Black Friday is better than ever this year! When it comes to shopping online, there is little reason to wait for Cyber Monday anymore because the deals going on today (some extended through the weekend too) are truly insane. So keep those cozy slippers on, crank up the Christmas carols, brew yourself another mug of coffee, and get comfortable! Cause this is just about good...really good...
My Mega Must-Shop Black Friday Sale List
* Click the brand name bellow to access the Black Friday Deals
AMAZON// Black Friday deals up to 77% off on select items
ANN TAYLOR // 50% off everything with code CELEBRATE
How is there only one week left in October? We're 7 short days away from Halloween, 14 days away from the end of daylight savings, and only 30 days away from Thanksgiving... making it only 31 away from Black Friday! And you know what that means? Before you and I know it holiday madness will be upon us, and honestly I'm already exhausted, behind schedule, and frazzled. I just need a pumpkin spice latte and 5 minutes peace please.
Yep fall is flying by and taking with it my sanity! The only thing I can think of to help me regain my footing is a SPA DAY.
You heard me right: SPA DAY. Even saying it aloud immediately relaxes me, as I'm sure you can see from my sunny smiling photos taken when I took that Spa Day last week at Palm Beach's Eau Resort & Spa. Yes, you may have seen all the incredible up-to-minute details from my day of pampering on Instagram Stories, and if you didn't well get on over their to follow me because it was epic!
I'm fairly certain that I'm not the only one drowning in my coffee each morning, drained by 3pm, and simply constantly stressed out. I even think calling in sick today, tomorrow, or sometime this week is a true and honest self preservation move you need to make. And honey, if you aren't sick now, the hell of Halloween weekend is sure to do you in. All my single ladies and all my moms out there, I'm thinking of you, truly.
Let me make it even easier for you to follow my advice, or really make it impossible for you not to:
To my wonderful South Florida readers, I give you the last week of #Spatober! Thanks to the amazing folks at Discover the Palm Beaches, the finest spas across the Palm Beaches are offering staggering discounts on some of their most signature and sought after treatments. CLICK HERE or visit www.spatober.com to explore what your favorite local spa has on offer, and just book it. You really can't miss out on these deals, and you should feel great that at almost all the participating spas are donating a portion of every discounted service to Breast Cancer related charities. So now you REALLY have no excuse do you?
In celebration of Spa and Wellness month or #spatober (great concept right?) I was invited for a day of ultimate relaxation and enjoyment at Palm Beach's ocean-front Eau Resort & Spa, and treated to their fall signature treatments (being offered at nearly 50% off discount). It was a dream come true, an exhilarating and eye opening morning that led to a much welcomed eye closing afternoon: exactly what the doctor ordered! The Eau Palm Beach
When I arrived at the Eau I was met with a fresh glass of champagne, complimentary valet parking, and ushered through the lobby out to the ocean front pool, There I joined a small group of South Florida influencers for a delicious brunch in the newly opened Breeze Ocean Kitchen Restaurant. The restaurant and bar (and also the guest rooms of the entire hotel) was meticulously designed by Jonathan Adler who I must say masterfully created an indoor-outdoor space that feels like you could be sitting poolside at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs, dinning on the beach in South Beach, or, at the very least, on a total escape from your daily life.
I must say that I'm a really tough critic when it comes to food. Not only have I spent the better part of my 20s working in food: attending London's Le Cordon Bleu, catering and cooking in kitchens from Europe to New York, but as a foodie I have been privileged enough to eat in some of the best restaurants around the globe. Keeping that in mind, I must tell you the food at the Eau's Breeze Ocean Kitchen is excellent. The entire menu is supremely fresh, beautifully presented, and the entire restaurant is almost diary free- the only exception is the spiked milkshake menu. So as a lactose intolerant diner I was particularly happy and relaxed. Order the local caught ceviche, mahi mahi tacos, and tuna poke. Then wash it all down with a not so classic margarita or a "Bahama Breeze" cocktail. Weekend brunch there is terrific, and they now offer a great selection of tapas after 5pm so an after work happy hour by the beach finally really does exist in Palm Beach! Ahhh happiness.
After walking the beach and snapping some shots by the pool and ocean, it was time to head to the spa. Walking in was breathtaking to say the least. After meeting with my spa consultant, I was given a floating candle and instructed to place it in the central pool while making a self-centered wish. I was told that this time is to be about me and that without taking time here and there to indulge focusing on oneself we cease to be helpful to others. I liked the message.
On to champagne cupcakes and robes!
I don't know what it is about robes, but I really could live in one all weekend long, so an afternoon spent in a robe in the Florida sunshine, splashing about in garden lined water features is pure heaven for me. You just have to see the Eau Spa to believe it, check out their site and you'll get a taste for what I mean www.eauspa.com . There is a custom body polish and scrub bar, and relaxation room complete with artisanal "Eau" honey, fruit, fruit infused water, teas, mini cupcakes, and lounging decor that would make Maria Carey swoon. A steam room, sauna, hot tub whirlpool that takes up an entire room, with a central rain water feature that showers you from the ceiling. Magical.
After enjoying the endless features of the spa, I was brought into my treatment room, complete with a private indoor AND outdoor shower, protected outdoor lounge space and vertical garden. My therapist took me through several versions of lighting, asking me which I preferred the most. Apparently my choice gave her all the insight she needed to know what I was looking for from my day. Out of the 3 areas of focus, Pause Play and Perfect, I needed to PAUSE...and she was spot on. Then began the 3 step Sea Salt & Honey Pumpkin Polish & Mask treatment. The process began with a full body sea salt & honey exfoliation to remove all the dead and dry skin, draw out surface toxins, reduce inflammation, and bacteria in the skin. After a warm shower outside in the Florida air, I was then covered from head to toe in a bentonite clay based pumpkin mask, and immediately wrapped in a warming blanket to allow the body to warm and release further toxins, as a collagen-rose serum was massaged into my face by the therapist. This was supreme luxurious relaxation, and I honestly could have stayed in that warm wrap for hours. Another outdoor shower, and then the massage enhanced application of a "marshmallow melt" cream was applied to my entire body which released all my muscles and made my skin softer than it has ever ever felt.
Afterwards I took a warm cup of spiced tea over to the newly outfitted nail salon with in the spa for a perfect pedicure. The spa has invested in these incredible state of the art pedicure chairs that are so comfy, heat up and provide additional massage as your feet are groomed to open toe perfection.
So if you find yourself responding to a barrage of trick or treat questions this week, just answer TREAT already, and book one of these incredible TREATments. You deserve it. We all do.
Other Palm Beach Treatments of Note:
The Breakers & Essie Polish Mani-Pedi with take home nail kit & polish Anushka Spa 's signature facial (both my mother and I are regulars) The Four Seasons Palm Beach Pink Moon Massage (it incorporates pink rose & lavender oil- my two favorites)
And many many more from Jupiter to Boca Raton, Delray to Palm Beach Gardens!
To view all the treatments on offer this week visit www.spatober.com
Transitioning from summer to fall in South Florida (and in the majority of the South for the matter) is often times a challenge for the trendsetting and stylish woman. It requires a certain subtle understanding of pairings and balance, and by this I simply mean mixing fall colors, weights, and textures of the new season pieces with lighter resort or summer staples. But this balancing act doesn't have to be complicated or terrifying; in truth it's the mark of possessing true style sensibility, and not just posing as a fashion copy cat.
And that is precisely why I have been so drawn to JORD Watches this season. JORD creates watches that are stunningly executed in both strength and durability, but their attention to delicate and eye catching detail make these timepieces standout with supreme style. JORD is made up of a team of artists and designers dedicated to sustainability and efficiency, but who are passionate about making sure your watch tells something much more than just the time. The watch I was drawn to the most this season is from their Kora series, which features a sturdy Hawaiian Coa wood band with a delicate rose gold and rhinestone detailed face. It's rugged and refined, elegant and edgy, and entirely modern. The watch glows just enough to look incredible with my ever growing blush uniform, and I've found that it's accessory that can work just as well at sunset cocktails as it does at my desk. I love how it pops off of any grey tone, and mixes with all metals when I create an arm stack. The watch face reminds me of vibrant October skies, and the wood band makes me dream of falling leaves and crisp air when the humidity here in Palm Beach is still stifling.
I can see this watch looking infinitely cool against any rust or umber tones (which is all I seem to be drawn to buying lately) and amazing against a rich tan and white bikini at the beach. Given that my JORD watch is quickly becoming a fall staple, I am so excited to be able partner with JORD in their October contest to offer one lucky winner a JORD watch of their own!
To enter, CLICK HERE and fill out your info with your watch preference. Contest runs through the weekend, but ENDS ON SUNDAY (as in THIS Sunday October 23rd) so head on over to their site HERE or check out their stunning instagram to see all the best styles. You can enter to win by clicking HERE .
Good Luck and leave me comment bellow if you enter!
I'd love to know your favorite style.
// Shop the Post //
*Many thanks to JORD Watches for partnering on this post
Can you see me checking the time? Is it really October already? Gosh, fall is really here I guess, and with it means crisp mornings marked by the smell of PSL's (that's Pumpkin Spice Lattes) falling leaves, and the challenge of what the heck to wear!?!?! With autumn's approach, layering is still going to be your best friend; helping you transition some of your summer wear into a fully functional fall outfit for work, and for play. But the standard go-to colors of yesteryear (ie cream, grey, brown, and black) are taking a back seat this season to a warmer set of tones and textures...
Shop the Post
This year it's all about what I like to call the "New Neutrals." You know! Those blushing, rusted, coppery, and golden rose colors you keep seeing EVERYWHERE online and in the stores, where every blouse, sweater, dress, and accessory comes in it. Well, when you finally do get around to trying it on, let me tell you: you're gonna be amazed at how those fading summer streaks suddenly pop and your skin gets it's color back. For me this month is going to be all about blush rust or bust baby.
So why do I love this new neutral trend so much? It's really all about the luxurious effect layering these tones creates when paired correctly. If you see above the blush shirt dress I'm wearing is used as a base, grounding the multiple layers of the outfit. Before this season I might have thought this dress was clearly a statement piece, meant to be paired with quieter pieces, maybe just creams and ivories, and put away after spring and summer ends. Instead, I'm thinking THIS LBD is just as good as my old LBD, so why not dress it up like I always would a little black dress?
Metallic details and accessories are extremely in this season, so I've take two thin metallic belts and created intrigue and light at the waistline (remember that metallics should always be highlighting a drawing attention to your best features, or the feature(s) you feel most confident about. I've chosen all rose gold accessories (jewelry and clutch) to further enforce the sophisticated take on the pink palette.
For the shoes and shades, I've gone for rust, choosing to anchor the look at the head and toe line with a deep tone, which works given my light summer sun kissed hair. This outfit stands alone nicely, but it really comes together when the camel robe style coat is added. My camel coat happens to have a particular hint of metallic copper in the lining that when the fall breeze catches it, creates a moment worthy of any photog's lens: it's sheer street style magic and effortless elegance on point.
I hope you all will experiment with these New Neutrals and find which tones work best for you.
Shop some of my favorite blush, rust, and rose gold pieces bellow to get you started, and as always leave me a comment bellow and let me know if you' plan to try out some of these new neutrals? Have you been experimenting already? What do you like? Dislike? I love hearing from you all, so thank you for all the emails, DM's, and notes. I try to get to all of them as best I can!
Check-it ✔️ (sorry, bad Ali-G reference) Before we dive into NYFW, back to school style, and seasonal office fashion, I wanted to kick off my return to the blog with a post that can truly help all of you my amazing female followers. So let's get right to it!
Breast Cancer. I'm sure it's no news and no shock to you that Breast Cancer is infecting more young women than ever before. Did you know that 40% of all breast cancers are discovered by the patient herself? So isn't time that we REALLY start talking about Breast Self-Check exams? The answer is not just "Yes" but "OF COURSE!"
Both my mother and grandmother are breast cancer survivors. Neither carry the breast cancer gene and had different types of invasive breast cancer. But even a benign family history doesn't mean you're not at risk...
LADIES : 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop *invasive* breast cancer in her lifetime.
Let that sink in. We are at epidemic levels when it comes to breast cancer among women in this country, and it's not long before it becomes world wide. So, what can we do...
Literally, "Check Yourself Ma'am!"
Like giving my dogs their flea and tick medication, on the same day of every month I give myself a breast self-check exam. It takes only a minute in the morning, while you are waking up showering, and brushing your teeth. Why do you want to do this? A self-check every month helps you establish a base line, and allows you to educate yourself should anything look, feel, or seem different than the last time you checked. Education is so important ladies because as we all know, early detection saves lives. As I said before, over 40% of breast cancers are now detected by women at home first. It's time we spread the word.
Wondering what a breast self check exam means?
Click here to find out how to do a breast self exam correctly. The few easy steps are diagramed, demonstrated, and explained very well HERE and it's a good reminder for us all at any age and stage.
AND if you are truly impassioned and feeling like doing something to help, I've got a small favor to ask of you: Head over to www.seezona.com and sign up to use their amazing new fashion-finding shopping site. Ever snapped a picture of a piece of clothing you love, or screen shotted a look on pinterest desperate to find out where to get it? Seezona has developed an amazing new tool that allows you to upload that picture, and receive tons of matches for the look you want to find! And then you can shop it right then and there. The technology is really great and the team at Seezona is amazing. All they are asking you to do is provide your name and email, or sign in with one click via Facebook, and for every person that signs up, Seezona will donate funds to aide Breast Cancer Research. We want to reach our goal of raising 100,000 Euros for this campaign, so please consider signing up and spreading the word to all the wonderful women in your lives.
So tonight ladies... you got it: CHECK YOURSELF MA'AM
It could be the most important thing you ever do.
