Happy almost Fall! This time of year is full of gifting opportunities for my family. We have my wedding anniversary (plus my parents' and my brother's,) my birthday, my Mom's birthday AND my sister's birthday (tomorrow!) Christian's birthday is in the mix as well.
I have been featuring Aurate on the blog since 2018 and have yet to be disappointed in a purchase. I am definitely a fan for life. Whether your loved ones like classic diamond necklaces, bold necklaces, birthstone jewelry or simple rings, Aurate has you covered! They even offer different shipping options. If you're buying gifts you can request each item be packaged separately. If you're purchasing for yourself or want to be environmentally-friendly you can choose their Sustainable packaging, just a pouch to keep your pieces safe in transit.
I always have a hard time buying gifts for my Mom because she has everything she needs or wants. Jewelry is always a good choice - you can never have too many options! I've also gotten her fancy candles and random knick-knacks from Home Goods. One year my brother got her a pasta maker attachment just because he thought she would have fun with it. This year I went with adorable Mini Deco Triple Hoop Earrings (top left earrings in the photo below!)
Christian and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary so, if we were going by traditional gifts, we would get each other something leather. Crystal is the "modern" third anniversary gift but I think leather is better. My parents celebrated their 39th anniversary earlier this month which means lace (or coral/ruby if you go in between 35 and 40 year gifts.) Christian and I don't generally do big gifts for our anniversaries but I think it would be fun/nostalgic to start going through the traditional gifts. Do you go by the traditional gifts for your anniversary or do you go with the flow?
In honor of our anniversary I got myself this vegan leather travel pouch for my Aurate jewelry. Now it will house all my gorgeous pieces for easy viewing and access, can't wait to fill it up with more! I chose the super pretty seafoam color but they also have green, terracotta and blush! They actually just introduced black and taupe earlier this week!
Sweater Dress: Miss Selfridge (Lord & Taylor)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc (Moda Operandi)
Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye
Earrings: Aurate Gold Twist Huggie Earring
Necklace: AURATE X KERRY: Lioness Pendant & old chain
*This post was made in partnership with Photowall. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
The easiest way to update almost any part of a home is artwork. Posters, paintings, photographs, even wallpaper can make a huge difference to your living space. When Photowall offered to send an item of my choice I really wanted to try one of their amazing designer wallpapers. Christian and I couldn't figure out where to put our perfect statement wall so we decided to go with a canvas print above our purple couch in the living room instead.
They've also generously offered my readers a coupon code. Enter aclosetfashionista25 for 25% off an item! This Photowall coupon code will expire in on October 14th.
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| Living Room - Before |
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| Living Room - After - Photowall Canvas: Mauve Mist |
Photowall offers everything from photographs and movie posters to illustrations, contemporary art and inspirational quotes. You can also upload your own photo/artwork. We opted to go for an abstract mountain landscape because Christian's dream is to live in/near mountains. There were almost too many to choose from and we had a hard time picking a favorite. This blueberry sky print was a close second but we ultimately decided on the Mauve Mist canvas to tie in with our couch. Coincidentally our top three choices were all by the same artist, I guess we have a very specific taste.
Sizing is super customizable and if you choose a different ratio from the original piece you can easily pick which part of the photo you want to use for your print or canvas. When choosing canvas there are 4 options, I went with "
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| Photowall canvas customization |
We got a fairly large canvas because we wanted it to make a statement,
and bigger is better, right? It adds so much fun and brightness to this basic wall. I did like our previous "art" - aka Harry Potter illustration - but this painting ties in a lot better.
My Photowall canvas arrived super quickly (3 days after I ordered) and came unmounted with an easy DIY frame. We were able to put it together in under 15 minutes with no tears. There is also a video on each product page showing how to assemble if you're more of a visual vs. written instructions person.The system was very easy to follow and I'm sure saves a bundle on shipping costs/the environmental impact of shipping.
I posted a Reel showing how easy it is to put together! Watch on Instagram.
While perusing the site I learned about their environmental efforts. In partnership with Vi Agroforestry, Photowall plants around 5000 trees every year in the area surrounding Lake Victoria in East Africa. They also operate on a made to order system so they do not produce items that are not needed which avoids unnecessary waste. The printing ink used for their wallpaper contains no solvents or hazardous chemicals, and is biodegradable. The canvas used for my beautiful piece of art is made from 100% biodegradable cotton.
If (when) we move to a new house, a statement wall with Photowall wallpaper will be something we think about as we're designing the interior. I went through 5,000 designer wallpaper options before we switched gears and there were so many I would love to have! I'm not normally a floral person but I was drawn to so many of their floral prints. How gorgeous is this purple sakura wallpaper? It would go perfectly in my purple-walled closet. Christian and I both loved this misty landscape in blue tones, he definitely has a thing for mountains.
Don't forget about the 25% off Photowall coupon code - aclosetfashionista25! It will expire on October 14th.
As the weather gets warmer, I'm all about less is more when it comes to clothes, and jewelry. That doesn't have to mean fewer pieces thanks to thin stackable rings from Aurate! I'm excited to finally be breaking out all my Summer pieces like denim shorts and lightweight dresses. And the clothes I bought last year and didn't get to wear much.
Mostly I'm excited to start cycling through my collection of Ancient Greek Sandals. We all know my obsession for the brand runs deep. I now own 11 pairs, we'll see if I can resist adding a new style this Summer. I intended to wear a pair with this outfit but Christian persuaded me to switch to another favorite pair of sandals - my Lanvin studded sandals! I wore the black version instead of my multicolor suede pair.
If I had more places to go this Summer I would finally try out Rent The Runway's subscription service to go all out on the fashion front. It would be a nice change after rarely getting dressed this past year and a half. But we all know I'm still a homebody at heart, so it won't be worth it for me, ha ha! At least I can take advantage of their clearance section with items that have been retired from renting.
How dreamy are these photos? The day we took the photos, cottonwood was in full force making it look like it was snowing. The wind aided in their spread across our favorite park. Have you ever experienced these seeds blowing off their trees in the wind where you live?
Dress: Edun Fuchsia printed silk dress (eBay)
Sandals: Lanvin studded leather 'City' sandal (The RealReal)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Perfect Purse ostrich-effect PVC' (Net-a-Porter sale)
Stackable Rings, Simple Pearl Necklace & Pearl Earrings c/o AUrate
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
Name a better gift for Mom than beautiful gold personalized necklaces! They can be made special in so many ways with initials, birthstones and zodiac signs. You can personalize them for your Mother's birthday or even with your/all her children's birthdays. AU-Rate has plenty of options to choose from! If you're not a birthstone or initial fan you can just choose any of their pieces and select your Mom's preferred color - gold, white or rose! It's impossible to not be able to find the perfect piece of jewelry.
Aurate also released a new collaboration with Kerry Washington last week called The Birth of Mother featuring beautiful organic pearls and seashell motifs. Order by May 5th for regular shipping and May 7th for overnight to get your gift in time (in stock items only, not made to order.)
If your Mom isn't a jewelry lover there are plenty of other options to make her smile! Mine will never say no to a beautiful candle, my favorite brand to splurge on the past number of years has been Voluspa, but I also discovered L’or de Seraphine last year! Both are a bit on the pricier side, but when it comes to gifting - go for the high end!
For the Mom with a sweet tooth you could bake her something yourself (check out my baking posts to see what I've made lately) or order her a fancy dessert she wouldn't buy for herself! Maybe some Ladurée macarons or Dō cookie dough! You could even find a local donut shop that makes over the top donuts! Around here we have Donut Crazy!
Side-note: How beautiful is this london blue topaz and diamond ring from Aurate? I had to buy it when I saw it matched one of my favorite necklaces that my Grandmother handed down to me.
Double V-Neck Cashmere Sweater: Calypso St. Barth 'Gylden' (Gilt)
Floral Jeans Target Flipside Denim
Sandals: Zigi Soho Velvet Floral Embroidered Open Toe Mules (TJ Maxx)
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Natural Selection Mini Messenger Bag' (Saks Fifth Avenue)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Italy)
Blue Topaz & Diamond Necklace: hand-me-down from Grandma
Ring: Vintage Emerald Cut Ring with London Blue Topaz c/o Aurate
