{Back to School}

(Clockwise from top)

Eugenia Kim rabbit fur hat, $385, Selima Optique glass shades, £280, Pouch wallet, $15, J Crew tailored shirt, $78, Victoria s Secret double breasted pea coat, $128, Sam Edelman lace up boots, $250, DV by Dolce Vita flat shoes, $70, Longchamp Au Sultan Bag, €480, J Crew striped sweater, $78, J Brand skinny jeans, £200

For the first time in a long time (17 years, but who (aka all of my life past toddler-hood) September doesn't mark the start of a new school year. It took a long time for me to accept this fact. No school supply shopping, no first day outfit and no new planner to fill with assignments. So depressing!

No matter what age you are, September does mark the start of fall, and the changing of seasons always warrants changes in one's wardrobe. This fall I'm loving updated classics, like a button-down in sophisticated leopard print or a schoolboy loafer in blue patent leather. Paired with quirky accessories like a pair of tortoiseshell librarian glasses or a felt, feather-trimmed hat, these twists on the classics are sure to carry you through the season and bring new life to your closet standbys. Maybe I only ever got excited about the start of school because of the prospect of new clothes and outfits?

Just because I no longer have a need for toting around an assortment of pens, pencils and highlighters (hell, who am I kidding, I still carry them around!) doesn't mean I can't stash my lipgloss and bobby pins in a cute pencil case, instantly made geek-chic when tossed inside a luxe leather bag.

{So Long Sweet Summer}

It is, sadly, not so hard for me to believe that this summer has already come to an end. Since I started my job a mere three days after college graduation, I didn't have much time to relax and get into summer-mode. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful summer full of friends, family and great times.

{Where it all began: my graduation from Fordham University, May 21, 2011.}

{Not too bad for an early morning commute.}

{Memorial Day Weekend at Ship Ahoy Beach Club.}

{Thomas moved into his apartment on East 22nd Street.}

{Mark Murphy, Ana Murphy, Dad, Me, John Robinson, Lindsay Robinson, Nick Ford, Blaike Ford. Graduating was celebrated with a Father-Daughter dinner at Rumson Country Club.}

{A lovely graduation party was held at my dad's house for Jack, me and the other cousins who graduated this year. Seven of us in all!}

{I can't believe Jack graduated from 8th grade and is starting high school this week! It feels like yesterday that he was baby. I am so proud of all he has overcome (and is still overcoming). What an inspiring young man I have for a little brother.}

{I made my first visit to Paris in June for a work trip. Not too shabby for a first job!}

{As a Mets fan, I was reluctant to attend a Yankees game. But hey, the tickets were free :)}

{Many a morning was spent at the Union Square Greenmarket on my way to the subway.}

{Trips to Brooklyn are always full of surprises, like this great "installation art" found in Williamsburg.}

{We had drinks and appetizers at a darling place in Brooklyn, Nita Nita. They had a great outdoor seating area with mismatched furniture that made youfeel like we were in a good friend's backyard!}

{4th of July weekend was spent on Shelter Island, New York with good friends from college.}

{Thomas and I trekked to the west side on 4th of July Monday to watch the Macy's Fireworks on the Hudson. They were unbelievable, as was the number of people surrounding us watching. I'm so glad we saw them up close and not on a TV screen, but I am also so glad we can say "we did it!" and don't have to deal with those crowds ever again.}

{View from a penthouse suite in the Thompson Hotel.}

{Liz, me, Mom. We spent an afternoon shopping at Bergdorfs and Saks, then ate dinner and saw "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" on Broadway. The perfect girls night!}

{Two of my best friends from Fordham, Cait and Anne, visited for a weekend. It was so fun to show them around my hometown.}

{My little sister, Hannah, and I baked a lot with our cousin Elizabeth, who has a new love for baking.}

{The weather this summer (for the most part) was beautiful, and we spent a lot of evenings at our beach club.}

{One of the things I miss most about the Bronx is Estrellita Poblana, a restaurant and delivery place with the best Mexican food I have ever tasted. Thomas and I spent a good part of this summer searching Manhattan for something just as tasty. We had a delicious brunch at Vamos, a restaurant near his apartment.}

{Tropical Storm Irene made an appearance.}

{My lovebug of a niece, Kendall, gets more and more adorable by the day! I can't believe she is almost a year old, and I can't imagine not having her in our family.}

{This is how Bullet spent his summer. Relaxing. Every. Single. Day.}

It was an amazing summer, but fall is my favorite season and I am so excited for the adventures to come!