****The Gilded Age****

Did you know that in the early 1900's American women spent as much as $32,000 a year on their wardrobe.......(warning picture heavy post)

Although that doesn't seem like much, it would be the equivalent of $700,000 today........yes that is almost $1 million a year....every year......on a few well curated, made to fit pieces by the great Charles Worth or shipped in from Paris. And the spending did not stop with clothing.  The home was another costly endeavor for women during those times with its lavish self-portraits, 14k gold ceilings, hand carved everything and massive chandeliers.  And where might you ask is the money coming from that was funding these extravagant shopping orgies......beyond the simple answer that is the husband?  How about the benefits of raking in during America's Gilded Age.....the move from an agriculturally driven industry to a more industrial one.....and the years leading up to it.  Wealth was seen during this period that would be hard to recreate today.  And why you may ask am I talking about the Gilded Age and its affluent members?  Is it because this period was the inspiration for many current fall trends?  Am I somehow looking into my crystal ball at what lies ahead for our tough economy?  Am I looking to go back to school to major in History?   No but rather because this past weekend me and my boyfriend celebrated our 7yr anniversary in Newport, RI.......home to the most well preserved Gilded Age Mansions.

Although I'm no stranger to mansions as it has been the destination for countless grammar school field trips, this time around it really was amazing.  From the weather, to the significance of the day, to the terrific food, everything was perfect.  We even discovered that not only is Newport a tourist destination but it is actually quite the quaint little town with a booming night life and an astonishing shopping selection. The buildings reminded me of old fashioned villages and with the cobblestone streets it truly looked like something out of a picture.  The shopping was unexpected.  From The Gap, J Crew and a bunch of specialty boutiques carrying brands like Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, M Missoni and Joe's Jeans, there definitely wasn't a shortage of variety.  And then there was the food.  With Newport being on the water, fresh seafood is a given and choosing where to eat was difficult.  We ended up choosing a local favorite called Brick Alley and what an terrific choice.  We put our names on the list and unfortunately found out the wait was 45min.  After retreating to the bar to wait we immediately snagged a table freshly abandoned....beyond perfect timing...and still on the rush of getting the table found out that each entree comes with unlimited bread and salad bar.  Unable to pick between the lobster mac n cheese and a sausage version we got both along with garlic bread, onion rings and a meatball pizza appetizer. It ended up being one of the best meals we've had not only by quality in the food but also in the service....and all for under $80. All in all our weekend spectacular.

Now on to what I wore.  Unfortunately for me I wasn't feeling my most fashionable and would have preferred to be in comfy loose pj's...for the girls out there I'm quite sure you catch my drift.  I had on my super soft high-waisted cotton skirt from Forever 21 with a slouchy top that I wore off the shoulder and my new favorite necklace that I made on Friday.  The look was quite simple but really acted as a great canvas for the chunky necklace.  I will soon make another one for Naughty Baubles so if you are interested check back soon.

I went picture happy to really capture the scenery so enjoy and see ya next post........

And the word of the day is............TRAFFIC!!!!

Who wouldn't want to live in these cute condos!!

Rosecliff Mansion

The backyard of Rosecliff Mansion

Me and my Baby in the Rosecliff's backyard!!!

The whole coast is littered with amazing homes

Entrance to The Breakers...owned by Vanderbilts

Back of the mansion

The view from the back terrace

 After touring a few mansions we went on The Cliff Walk which goes along the coast allowing you to see not only all the marvelous homes...some still privately owned today...but the magnificent view.

Kind of weird but the whole path was lined with tomoto plants ripe and ready to be picked

Especially meaningful for us on such an amazing anniversary

You don't want to slip on this trail....its a long bumpy way down

Privately owned

I found a hole in the shrubs and had to follow it...I'm such a kid

Wonderful selection of mens Ralph Lauren with a vintage LV trunk being used as display

Thinking about approaching the store owners and offering up my visual merch. services for their store windows....could use some help

Right on the dock

Its hard to imagine that this store houses a ton of Tory Burch and some really incredible leather jackets