open waters

Dress: Maiyet (borrowed from The RealReal); Shoes: Henri Lepore Dezert; Necklace: Dannijo; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

To follow yesterday's sunshine-infused post from Turkey, I have a few more travel recaps for you this week and next, this time from my recent sea excursion with Princess Cruises. Admittedly, as much as I love the ocean, I've never considered myself much of a cruise person. (If there is such a thing?) But if there's anything that this blog has taught me over the past several years, it's that I can always surprise myself. And I usually do.

We set sail for a total of five days into the Caribbean Sea, stopping off along the way at Grand Cayman (Sting Ray City!) and Cozumel (near Tulum, Mexico), more on both to follow soon in a future post. While each day was filled with activity and one too many margaritas, both on shore and off, I have to say some of my favorite moments (and the moments that I seem to miss most especially now that work has kicked into full swing) were stolen out on our room balcony, simply listening to the ocean at night. It's oddly calming listening to something so powerful hum through the evening hours, especially when you can't see it, but really only feel it. 

This post was in collaboration with Princess Cruises. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Beca Alexander

bodrum diary {turkey part III}

It's quite bittersweet seeing my Turkey trip come to an end here on the blog. Mind you, I never meant to drag out my recaps through November but I think part of me has been holding out from posting -- if only to savor the last remnants of our adventure a bit longer. 

For the final leg of our trip, we headed down south to the coastal town of Bodrum for some much needed R&R after hopping around Istanbul and Cappadocia. Bodrum is known for being a destination among local Turks and Europeans alike -- most notable for their nightlife and dining. This portion of our trip, fortunately, took on a much slower pace with lazy mornings snacking on watermelon next to our hotel pool, long days at the beach (I made it through three different books) and our biggest decision of the day being where to eat dinner that evening. Bookending the trip this way made all the difference in the world -- we left tan, relaxed and beyond content. 

If you're just joining now, check out the first two parts of our trip here and here.

i'l have what she's having {fall investments}

T by Alexander Wang coat // Rebecca Minkoff coat // Alexander Wang moto boots // Elizabeth & James belt bag // Rebecca Minkoff jacket + pants // Adam Lippes cropped sweater // Red Valentino wrap skirt // DKNY leather fringe jacket // Rebecca Minkoff backpack

I'm slowly (but surely) unearthing myself from mountains of work these days, but that doesn't mean I haven't been coming up for air in the form of mini retail therapy sessions here and there. Some key fall investments for me? Namely that fringe leather jacket (oh, the mini dance sessions I would have in it) and that belt bag, aka glorified fanny pack. Hey, no shame here.

Now, do I resume digging away at my mountain of work or watch Taylor's Blank Space video again? Decisions, decisions...

the road to cappadocia {turkey part II}

To think it's been over a month since we wrapped up our whirlwind tour of Turkey, actually blows my mind a bit. Where has the whole month of October gone?! In all fairness, life got a bit hectic the minute I returned back to the States. I've started a new role at work (which I'm beyond excited for) and have been cranking away at big holiday campaigns -- all of this is to say, you may have noticed regular programming on This Time Tomorrow has been anything but lately. While I'd love to say I have this whole balance thing figured out between work and the blog (a common question I get via email from you dear readers), sometimes it's a fine line. And when 2am rolls around, you have to learn how to just walk away from the laptop. Easier said than done, of course.

But what about Turkey, you ask? Well I have two more installments coming your way this week, plus a whole other slew of travel posts straight from the Caribbean, so let's pack our proverbial bags for a minute and rewind back to September, when Heather and I were still bouncing around Turkey -- Cappadocia, to be exact. 

We actually only booked ourselves 48 hours in this little pocket of the country (smack dab in the middle of Turkey). Why? The main catalyst was for a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the canyons which I had romanticized about ever since spotting it during a Google Image binge. The landscape in these parts is indescribably eerie and at the same time mesmerizingly beautiful. Hailing from the desert myself, there's an undeniable aching charm that desert landscapes can have over you and it was definitely palpable here.

These dwellings sprinkle the countryside. Originally homes, these "caves" are pretty easy to spot while hiking around -- just look for the etched out windows and oddly placed doors (that seem to have no easy way to climb to them).

Taking in the view during an impromptu hike, during which we followed hand drawn arrows on rocks to figure out the best path to the top. At certain points, we lost track of the arrows and had to circle around frantically for the next one. 

We spent a lot of time at this woman's stand, browsing through her jewelry and bags, while spending a bit of time with her children. 

Sunset ATV tour? Basically the only way to explore! We rode through the Red Rose Valley, making our way to the abandoned village you see above here. It was one of those moments where time felt suspended and untouched. 

While we didn't get the sunrise we were hoping for (it was quite overcast), I have to say this truly was a bucket list moment for me. We took off with at least 30 other balloons, hopping (sometimes narrowly) over the spires and peaks of the canyon and I loved every minute of it.  

Stay tuned later this week for the final part of our Turkey travels. 

gun in your holster

Shirt: Everlane; Jeans: BigStar; Shoes: Henri Lepore Dezert; Bag: Proenza Schouler; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Belt: Moschino; Watch: Daniel Wellington

I've had a few books on rotation lately, namely Lena Dunham's Not That Kind of Girl (still making my way through, but love it so far) and the wildly Instagramable How to be Parisian Wherever You Are. Both have filled a particular type of role during my most recent travels, but it's the latter that I've surprisingly been taking to heart lately. Sure, I don't expect to turn into a Parisian overnight after reading it, nor did it challenge me in a highly intellectual way either, but the "snackable" bits of advice (on love, style, confidence, sex, you name it), have been exactly what I've needed to keep in mind these past couple of weeks.

One particular favorite quote reads: "The signature item is an attitude. It is the gun in your holster that makes you feel well dressed and invincible."

Lately, I couldn't be be relying on this quote more. Work has been running me through some pretty long hours (it is holiday season after all) and while I love the go-go-go nature of it, I'm more often than not, getting dressed while it's still dark out, which makes feeling put together at all times, a bit tricky.

Fortunately, a great rotation of black skinny jeans (like this pair from Big Star, which I've been living in lately) and an oversized silk blouse are really all I need to get through the door. For a daily uniform, it's understated, chic and polished without looking too overdone, and I love that while it only took 2 minutes to put together, it still gives me that attitude/confidence boost to really take on my day. Plus, these jeans fit like a glove at just the right high-rise cut -- striking the perfect balance between slightly formal and slightly off duty. Net, net, if my attitude is the gun in my holster, then this uniform is my ammo. 

This post was in collaboration with Big Star Denim. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Kim Mitchell