November wasn’t kind on the pocketbook, but I’m incredibly excited about all of the purchases I made this month — with exception of this stunning necklace that broke after 10 days of ownership. The center stone and its setting fell out while I was wearing it. I’m so disappointed about it! It wasn’t cheap and I had expected more from the brand as I had heard so many good things. I complained on Instagram (as one does) and the brand did offer to replace it, but I didn’t want to run the risk of having another dud after spending $300 so I returned it to Neiman Marcus, where I originally made the purchase. Let me tell you, Neiman Marcus does not have the kind of customer service that you’d expect from a high-end department store. It was only after I suggested I contact my credit card company to issue a charge-back did they elevate my concerns and provide me with a return authorization. You know where I’ve never had a problem? Nordstrom. Spend your money there this holiday season instead. 😉 And with that, here’s what I purchased and loved this month:

WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Boden snaffle detail loafers – I just love the unexpectedly large buckle detail on these loafers. It’s a welcome update to an otherwise classic silhouette. I tend to wear either a 7 or 7.5 and found that the size 38 fit perfect, so they might run a hair large. They’re not the most cushioned, so I’d recommend an insole if you prefer more padding.
• Margaux ‘The Demi’ ballet flat – I’ve admired these classic ballet flats all year and finally purchased a pair after reading hordes of glowing reviews. And you know what? They’re perfect. They’re well made with a decent amount of cushion. The best part is that the bow is functional, allowing you to tighten the top to cinch in the heel if it slips. I’m eyeing up the cerulean pair next. I went with their size 37.5, which is equivalent to a US 7.5 as my feet tend to swell at the end of the day.
• J.Crew pave crystal and pearl drop earrings – I can’t help myself when it comes to J.Crew’s holiday jewelry collections. These are lightweight and have just enough sparkle.
• Boden ‘Anna’ rib crew t-shirt – I received a $25 gift card from the brand and couldn’t think of anything I “needed,” so I browsed the sale section to see if there were any basics that I’d likely get some use out of and ordered this. I don’t like long-sleeve t-shirts that are too tight, so I went up a size in this one. It’s so fun! The ribbed finish adds visual interest my other striped tees don’t have. I keep hoping that other colors come back in stock!
• Sezane ‘Cody’ jumper – This is my first Sezane purchase and I’m impressed! First of all, this sweater blissfully does not have drop shoulders. I’m sure it’s a cost-saving measure, but drop shoulders often look sloppy — unlike the raglan sleeves on this sweater which look effortlessly laid back. I also really like the femininity of the deep v-neckline. I went with my regular size medium.

HOUSEHOLD

• Cuisinart stainless steel roasting pan – We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time and that meant cooking our first turkey … which meant getting our first roasting pan. I did a lot of research on roasting pans to find one that suited my needs: would hold up to a 15 pound bird (I have zero interest in hosting if we need a turkey larger than that; we don’t have the space in our house!), was triple ply stainless steel, had a stainless steel rack (nonstick racks can’t be used in high heat and I wanted this pan to be versatile for future needs), and would fit in the oven alongside a 9×13 pan. I ordered the Cuisinart one initially … then there were shipping delays. I was really concerned it wasn’t going to come in time for Thanksgiving, so I went back to the internet for more hours of research to come across this 14.5-inch one from Hestan. The Hestan one was beautiful and I preferred the offset handles on the rack to keep your fingers from burning on the roaster’s handles. I spent days hemming and hawing over which one to keep and ultimately went with Cuisinart just because it could handle a slightly larger turkey if I ever needed to cook a bigger one. If I had time to reorder the Hestan one in the 16.5-inch size, I would have kept that instead. (Clearly this roaster deliberation took a lot of time!)
• Faux linen tablecloth – This was another pre-Thanksgiving purchase. Our kitchen is fairly large, but the space is not utilized well. (We’ll get around to that project eventually…) So, we needed to put up a folding table to use as a buffet and I needed a tablecloth for it. This one fit the bill based on its affordable price and that it would arrive the next day, saving me a trip to Target. It’s actually pretty nice in person. I’m not sure how stain resistant it actually is since I treated food and wine spills immediately, but it came out of the wash clean! I line-dried it, so I don’t know how it’d do in the dryer.
• East Fork cake plates – If you want to know if you have enough serving pieces, host a holiday. I quickly realized that I was lacking for appetizer plates during our Thanksgiving celebration and used that as an excuse to indulge during East Fork’s Black Friday sale. I bought eight of these petite plates and they’re the perfect size for snacks or cookies.
• East Fork mugs – I don’t often select the color red, but there’s something about this seasonal color that I couldn’t say no to. They’re cheerful and perfect for holiday lattes!

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