museum dates {with plan de ville}

Dress: Ellery (borrowed from Plan de Ville); Shoes: Saint Laurent; Clutch: L'Afshar (borrowed from Plan de Ville); Choker: Net-A-Porter ribbon

As much as I consider myself a social person and love making plans with my girlfriends, I also love treating myself to solo dates. Little jaunts around the city to spots or places I've been meaning to visit, to simply enjoy by myself and appreciate alone. I can go at my own pace, take detours when I want to or just simply sit in silence to take it all in, if it so pleases me. And if I want to go the extra mile, I'll even turn my phone to airplane mode, only using it to snap photos along the way. It's the perfect indulgent "me" time that truly allows me to clear my head of clutter, doubt, worry and the all around mess that accumulates from time to time. 

And my favorite solo dates? Always at museums. If you recall, as part of my 30 before 30 list (which we're nearing the end to!), I wanted to check out all the museums in New York City. Sadly, I think I fell short on this one (there are just so many museums here!), but I'm a sucker for my favorites: The MoMa, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Natural History Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Of course, the Met. There's just something so enchanting about the Met -- it's mazelike -- almost as if you're roaming around a large funhouse, with surprises around every corner. Naturally, there's the pure grandeur of the interior architecture alone (columns and high-vaulted ceilings for days!) that never ceases to stop me in my tracks when I walk in and look up. 

This past week, I wanted to capture some of that awe feeling I have when I walk into the Met so Lydia and I took full advantage of a snowy day here in the city to shoot inside. To throw in a little extra romance and whimsy to the story (because why not?) I donned this Ellery dress borrowed from Plan de Ville for the occasion. If you haven't checked out their selection of up and coming designers, I highly recommend that you do. 

And not to throw another recommendation at you, but if you've never been to the Met, I highly recommend you clear your schedule for a full day and head over. Maybe also go solo and treat yourself to a lunch date in their atrium cafe? Just a thought...but I think you might enjoy it. 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

mad max {in marissa webb}

Vest: Marissa Webb, bought at her store, but I can't find it online (jacket version here); Shirt: Frank & Eileen; Jeans: J.Brand; Boots: Stuart Weitzman; Bag: Saint Laurent; Sunglasses: Celine; Choker: Net-A-Porter packaging ribbon

When it comes to shooting outfits for This Time Tomorrow, I like the location to be just as much of a focal point as the outfit, if not more so sometimes (Empire State Building, anyone?). And that's mainly because I like to think of this space as my catalyst for exploring New York. It makes me see the city through different eyes and experience it in a way that's more than just passing through another neighborhood. In a way, I take a piece of it with me. 

While this location I may not have given a second thought to, I'm really glad Lydia insisted we shoot here. It's part of the NYU campus, just a block off Washington Square Park, and while nothing about it screams "New York!" to me, we both were really digging the Mad Max vibes it was giving off -- structural and rough around the edges -- a little slice of a post-apocalyptic world, right there at the corner of the park. Granted, I'm no Charlize Theron and I definitely didn't have Tom Hardy by my side (unfortunately!), but I have to admit, it did give a certain brazen edge to my outfit that I think was warranted. 

That said, if there are ever locations in New York (or elsewhere for that matter, in the US or abroad), that you think I should check out for a shoot, please do let me know! Send me an email (krystalannebick@gmail.com) with the subject line "Shoot Locations" and I'd love to check them out.

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

pep rally {with clinique}

Jacket: Eddie Bauer; Leggings: Lululemon; Shoes: Nike; Sunglasses: Celine

Lately, with my schedule a bit in flux these days with both the weather and NYFW kicking into high gear, I've been squeezing my workouts in during the mornings. If it's warm enough (which thank goodness, it has been lately!), I'll opt for a morning run along the Hudson (around 6am, eep!). If it's a bit chillier, or there's fresh snow on the ground, I'll head to my trusty Equinox or a Barry's Bootcamp class to wake up.

I've always considered myself an early riser -- and when the mood strikes me just right -- I love working out in the mornings. It's a great way to energize your day and by the time most folks are just thinking about their first cup of coffee, you've already covered a few miles or did your fair share of squats to get your booty looking fresh for summer.

For early mornings like these, I keep my beauty routine simple, with a fresh layer of BB cream and moisturizer to perk up my skin. The folks over at Clinique recently introduced me to their new eye cream, Pep-Start, which I've been testing out for my undereye area, right after applying my all over facial moisturizer. If you're like me, your under eye area is probably super sensitive when you first wake up (meaning I sometimes look like a zombie on the treadmill), but Pep-Start has been an easy step in my routine that actually perks up my skin (i.e. it feels more plump, making my eyes pop just a tad bit more). 

As for this past Wednesday's early morning workout with Clinique? Well let's just say I experienced my first 7am dance/rave/Daybreaker event. In short, I thought I was signed up for 7am yoga. Instead, I was greeted by fire acrobats, Knicks City Dancers and a ton of glow sticks. But that's another story, for another day, perhaps? ;)

Have you guys tried out Pep-Start yet? You can snag your own at Sephora right here.

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

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

xoxo {with love, from the realreal}

Dress: Alaïa via The RealReal; Shoes: Henri Lepore Dezert; Sunglasses: Celine; Lips: Marc Jacobs "Amazing"; Bag: Chanel

Scene: It's 1995, a gas station in Los Angeles.

Thief: Give me your phone. [holds gun to woman's head]

Cher: [hands cell phone over to thief]

Thief: OK, now get down on the ground.

Cher: Oh no, [as she unbuttons her feather trimmed coat to show thief her dress] this is an Alaïa. 

Thief: [with a bewildered look o his face, now scanning the parking lot to see if anyone is looking at them] It's an A-whata?

Cher: [now rolling her eyes, emphasizing each word] It's like, a totally important designer.

Thief: And I will totally shoot you in the head. [cocking gun]

Cher: [groans and gets down on the ground]

And ever since then (probably much like other girls born between 1980 and 1986 who were obsessed with Clueless) I've pretty much wanted an Alaïa dress. Not so much for the "please rob me" appeal (God forbid), but more so for the timeless sexiness of each piece. So when my go-to designer consignment site, The RealReal asked me to style a look for my "dream Valentine's Day date" I immediately started stalking all the Alaïa dresses I could find on site. I like to think this particular one that I snagged would be perfect for a night of dinner, drinks and plenty of dancing (the twirl appeal is undeniable!). 

As for my dream Valentine's Day date? Let's just say if both Stephen Colbert and Tom Hardy asked me out on February 14th, would I panic about the double booking and say no? As if! Luckily, Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, so there's always February 13th as well. ;)

Enough of my rambling though, here are a few other Alaïa favorites, all available via The RealReal now. Which would you wear and who would be your dream Valentine's Day date? 

PS: Head over to The RealReal today to find out how you can win a luxury item of your choosing just by obsessing items on their site. More details can be found here. 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

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

zimmermann sale favorites

Blazer: Zara (old, similar style here); Shirt: Zimmermann (on sale now!); Jeans: J.Brand; Boots: Aldo; Bag: Sophie Hulme via Otte (c/o); Necklace: Net-A-Porter ribbon; Watch: Daniel Wellington; Sunglasses: Celine

Guys, do yourself a favor and : 1. take an extra long lunch break today 2. kick your heels up and 3. shop the Zimmermann sale section. It's. Just. Too. Good.

Here are some of my favorites...including this top I'm sporting here (which I think could look cute layered with a turtleneck underneath it at some point this winter).

Photos by Christine Cameron

3 small apartment space hacks

If you've been following along on SnapChat lately, you know January has been a big home revamp month for me. I've been scouring a lot of the furniture shops in the city, new and antique, hunting down pieces at flea markets and upstate estate sales (Hudson Valley has a great weekend market that I need to visit again soon) and generally streamlining my space as much as possible (which means a lot of furniture rearranging, much to Elvis' dismay). 

That said, I still think my biggest obstacle (as most New Yorkers can probably attest to), is space layout, or perhaps more fitting, the lack thereof. 

Don't get me wrong. I love my West Village studio -- it's decent size for a one room space, just enough for Elvis and I (although I'm still waiting for the day that he pitches in for rent) and I can't beat the natural daylight I get at most hours of the day.

But there's only one closet. 

Insert gasp here.

If you recall either of my San Francisco apartments, you know I was pretty fortunate to have not only several of them, but sizeable to boot (remember this closet? -- ah, how I miss that little alcove!). Needless to say, downsizing to only one closet has meant a bursting at the seams rolling rack had to step in, and thereby, the real estate space in my apartment alone had to be completely reconfigured. 

It's still very much a work in progress, one I hope to complete and share soon, but in the meantime, here are three small apartment hacks that I think would make MacGyver proud. 

1. Curtain dividers: My studio is relatively long and narrow, with two sunny windows at the rear, facing the street. My bed is currently situated next to the windows (as I love being able to crack a window at night and have fresh air come in), meaning the living space takes up the front half of the apartment. I wanted to find a way to separate the two spaces, without blocking the light, and ideally, conceal my overloaded rolling rack. I first played around with the idea of an Ikea shelving unit as a room divider, but got nervous that if it wasn't anchored properly, Elvis might knock it over and hurt himself. 

That's when someone suggested a curtain divider. I was hesitant at first (would it feel like a hospital room?) but after scouring the internet for a few ideas, I love how light and airy it can make the space, while still giving just enough privacy. 

2. Mirror gallery wall: When it comes to gallery walls, this ain't my first rodeo. This time around though, I intend to focus just on mirrors, old and new, to place next to my windows and hopefully bounce and reflect more light around the space. I especially love the idea of layering a few smaller mirrors on top of larger ones for added dimension.

3. Custom shelving with a TV cubby: As someone with has a lot of books, magazines and knick knacks from travels (my goal is to really have my space remind me of places I've been fortunate enough to visit in the world), I require a lot of storage space, that doubles as a showcase. I love floor to ceiling shelving units and have the perfect wall for it, opposite my couch. This time around though, I'm putting on my big girl shoes, and ponying up for a TV (I haven't had a TV in my apartment since Gossip Girl was still on). I generally, don't like how TVs dominate a wall space, but I love the idea of it seamlessly tucked into a beautiful shelving unit, surrounded by my favorite things. 

All these photos (and more) can be found via my home Pinterest board here.