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I can't believe it is already December.  For the first time in what feels like forever, I'm sharing an outfit! This year has been so strange and I hate that I haven't been sharing many outfits. But I haven't been going many places other than the grocery store and when we do that Christian doesn't want to stop off to take photos very often. I wore this for an outside distanced visit with my parents and siblings in early November. It was nice to be around people besides Christian for a change, ha ha. 

 

P.S. How gorgeous is this tree? My parents planted it the year my sister was born so its 2 years older than me, ha ha. It always looks super pretty in Fall. 


Vest: Ella Moss 'Nico Faux Fur Vest' (Marshalls), Striped Sweater: Madewell waffle knit sweater, Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop), Ankle Books: Vince Camuto 'Davilla' (Marshalls), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop

 

 

I can't believe it's December tomorrow. We've spent over 8 months of the year being socially distanced from the world and it's strange to know that it will continue at least a few more months.  It's had an interesting impact on my shopping. On one hand I don't need anything new since I'm not going anywhere. But on the other, shopping is one of my hobbies so I still find myself window shopping online for pieces I've wanted for years or just anything new.

 

I didn't buy any clothes in November but I did splurge on a Cuddle Clone of Layla during their $60 off sale (and have to wait 8 weeks for them to make/ship her) and got some new beauty supplies from Sephora's Black Friday sale (plus a random 20% off coupon I got!)


THE (modified) RULES

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

Clothes:
  1. FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
  2. Burberry beaded owl sweater via eBay ($75, retail $2950 in 2012)
  3. Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans via eBay ($15 after ad money, retail $735)
  4. Ba&sh "Perla" dress in Green Light c/o Shopbop ($236.25, retail $630)
  5. Nili Lotan Cashmere Abbey Sweater c/o Shopbop ($133.88, retail $525) 
  6. Mickey Mouse Football Jersey in purple ($28; used gift card)
  7. Disney State Fair Connecticut Tee ($17.47; used gift card)

Basics:
  1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)
  2. Madewell Camp Shorts in Faded Rosebud c/o Shopbop ($35, retail $50)
Shoes:

  1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
  2. Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99) 
  3. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Faye' embellished leather sandals via Net-a-Porter Sale ($112, retail $289; used side hustle money)
  4. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clio' leopard-print leather slingback sandals via Net-a-Porter Sale ($74, retail $185; used side hustle money)
  5. Marc by Marc Jacobs buckle boot in burgundy via Cocos On the Green ($48, retail $495; used ad money)


Handbags:

  1. Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158) 
  2. 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Medium shoulder bag in Nile Shark Embossed Leather via Bag, Borrow or Steal ($220, retail $895)

 Accessories:

  1. Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
  2. Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop ($55)

Activewear:
  1. SPANX Look At Me Now Seamless Leggings in Indigo Leopard c/o Shopbop ($68)

Gifted from Brands:
  1. AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
  2. AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)
  3. AUrate Gold Twist Huggie Earrings (retail $80)
  4. AUrate Stackable Twist Ring (retail $80)
  5. AUrate Mini Infinity Ring (retail $70)

Total spent in November: $0

Total spent in 2020: $324.83



I had my first experience with a closet room when I lived in a small beach cottage with my friend. She knew I didn't particularly want to move out of my parents house so she offered me the small extra room in the house as a closet - SOLD! You can see that messy room here. Next I moved in with 2 of my cousins and had the smallest room in the house. It turned into a closet with a bed in it. That room was featured in this post.


When Christian and I were house hunting we wanted a house with at 2 bedrooms so one could be an office. We were fortunate enough to find one that had 3 bedrooms, a sun-room AND a finished basement. This meant that one of the bedrooms could be turned into a closet for me, my dream! I painted the walls purple after we moved in because it's my favorite color and I wanted the room to be extra fun. 


The closet room has undergone many transformations since we moved in May 2018. This latest has brought it a little closer to being how I envisioned it. A post in July 2018 showed how it looked early on.  I started off with pieces of furniture and storage I already had from previous closets.

 

This is what the closet looked like before this newest update:

 

Now to what you've all been waiting for - the new and improved closet room! We finished in early October but it took forever for me to stop being lazy and take photos. Plus the lighting never wanted to cooperate. I apologize for the photo quality but I didn't want to bug Christian to take better ones, ha ha.

 

In October 2018 we bought 2 white shelving units from IKEA to use for some of my Harry Potter books that didn't fit in our living room display. I ended up only needing 1 so the second was moved into my closet to house my shoes. In November 2019 we bought a second cube storage shelf for my closet. We went with white (even though the other cube unit in the room was brown) because eventually I want everything in the closet to be white. 

 

 

In retrospect, I should have used both the tall white shelving units in my closet from the start and used my brown cube storage for Harry Potter books. Sometimes the brain just doesn't work that way. I had to figure it out on my own almost 2 years later, ha ha. 

 

 

I still have one non-white piece in the closet because it is too perfect to replace. It's actually a changing table dresser from when my siblings and I were babies. I love that the top folds over to make shelves which is perfect for storing my makeup and jewelry. Eventually I should just paint it white to match. Probably would have been a good project for quarantine, but I can't think about that now. 


 

I did paint a bookshelf that used to house purses and miscellaneous items, but that has moved to a new spot in the house. I was able to relocate all the things on it to save room. Some of which have cluttered up the dresser making it a little crowded right now, but I haven't felt up to purging more items yet. 



Here comes the interesting part of the story. The couch. If you remember this Instagram post, we got a new couch at the beginning of September. To make a long story short - we ordered the couch from Walmart on August 15th with a delivery date of August 26th. That date came and no couch or update on the tracking info. I messaged Walmart and they said it must have gotten lost in the mail so they sent another to be delivered on September 17th. UGH! The original couch randomly arrived on September 8th with the second one being delivered on September 21st. We waited a few weeks and when they didn't contact us we considered the second one ours too. 

 

 

The white faux fur rug was Christian's idea. I had wanted a rug in here but couldn't really decide if I needed one or what to do and he randomly said one day "Why don't you get a white fur rug for in here? It would make it so cozy." He didn't have to tell me twice. The search began for the proper shaped faux fur rug, it's a lot harder than you think. When I originally put this rug in the room it seemed too small, but then we added the couch and it was a perfect match. (This also got lost in the mail so I had to order it again. No second rug though, used all my luck on the couch!)

 

 

In order for it to fit in the room without too much rearranging - or removal of crucial storage pieces - we removed the back and arms so it could fit snugly between one of the shelving units and the closet (which we removed the door from.) It almost looks like a fancy department store try-on room now! 

 


Speaking of the closet in the closet - I decided to re-paint it white during this whole process because ever since we moved in it was dirty and yellow looking (I was too lazy to paint it in 2018.) One coat of white paint later and it looked brand new! I rearranged everything inside it and was even able to add my blazers - which have been in the guest room closet since we moved in. Now every item of clothing I own (except Winter coats) lives in this room. Not sure you can tell the difference in the paint, but I swear it looks better!

 


I would love to one day have an actual custom closet with fancy shelves/rods for jewelry and clothes but this will definitely do. I much prefer the price of these products than the thousands it would cost for a real custom closet.


Products:  

Dikoaina white Faux Fur Rug

KALLAX Shelf unit, white 30 3/8x57 7/8"

KALLAX Insert for bottles, white 13x13 " (used for shoes)

BILLY Bookcase, white 31 1/2x11x79 1/2"

Target 31" Stackable Shoe Shelf, white

Shoe Slotz Storage Units in Ivory

Peryman Velvet 71.6" Square Arm Sofa in Eggplant

Target Room Essentials - Metal Base Adjustable Double Rod Garment Rack

Single Rod Garment Rack (I think this was also from Target, but it's 10 years old) 

 

 

 And here are some more before/during photos I took while rearranging the closet.


*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.  Thank you for supporting brands I feature*

 

The holidays may look a little different this year but that doesn't mean we can't still give to those we love - or get ourselves a few frivolous things. I won't judge (I do it too!) Even if it's a drop-off on their porch or shipping directly to them, you can show your loved ones you're thinking about them!

 

For the Home

If you're looking for women-owned businesses to support, rockflowerpaper is a great option to check out! I'm very into gifting household items this year instead of clothes and, luckily for me, they have a great selection of both home goods and clothes/accessories!

 

rockflowerpaper has quite a few Winter-themed serving trays that I'm considering as gifts (and for myself, obviously!) How adorable is this Winter Stags tray I bought with a gift card!? Might have to buy a plate hanger to showcase it on the wall instead of covering it with treats. Or I'll just leave it like this on our dining room table (without the succulents.) That's also what makes trays great gifts, so many ways to use them.

 

They also have a collection of ceramic pots with succulents! I have a thing for cute little succulents so you better believe I added some to my cart for the living room (and one for my Grandma too!)

 

Earlier this week rockflowerpaper started their Black Friday sale! You can get 20% off of $50, 30% off of $100 and 40% off of $150 orders. (not including succulents)

 

Handmade Gifts


 

Since I'm doing most of my holiday gift shopping online I'm trying to avoid the "major" stores and shopping small. I do a Secret Santa every year with my siblings/their partners and browsed etsy last month for my gift and found lots of fun options. I can't tell you what I got since it would give away the secret, but I used a few different sellers to make the perfect gift! Jewelry from etsy is also a popular choice and I've gifted many etsy-ordered necklaces in my day!

 

The Gift of Food

 

Another fun option for gifting this year is a week of meal delivery services! That way your loved one can have a fun meal without leaving the house! My brother bought my Mom a week of Blue Apron years ago and it was such a great gift. There are a ton different options too. I have personally used Blue Apron, HelloFresh and EveryPlate and enjoyed them all! You get the most bang for your buck at EveryPlate ($59 for 5 meals) but I find Blue Apron's meals ($59 for 3 meals) more adventurous.

 

To make it even more fun you can coordinate a week to get the same meals and make them together over FaceTime/Zoom/whatever video service you prefer. It's like date night for a family member or friend!


Personalization


Who doesn't love a gift made especially for them? Stealing another idea from family - my Mom made a photo calendar for my Grandma one year that had all our important family dates in it - birthdays, anniversaries and even puppy birthdays. She has twelve grandchildren so Mom made each month a photo collage of a different grandchild. 

 

You could also go another route and make a recipe or photo book, both of which I have received as gifts and loved! Knowing someone took the time to create something just for you makes it all the more special. You can use sites such as Snapfish and Shutterfly for these! (I always check who has a better coupon at the moment.)

I'm writing this post on Monday November 2nd, the day before Election Day, dreading what is to come in the next few weeks. But at least I can look back on this nice and cozy outfit I wore for a quick run to the farmers market a few Saturday's ago. Christian and I stocked up on our favorite pesto before the farmer's market season is over. We bought 1 to use right away and 3 to freeze and get us through Winter! 

 

I wore my new boots for the occasion and paired them with super skinny jeans and a matching cashmere sweater. Basic and perfect. I also realized that this sweater is 7 years old now, wow!

 

Another set of phone photos because I wasn't planning on taking outfit pictures, so the color is a little off on some of them because Christian's iPhone wasn't cooperating, ha ha! I am glad I was able to get some pictures with pretty fall foliage. I didn't get to see much this year because we've been home so much.

 

Cashmere Sweater: Everlane, High Waisted Jeans: J Brand 'Maria' High Rise in Supreme, Boots: Marc by Marc Jacobs Burgundy Buckle Boot (Coco's on the Green)








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