So Susie — everything I’m loving as of late 💕
As of Late, August 2022 Edition
Click here to read last month’s article
Hi everyone! Welcome to my new series … “as of late” I decided to switch things up a bit here on the blog, so once a month I’ll be sharing what’s happening in the world of design, food, travel, fashion and … life! It’s as if you’re sitting around with girlfriends having a glass of wine, and one of them has the inside scoop 😉
I’ll be covering some fun topics, along with whatever else interesting might come up during the month. For example, there’s what’s in my shopping bag, things that have caught my eye as of late (there’s always something), and exciting interior and exterior design projects. There are also food and cocktail recipes, travel plans and ideas, current trends, and of course, street style inspo 🌟 So … lots of great stuff!
Since fashion is what we talk most about here on So Susie, that won’t change at all. But this will be a fun way for me to share my thoughts on some other interests you all seem to enjoy. I hope you like it 🥂 Cheers!
P.S. I’m so excited to share that I’ve been nominated for “All Star” award through LTK! Though I’m not sure how it all works, I would be most grateful if you “voted” by going to my Shop LTK page and simply hearting 5 products before September 9th. I’ll also be attending the LTK Conference in Dallas at the end of this month, and they will be announcing the winners then. Thank you so much for your support!
What has caught my eye … as of late
I’ve just returned home from our big trip to Europe, and it always feels wonderful to sleep in my own bed and get back into a routine. I can’t wait to share how it actually went for me packing for 15 days –in a carry-on!
Before I left, I popped into Nordstrom, and came home with this gorgeous Vince silk blouse, and this metallic blouse by Paige. I paired both of them with these new black pants that have a cool side slit. I also grabbed this Rag & Bone jacket that I took on my trip and wore both ways on the airplane — it’s SO comfy.
While shopping in London, I spotted many stylish trends. The hottest trend of all? Trousers! The pair I’m wearing are best sellers from Aritizia, and now I have my eye on this pink pair. Brown is going to be everywhere this fall, check out this gorgeous silk blouse.
Wearing: J.Crew cardigan | Artizia trousers | Vince wedge sandals | Chloe tote | Gorjana necklace
15 days in a carry-on: how it really went down!
Jack: Vuori joggers | Suitcase | Green bag | Susie: Black blazer | Anine Bing tee | Vuori jogger | Suitcase | Weekender tote
Recently, I shared what I was packing for a 15 day trip to Europe. It was tricky because of the difference in weather between the Italian Amalfi coast, London and the British seaside. For packing inspo, I selected pieces from my capsule wardrobe boards for both summer and pre-fall (see here and here). And what was the one trick that made it all happen? Compression packing cubes! (Read it here.)
But here’s what really happened: on our first day, we received my grandfathers paintings (above right) and quickly realized they were’t going to fit in our suitcases — so we had to buy another one (!!) So much for the carry-ons ha ha. But in fairness, I did get all my clothes into one — the other was filled with paintings 🖤 On the way home we checked our luggage, which was much easier, and made me realize carry-on bags might be overrated 😉
Pieces I wore all the time: Dresses, this, this and this, white jeans, pink shirt, GG sneakers, hoodie, YSL sandals, straw tote, cashmere sweater
Pieces I hardly wore: Black jeans (too hot), pink bag, Ulla Johnson top, Rails top and this Anine Bing tee
The latest Reels videos, and how to shop them
I love getting in my closet and making outfit combos to show you on my Instagram Reels. This top is SO GOOD, and it was featured in the Reels Video where I shared 5 things every woman should own, like this scarf and beautiful jewelry. Check out this necklace and modern bag — I have my eye on it! Click here to watch the Reels video, and here to shop it.
I realize it can sometimes be tricky to shop or get outfit details, and I’m working on a website re-design. But until then, you can find the Reels outfit boards on my Shop LTK page here. I also shared a great stylist trick: match your top and bottom. It’s an easy way to get dressed since so many jackets and blazers work over a monochromatic combo. Click here to watch the video, and here and here to shop it. Lots of questions about this Rag & Bone blazer — so good!
Wearing: Rebecca Taylor blouse | Mother Dazzler | Schutz sandals | Red bag, similar here
House things we love … as of late
There are always projects around here!
After living in our house for exactly 23 years this month, some spaces need a little updating, and our backyard was starting to look a little tired (I haven’t shared much of it on Instagram). The re-design the day I left on vacation 😳 I’m used to being in charge around here (!!) so you can imagine leaving on the first day of a major project wasn’t easy! So, I instructed my husband to let the designer work her creative magic 🙂
Yesterday, when I walked in, it felt like I was on one of those TV shows — it was everything I hoped for and more (I’ll be sharing more on my IG stories, so stay tuned)! Of course, now I need a few new outside things, including a solo stove for the re-designed back patio, and updated furniture. So fun! I’m eyeing this and this, and though it’s the end of the season, we got another month of outside entertaining … and I’ll have it for next year!
As excited as I am for my new outside space, one thing is for sure: every year, when summer starts winding down, I start dreaming about inside spaces again. I always love to add a candle or two, some cozy throws, and maybe new pillows for the seating areas. When it comes to my closet, we completed a remodel last year and had a great experience with the Closet Factory in Portland. It has actually been life-changing, especially given my lifelong profession of helping us all get dressed! Believe it or not, it was a neglected space, and I can tell you with certainty that having a well-organized closet is a real joy in life 😊
Here are a few things I’m eyeing:
Travel updates: Number Sixteen in London
Susie: Vince slipdress | J.Crew cashmere sweater | Schutz sandals | Basket bag | Number Sixteen hotel
Hotel in London: I love a well-designed hotel, and my preference is always a smaller boutique hotel. Luckily, when searching for places to stay in London, I landed on the Firmdale Hotel Group, and spent hours looking at all their beautiful properties. After perusing their Instagram account, I chose the Number Sixteen Hotel. Their stunning gardens, and “the feeling of living like a Londoner,” were the two things that sold me. It was everything I dreamed of!
London neighborhood: The Kensington area location of our hotel was perfect, with the Tube across the street, and Harrods and Harvey Nichols (my favorite) just one stop away. I loved it so much, I’m going back in November for “blog research” and a trend shopping trip!
Delicious recipes I’ve tried as of late
Italy, August 2022
It’s safe to say we ate our way through Italy and the UK, and my pants are a little tight now 😉 One of the highlights of our trip was taking a cooking class in Positano. I highly recommend it if you’re staying there, it was truly one of the best evenings ever! We learned about high quality food, made new friends and drank lots of wine (see middle photo below).
My Italian cousin makes Limoncello, and he says the secret is freshly picked Amalfi lemons. I’ll have to figure something else out, but he’s making me a video so I can make my own with lemons I find around here — I’ll share it with you! Luckily, I came home with a bottle that I’ll be savoring until it’s gone. When I asked my cousins how often they eat pasta, they said 364 days/year!! We ate our last meal in Italy at Rada Beach Bistro, which was truly memorable. I’m so grateful I got to take this trip with my son Jack — he’s a great travel partner! ♥️
Q & A
Best dresses for attending a fall wedding for someone in their 50’s? Can you wear the ALC blush dress? The ALC dress would be perfect, so would this Farm Rio in lavender, this gorgeous green one and this one by Eliza J.
Coffee Parents’ Weekend outfits? Definitely start with jeans and a cute jacket like this or this, and either a sneaker or boot like this.
Can you advise on building a capsule wardrobe for work? Start with a great black pant, ideally a slim one, and a trouser like this. Add a great cardigan like this, and a versatile blazer like this or this. Blouses are my preference for layering pieces — ideally a feminine one like this one by Frame, or a cami like this.
What do you wear under a cami when wearing a blazer? A regular bra or a strapless one or no bra? If I’m not taking off my jacket then I might wear a regular bra. But usually I wear a strapless bra like the stylist favorite Wacoal Red Carpet one, or Nippies which are surprisingly comfortable.
Favorite fall designer accessory that’s not a handbag? Hands down a scarf. They’re going to be everywhere this fall. Love this one and this one.
What store does Selfridges compare to in the US? I’d say it’s a cross between Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom.
When organizing your closet, what are 3 key rules for what to keep and what to retire? I’ve written several posts about this important topic (here and here), but as a start, I like going by category starting with denim. Anything that is super skinny or low-rise should go. I believe in having fewer things, but keeping what you love! Remove tired looking t-shirts, and keep jackets and blazers that fit properly. That’s a start, and maybe I need to write a fresh post on this since I’m asked about this often 😉
Thank you for reading! xx
