple’ in Riviera (blended with NARS Kabuki brush)
Lipstick: NARS satin lip pencil in ‘Palais Royale’ (new fave!)
Tinted moisturizer: Jouer (with SPF20)

*Click to shop: otk boots | black jeans | NARS lip pencils | this post (below):

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Lydia Hudgens Photography