My Monthly Edit

THINKING
Last month when my Dad was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, we began the arduous process of scheduling all of his appointments for oncologist meetings, further testing & chemotherapy.  Because he served in Vietnam, his medical care is done through the VA – which sounds wonderful (because treating cancer is expensive), but I quickly saw how broken their medical system is & how much red tape you have to wade through simply to get answers.  It deeply saddened me as I sat in the VA hospital with my Dad and saw the hundreds who were hurting & waiting for hours on end just to be seen.  I’m more motivated than ever to champion this cause and to demand change for our veterans.  Today’s holiday is a chance for us to honor those who have selflessly sacrificed so much for our country.  If there’s a veteran in your life, take them flowers, give them a hug, send them a card or find a special way to say how grateful you are for their service.  If you don’t know a veteran, there are centers & clinics in every state (find the one nearest you here) – bake some muffins, make a visit & spread some much-needed joy to those who are so deserving of our thanks.

LOVING
Every year around this time, pretty velvet pieces start popping up in stores & online and I, for one, am here for it.  It’s just one of those classic fabrics I will never tire of – it always looks luxe & feels festive, whether paired with more casual pieces or worn with sparkly accessories for a holiday party.  Some of my current favorites include this velvet wrap top (pictured above), these pointed flats, this camisole, this puff-sleeve top, these velvet jeans & this zip-front skirt.  See more affordable options in the scrolling bar below!

WEARING
It seems that the older I get, the more sensitive my skin becomes, including my earlobes.  I’ve noticed recently that many of the statement earrings I’ve worn in the past now cause irritation & redness (which I can tolerate for one evening if it’s a special event).  But lately I’ve been gravitating towards dainty stacked earrings that I can mix & match based on my mood.  I just bought these, these & these and they’ve been on regular rotation ever since.  You could also opt for a pre-made set like this, this or this.  Or, if you like the look of an ear stack, but don’t have multiple piercings, you could try a dainty ear cuff like this one.

CRAVING
I always have a hard time coming up with a wish list of items to share with family for my birthday because, let’s be honest, I already have more than I need.  But, when I came across these suede hiking boots, it was love at first sight.  So many lace-up boots in this style are really clunky looking and, being that I already have big feet, I’m not interested in making them look any larger.  I love the sleeker profile of these & the slimmer toe box – they also come in black leather & a pretty cognac hue (more sizes here).  These are more than I would normally spend for myself on boots, which makes them the perfect birthday gift!

BUYING
Much to my dismay, we got our first dusting of snow in NY last week and I had to pull all of my winter gear out of storage.  When I did, I realized that a few of my cold-weather accessories needed to be replaced.  So I’ve been on the hunt for some budget-friendly styles that will help keep me toasty warm – when your winter lasts nearly 6 months, you can never have too many hats, scarves & gloves!  At the top of my list are this fringed wrap, this cable knit beanie (more colors here), these warm gloves, this leopard print beanie, this knit scarf, these cable-knit socks, these faux fur ear muffs & this ribbed pom beanie.

USING
I first heard about this mask from Grace & I pretty much trust all her beauty recommendations, so I ordered some to try.  To say I was blown away is an understatement – after one use, my skin was the glowiest it’s ever been! And the fact that it’s a clean beauty product made me love it even more.  It’s a bit spendy for the size, so I plan on only using it once every couple of weeks to make it last longer.  Today is the last day of the Sephora VIB event, where you can get 10% off if you’re an Insider or 15% off if you’re a VIB member with code HOLIDAYSAVE.  In addition to buying another jar of this mask, I’m also stocking up on a few other tried-and-true favorites like this heat protectant for my hair, this miracle-working shampoo & conditioner, this makeup primer, these breakout treatment patches & this setting powder.

PRETTY VELVET PIECES