(Rachel Zoe sweater, Minkpink dress (similar), Stance Socks (similar), Vanessa Mooney “romeo’s dagger” necklace, Warby Parker “everett” sunglasses, “Natalie + Dylana Suarez x Modern Vice” JETT MESSENGER bag and SUMMER JETT shoe)

If I also could just have my own greenhouse, I totally would. I’m obsessed. The smell, the humidity…all the little elements of the Earth pull me in everytime. I could spend all day just photographing flowers. Crouching down, capturing those vibrant colors, and just getting so up close and personal, inspecting each vein of a leave, as crazy as it is! In Upstate New York there’s so much of Mother Nature…so much green, so much mountain, so much rock. It’s a lot for an LA native to discover beyond the concrete NYC streets. Two days up in the mountains felt like eternity. I spent my last afternoon snuggled up in an extra large cable knit sweater, squinting in the sun, behind rectangular lenses, tugging at my mini dress in hopes of nobody seeing up my skirt and catching a glimpse of my knickers! But we were in the middle of nowhere, with nobody around…I guess it didn’t really matter! My yellow JETTS happened to match the sun, slowly becoming more and more broken in as I walked through the rubble.  I wish to go back to that one moment…all of us just lying on the grass by an empty house, and a yard full of lonely benches. Only the sounds of birds chirping and the hikers below could wake us. It’s nearly Memorial Day weekend and I am beyond excited. A group of my pals and I are heading up to Montauk and the Hamptons for some surf and sun! Just 2 more days suriviving the last minute fittings and work in the city, before I can get my surf on!

(Tailor & Stylist sweater (free shipping/10% off with code: Natalie10), Goldsign high wasisted “virtual” jeans, Urban coat, M. Hulot handbag, The 2 Bandits jewelry, Warby Parker “everett” sunglasses, Lucky Brand hat, Swedish Habeens “heart” sandals)

I was just heading back to the city from our upstate New York getaway, and honestly, I wanted nothing more than to curl up in the backseat of our car, munch on the chocolate we picked up in New Paltz, and catch some sleep in a good denim jean and striped sweater…my two go-to’s for any travel destination. There are some mornings that I just want to be as simple as ever. No fringe, no crazy layers (all things I’m extremely, extremely fond of.) I always think “ok, a striped sweater, and I can be done with it.” I realized all I had was an old tattered striped sweater I picked up at a Paris thrift shop late last year. I wore it to the bone, as I do with any striped top. I still refuse to throw it away. Luckily, I’m beginning to stock up. This Tailor & Stylist classic is one to always throw in the ol’ suitcase! A super cute shop started by a tailor and his stylist wife. Talk about adorable. I’m all for cute designer couples. Paired with the best little leopard hat known to man, my older sister’s coat (yes, I refuse to give it back), and a girly clog sandal, it’s another look my friends call 80’s Berlin. I love the simple things to bring us into Spring! Happy Monday!

Nicole Miller Summer ’13 shot by Lauren Teslia in Barbados

And it’s finally here! My Nicole Miller Summer ’13 campaign, shot in Barbados!! Shooting on location is like a dream…especially when you get to shoot in the warm tropics of Barbados right smack in the middle of the NYC winter. And everything was so full of color, brightening and warming my heart. The green lush, the bright blue waters, the collection. I fell in love with the beautfiul form-fitted dresses, hugging in all the right places. Perfect to pick flowers in. I could easily blend in with the palm trees…the bold leaves taken from this gorgeous place were planted directly on my dress like a work of art. Then there’s the little beach cover-ups and lightweight rompers. I fell in love. This was one adventurer’s dream shoot. In between takes, we’d take breaks on the back patio of The Monkey house (yes, there were monkeys at our house!) or end the day taking dips in the pool during sunset. I could lie back and stare up at the sky all day. Barbados is such a beautiful island… quiet, and just so full of relaxation. I could spend hours in the go-carts just trying to get a monkey to come to me…or by the water, digging my toes into the sand. And I finally got to swim with the giant sea turtles. Talk about liberating. Arriving on the island from the airport, beer in hand, music blasting, it’s a trip I’ll always remember! Everything from discovering old boats in the sand, to peeking into old, brightly colored desolate buildings. This island is so full of colors so rich, and everyone’s on a slower, calmer pace. Our campaign shoot just being a postcard of a place I’ll never forget.