My Monthly Edit

LOVING
The velvet trend is still going strong this year and I, for one, can’t get enough of this luxe fabric for fall/winter.  Try a velvet blazer dressed down with a simple tee & denim or opt for a velvet skirt paired with silk for evening.  No matter how you incorporate it into your wardrobe, it’s sure to be a show-stopper!  Pieces that I’m loving now include this wrap dress, these velvet pants, this ruched sleeve top, this tie-waist dress, this pleated skirt & this lace-trim camisole.  See more of my favorites in the scrolling bar below!

CRAVING
As I’ve mentioned before, I recently did a massive closet purge that included my jewelry collection.  And I found that the older I get, the more I’m drawn to modern sophisticated baubles, so I ended up getting rid of a lot of my colorful oversized costume pieces and am now looking for sleek styles to replace them.  Since my birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, I’ve started a “wish list” of items to share with friends & family and this stunning watch was #1.  I love the classic design & square face (it also comes in silver and with a mesh strap option).  This is a new-to-me brand that I’ve heard great things about (you can shop all their watches here).  More jewelry items that I added to my list: this pendant necklace, these pearl hoops, this moon & star ring and these unique studs.

BUYING
It’s officially sweater weather here in NY so I’ve unpacked all of my knitwear from storage and begun folding & organizing it (I went with a color-coded system this year!).  Since we will be almost exclusively wearing sweaters from now until April, I feel justified in purchasing a few new styles each year.  Currently in my cart at the moment: this oatmeal crewneck (love the pattern!), this scalloped v-neck, this fair isle sweater & this embellished mockneck.  I’ve also had great luck thrifting this season & scored the prettiest rust-colored J. Crew sweater for less than $10 – so don’t forget to hit up your local GoodWill or Saver’s!

USING
I recently saw a photo of me that a friend had taken and quickly realized that my undereye concealer was far too white & didn’t look as natural as I thought (yikes!).  Covering up my dark circles has always been a challenge for me and I somehow thought that using the lightest concealer possible was my best bet – wrong!  So I was thrilled to discover that my favorite makeup brand came out with this new version of my go-to concealer in 48 different shades so you’re guaranteed to find a perfect match.  I tested out a few options until I settled on Light Amber, which has a slightly yellow undertone (perfect for canceling out dark circles).  A little goes a long way with this & I’ve found that blending well (with a damp beauty sponge) & setting with this powder will keep it from settling into creases throughout the day.

READING
Most of you know how much I’ve struggled with health issues this summer (from shingles to whooping cough to a Lupus flare) and just when I thought I had finally turned the corner, I ended up getting sick again while traveling last week.  I’ll be honest that I felt completely discouraged & hopeless after working so hard to stick to a clean diet, reduce stress and rest as much as possible…only to get sick anyway.  It’s hard to describe what it’s like to daily fight an illness that attacks your healthy tissue/organs and that, despite your best efforts, you lose that battle more than you win.  My friend Alyson recently wrote this compelling post about living with an invisible illness and it felt like she took the words right out of my mouth.  It’s a great reminder for us all to show a little more kindness & understanding because often we don’t know the whole story…especially when those who are suffering work so tirelessly to put on a brave face to appear “normal”.

WEARING
I bought these boots during a 40% off sale right before my trip & ended up wearing them almost every day when I was in San Francisco.  Several of you asked about them after seeing them in my Instagram stories and I am happy to report that they are pretty much perfect in every way.  Not only are they my ideal heel height, they required no breaking-in time, they were comfortable to walk around in (even up & down those SF hills!) + they go with just about everything.  I spray all my suede boots & bags with this protector before wearing and I’ve never had problems with stains or water spots.  Other boots in this same color that are worth checking out: these western-style booties, these peep-toe booties, these chelsea boots or these heeled booties.

MY VELVET PICKS