I love the rich green color of this midi dress, the fitted banded waist and the flouncy circle skirt. I kept accessories minimal with an embellished gold belt, pearl statement necklace, small bag and heels. 

Happy Friday!  Have you heard of Ipsy? It's is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription where you get full or deluxe size samples of a variety of products and a cute makeup bag. Ipsy sends out different variations of the glam bag each month. Here's what I got in mine in September:



Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil
I received the fringe color which is a rich brown. My go to eyeliner is the Urban Decay 24/7 pencil and while the Pacifica was easy to apply and glided on my eyelid easily enough, I don't know if I would make the switch.  I'm giving it a thumbs up because it's a good back up!
Verdict: 

Joining the Lifestyle Sistas Linkup today to talk about the Places I Want to See Before I Die. This topic hits home for me because my Mom travels to amazing destinations several times a year and is checking off every spot on her bucket list. So far this year she has been bike riding in Amsterdam, spent a week in Paris with our daughter, kayaked in Alaska and is heading to one of my top picks this fall: Italy to hike.  I hope to do the same one day and here are the top five on my bucket list.  Turns out some of my favorite films were shot at many of these destinations so touring those settings would make the trip even more fun!

San Francisco 

I have never been to California (connecting flights at the airport does not count) so I'd love to wander around San Francisco and ride a cable car.  Union Square would be my top destination for art, theater and all of the shops and a Vertigo tour of San Francisco would be fun.  Vertigo is probably one of my all time favorite Hitchcock movies and was filmed here!

I'm saying yes to white after labor day!  To transition my white jeans into fall, I paired them with a neutral sweater, leopard sandals and gold jewelry.

Happy Monday!  If you read my Fall goals post last month, you'll remember that I made a resolution to start reading one book a month.  Well, I jumped right in on this one and read three books in August. Here's how I reviewed them on Goodreads:


Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes, is not your everyday romance novel, it is a thought provoking love story that makes you think about life & death and will leave you in tears as you finish the book. Louisa has never been outside of her home town and is leading an average life working in a coffee shop. Will is a successful entrepreneur who has it all and leads a life of action and adventure.

Will’s life is changed in a split second when he is in an accident that leaves him paralyzed and a quadriplegic. Will comes to the realization that he will never recover and his life will never be the same. He feels trapped inside his own body and makes a difficult personal decision that leaves his family desperate to find a way to change his mind. 

Louisa loses her job at the coffee house and is hired on a contract basis by Will’s family to be Will’s caregiver. She is not told the reasons behind the contract but soon overhears a private conversation between Will’s Mother and Sister. Realizing what the stakes are, Louisa makes it a personal mission to change Will’s outlook on life. 

Louisa and Will’s relationship starts out rocky but as it evolves, it’s interesting to see the effect they have on each other. Louisa does bring joy to Will’s life while Will pushes Louisa out of her comfort zone to try new things and embrace what life has to offer. 

Will’s situation is described realistically and without any confusing medical jargon. The characters are likable, easy to relate to and are unforgettable. Their story is a reminder to live each day to the fullest and not take what you have for granted. My favorite quote in the book is “You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

I found this gorgeous sequin skirt at J.Crew in January for a steal.  I had intended to wear it to holiday parties this year but then I started thinking, how can I incorporate sequins into day wear?  Do you have a sequin skirt, shirt or jacket that you have worn as party wear?  You can get more mileage out of these pieces by creating a chic daytime outfit. The trick is to keep it simple and balance your sparkle with neutral basics.  




You probably have tees, chambray or denim shirts, white button downs and blazers in your closet. To style my skirt, I looked for these basics in neutral hues; white, beige, gray, navy & black.  Your sequins are a built in accessory so keep jewelry to a minimum, think dainty necklaces or a simple bracelets.  Skip the heels and complete the look with a pair of sandals, booties or even Converse. 

Here are the two ways I wore my sequin skirt as day wear: