Sometime early pandemic I decided I'd waited long enough (almost three years) to get this pair of velvet pants, and when I saw them at ThredUP I bought them. However, I bought a size small and it turned out I needed the medium. I managed to resell them on Poshmark (at a loss, of course) and then purchased the medium from another Posher who wasn't too open to price negotiation, so I paid more than I did on the first pair. Then in my typical fashion, I managed to not wear them for five months. Turns out that styling them in my imagination was a lot easier than in reality.
Hopefully I can come up with a few more ways to style them before another year passes.
The Rundown Pearl Button CardiganAritzia Velvet Wide Leg PantsJoievia Poshmark Woven Toe Cap Slingback PumpsPons Quintanavia Marshalls Brown Croc Bag Loeffler Randall similar Twisted Hoop Earrings Thrifted similar NecklaceS.V. Decker Aries Pendant NecklaceMejuri Thin Gold RingEtsy Sunglasses"Nina"Ray-Ban Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York Gold Croissant Ring Etsy
In their heyday, I was a statement necklace fiend. I latched on to all the trendy styles and for nearly half a decade my jewelry box overflowed with my expansive collection of bold and colorful baubles. But trends shifted, perhaps our necks had grown tired with all the excess weight, and understated gold necklaces, ideally layered in pairs of two or three, became the new statement.
Delicate pieces that once belonged to my Grandma became my new go-tos, and I realized the value of owning a timeless piece of jewelry made from materials meant to stand the test of time and not just until the next trend.
It will be a slow process, but a beautiful one, of acquiring jewelry I want to invest in, and once again, I must make mention of AUrate - priced without jaw dropping markups and made from high quality 14 and 18 karat gold, AUrate allows my desire to own 'forever jewelry' to become a little more attainable. The pieces are handcrafted in New York with only ethically sourced materials, and come with an amazing lifetime guarantee - that includes breaks, re-plating of vermeil pieces, and polishing scratches.
Statement necklaces may become trendy again, but I doubt I will regret the ones I've since donated to the thrift store, new designs will have replaced them. Delicate gold pieces, however, will always be in style. No matter how old, they are simply classic. This pearl necklace would have been a piece my Grandma could have worn just as easily as I wear it now. Granted, she probably wouldn't have layered it with another chain, but that is just a little way to take a timeless piece and style it on trend. Now I just need to get a nifty necklace layering clasp like this one to keep the chains from twisting together as I let my gold layers shine.
The Rundown Gingham Wrap DressJ.Crew White Slides Ferragamo via Coco's on the Green Round Rattan Bag Etsy Gold Ball EarringsKohl's Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AUrate Gold Chain Thrifted Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry Signet Ring Sashi
Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M Nail Color"Bed Rock & Roll"Essie
Thanks to Nakturnal for partnering with me on this post!
I love golden hour in September. The light just feels a bit different, or perhaps it's just the knowledge that it's slipping away which makes me want to try and take advantage of it as much as I can.
In an attempt to make a sensible fall purchase, I picked up this ribbed sweater tank at Banana Republic. I would have gotten the white, but my size wasn't in stock. It's a very basic top. Exactly the kind of thing I'm convinced my closet should be full of when I'm not busy lusting after bold prints and fringe details. The truth is, I never know what is going to really be a closet workhorse until it is. While I was set on having this round bag three summers ago, I don't think I imagined just how frequently I'd reach for it, or how many outfits it would compliment. Plus I'm continually surprised at just how much I can tetris into it!
The Rundown Ribbed Sweater TopBanana Republic Paper Bag Waist ShortsTarget Ankle Strap SandalsTarget Round Rattan Bag Etsy similar Panama HatJ.Crew Tear EarringsEtsycustom designvia Bonanza Studio Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Signet RingSashi Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx Nail Color"Bed Rock & Roll"Essie
As you can likely tell by my woefully obvious farmer's tan, I haven't had too many beach days this summer, and most of my time in the sun has been on dog walks with my less than fashionable high neck, short sleeve Wag! tee.
While I've always considered myself lucky to live in a coastal town, the idea of paying $25 to park at a beach in my own state has always irked me. While I'm free to visit my own small town beach for the paltry fee of a $5 sticker every two years, that is not the case at my neighboring beaches. When I lived in Milford I thought about getting a beach sticker, but balked at the $150 price tag for the seasonal pass. Instead I just avoided the beaches I knew were strictly monitored and took my chances parking illegally.
A couple years ago Connecticut started charging an extra $10 vehicle registration fee to allow free parking at any state park, including several beaches. I thought this was wonderful. Other towns have been up in arms, upset at the influx of freeloading visitors. While I understand that beaches and their facilities need care and maintenance and lifeguards, it seems crazy to me that I shouldn't be able to enjoy a neighboring beach for free - especially when I just want to quickly snap a few photos.
On this evening I was in a very residential beach area, meaning homes blocked the water views, they were all private for those wealthy enough to afford a beach home. I walked along for about a half mile until I saw a spot between two homes that stated public access. Then I saw a private property sign. Not willing to give up my photo spot we snapped away while some people watched from their deck overlooking the water. I would have left if they'd said anything, but I was quick, and they were thankfully silent.
It seems crazy to me that the beaches in my state aren't free to all it's residents.
The Rundown Black Eyelet Lace Jumpsuit Banana Republicsimilar Fringe Straw BagMango Wedge Sandals Loft similar Straw Hoop EarringsLoft Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M Nail Color"Caviar Bar" Essie
I went shopping with a friend a few weekends ago, and as we entered the store I made a bee line for a display featuring several pieces in leopard print. My friend commented that I was likely a leopard in my past life.
It's true, my love of leopard print has grown exponentially over the years, it's almost funny to think that before the blog I owned no leopard print. That first purchase - I think a pencil skirt from Forever 21 - became a catalyst for this now decade long love affair.
There was one type of leopard print that I'd never had in my closet, a print with the animal itself. Try searching google for this distinction and you might have some difficulty, so it was only by happenstance that I came across this blouse on Poshmark while in the midst of some other feverish search (which I've now forgotten). For a mere $8 I was willing to take a gamble on this possibly vintage blouse and fill a leopard print need I wasn't even aware that I'd had. Plus I'm always looking for slightly cropped silhouettes that will show off the cute button fly of these high rise jeans.
You know those evenings when you glance out the window and see the sun starting to set and think you need to drop what you are doing and go take outfit photos? This was one of those nights. So I dragged my mom to play photographer and drove to the sunflower field we'd shot in a couple weeks earlier.
With the fading light, most of the flowers were bowing their heads, but the bees had yet to call it a night, and it was much to my mother's chagrin when I told her I was pushing my way through to a small clearing in the center of the field and she was to follow me. But we made it out without being stung, and for the second time this year I had some challenging lighting conditions to contend with in this sunflower field, though it was completely worth it.
The Rundown Bamboo Print Wrap Dress New York & Co. similar Woven Mule SandalsAnn Taylor Round Rattan BagEtsy Circle Earrings c/o AUrate New York Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx Nail Color"Sunday Funday"Essie
