Two weeks from today we’ll be somewhere warm, hopefully with a drink in hand. I always use our spring travel as a way to jumpstart my wardrobe with a few new pieces that I can break in on the trip but then continue to wear in the season ahead. This year is no different and I have my online carts full of things that I think will be fun to wear while we’re away but still prove versatile throughout spring and summer. Below – the (mostly) neutrals I’ve got my eye on. Spoiler: a colorful edition is still to come!
Black Friday is a funny thing once you’ve seen behind the curtain of Ecommerce so to speak – it’s hard for me to shop a sale or visit a website without thinking of the team behind it. Spoiler: they’re working today. For most people this is a fun, long holiday weekend where they can get great discounts. For me, it’s my highest pressure work week of the year. My team and I (and we’re a small one, like a lot of Ecomm departments) will monitor/maintain our website for every waking hour until Cyber Monday. I made website changes at 7AM and have more to make at midnight tonight (it’s best to make major changes when traffic is low so you have to do it in “off” hours). This isn’t a complaint – many industries have busy seasons and it’s really energizing for my team to hit big goals and see months of our prep work pay-off. But more so to say, there’s a lot of work that goes into those fun sales – so be extra kind to customer service people this time of year and please be patient with your order shipping times. We’re doing our best.
With that, I’m sharing the best sales I’ve seen and exactly what I’m shopping or what I already own and love that might be of interest. As always, I so appreciate the support of those who shop through my links – it’s no extra cost to you but I receive a small affiliate commission – which helps me share more here! Enjoy the weekend friends.
THE SALES I’M SHOPPING:
Anthropologie: 30% Off Sitewide – I always pick up a few small gifts during their Black Friday Sale – I just grabbed this frame and am going to add a photo from our wedding day as a gift for Adam.
Banana Republic: 40% Off Your Purchase– I grabbed these high waist, wide leg pintuck jeans and wore them yesterday, love them so far! They feel elevated and will work great with everything from a blazer for work to the aforementioned plaid strapless top for festive cocktails this season.
I’ve been singing the praises of these wide leg trousers (shown in these pictures) to literally anyone that will listen – grab them for 50% off today and thank me later.
I wear these small hoop earrings at least twice a week – they’re 30% off right now and would make a great gift.
I’ve been burning this Votivo ‘Joie de Noel’ candle (lavender, cinnamon and patchouli) constantly. Starting this weekend I’ll break out the Sequoia Fir! All on sale.
My favorite jeans are 25% off right now (just under $115) – they have 0 stretch and a high waisted fit – take your regular waist size and then break them in to fit like a glove. I’m going to pick them up in another wash.
I’ve had a polaroid mini for about 5 years now and take it on all of our trips. So fun to have an instant souvenir photo in this digital world. We bought this one for guests to use at our wedding too. It makes a great gift!
I restocked my make-up bag before the wedding and Merit, my favorite clean beauty brands, is 20% off right now – I love their mascara, concealer, cream blush and highlighter.
I bought these ankle boots before our honeymoon (20% off right now) and walked for a full day in Paris.. in brand new shoes.. on cobblestone.. and my feet were totally fine. I have 3 pairs from Inez now and they are all equally classic (yet feel modern and fashion-y), well-made and comfortable.
I own this classic cashmere sweater in about 4 colors already. They hold up so well and look great with everything. Size down if you want a more tailored/fitted look or take your regular size and it will have a little bit of drape/slouch to it. 40-50% off this weekend!
I’ve had my Sarah Flint black suede ‘Perfect Pumps’ for 3 years now and they still look brand new. They’re an investment but so timeless and truly the most comfortable stiletto I’ve ever worn. 30% off sitewide this weekend which is I think the best discount I’ve seen from them.
Completely frivolous but I bought this feather bag last year and it makes every holiday party more fun.
I got this long, classic camel coat on Black Friday last year and it’s back this year, 25% off again. I love that it goes easily from day to night and looks great with jeans or with dresses.
They seem specific but I’ve been wearing these silver mary janes quite a bit this fall and will be perfect for festivities this holiday season too. They’re 50% off today (just $60!).
I bought this classic top handle bag last Black Friday and have carried it easily 100 times since then. It looks far more expensive than its $150 sale price today.
You all know I love a great dress. And never more so than at the holidays. But recently.. trousers have entered the chat. It started with Talbots Weston Pants. I got them in classic black ahead of our honeymoon in Paris… and they just felt *so* chic. High waisted but not too high, slouchy but still tailored. Hard to wrinkle, went with everything. They were in short, the perfect pants. So when I saw them come out in a bright holiday red – I hit order asap. And then, because really why not, I spotted a similar style in festive plaid and grabbed those too.
They’re unexpected in comparison to say, a velvet dress, which is their appeal. But I’d argue equally stylish for a holiday work party, festive cocktails with friends or a family brunch. As you can see here – I couldn’t resist mixing and matching them lots of ways (see them all in motion in my video on Instagram here).
I took my regular size in these and they’re the perfect length (I’m 5’4″ and they puddle slightly with flats but are great with about a 2″ heel or more) and just a bit loose (I’d say if you can, size down). I’ll likely have my local tailor bring in the waist an inch or so – but for right now they work just fine with a belt and I kind of like the extra slouch.
So tell me – will you try wide leg trousers this holiday season?
I’m officially in my annual Black Friday haaaze at work, but (as mentioned in my last post) trying desperately to maintain sanity and make the most of this special time of year. Sounds simple, right? I’ll let you know how it goes by December 31st.
ON MY MIND:
I’ve been tasked with desserts this Thanksgiving (largely because I can buy them and I presume my family must feel safest that way) but I am attempting to make at least one thing from scratch and it’s my Mom’s beloved pumpkin roll recipe. Wish me luck. For posterity, I might also go armed with this festive seasonal non-alcoholic punch that surely I can’t mess up.
The 3 albums I’ve had on repeat lately – all of them are fun, upbeat and the type of synth-y 80s inspired pop that is a particular sweet spot in my musical taste. First, the new Cannons album ‘Heartbeat Highway’ – zero skips on this one, but I particularly love Sweeter and Cry Baby. Next up ‘1989 Taylor’s Version’, naturally. Those vault songs are just crushing me in the best way, especially Is It Over Now and Slut! An anthem. Last but not least, ‘Sting’ from Emarosa – we saw them play at a tiny venue in the West Village last month and they had such great energy. Their cover of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody is so fun and the song Cinnamon from the album mentioned is so good we put it on our wedding playlist.
Life has really thrown me some curveballs since we got back from our honeymoon and without getting into the details, it hasn’t been the easiest couple of months. Which has delayed my recap of our wedding day much more than I’d originally planned – I just haven’t had the bandwidth. But! It’s finally coming later this week – so stay tuned 🙂
ON MY BOOKSHELF:
I’m way behind my reading goal for the year – 40 books read with a goal of 52. In an effort to give myself some extra grace (perpetual goal hitter that I like to be), I’m trying to just focusing on reading books I think I’ll love for the rest of the year. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett is still high on that list of hopefuls but I also just picked up a used copy of My Life in France by Julia Child that’s calling to me.
I wasn’t willing to shell out the money to buy theBritney Spears’ memoir myself, but my celeb-loving sister did and so I’m once again benefitting from her hand-me-downs. I started this yesterday and will probably finish this weekend. Pamela Anderson, Monica Lewinsky, Britney Spears.. these women were all of an era when the press/public made a mockery of them and I’m glad they’re all getting a moment to finally find their voices again.
I just finished Sloane Crosley’s essay collection I Was Told There’d Be Cake and while I thought some essays were stronger than others, overall it was a fun read full of sharp observations and relatable self-deprecation. I’d give it 3.5-4 stars.
As I always do – next weekend I’ll share my list of holiday reads! It’s one of my favorite posts of the year and one of my favorite December traditions. If you’re new here, I let my self revel in the literary equivalents of watching a Hallmark movie while sipping hot cocoa all month long. Last year’s post here.
IN MY CART:
I saw this plaid taffeta skirt at last week’s Talbots holiday party and immediately swooned. I’m placing my order ASAP as I’m always worried about sizes selling out.
I’m going to get one of our wedding photos (or maybe this one from our honeymoon) printed and put it in this sweet ceramic frame – will drop it in Adam’s stocking for Christmas!
I am really in need of a couple of new belts and it’s been strangely hard to find something I like in between cheap $30 options and $$$ designer options. So far I like this neutral one that has interesting but still understated gold hardware.
The way I cannot stop thinking about this mixed plaid fitted vest. It’s on sale but still pricey.. I’m keeping in my cart hoping that the Black Friday gods are good to me and it goes on further sale?
Totally different, but while we’re on the matter of vests – this fair isle option is much more budget friendly. I’d wear with a fitted black turtleneck and wide leg jeans.
A silly, small thing: I love these crystal accented socks – I’d wear with silver heels and a mini or cuffed jeans and loafers.
J.Crew’s cashmere sweaters rarely go on sale – I’m using the early Black Friday sale as my chance to pick up this cropped crewneck in a classic charcoal for just under $80.
Adam and I are finally crossing Waverly Inn off our New York restaurant bucket list with a reservation next Friday night and this long-sleeved rose print dress looks like just the thing to wear. Romantic and dressy enough with red lips and sheer black tights, but not over the top.
Time is a strange, stretching taffy sort of thing, isn’t it? As of writing this, we have about 6 1/2 weeks left in this year. In contrast, our wedding was 6 1/2 weeks ago. It feels like a blink and a lifetime. In a normal year, the weeks to come are my busiest, most stress-inducing, highest pressure of the year. But as you might know, this wasn’t a normal year for me. We planned a wedding in 12 weeks and have had about a 4-5 month stretch where, even if we hadn’t added that major milestone to the agenda, would have left me stretched pretty thin. I’ve become the taffy in this scenario I suppose.
And while my career of choice (Fashion E-commerce) tends to dictate that these next 6 1/2 weeks will feel like I’m careening towards the new year – it is in my best interest health wise (mentally and physically.. lest we all forget the stress induced stomach ulcer I had back in August) to dig in my heels so to speak. To make a dedicated effort to stubbornly reject the blink and you’ll miss it moment that exists between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I think this might seem counterintuitive but I’m doing this by filling up my calendar (it might in fact be ill-advised but what do you care, it’s my experiment). We’ll only get one holiday season as newlyweds, I want to look back and remember cozy December date nights, ice skating hand in hand in Central Park, picking out gifts that feel special. Likewise, I’ve made significant progress on some personal goals this year and I want to keep pushing. Sure work is busy – but it’s always going to be. I’m going to keep getting up early every morning to work-out, keep trudging through the depths of my novel’s first draft, keep putting money in the apartment fund. 6 1/2 weeks suddenly becomes an expanse before me.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I suspect that the dates on the calendar will continue to surprise me with their domino fall – but this year, I intend to not let it pull me completely apart.
Outfit from the lost France files – I hope you’ll continue to indulge me with these.
