Accessories for Fall:

H & M Camel Beret







H & M Dark Green Bag


What is it with me and green today?

Mulberry Bright Cabbage Alexa at Intermix


Top Shop Green Suede Lock Purse


Top Shop Midnight Blue Velvet Frame Bag

The most important thing to me about something I buy is if it is unique.  That's what I love about this blazer.  It's a peplum like so many others, but the peplum is made of individual pieces of crepe that alternate between the crepe finish and the shiny underside.

I am not a wedding person.  I don't read Martha Stewart Wedding.  I don't look at wedding cakes and go, "Ahhhhh."  I don't drive by wedding dress stores and crane my neck.  When I got married, I ordered my dress from Nordstrom online and didn't even go into the store to try any on.  But one thing I will look at any time is engagement rings.

Because this is a pastime, I've got it down to a science.  Show me your setting, and I can tell you when you got engaged/married with an accuracy of +/- 3 years (unless you've replaced your original ring like my sister).

Lately I've noticed a trend with more estate and antique settings.  I personally think this brings more sentiment to the ring as it's more unique and really a statement about the people involved.  You also aren't going to see anyone with something similar.

Some of my favorites from Excalibur Jewelry:

Old mine cut diamond from the 1900's



If you want a ring like the Duchess with some history but are on a budget, you can choose from an oval sapphire and diamonds from the 1910's

or one from the 1930"s

This is probably my favorite because of the Asscher cut diamond from the 1940's


And finally some gorgeous filigree in a platinum and diamond ring from the 1930's

This week I'm looking at green flats.  These are three very different styles.  Which would you choose?

Fendi Kelly Green Flat Penny Loafer from Bluefly



Prada Mimetic Camouflage Pony Hair Bow Flats from Bluefly



Frye Wendy Tassel Moccasin from Nordstrom


Results of last week:


You chose the Aryn K sequin tank seen here.  Look for it in a future post.

I've recently started using lifting products on my face.  I feel like that's such a confession.  Hi my name is Gina, and I use lifting and firming products on my face.  You see, I've gotten kind of jowl-y in my mid-life, not old age.  Of course, it has nothing to do with the 20 or so pounds I could lose which would dramatically help the situation.

One of the first I've tried is the Perricone MD High Potency Amine Complex Face Lift.



I layer it on after my serum and before my moisturizer in the morning.  At $95 for 2 ounces, it's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm really glad I didn't pay for this one even though I do like the product.  The smell is a little off-putting, but it doesn't linger.  The product gives a nice firmness to the skin which lasts for most of the day.  This isn't a dramatic plastic-y or mask-like feeling though which is a plus.  Because you use just a few drops, I can see that the bottle would last several months making it more of a value, but unless I find that a lower-priced product doesn't give the same results, which I wouldn't call dramatic, I'm going to keep looking.

Every Sunday I try to think out my week's outfits in advance.  The first thing I do is check the weather forecast.  Although it has been cooler overall and especially in the evenings, we are still headed into the upper 80s this week.  At the same time, I pulled out my Halloween decorations.  This is just not right.

It also makes it a really confusing time to pick clothes.  It's after Labor Day, so no white right? No, I've still been wearing white skirts and pants especially on the weekends.  Shoes are hard too.  I want to be wearing boots, but instead I'm still choosing summery flats.

I've had these Sperry's for at least 20 years.  I pull them out for a few wears every summer, and they came out again this weekend.


Paired with a straw bag tied with a scarf


and white pants, a denim jacket and my Coach sunglasses, I was ready to make it through another day of errands.  Hopefully next weekend will be more crisp, but I'm not counting on it.

I had the great pleasure of going to Katherine Hooker's trunk show when she was in town recently.  If you aren't familiar with her work, you should really visit her website katherinehooker.com where you can see beautifully photographed pictures of her collection.  Everything she does is bespoke.

My first exposure to Katherine's work was from a friend who had purchased one of the jackets at a vintage booth in London.  I was drawn to the lovely fabric underneath the collar, and it planted the name Katherine Hooker in my brain.  I never realized that her work was bespoke and kept expecting to see mention of it somewhere.

At the trunk show, Katherine had samples of all her styles, but she generously gives each client her time selecting the style that is perfect for your body type.  She recommended the Hacking and the Alexander to me.

 Hacking:




Alexander:


 Since the trunk show was at the London Hotel, we had the pleasure of dining at Gordon Ramsay afterwards.  Also, a wonderful experience.

For Fall.

The weather is cooling down, but we are having our usual June gloom now followed by hot, sunny afternoons that get humid.  The weather is so different from when I was growing up.

I'm pushing the envelope and starting to wear some of my lighter tweed and heathered pieces.  After all, I'm sitting in an over-air conditioned building most of the day.

I always worry that I am going to over-accessorize, and then I end up realizing hours later, that I really don't have that much on.

I started today wanting to wear my aquamarine ring.  Weird to start with a ring, but that's how I am sometimes.



It has a vaguely Indian vibe to me with the way it is set, but I don't really have anything in my closet that immediately came to mind as something to team it with.  I decided on this Free People bolero because of the intricate beading.



Then I added iced coffee because that goes with everything.


I threw on my Kate Spade necklace because the beading on the bolero has small yellow beads, and I thought this would make them stand out more.


And I'm still doing the red nail thing.  I will put anything on my toes, but for me to have a bold color on my nails is amazing.

In the last Rule of Three, seen here, the choice was leather jackets.  You decided on the beauty from Philosophy.  Alas, it was only available in a size 12 by the time the vote was in, so it was unattainable.

This week's choice is a simple sequin tank.  Tell me what you think.

Tinley Road Sequin Front Jersey Tank at Piperlime



Aryn K Renn Sequin Underlay Tank also at Piperlime



Club Monaco Zoey Sequin Tank at Shopbop

Whenever I see one of those magazine pieces where they ask celebrities what product they would take to a desert island, I always feel impressed and stressed at the same time because I could never pick just one thing to take.  I would take mascara because my eyes disappear without it. But if I was by myself, it wouldn't matter.  So I would take lip balm because my lips are scary dry.  But then what about the rest of my face.  So I would take moisturizer and then I could use it on my lips too.  But...

Hence the stress.

There is no one thing that I can't live without product-wise, but there are several things that I depend on everyday.

One amazing and miracle-type product is Dr. Brandt's Pores No More.


I only found out about this a few months ago, and I feel like I'm making up for lost time.  When you smooth this on, it has a silky almost powdery texture.  It instantly makes my skin feel smooth and soft.  It also does amazing things to the skin texture on my cheeks where I feel my pores are the most noticeable.

I may not be ready for the desert island, but I feel more prepared to answer the question the next time I'm asked (does anyone really ask that question?).

We had date night at the Green Street Tavern before hub left on a trip to San Antonio.



We hadn't had lunch, so we dug into the first course before taking pictures.


Absinthe smoked salmon


Baked brie (covered in brown sugar, candied nuts and pomegranate - Heaven)




Wild boar meatloaf wrapped in boar bacon with garlic mashed potatoes.

I had pumpkin gnocchi with duck confit, but, unfortunately no photographic evidence of it exists.

5 from MBFW.  Not in any order.  And not the only 5.

Prabal Gurung

Richard Chai



Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren (big surprise)