Amazon Finds

Nail Concealer//Green Bag// Wool and Cashmere Shampoo// Napkin Set

Sunglasses// Cream Velvet Headband// Portable Hard Drive

Ginger Jar Ornaments

Nail Strengthener// Little Black Dress// Black Velvet Headband// Pouch Set// Sunglasses// Leggings

Nail Concealer// This is a really neat nail polish. It's almost clear but it just makes your nails look nicer! If I don't have time to go to the salon for a manicure but need my nails to look polished in a pinch, this is the best stuff! 

Green Bag// Ok how cute it this? It's under $30 and a fun bag to carry with a cocktail dress. I feel like this bag is trendy so I would not want to spend more than that anyway! 

Wool and Cashmere Shampoo// I just repurchased a bottle of this. A little goes a long way so a bottle lasts a long time. This is what I use on all of my cashmere! It smells wonderful and is very gentle. 

Napkin Set// I thought these were pretty for a fall tablescape! 

Sunglasses// Love these sunglasses. They are probably the most inexpensive sunglasses I own and I have been wearing them more than any other pair lately! Make sure you get the Amber tortoise/brown option as I think those have the best lenses. 

Cream Velvet Headband// These headbands come in a bunch of colors and are a classic, basic headband, which is surprisingly hard to find these days! No puffing, not knots, no embellishments. Well-made, too, and doesn't hurt my head after hours of wear. 

Portable Hard Drive// This is what I use to backup all of my photos. I also use the cloud but I like to have a hard copy of everything, too! Great if you have wedding photos and want to make sure you have a copy of these on hand forever. 

Ginger Jar Ornaments// You all already know about these but they are still in stock as of writing this, so snag them while you can. 

Nail Strengthener// I get gel manicures and it really does take a toll on my nails. In between manicures, I use this and I really do think it helps. It dries SO fast. 

Little Black Dress// I ordered this and when it arrived, it was kind of wrinkly and didn't look promising. I gave it a chance and after steaming it, it turned out to be SUCH a winner. A great option for a more casual wedding or upcoming holiday event! I sized up to a medium. 

Black Velvet Headband// I ordered this thinking it might be a fail because it's less than $5 but it's so nice!! A classic black velvet headband. I wish they made more colors, I would have bought them all!

Pouch Set// My sister turned me on to these pouches. One set and you'll be forever organized!!

Sunglasses// These are stylish and fun. I really liked the color so that's what made me purchase them! I wear them quite a bit as I feel like they look good with my coloring! 

Leggings// Do you know I have held off on buying Amazon leggings for years even after I have seen so many people rave about them. I felt like there was NO WAY they could even come close to brands like Lululemon, Athleta, etc. I finally caved. I had to know. I ordered this exact pair and lo and behold, they are SO much like my lululemon Wunder under. I think the Lulu pairs are like 1% better, but for the savings, these are just truly a great choice. I am converted and now I really do understand why people are talking about them so much.

Lately

First of all, I have to wish my beautiful mother a very happy birthday! It will be so much fun celebrating her today! We are going to the immersive VanGogh event and then out for drinks and dinner at one of my very favorite spots! In the photos above, my mom is wearing this fleece and these jeans. 

This week has felt go-go-go both with work and social activities. I'm actually OK with it. As backward as this may sound, I actually feel like I am more on my A-game whenever I am busier!!! This weekend we have an Octoberfest party at our family friend's home which will be lots of fun. Then I will likely be doing some work Saturday/Sunday as our following weekends for the next 3 weeks will be packed!!!

We've also had gorgeous fall weather here this week and I have really been trying to take advantage of the sunshine and mild temperatures by taking Henry on longer walks. And speaking of being active, I've been ordering and returning athletic shoes like crazy. I can't seem to find any that I am crazy about right now but when I find the perfect pair I will let you all know! 

Wearing: This past weekend I worked a lot but we also went to a beautiful wedding here in Pittsburgh! It was so much fun!!! I wore this Marchesa Notte dress that I purchased in April of 2020 when all of the fancy dresses went on major sale. Sadly it is no longer available. I was SO happy to have this cashmere wrap as it got chilly as the sun went down. It's one of the most used items in my closet! 

Eating: I made the TikTok salmon bowl last night for dinner and it was delicious. I put my own twists on it, but overall SO easy!!! 

Gifting: These Dennis Gross peel pads are a favorite splurge-worthy skincare item for me. This gift set is SUCH a good deal. 

Sale: Tuckernuck Sport launched new items and not surprisingly, they are as cute as can be!!!! I don't know where this code came from but it has been working for a long time now- if you enter YOUROCK at checkout you get 20% off. I am just waiting for this to no longer work one day because it's almost too good to be true! 

Watching: Have you all watched anything good lately? We are due for a new show for my husband and I to watch together!! I feel like we have seen it all! 

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Loving: I have always loved vintage Christmas stuff. That includes seeing tinsel on Christmas trees. I feel like it's something you don't really see anymore. Do you all put tinsel on your tree? I want to SO badly but I really worry for Henry's sake (in case some fall off and he eats it) so it's just something I don't think I'd ever do, but my goodness, I love the look. 

Loving II: We babysat my parent's pup, Buddy Wednesday-Sunday last week and let me tell you- our vacuum has never worked harder, haha!! Two pups that shed like crazy and I was vacuuming daily. It was crazy! But Buddy is so cute and the sweetest. Henry and Buddy get along so well!

Wanting: I finally ordered myself a new Macbook. Merry Christmas to me. I literally pre-ordered it on Monday the second it was announced and became available. I had been waiting on this for years as I held out with my 2013 model. I could not bring myself to update my computer until they brought back the magnetic charging port and all of the other ports like SD and USB and I did not want that touch bar at all that they had been putting on the newer models in recent years. I am SO glad I waited it out and so so so excited to finally have a new computer that I have really needed to do my job (sans touch bar and with ports). I knew eventually Apple would listen to its customers and bring back the ports!!! 

Pittsburgh: We tried the buffalo chicken pizza from Driftwood Oven for the first time and oh my goodness, it was SO good. It was easily the best buffalo chicken pizza I have ever eaten! 

Traveling: We are going back to the Finger Lakes soon!! I am so excited. After visiting for the first time last year, we loved it so much we made sure to plan a trip again for this year!

Quoting: 'The whole world is a series of miracles, but we're so used to them we call them ordinary things.' - Hans Chrstian Andersen// See more of my favorites, here.

Gift Guide 2021: Under $200 For Her

Nautical Wood Board// Veja Campo Sneakers//  Tennis Shoes

Down Throw// Striped Top// Tote// Button Down Shirt 

Faux Fur Vest// Crystal Decanter// Hairbrush// Curling Iron// Down Puffer Coat// Cashmere Tee 

Vitamin C Serum// Coffee Maker// Cashmere Crewneck// Flannel Pajamas 

Ugg Mini Boots// Dinner Plate// Fleece Pullover// Vanity Case

Today's gift guide focuses on items that are between $100-$200 for her! This was such an easy one for me to do as I own everything on this list and absolutely 10/10 would recommend every single thing on this list. These are all tried and true items I use day in and day out. 

Some Items of Note...

 

Nautical Wood Board// This wood board is from my collaboration with WREN! You can use code SYDNEY20 for 20% off your purchase! 

Striped Top// This is one of my very favorite tops. I wrote a full blog post about it, here. 

Hairbrush// I treated myself to this hairbrush. It's ridiculously expensive for a brush but my hairstylist, Courtney, who did my hair for our wedding, used it on my hair and so I ordered one. I really thought I would think it was just like any other hairbrush, but I was wrong. It makes my hair feel SO soft. The rubber pad that the bristles sit in is apparently patented and I now understand why. Whenever you brush your hair, it feels almost cushioned on your scalp... hard to explain until you try it! They also say Mason Pearson hairbrushes last a lifetime. I replace hairbrushes every year or two so this could be really good news for me. This is something that makes a great gift because it's frivolous and a small dose of luxury that you might purchase for yourself. 

Ugg Mini Boots// Team Ugg boots forever. They're not the prettiest but my goodness they are SO warm and comfortable. This is typically what I walk Henry in the winter months or what I wear to/from Orange Theory classes or running quick errands where I am in and out of the car a lot. These are the mini and I've been wanting to try this height as they have become quite popular! 

2021 Gift Guides:

My Wish List

Under $100 for Her

For Him

2021 Holiday Content:

Traditional and Easy Christmas Decor

Holiday Card Outfit Idea

Past 2020 Gift Guides:

For The Home

Small Business Part I and Part II

Under $50 for Her

Splurges for Her

Under $200 for Her

Gifts Under $100 for Her

My Wish List

Last-Minute Ideas

For Dogs

Jewelry Travel Set (great gift idea)

Small Travel Case (less pricey option)// Large Travel Case 

Valet Tray // Jewelry Box 

Shop the Items:

I have a lot of storage pouches that I have amassed over the years. However, nothing is structured like the items you see above! Most of the pouches I have are soft, which is fine for just a few things, but I worry some of the items could get crushed or somehow messed up!

We went to The Greenbrier on our minimoon and I had a bedside table and after getting married, I had gotten a few more pieces of jewelry that I would take off when I slept or showered. I realized I didn't really have anywhere to put them- no home base in our room. So that had me on the hunt for a little valet tray that I could put all my items on the nightstand- jewelry, hand cream, lip balm, etc. I ended up ordering this. It was inexpensive and would do the trick! I got it in and it was just so cheapy feeling. 

So I decided I would actually spend a little more money to get what I really wanted and landed on this! And lucky for you all, it's on MAJOR sale. I cannot believe the price! It's so high quality, large, and beautiful. The snaps can be undone and it lays flat in my suitcase or tote bag. I used it recently at my bedside at the Inn at Perry Cabin and it was seriously the perfect thing. You can just put it right into the safe when you leave your room, so easy. 

As a side note, these would all make terrific holiday gifts! 

I also ended up ordering the matching Small Travel Case and Large Travel Case. The small case is perfect for weekend trips and the large is better for several nights or longer! I actually did a lot of research on the cases from all different brands. I wanted something high quality and simple and I wanted these cases to be somewhat slim. When I travel by plane, I always carry on my jewelry so it was important to me that this could all fit in my tote or carry-on. They're not tiny by any means, but they are compact enough that I can definitely carry them on! 

I also didn't plan this or realize it until they arrived, but all three of the items I have happened to match my Jewelry Box! Mark and Graham and Pottery Barn are under the same umbrella so it makes sense! I love that it all matches- it oddly makes me feel very put together! For the jewelry box, I had also done a lot of browsing. I wanted something high-quality that wasn't tiered. I also wanted it to have a clear top. That was hard to find and I stumbled across this unicorn of a Jewelry Box that checked all my boxes. I put my fine jewelry in the jewelry box and then store costume jewelry in lucite containers out of sight. You can see how I store my costume earrings, here.