There's so much to love about spring, including how fresh all of your spring/summer clothes feel when you pull them out of your closet for the first time. We finally had the perfect spring day in NYC, with "abundant sunshine" (my favorite weather forecast) and a gentle breeze. While this look is best worn in early spring or in fall, I typically don't wear it without leggings/tights because I've yet to find the best shoes/legwear combination to wear it during any other time of year.

Browns have always been a particularly difficult category of color for me to wear, but I feel most comfortable when I mix darker browns with camels. Let's just call camel my gateway brown.

Pony sweater: Torrid

Skirt: IGIGI (similar available here)

Necklace: Avon (similar available here and here)

Handbag: Marni at H&M

Scarf: Marni at H&M

Bracelet: Rebecca Minkoff c/o TRESemme

Watch: La Mer c/o TRESemme

Pumps: Jessica Simpson

Photos by Tara Shashaty

Last week NYC felt the first real signs of spring. We had two days over 60 degrees and seasonal confusion was pouring onto the streets like an office building during a fire drill. Needless to say, I joined the masses and pulled out a dress I'd been itching to wear, but I just couldn't allow myself to be without leggings quite yet. Speaking of this dress, I'm absolutely obsessed with it. It has an almost caped back and thanks to the way it's cut, I feel comfortable showing my arms (even though I'm not really showing anything at all). I can see this dress transitioning seamlessly into summer with nude slingbacks.

Speaking of this dress, I discovered it through HSN's Digital Dress Shop. The Dress Shop allows customers to discover dresses by designer, size, color, silhouette or through customized results delivered via the style quiz. While the dresses selected for me via the style quiz results were lovely, I had to see what all of the options available in my size were. After clicking through pages and pages of dresses, I discovered this DKNYC dress and instantly fell in love.

Dress: DKNYC c/o HSN

Sunnies: Tom Ford Nikita

Necklace: Marni at H&M (lookbook here)

Bracelet: Marni at H&M (lookbook here)

Handbag: DKNY (style no longer available, similar available here and here)

Leggings: Teggings by Re/dress

Shoes: Franco Sarto

Polish: Revelon Colorstay #260 Bold Sangria

Photos by Tarah Shashaty

Finds of the week:

• High: Wayuu Taya Foundation Susu Bag, $175
• Low: Vibrant Geo Bracelet, $8

Off the wire:

• A passenger got into a fight with a Southwest Airlines flight attendant when she was polishing her nails during the flight.
• Are bloggers too cozy with designers? Robin Givhan thinks so.
• Marni at H&M launched and the lines were, as predicted, long.

Smart reads:

• Ask BB: Where to buy cute and cheap bathing suits? - The Budget Babe
• On My Body: Rebecca Minkoff's Becky Silk Jacket - Eye4Style
• 10 Must Haves When Packing (Light) For Vacation - Fashion Pulse

The outfit photo that wasn't supposed to happen - at least that's what I had planned when I woke up at 5am last Thursday. Somehow, as the madness of the day evolved, I decided that my office party was a story that needed to be told. Guessing games were played, mock movie posters hung and FAQs were sent to everyone in the company surrounding our out of office adventure. People asked was there a dress code? Could I wear a ball gown? Were sequins appropriate? The response was to dress casually, because you'll be eating with your hands.

That's right, folks. My office decided that taking 250 people to New Jersey on 5 buses to Medieval Times was the best idea. After surviving two hours of traffic/tunnel confusion, packing my own plastic silverware into my purse and getting into the spirit of things, I'm inclined to agree. When your knight is the one who wins the battle (and really enjoys flirting with the audience), somehow everything comes full circle.

Outfit details:

Faux fur collar: H&M (last season, but the current season ones are great, too!)

Necklace: Adia Kibur

Striped tee: Old Navy (no longer available, but similar here)

Boyfriend blazer: Torrid (no longer available, but similar here)

Sequin skirt: Avenue (no longer available, but similar here)

Black leggings: Teggings from Re/Dress

Grey leather sneakers: Converse (no longer available, but make your own here)

Black watch: Swatch New Gent

Bracelets: Rich Rocks, Forever 21, Bauble Bar (get a closer look here)

Scarf (on handbag): Alexander McQueen

Handbag: Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Bag (color no longer available, style here)

H&M Friday Store Hours:

• Most H&M stores will open at 6am; some will open as early as 5am

H&M Black Friday Specials:

• 25% off any item of your choice from opening until 10AM

• Fashion finds starting at $5 (example pricing included below)
• Select outerwear styles at 50% percent off

Example pricing:

Ladies

Knitted shrugs from  $24.95 to $5.00

Knitted dresses from  $34.95 to $10.00

Party dresses from     $39.95 to $15.00

Men's

Patterned shirts from $29.95 to $10.00

Merino wool sweaters from $39.95 to $15.00

Knit pullovers from $24.95 to $10.00

Kids

Little girls sweaters $17.95 to $5.00

Little Boys trousers from  $17.95 to $5.00

Ladies/Men's

Winter knit accessories $14.95 to $5.00