Photo Diary // Flaming Donuts and Fruit Trees

I know I’ve been MIA (thanks to loooong hours at work and an evil sinus infection), but I’ve been around! Here’s what I’ve been up to: Scarfing down flaming donuts (YUM) with sugar-glazed abandon; Marvelling at the fact that there are places where fruit is growing on trees (with leaves on them!)  in February; Watching feeding time with the fishies at the Newport Aquarium; Lusting after the Manolos I pulled for a photo shoot #WantneedmusthavetoobrokeAARGH;...

Current Obsession // In the Grays

My love of neutrals has been pretty well documented, especially when it comes to my favorite: gray. That perfect, goes with everything, not-too-dark-but-not-too-light color that’s not really a color. I was digging through my closet when I realized that I currently own 5 gray sweaters (I ONLY want to wear sweaters lately thanks to this horrible PolarBearVortexRollercoaster weather) in varying shades and weights, and I’m not the only one: Images via Lori Stuckman, weheartit, Golestaneh...

Muse-ings // Mermaids and Tablescapes

1// As a child of the ‘80s, anything that reminds me of Darryl Hannah in Splash or the mystery mermaid lover from Kool and the Gang’s “Cherish” video warms my heart. 2// I love the simplicity of a boldly striped shoe. 3// This is the best, most Parisian version of curb appeal I’ve seen in a long time. 4// Now that I understand how much work goes into prop styling, this eclectic tabletop arrangement is...

Photo Diary // 12.24.13

Lately I’ve been… Canoodling with alpacas; sorting out the lives of naughty Christmas ornaments; coaxing model dudes to cozy up to hair appliances; obsessing over these St. Laurent Paris combat boots; admiring the deliciousness of P&G’s twin towers in candy form; and manhandling ALL the Grippos–for work, of course. Follow @thestylesample on Instagram, and for all those who celebrate, have a Merry Christmas!

Lessons From Yoncé

On Friday the 13th, Beyoncé released a secret “visual album” complete with 14 songs and 17 videos, canceling out pretty much everything else that thought it mattered in the world of pop culture. To be clear, I am not a Beyoncé stan–there are several of her songs that I actively dislike, and I feel zero connection to her public persona–but as a woman of color trying to find her way in a creative industry, there’s...