Stud earrings will always be my earring of choice because they are so easy to wear and sleep in without worry. I'm notorious for wearing the same pair for weeks on end but thanks to Aurate I've been swapping out my earrings more often because I've grown a small collection of cute pairs from the brand.
With many of Aurate's earrings you can buy singles or pairs which makes it super easy to customize stud earrings for your tastes. They have a new diamond moon, lightening bolt, gold letters, birthstones and more! All can also be made in yellow, rose or white gold so there truly is something for everyone. I bought a Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring in rose gold so I could swap out one of my pearl studs for added interest. Such a fun addition to my jewelry box.
This order was the first time I chose items that weren't in stock at the time of purchase. This means that I got to follow along the progress of my earring being made! Aurate doesn't keep a ton of pieces on hand so that you don’t pay for extra inventory costs and they produce less waste. I got emails throughout the whole process so I knew when to expect my jewelry.
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| Status emails from Aurate |
Since my jewelry collection is growing it may be time to figure out a new display solution. Currently I have a wooden jewelry box my grandpa made where I store old pieces. I also have a clear plastic tray organizer with multiple boxes so I can grab my most worn pieces with ease. For some of my bigger necklaces I have a really cute wall hanger that my Mom made with fun knobs on a piece of teal painted wood, similar to this piece. I did get Aurate's Travel pouch for when I go on longer trips and want jewelry options, super convenient! How do you store your jewelry?
I was going to wear the pearl studs for my brother's wedding reception last month but there was a delay in shipping due to a hurricane and they didn't arrive in time. I opted to go for my fun rose gold Sensu Ear Jackets from Aurate along with my pearl necklace instead!
He got married in a small ceremony last year so this year was technically the reception. I wore the same dress to his small scale wedding but wasn't about to not wear it for the big gathering! To make it different I just switched up my accessories. Easy peasy!
Dress: Ba&sh "Perla" dress in Green Light c/o Shopbop
Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood Lola pearl sandals (Net-a-Porter)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Simple Pearl Necklace c/o Aurate
Sensu Ear Jackets c/o Aurate
Opal ring + bracelet: Grandma's
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
