Happy day-after-Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States! I’m not going to subject you to a list of Black Friday sales today because I suspect that you’re capable of navigating those on your own. Instead, I’m giving you a rundown of the items I bought and loved this month — and one I really hated.

Normally I just ignore the less-than-great items because it’s all personal preference or fit issues, but I can’t give this sweater the benefit of the doubt. It looks cute online; perfectly oversized to wear with #PandemicPants and has a flattering v-neckline. The downsides? It’s so staticky (which is probably to be expected with nylon and acrylic in the mix) and the knit has black flecks throughout that look like pills in the fabric from a distance. It’s the worst. Don’t buy it.

Now, the good stuff…

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Chimi 008 sunglasses in coco (on sale today here) – I feel like most brown sunglasses are tortoiseshell and not solid, so I was drawn to the pretty warm brown hue of these. It’s unique, but still undeniably classic.
• J.Crew tipped turtleneck sweater in heather dusk/black – My favorite sweater came in stripes this year! Naturally I couldn’t resist adding the grey-and-black version to my collection, upping my total to four of these. They’re perfectly relaxed and look great with jeans or cigarette pants. I wore them on repeat last winter and I doubt this year will be different. I opt for a medium, but could make the small work for a more fitted silhouette. Solid colors are available here.
• J.Crew ribbed beanie in heather French purple – I actually don’t love the color purple, but I do think lilac is pretty on brunettes. So, I bought this and I think it’s pretty cute with the olive green jacket I snagged last month.
• Tory Burch ‘Georgia’ snakeskin ballet flat – All things considered, I was being modest with my purchases this month, in part because a couple of large expenses came my way: I had a hefty auto repair bill after having work done I put off since February (I haven’t been driving much) and I ordered my annual supply of daily contact lenses. But then I saw these shoes. And my credit card had a promotion for 10% cash back at Tory Burch and, well, it didn’t take much to talk myself into them. I’m obsessed and it’s the first item since pandemic that has made me want to start wearing pretty clothing instead of athleisure and caftans. The squared toe is elegant and the snakeskin upper has the prettiest shine. Assuming we have widespread immunization next year, I’m leaning hard into my beloved mini-dress-meets-flats combo when I start going back to the office and these are definitely going to be my go-tos. They run true to size for me.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• Inkbird WiFi sous vide – We’ve been talking about getting a sous vide for months now, so Dave didn’t hesitate to snag this one when it was on sale at Amazon a couple of weeks ago. (And it’s on sale again today for the price we paid!) So far, we’ve only done one steak night with it, but it really is a miracle worker in terms of getting the perfect doneness throughout!
• Target light-up Christmas tree in medium and large – We didn’t have anything that lit up to add to our dining room for some holiday ambiance so I purchased a couple of these light-up mercury glass trees. They have a really pretty warm glow.
• Target striped stockings – I definitely didn’t need stockings because I still adore the red herringbone ones we bought at Target a few years ago. However, I wasn’t feeling the red when I hung them on our railing. I’m probably just being particular this year. ::shrug::
• Target faux mistletoe – Most faux mistletoe looks cheap, but this is a pretty good option. It also looks cute tucked in a vase.

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IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• J.Crew perfect rain jacket in dark moss – This is a great basic to have on hand for fall and eventually spring. The cinched waist gives it shape and there’s enough room around the hips for curvier girls. I went with a medium and there’s plenty of room for a sweater underneath.
• J.Crew camp socks – I love these cozy socks for chilly days at home. They now have striped ones, too!
• Gap cozy scarf in black check – This is such a pretty, soft scarf and I love the classic print.
• Old Navy flannel pajama shorts in buffalo check – These fit as you’d expect and run true to size. For actual pajamas, I prefer short and tank sets from Soma’s “Cool Nights” collection, but I’m all about cheap pajama shorts for lounging on the couch.
• Old Navy loose sweater-knit crop hoodie in gray heather – This was a surprise hit! I added this sweater-sweatshirt hybrid to my order to reach the free shipping threshold with the other items in the order. I figured it’d be a decent enough loungewear piece, but didn’t think it’d be as great as it is. I love the cropped, boxy shape with “pandemic pants” and it’s so darn soft. I bought a medium, but you could easily go down a size for a more fitted look.
• LOFT floral shirred yoke blouse – There’s a shocking amount of hate for this blouse in the review section! It’s a gauzy fabric, which wasn’t what I expected, but I do like it. I went with a medium. It’s oversized, but drapes well without being bulky. I think it’s the perfect Thanksgiving blouse that gives you plenty of room without being clingy.
• The Drop x Grace Atwood loose-fit dress – In full disclosure, I’m on the fence about keeping this. It was a bit expensive for quality that’s akin to a Target dress and I don’t love it with fall accessories or sneakers. However, I do love it with my Birks (in cognac) and summery jewelry. I might keep it for those reasons alone and hope that COVID-19 eases up enough in 2021 where we can go on a warm-weather trip earlier in the year.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• Norwell Lighting schoolhouse semi-flushmount in polished nickel with the stepped opal shade – We replaced the old fluorescent light in our bathroom with this schoolhouse-inspired option. The stepped shade makes it a bit more unique than the standard shades that come with schoolhouse fixtures. It’s a good quality at that price point.
• Hearth & Hand bathroom hook in black – After we did our bathroom refresh and replaced the cabinet knobs on the linen closet near the shower, our towels no longer stayed put when draped on the new knobs. So, a hook was in order. I found this one at Target and it’s so good! It’s sturdy and has a nice weight to it.
• House of Antique Hardware mushroom glass cabinet knob in black – House of Antique Hardware always comes through when I’m looking for a vintage-inspired or replica replacement. These knobs are adorable for our bathroom linen closet. I actually ordered a pair in white, too, but loved the black ones more in our bathroom.
• Threshold soap dispenser – I don’t have much to say about this, but it’s pretty and classic, and I thought I’d draw your attention to it if you’re looking for a new soap dispenser.
• Tramp Ceramics almond bowl – Sara Tramp, former member of the Emily Henderson blog team, launched her online ceramic shop recently. She has such pretty pieces at an affordable price point! Follow the shop’s Instagram for updates.

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Candidly, I’m fairly impressed with how many affordable pieces I found for my wardrobe to round out the last bit of summer. I was to the point where I was wearing the same black Old Navy dress nearly every day (essentially this, but sleeveless). And, while I bought five of them last year and it wasn’t technically the same garment on repeat, I’m sure people thought I had given up on myself in Zoom meetings.

Aside from that, the month’s shining stars were on the home front with an heirloom-quality blanket and a new living room rug (even if I didn’t follow your advice).

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• A New Day long-sleeve dress in brown – This dress is just about sold out and for good reason, it’s adorable! It’s lightweight making it perfect for this transitional weather. It runs true to size.
• Birkenstock ‘Madrid’ big buckle slide in cognac (also here and here) – I bought the classic Madrid sandal in black with the black buckle at the height of Birkenstock’s resurgence a few years ago. They’re probably my most worn sandals that I always bring on each warm-weather trip and have become my go-to house shoes during COVID. This pair with the big buckle is definitely the “make it fashion” version. They’re comfortable and versatile and absolutely worth buying. I typically wear a size 7 in shoes, and go with a 37 in this. The width claims to be narrow, but it’s a standard width for most people.
• Banana Republic merino wool turtleneck in rust – I love the color of this sweater, but as the online reviews point out, it’s not the pictured turtleneck. The one I received is a fine-knit wool without that thicker ribbing at the sleeves and hem. It’s also more form-fitting than I would have liked for this work-at-home environment. However, I’m keeping it because the color is too perfect for fall and it’ll layer well under sleeveless dresses if I ever decide to dress up for a Zoom meeting. I went with a medium.
• Universal Thread puff-sleeve tiered babydoll dress in pink – This is essentially a muumuu and I love the dress for it. It runs stupidly large and I ended up going with an XS.
• H&M cotton puff-sleeve blouse in leaf print – I read the reviews for this and opted to size down to a small. However, the blouse I received was a size medium tucked into a bag labeled “small.” It was so cheap that I didn’t want to go to the effort of returning it even though it is awfully large. So, heed the advice of reviewers and go down a size. The print is really fun!

AROUND THE HOUSE

• Schoolhouse Electric cotton pinstripe blanket – I know this is such a splurge for a cotton blanket, but I’m a sucker for Schoolhouse Electric products. They’re so well made that you just know they’re destined to be heirloom pieces.
• OXO Good Grips FurLifter – Oliver tends to sleep on our bed during the day, leaving cat hair all over the duvet cover. After going through entirely too many sheets of lint paper, I opted for a reusable lint brush to get it off. This one does a good job and the holder removes the hair from the brush.
• Loloi II “Layla” rug (also available here) – We’ve been looking for a new living room rug for a few years now and had hoped to find a vintage one at an affordable price. We’re not exactly frequently antique stores anymore with COVID, so we went for the next best thing: an affordable vintage-inspired rug. It’s actually decent enough quality at the price. I like the whipstitch along the edge and while the design is printed rather than woven, it looks good. All in all, I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in a similar situation.
• IKEA ‘Tekla’ dish towels – Head over here for all of the reasons I love these dish towels.
• IKEA ‘Citronsyra’ planters – I love these vintage metal planters so much that I bought four, even if I only had plans for one. I’ll use the others next year to plant herbs.
• P.F. Candle Co. spiced pumpkin candle – This is pretty much fall in a candle. It smells a bit like pumpkin pie and has a sweetness that fortunately isn’t as pronounced when it’s actually burning.

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