Fragrance Association

This weekend has been really, really lovely. Friday night Dude and I saw Catching Fire and last night I came home from work to his chicken schnitzel and potatoes. They were so good and such a comfort meal...definitely needed. (It's sad that he is such a better cook than I am. At least I'm appreciative.) Today we did errands, got bagels and crashed for football (him) and reading (me.) So nice.

The smell of the schnitzel always lingers in our apartment even if I open the windows, so I am burning candles in an effort to combat it. A couple of my favorite candles are done, so I'm letting myself get two more in the next couple of weeks. Thinking about that led me to think of some of my favorite perfumes. Like a lot of people, I associate scents with a place or period of time.

Eau des Merveilles/Sugar Lychee/Touch for Women

Do you have a fragrance that really reminds you of a certain time in your life? If you do, I'd love to hear about it! 

Inspiration: DwellStudio Cover

I love the tones in this DwellStudio catalogue cover--they're warm and very friendly to our Christmukkah-celebrating household. 

Here are some pieces I love drawn from the colors in the cover: 

Tory Burch Crystal Chelsea Ballet Flats

Heather Hawkins Drusy Geode Studs

Pins and Needles at Urban Outfitters dress 

Coralia Leets Silk Gemstone Bracelet (on sale!)

Hope your week is off to a great start! 

Jewelry Alerts

Save 20% at Dogeared now through Monday!! So many great holiday gift ideas.

wood and quartz bracelet/elephant earrings/pearl necklace

Dannijo's collaboration with Rashida Jones, Fine by Dannijones, will be available this Monday. (More info here.) I can't wait to see the items featuring pineapple charms! I want to prepare for this by re-watching Celeste and Jesse Forever, but I don't know if I am emotionally ready for that.

Have a great night!

Inching into Holiday: A List

1. Planning a day trip to Annapolis featuring a visit to Candles off Main. (Give me all the candles, please.)

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2. A date with myself and whoever wants to join to see Catching Fire next week.

3. Getting this hot cocoa kit to share with Dude and pals when it gets even colder. 

4. And finally, repeated viewings of the video below because watching Jason Statham read Oprah's Favorite Things is, in my opinion, an excellent use of several minutes. 

Happy weekend, everyone!

Abominable Bob, Evil Hearts, and more

I love when fashion and fun coincide. I like getting all dressed up, but I would not generally call putting on Spanx a good time. 

I don't have the confidence to pull these ridiculously awesome bags off, but I feel like someone with Cara Delevingne's playful spirit and style definitely could. If a wristlet, like this one (available in black and white), is named Abominable Bob, it is pretty darn hard for me to resist. 

cooperative at urban outfitters

These also remind me of Play by Comme des Garçons' slightly diabolical heart logo...

left/right

For the holiday season, I would wear the shirt on the right for looking cute while traveling and on Christmas. I would bust out the shirt on the left for trips to Starbucks resulting from too many feelings or hiding in a room and reading (at least I would know that I was reading in an awesome shirt.)

Finally, this satchel is currently on sale where I work (at South Moon Under--this is not a promotional post and I did not receive any kind of compensation for it--I really just like this bag.) I love the hardware and think it's a good bag for travel. Definitely fantasizing about wearing this bag with the featured black heart t-shirt, boots, and a nice cozy cardigan. 

South Moon Under

I'm off to re-read The Hunger Games and hopefully take care of some stuff around our apartment. Hope everyone has a good night!  

My Kind of Monday

I love that today is a day for celebrating our veterans and active service members, who do so much for our country.

Selfishly, I also love that Dude has the day off. I don't have work today and we're just bumming around, not in a big hurry. I might run a couple of errands, but otherwise I am looking forward to a relatively relaxing day with my favorite guy just a room away (he gets the couch and the big screen TV because I am nice. Also, I stole his computer to write this post, so I think we're even.)

One of my new favorite Etsy shops is Chasing At Starlight, which sells jewelry embossed with quotes from books, poems, songs, and movies. Here are four of my favorite pieces, featuring quotes from The Hunger Games, The Beatles, and e.e. cummings:

real or not real/all you need is love/i carry your heart

/here is the place where i love you 

This blue hedgehog from the Lilly Pulitzer Print Studio is all kinds of adorable and makes my day whenever I look at it. (him? her?) The Lilly 5x5 Pinterest board is a must-follow for me. 

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Hope everyone has a great day! 

Hometown Love

Reading the Lilly Pulitzer blog's Palm Beach Travel guide made me oh-so-excited to come home at the end of the month!

{via}

My favorite places on this list are Rinato's, where my dad used to take me and my family for dinner (I was a very lucky child) and Ta-boo, the restaurant and bar where Dude's mom held a beautiful rehearsal dinner for our wedding. 

{rehearsal dinner, 6.7.2013}

I can't wait for A1A drives, TooJay's excursions, Starbucks breakfasts with my dad, and some fun walks around town--we head down at the end of November!

My Picks: TOMS Marketplace

I'm working on accumulating Hanukkah and Christmas gifts for friends and family, and I love buying a gift for someone that benefits others too. TOMS just introduced a Marketplace section of its website, which has a collection of items from vendors whose goods benefit different causes around the world. Here are my favorite pieces from my first look at the site! 

iPad case/candle/silver key bracelet/gold key bracelet/Great Gatsby tote/coaster set/beaded bracelet/clutch

Less Heavy Things.

I wanted to write more, so my foot is elevated and I am snuggled under the awesome afghan that we got for our wedding from J. 

Two great online sales: 

Paper Source is having a 2-for-1 deal on custom address stamps. It ends tonight and I am seriously considering getting in on it for holiday/everyday cards and notes. 

Piperlime is offering 25% off with the code 25OFF at checkout until tomorrow, and here are some items I am tempted to use the discount with! 

Ray-Ban Sunnies/ Sam Edelman Heels/ Clare Vivier clutch

Rachel Zoe Hinge Knot Bangle/

Rebecca Minkoff Curbs Pearl Stud Hinge Bangle

Good night for real this time!

The Question of Results

I'm all over the place. Sometimes I feel like things are moving too quickly and I'm putting too much pressure on myself to get back to work. At other times, I feel like there is so much that I want to do and I am incredibly behind. At work, I catch myself wondering what my endgame is when my current job has nothing to do with either of my degrees--even though I enjoy it. When I get home, I crash. We're talking bath, epsom salts, sleep, elevated ankle--because my ankle, which had nothing to do with my surgery, was injured several years ago and does not enjoy my standing/bustling around for hours a time where I currently work.

(via)

The idea of gradual progress is only something I really accepted several years ago. Before that, if I wasn't achieving what I thought I was supposed to achieve, I thought I was failing. Now, I am tremendously fortunate in so many ways. I love my family, husband, and friends. Dude and I are putting together a wonderful, cozy apartment. I am saving money by not going to Starbucks every morning (which, sadly, is more shocking to my friends than it should be.) 

I do well with lists, so here's a brief one: 

1. I am an extrovert and one of the reasons I like working in retail is that I genuinely like talking to people. 

2. I have worked in the public and private sectors and had a range of experiences. My favorite job was working at an academic research institute where I got to go to the Library of Congress and transcribe letters from the 19th century. 

3. I get similar amounts of enjoyment from reading a new book or article about international affairs and  perusing accessories and home stuff online. 

So...yeah. Still stuck. Aside from working to save money, I struggle with finding a desired direction for my career. That is one of the biggest weights on my shoulders, one that accompanies me when I wake up at 3 AM and can't get back to sleep.

I've tried writing a couple of posts but haven't completed any of them. Maybe I needed to write this first. 

I'm going to take the time I have to rest between today and tomorrow and enjoy Sunday night with Dude and probably some bad food, elevate my stupid ankle, and be grateful for all the good stuff I have--including the gorgeous view of fall trees that from our bedroom and living room windows. 

Hope everyone has the best possible start to their weeks.