Christian and I don't usually go crazy for Valentine's Day, especially on the actual day. Normally I just make one of our favorite dinners and a fun dessert and then we might go out for a fancier than normal dinner on the weekend. Since Valentine's Day was on Saturday this year we went out for a lunch date in Mystic.
Before we get to the activities of the day, let's talk about my outfit! I decided to pile on some of my favorite jewelry from Aurate. They have everything from dainty diamond necklaces and gold rings to pearls, gemstones and more! There's something in every price range and style. My favorites are their earrings. 90% of the time I'm wearing a pair of Aurate earrings, I wear them in the shower, to sleep, everything!
For those of you that are new to Aurate, here's a quick intro. Their mission is to offer sustainable, ethical handmade jewelry at affordable prices. They use recycled gold, ethically-sourced diamonds, and sustainably harvested pearls. The pieces are handmade by artisans, not a machine churning out hundreds a day. I've been a fan since 2018 so I have amassed quite the collection and gifted pieces to family members as well!
It's still very cold around here so my coat was the major part of my outfit, ha ha. I wore my Burberry coat since it is bright red, perfect for Valentine's Day (and Christmas.) Normally I'll wear some form of red as part of my outfit to be festive but this year I just wore a comfy sweater, jeans and loafers since my coat took care of the red. I got these shoes for Christmas and haven't really had a chance to wear them because of all the snow and slush.
On our day date we headed to Mystic, one of the cutest towns in Connecticut. We decided to try a new restaurant this time and headed to The Port of Call. But before lunch we took a stroll around Old Mistick Village, there are so many cute shops we love to stop in - especially the olive oil & honey store, Sticky Situations. We made it out without spending any money in that store but we did walk away with donuts from Deviant Donuts.
Sweater: Rachel Zoe (Marshalls)
Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)
Bag: Chanel Classic 2.55 Double Flap (Madison Avenue Couture)
Shoes: Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (DSW)
Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique
Jewelry c/o Aurate: Crossover Ring, Pearl & Gold Bar Stud Earring, Pearl Stud Earring, Simple Pearl Bracelet, Medium Paperclip Chain Bracelet, Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Heirloom Ring with Citrine & Amethyst, and Pearl Lariat Necklace (no longer available)
Shop the outfit:
A look at the rest of our day:
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.*
Happy end of December and end of 2025. Let us hope that 2026 is a better year.
In the meantime, I got a couple new items of clothing for Christmas! A purple cardigan top and some purple loafers!
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
- Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)
- *NEW!* Rachel Zoe purple cardigan (Christmas gift)
Basics:
- Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
- Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
- Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
- Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
- C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
- Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
- Marled brown cardigan via Marshalls - similar option ($29.99)
Shoes:
- Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
- Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)
- *NEW!* Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer/Kyana Bit Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (Christmas gift, retail $150)
Handbags:
- Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
- Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)
Accessories:
- None
Activewear/Swimwear:
- None
Gifted from Brands:
- Nood No Show nipple covers - use code MEGANB for 15% off!
Spent in December: $0
Spent in 2025: $1,144.92
Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,659.94
*Brand exclusions: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Acne Studios, Alexander Wang, Aurelie Bidermann, Canada Goose, Cedric Charlier, Gareth Pugh, Giambattista Valli, Herve Leger, Hunter, J. Mendel, Jamie Wolf, Jason Wu, Jay Ahr, Katie May, Maison Martin Margiela, Michele Watches, Monique Lhuillier, Nina Ricci, Rag & Bone, Rodarte, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney Apparel, Stuart Weitzman, Suno, Thakoon, Tory Burch York Totes, Versace, Victoria Victoria Beckham, Vika Gazinskaya, Wes Gordon and What Goes Around Comes Around Vintage.
After that we had the pleasure of listening to Rachel Zoe talk to Brandon Holley. "The Next Wave" with Lauren Sherman, Steven Kolb (CFDA,) Mitch Grossback (CAA,) Shana Fisher (High Line Venture Partners) and Federico Marchetti (Yoox) talked about what is next for bloggers and how the industry is changing. Next we heard from Susan Lyne (Gilt,) Lauren Bush Lauren (FEED,) Aliza Licht (DKNY) and Erica Domesek (P.S. I made this...) about Amplifying our Brands.
We then broke into some Breakout Sessions after lunch. I was sitting in on "How Do I Look?," a chat on how your blog looks to brands and "Developing Your Voice." Everyone reconvened in the main conference room to hear Lauren Conrad. Finally we had the opportunity of listening to a chat between Simon Doonan (Barney's) and the lovely Anna Sui! That was the highlight of my experience. After all the panels were complete, there was a cocktail party with munchies.
Lydia and I left soon after and headed back to our hotel to rest our feet. Then we quickly headed out for dinner (Chinese food) and some ice cream. Quite the busy day! And, if you made it through all of that, here are some photos of my outfit!
Skirt: Made by Mom [inspired by Michael Kors], Jacket: Theyskens' Theory (Nordstrom Rack) $180, Top: Splendid (net-a-porter) $32, Sandals: Miu Miu (eBay), Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs "Aidan" (shopbop), Bracelets c/o 31 Bits, Watch: Michael Kors, Necklace: Vanessa Mooney giveaway, Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs (Shopbop) gift card
