LE CATCH

$39, gap

It took me about a New York minute to decide that this color-block Gap clutch was a winner, but a little longer to figure out which color combo I liked best. See the other options here. I've concluded that the no-fail, easy-to-match camel and red mix is a good place to start.

1. Carven tie-neck blouse, $370, netaporter.com
2. Oasis shaggy blazer, $130, oasis-stores.com
3. Gap color-block clutch, $39, gap.com
4. Madewell leopard print flats, $108, madewell.com
5. J. Crew jeans, $125, jcrew.com

Among this season's statement sweaters is the Fair Isle knit, a cozy, comfy, colorful foil to everything from jeans to leather pants to decidedly formal pieces, like a skirt--which is how I like it best. I adore these lovelies from The Gap, ALC, J. Crew (or this less expensive one) and Proenza Schouler (the one that precipitated my whole Fair Isle fixation.)

$130, topshop

My current fixation is the biker jacket (I'm preparing a round-up for you all on the season's best--look out for it later this week). I came across this denim one today though and could not wait to share with you. I'd cozy up in it with...

1. Madewell striped sweater, $75, madewell.com
2. Topshop denim motorcycle jacket, $130, topshop.com
3. J. W. Hulme cross-body bag, $230, stevenalan.com
4. Ash boots, $220, shopbop.com
5. Mother silver glitter finish jeans, $210, netaporter.com

A staple of tights-and-boots weather, a chunky scarf yields wintry-chic flair and a hefty amount of warmth, too. I like a heavyweight scarf that doesn't completely swallow your head or burden your shoulders. It should feel comfy around your neck and be wrapped or loosely tied, almost like an ascot. I prefer wearing them with casual outfits, such as a crewneck sweater, jeans and a light jacket (like the girl above), and sticking to a muted color or pattern to get more mileage out of it. I'm all over these cozy standouts from Paula Bianco, Topshop and Asos.

$114, miss selfridge

It's a beaded, baroque bonanza! Just the thing to take you from one holiday fete to the next. You could also throw it into your everyday mix with jeans and a blazer, like this...

1. Miss Selfridge pearl-beaded top, $114, missselfridge.com
2. Vanessa Bruno blazer, $342, theoutnet.com
3. Alexander Wang cross-body bag, $985, shopbop.com
4. J. Crew cap-toe suede pumps, $258, jcrew.com
5. Marni cropped jeans , $340, netaporter.com

I love the unexpectedness of wearing a bohemian-hippie bag with an otherwise urbane outfit. The combination yields a magpie-cool kind of vibe. Here are some ornamental options to consider from Antik Batik, Anthropologie and JADEtribe.

$135, j.crew

Before I jump in to this morning's post, I want to mention that my thoughts are with everybody in New York and elsewhere who have been affected by Sandy. It has hit close to home for me as many of my friends and family have been affected.

I saw these pants online last week and thought they were super cool, not only because of the graphic print but because they're jeans which increases the daily-wearability factor. (I just saw a friend, wearing them at a children's birthday party, looking great, and not at all overly statement-y for the setting.) Give them a whirl with...

1. J. Crew sweatshirt, $69, jcrew.com
2. Assad Mounser rope collar necklace, $320, charmandchain.com
3. Topshop trench coat, $196, topshop
4. Mod Cloth bag, $69, modcloth.com
5. Sam Edelman ballet flats, $90, shopbop.com
6. J. Crew geometric print jean, $135, jcrew.com

$115, shopbop

My twin sister got the classic Hermes' Medor watch for her birthday a few years ago, and I have eyed it covetously ever since. I was thus pleased to find this Medor-inspired wraparound ticker, which also features the same dog collar-like spikes and doubles as a cool bracelet. It also comes in black.

$395, my-theresa.com

I love this sweater's sporty-retro spirit and the idea of wearing it with something fancy and feminine, like this...

1. Jil Sander Navy sweater, $395, my-theresa.com
2. Bauble Bar earrings, $40, baublebar.com
3. Clare Vivier foldover suede clutch, $156, shopbop.com
4. Alexander Wang heels, $485, shopbop.com
5. Marc Jacobs tinsel skirt, $865, netaporter.com

Although I am looking forward to hanging close to home this weekend, we did manage a quick trip to visit some friends in Napa--St. Helena to be exact--earlier this month. I just downloaded the pictures, and thought I'd share. I have always enjoyed my far-too-infrequent trips to this part of California, given the amazing natural beauty, food, wine, and friendly people. But this time was particularly special, since our friends have put down roots there. With them as our gracious guides, we were able to imagine ourselves as locals, for a brief moment, living amidst the vines. Of course, part of what made that possible was that we were literally living in a vineyard (yes, those are grapevines surrounding the pool!), tractors full of grapes passing through our backyard periodically as the harvest was in full swing. We also traveled everywhere by bike, often through the vineyards themselves, which had the effect of making us more connected to the earth, and covered with it, in a good way.

We did take one car ride during the weekend over to Calistoga, since it was quite a ways from where we were staying. Once there though, we dutifully rented some bikes to get ourselves from town proper out to the Solage Hotel for this yummy lunch, above.

We also managed to burn off some of our indulgences by layering a couple of sets of tennis on top of our perpetual biking. Here I am in my tennis whites on our way home from Meadowood where we enjoyed a delicious locally produced rosé from Azur after the game. (Wine connoisseurs will tell you that there are no good California rosés, but this one they approve of.) Our mixed doubles match ended in a 1-1 tie; tiebreaker set to be played at a future date.

We had an amazing, wine-steeped (birthday!) dinner at Press in St. Helena. Fortunately, we also rode bikes to and from here, primarily through the vineyards, which was in theory safer and more legal than operating a motor vehicle.

It was a memorable trip. Have a great weekend, and if you are looking to mix it up, perhaps try getting on a bike!