We had a big purchase this month. The Chloe Alphabet Saddle bag in brown and red colorblock leather! It's been on my list (see blog sidebar) since I first saw it on Net-a-Porter in 2022 and then on Italist for a little bit cheaper. I regretted not buying it from Italist for $700 and had been hunting for it ever since. I finally got lucky and one popped up on eBay for about $515 all the way from Australia!

 

I also got a couple new pieces during tax free week here in CT. For those that don't know, we do a tax free week around back to school time for all clothing items under $100. My Mom & I headed to Marshalls and found a few things each, ha ha.  I ended up returning one of mine at a different Marshalls but then found a replacement item I liked more so still ended up spending the money. Unfortunately I couldn't find either one online.

 

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

 

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
2. *NEW!* Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)
   

Basics:

1. Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
2. Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt  in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
3. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
4. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99) 
5. C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
6. *NEW!* Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
   

 

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
2. Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

 

Handbags:

1. Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
2. *NEW!* Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

 

Accessories:

1. None
   

 
 

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None
   

 

Gifted from Brands:

• None
  

Spent in August: $556.98

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

 

 

 

This is what I wore to our family Thanksgiving last Thursday. Normally I have two Thanksgiving outfits because we celebrate with Mom's side on Thanksgiving and Dad's side on the weekend. But this year due to scheduling issues we just had one celebration at my Mom's house with bits of both sides of the family.  I decided to wear my burgundy velvet pants of the occasion and paired them with my crazy Saint Laurent patchwork blouse. It goes with everything!

Blouse: Saint Laurent silk patchwork blouse (shop more blouses),Velvet Pants: Elie Tahari 'Shea Velvet Pants' (Shopbop), Heels: Coach 'Nacie' (shop more Coach shoes), Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AURate, Sunglasses: Gucci, Italian Leather Bag: shop mini bags

I got this really comfy Everlane sweater for Christmas and decided to wear it to Grandma's for our Christmas day celebrations. I dressed it up a bit with these burgundy velvet pants so the outfit felt a bit more holiday.  Perfect for a day of relaxing and eating tons of tasty food.

Sweater: Everlane "The Wool-Cashmere Oversized Cable Turtleneck" in Surplus (Christmas gift), Pants: Elie Tahari 'Shea Velvet Pants' (Shopbop), Leopard Pumps: Jimmy Choo (Roundabout)

It has been QUITE a while since I've owned a pair of corduroy pants. I think I had one pair back in college but I only wore them twice before getting rid of them. They just weren't my thing. But back on Labor Day weekend these skinny cords from Abercrombie caught my eye. I loved the dusty blue color and the slight frayed hem.  Speaking of Abecrombie, did you see their latest lookbook?! Gorgeous. So looks like both cords and Abercrombie are making a comeback.

Jacket: Elie Tahari x Kohl's, Top: eight sixty, Pants: Abercrombie & Fitch, Suede Sandals: Lanvin (Net-a-Porter), Bag: Emm Kuo (Roundabout Resale), Sunglasses: Karen Walker via Ditto Endless Eyewear, Necklace: BubuRuby (etsy)

The main reason I bought this crop top, first seen here, was to wear it with these jeans. I wore this to a martini making class Lydia hosted at Polpo in Greenwich. I didn't want to dress up super crazy so I figured adding a blazer and heels to my outfit made it appropriate for the occasion. I know the title says shaken, not stirred, but our bartender teacher told us you should never shake your martinis, no matter what James Bond says. My Dad disagreed when I told him, but since I don't generally drink martinis it doesn't matter to me. I do have to say, I think I made a pretty mean drink, I was a pro at using the strainer from Absolut. Check out photos from the event over at Lydia's blog!

At the end of the party we were given adorable pineapple pins. Absolut have chosen the pineapple because it represents hospitality and they want the world to know that they are devoted to serving as best they can.  To go a step further, they've a created copper Pineapple drinking vessel that has been exclusive to certain bars for quite some time. They will start selling them soon (for $85) and for every pineapple sold they will provide water for a month for one family in need.  (By purchasing Absolut Elyx you provide water for one week.)

(I was not asked to post about this, but I love that they support a great cause)

Top: Zara, Blazer: Elie Tahari (Coco's on the Green), Jeans: J Brand 'high rise Maria' (Gilt), Heels: Prada (The Real Real)

My awesome Absolut Elyx martini. Stirred, not shaken.

I wanted to get at least one more wear out of this Summer dress before it goes away for months, so I decided to wear it as a shirt and inject Autumn in with some leather! You can also see another attempt at curling my hair without a curling wand. I put my hair into 4 little buns after my shower and slept in them overnight. They're okay, but not perfect yet!

Dress (as shirt): Splendid (Net-a-Porter Sale), Leather Skirt: Siena Style (Coco's $10 sale), Jacket: Elie Tahari x Design Nation (Kohl's), Boots: 3.1 Phillip Lim 'Peggy' (Barney's Warehouse)

Lately I've been finding myself throwing jackets over all my outfits even if it's too warm for them. The reason? I'm getting bored with not layering! There's only so many times you can wear a tee or tank without something on top, right?

Jacket: Elie Tahari x DesignNation (Kohl's) Tee: Madewell, Jeans: Current/Elliott, Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Alethea' (bought in Santorini), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' (Ditto),

*The boots featured in this post were a gift from Duo Boots. All opinions are my own.*

Earlier this month, Duo Boots emailed to ask if I wanted to participate in their #MyDuo Style Guide campaign.  I was sent a pair of boots to style up in two different ways. I chose the "Ani" Chelsea boot because I was in desperate need of navy shoes, and the style is really cool. I first wore them out to dinner with my friend Kat (outfit #2) and again the following day for some shopping (outfit #1) where I spent way too much money! I actually changed into a new jacket after I bought it, so you're seeing the results of my shopping!

Outfit #1: Blazer: Paul Smith (Roundabout Resale), Sweater: Kenar c/o Marshalls, Jeans: Current/Elliott (The Outnet), Necklace: Mom's, Boots c/o Duo 'Ani'
Outfit #2: Dress: vintage (Twitch Vintage), Blazer: Elie Tahari (Coco's on the Green), Boots c/o Duo 'Ani'

I wore two outfits for my Christmas celebrations last week. I only took dedicated pictures of one because I forgot the second day! We just had so much going on - oopsie! But there are a couple pictures from the 25th that my Mom took during the day.

Christmas Eve Outfit: Burberry London dress (Roundabout Resale), Wolford tights (c/o), Elie Tahari x Design Nation jacket c/o Kohl's, 3.1 Phillip Lim 'Peggy' boot (Barney's Warehouse), Movado Bold Watch c/o Lucky & Movado, Downton Abbey hair clips c/o Kohl's



Morning Outfit: Pants: J.Crew Factory Reindeer Sweater, Midnight by Carole Hochman pajama bottoms


Christmas Day: Elementz dress c/o ThredUp, Wolford tights (c/o), Elie Tahari x Design Nation jacket c/o Kohl's, 3.1 Phillip Lim 'Peggy' boot (Barney's Warehouse)