Fall Fashion and Beauty Favorites

Nov 7, 2019

I am sharing all of my favorite fall purchases from fashion to beauty products. I only share home decor on my Instagram page, but you can find clothing sometimes in my stories. I was surprised at the positive feedback and purchases since I know most of you follow me for my home. Actually, the clothes sold almost as much as the decor last month! 

I've mostly been buying casual sweaters, jeans and flats to fit my lifestyle. Most of my day is spent shopping for clients, running errands or staging homes if I am out of the house. I am a big fan of the off the shoulder trend. I tend to tuck in my sweaters if they're not fitted for waist definition. I do like to wear a belt in that case. I just can't get behind the no belt look I'm seeing everywhere lately. Plus it's an opportunity to dress up an outfit. I've also been switching my jeans over from mid-rise to high rise. I know I'm late to the trend, but it took me a while to find ones that fit me well and are comfortable. 





This sweater is sold out in the blue, but comes in two other colors. 



I love this lookalike Balmain sweater with the gold buttons. The 3/4 sleeve is perfect for those days that are in between cold and warm too. Mules are one of my favorite shoes to wear in the fall. I never have to worry about them rubbing my heel when I walk like typical ballet flats and loafers. I'll have to switch to my flat/low heeled boots when it gets cooler. 






One way to make a casual outfit look dressy is by adding a blazer. I'm just wearing a tee with jeans, but doesn't it look so much more put together? It's another classic black and white look too. I'm wearing mid-rise jeans here, but I switched over to a great fitting pair of high rise. 

I have two different bags pictured. I use the Prada bag for client meetings so I can put my laptop and fabric samples in it. I use a nude or a black YSL bag daily because it can be a shoulder bag or a crossbody. It's also small and dressy enough to wear with a cocktail dress. All three of these are coated leather so there's little worry about scratches. They're a bit pricey, but these three bags are all I need. I've also had them for years so the cost per wear is really low. I bought one every two years. It's technically time for another one, but I just don't need any more!








Here is the same blazer in black. It was such a good deal I had to get both colors. I don't wear heels often so the only colors I have are black, nude and leopard. I haven't found myself needing another pair now that I have the basics. These are low-rise jeans, but I'll link my new high rise ones I recently bought that I absolutely love.







I have been eyeing this red sweater forever! I finally decided to buy it and I'm so glad I did. It's actually not the best photo (sorry none of these are) because I was in a hurry to get my son to his basketball game, but it is really cute. 





I don't buy a lot of clothes as you can see by the amount of times I wear the same jeans, belts, shoes and handbags. It's just not necessary. I suggest starting with the basics to mix and match. If you work in an office that might mean solid colored pants/pencil skirts instead of jeans, or heels instead of flats. I would not suggest buying anything designer unless you know from experience that you will wear it forever. I've owned some type of leopard shoe for the last 20 years. I knew when I bought a designer brand that I would have it forever. FYI, I did get mine 50% off when Saks had their summer sale. Buying off season is a great idea too, but it's only a good deal if you will wear it! You won't see me wearing a designer brand flat shoe that I wear everyday. I have to replace those often because I wear them so much. My booties in the first photo barely lasted two years. I have my eye on the similar ones I linked.




Beauty Faves

I am really into fragrances this year for some reason. Like I mentioned before, I don't buy much. When I do buy something I become a bit of a perfectionist, which is why it took me so long to find the best high waisted jeans. I'm still torn over whether I like Madewell or J.Crew's jeans better. Keep in mind J.Crew completely redesigned their jeans so it's not the same as years past. Anyway, I had to try every fragrance under the sun before I found my favorite fall/winter scent. Don't laugh, but I tried on perfume every time I went to the mall for the past three months. This is the one! It's a clean floral with a musky under tone that's great for fall and winter.








1  2  3  4  5 


1. This CC cream has such a huge following that there's a good chance you might already be using it, but just in case you aren't it's a full coverage foundation and has SPF 50. It's the only one I have used that covers all of my imperfections and doesn't sink into my lines.


2. If you can't figure out strip lashes then these are for you! I can put these on in 5-10 minutes. It does  take a bit of practice to go that fast, but it's worth it. I use this in lieu of mascara for my upper lashes. As long as I sleep on my back which I try to do to not cause wrinkles anyway, I only have to reapply them when I wash my hair. I only wash my hair twice a week so I wake up looking made up when I'm not. I use the dark glue instead of the clear. I've found the clear dries white that makes the glue noticeable. I don't need eyeliner on my upper lashes with the dark glue either. I only have to put on a bit of shadow, and then liner and mascara on my lower lashes that's easy to remove without dislodging the lashes. 


3. I've been using this moisturizer since May when a make-up artist recommended it. Hands down this is the best I've ever used. I even bought a small jar of La Mer once. Don't waste your money on that. I was not impressed!


4. My skin is very dry and my lips used to be perpetually chapped no matter what I put on them. This is the only product that has cured it. I have to put it on twice a day, but most people only need it at night. I use a matte lipstick during the day and just put it on top to make it look like lip gloss.


5. I can't say this bronzer came recommended to me the way I use it. It was just trial and error. I was happily using Laura Mercier translucent powder over my foundation to set it until it really just started to settle in my crow's feet. I tried so many other powders and couldn't find anything that didn't age me until I realized my bronzer didn't do this. I bought the lightest one possible and started using it as a powder. I'm guessing it's because it's thicker compared to translucent powder. I told a makeup artist about it and she was impressed as well!



I hope you enjoyed this different kind of post! Of course interior design is my main focus since it's also my career, but let me know if you'd like me to include an occasional fashion and beauty post.





Master Bedroom Update: Intaglio Art

Oct 21, 2019

I'm so excited my new intaglio art is finally here! I've been wanting them forever, but the price tag isn't cheap. I did find a site that custom makes them for a great price. You get to pick the intaglios, mat colors and frames. They also have different size options if you are looking for something larger. You might notice I have a new rug in here too. I planned on an ivory silk tone on tone rug in an abstract or stripe, but they were so pricey. This viscose rug is so much more affordable.





I love how this art blends with the abstract painting. Eventually I'd like to add moulding and/or grasscloth wallpaper to the walls, but this gives the room a more finished look in the meantime.





I wasn't sure if I was going to hang the art above the bed or in my upstairs landing that overlooks the foyer. I picked frames and mats that would go in both rooms for that reason. I decided to keep them above the bed for now because it is so much more noticeably bare without them than the landing. Here they are in the landing.





Can you see why my decision was so hard?


SHOP




Bed, Nightstands, Actual Bench-Restoration Hardware

Abstract Art-High Fashion Home

Faux Fur Blanket-ZGallerie





Balmain Blazer Lookalike

Oct 15, 2019

One of your favorite items from my fall home tour wasn't even home decor. It was my black Balmain lookalike blazer! I loved it so much that I bought it in white too. It also comes in a pink, light blue and red. I find that it runs exactly one size small and you will see many reviews say the same. The quality is amazingly good too. At under $60 it's a great find!

I wore the white today to a client meeting. I paired it with a black bodysuit, black jeans, and my favorite flats. I'd rather wear heels, but flats are typically what I wear when working. 










The Prada tote bag is also what I usually take with me to client meetings because it can hold so much-files, measuring tape, and fabric samples. The YSL bag in the second photo is what I carry on a daily basis because it can be a shoulder and crossbody bag. No need to switch bags! My Ferragamo pearl belt is no longer available, but the black and gold one is a classic.

Close-up of the belt




Here is the same blazer in black that was so popular in my fall home tour. More details about this look is in the link. 





SHOP


Blazer   Bodysuit   Jeans  Similar Belt   Mules   Prada Bag  Similar YSL Bag






World Market 30% Off Sale: My Dining Room Picks

Oct 11, 2019

World Market is having a great friends and family sale with 30% off almost everything! I rounded up my favorite dining room furniture picks since the holidays are upon us. I also mocked them up so you can see how they look in a room, and then styled them with my favorite accessories.

Room #1





Room #2






Here are some of my other favorite chair options!








Fall Home Tour 2019

Oct 6, 2019

Happy Fall! My fall home tour is a bit late this year, but so is the fall weather! We are getting our first cold front tomorrow, and I cannot wait to have coffee on the porch in the morning to enjoy it. There are so many things on our fall bucket list-local festivals, a haunted corn maze, and s'mores around the fire pit. Pumpkin patches and trick-or-treating are out this year since the boys are getting older, but there is still plenty for us to do as a family!





I am in love with these new fall wreaths! They were a semi-DIY. I already had one dried magnolia wreath from last year. It wasn't my favorite because it was so flat and plain. I decided to add real elements like feathers and dried florals with a hot glue gun hoping it would perk it up. It did! I bought everything I needed from Hobby Lobby including the green and brown ribbon. 




















I later added the grapevine garland and lights. I'm not sure if I'm going to add any Halloween decor to  it. We'll see if the kids ask for it!





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Jacket  Jeans  Cami  Shoes  Wreath


On to the foyer, which is my favorite this year! I was inspired by these pretty, lavender mums. I knew they would look great paired with white pumpkins somewhere inside or outside the house.







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Chandelier, Garden Stool, Rug, Similar Chair, Similar Table 1 2 3,  Similar Mirror
Similar Pillow 1 2, Greek Key Throw, Lamps


Dining Room-Ivory and gold




















I'll be honest, I just used what I had already on hand for this year's table. All I added was this Greek key ribbon to tie the napkins. It's a great inexpensive alternative to napkin rings.


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Living Room






























Kitchen/Breakfast Room

I carried the peach and white theme from the living room to the kitchen since they are so open to each other.



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Lanterns, Stools, Wreath, Similar Blue and White Vase




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Tray, Candle






























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Gold Pumpkin Wreath






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Similar round cutting board, Marble cutting board, Similar stand



Love these sugar free syrups to add to my coffee!
















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Table, Chairs, Chandelier, Similar Pumpkin, Art








Backyard




















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Fire Pit, Loungers, Chairs, Sofa



It was important to decorate the pool area again this year because Dylan and his girlfriend took homecoming photos out here yesterday.









Can you believe this is the same little boy from when I first started blogging? He was only 10 back then and now he's 17! I would be sad, but he's grown into such a handsome, great kid that I can't be anything but proud.



I hope you enjoyed my fall tour!