accessories

My Favorite Accessory For Looking Put Together (Even When I Don’t Have Time)*

My Favorite Accessory For Looking Put Together (Even When I Don’t Have Time) | Writing Between Pauses

Before I had Forrest, I spent a lot of time on my wardrobe. I shopped frequently and spent a lot of time picking out outfits. However, once the chaos of motherhood descended, a lot of that got pushed aside.

As Forrest has gotten older, I’ve only gotten busier. I blog, of course; I freelance; and I work for a digital marketing agency. Between parenting, working, cleaning my house, and taking time for myself (I have to cross stitch sometime!), I find myself with less and less time every single day it feels like!

That means that usually, I have to pick one area to focus on. If you know me, you know that that’s often my makeup; I feel most put together when I get my lipstick and mascara on… even if I’m wearing my comfy joggers and a hoodie!

Recently, however, I’ve been working on creating simple “uniforms” for myself to wear to work everyday. These outfits consist of:

  • A few dresses that I just feel good in

  • Jeans, flowy tops, and nice cardigans

  • Trousers, blouses, and jackets

A lot of this has been my attempt to stop wearing leggings every single day! It’s hard to dress up leggings, that’s for sure, but I knew for my work, I needed to start focusing more on how I present myself, even when I don’t feel 100% great or I’m running on less than 3 hours of sleep.

JORD Watch Cora Polaris

The time I have for looking put together is often minimal. In the morning, I am usually getting Forrest dressed while I make my coffee, then putting on makeup while I assure him that we will, in fact, get to my mom’s on time. I am often super behind on laundry, which means sometimes I’m running around looking for my favorite black H&M jeans in the middle of letting my setting powder bake.

That’s why having a few set uniforms for myself makes every morning go just a little bit easier. What I decide to wear is basically already picked out--I just have to remember what’s on my roster for the day! If I have a meeting, I might go for a dress or a jacket with my jeans instead of a top and cardigan. If I’m just going to be working in my office, I’ll wear jeans and a t-shirt which I can throw a cardigan on top of if I need to run out.

One thing that makes every outfit pop and look just slightly more put together is a great accessory. And lately, that great accessory has been my new JORD Watch. When JORD reached out to me about writing a post, I was so excited; I’ve been drooling over some gorgeous timepieces recently. I wear a Fitbit Versa most days, which isn’t really the most high end of looks, so I wanted something I could wear to a meeting or a night out that was more functional than jewelry, but prettier than a Fitbit!

Rose Gold Watch

The JORD watch I chose is the Cora Polaris in Koa and Rose Gold. Like most people, I’ve been obsessed with rose gold the last few months, so this was a no brainer when it came to choosing! I love how subtle the rose gold is and the Koa wood is so absolutely stunning. Here’s a little bit about Koa:

“Koa is a species native to Hawaii and is widely considered to be the most beautiful of the native hardwoods. Though softer than several of our used wood species, Koa machines exceptionally well and finishes smooth with a beautiful natural sheen. Depending on the harvest season, Koa wood will produce tones that range from medium gold to reddish brown, similar to Mahogany.”

The color of the watch is gorgeous; the Koa wood is a warm-toned, which goes beautifully with the rose gold pieces of this timepiece, but goes with everything I own. It doesn’t look out of place. I’ve gotten so many compliments on this watch the last few times I’ve worn it to meetings or to work.

The thing I love most about JORD is their focus on sustainable practices when it comes to creating beautiful timepieces. That means you can feel good about your purchase, because you know it’s going to a company that absolutely loves what they do and does everything with sustainability in mind.

Because these watches are made with wood, it does require a little bit more care. Thankfully, every JORD order comes with instructions for care--which boil down to using Tung Oil or Lemon Oil on your watch, as well as ensuring that you store it properly between wears.  

Watch with Red Plaid Dress

Nothing makes me feel better these days than being complimented on my outfit--and I’ve definitely had more of those moments since I started wearing my Cora Polaris watch from JORD. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to receive this watch from JORD-- and I’m even more excited that I have the opportunity to offer this same feeling to one of my followers.

Click here to enter my giveaway to receive $100 OFF a watch from JORD. As well, when you enter, you’ll still receive a 10% off code for any order from JORD as well--which means, even if you don’t win, you still can order a JORD watch!

Disclaimer: As usual, an asterisk (*) in the title of this post denotes that I received this item in exchange for review and promotion. However, all opinions remain my own. Posts like this help Writing Between Pauses keep going! For more information about my disclosure policy, click here.

7 Perfect Autumn Accessories Under $50

7 Perfect Autumn Accessories Under $50 | Writing Between Pauses

Originally, this post was going to be all spooky accessories. I know, I know! It’s a bit of a copout. But I couldn’t find any cute, creepy, spooky, but not cheesy and garish, accessories. A lot of the stuff I found was cute, but very Halloween and not something the average person would be able to wear day-to-day. Even in my job that has a very lax dress code, I would get some stares! 

However, I did find some super, super cute Fall accessories. Now, to me, accessories is everything from make up to scarves, so that’s what I put together. Let’s get started!

1. The Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes Palette, $45

Very few make up palettes have really gotten my attention the past few months. Everything is warm neutrals! Warm neutrals! Every new palette is just warm neutrals! And if a palette isn’t all warm neutrals, beauty gurus are only doing warm, neutral, orange-y brown looks. I’m so bored by warm neutral orange-y brown eye looks and palettes. I’m bored! Excite me!

This palette excites me. I know there are very mixed reviews about Too Faced eye shadows, but I personally love them and this palette is giving me such lovely fall vibes… I want it so bad. I love my Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette but sometimes I want some more matte shades, especially in the pink-purple family. This palette fits the bill beautifully. 

2. Fall Leaf Print Case, $40

I love clear phone cases. I know the big, Otterbox style ones protect your phone better, but I cannot stand how they feel in my hand. I love this simple, Fall leaf printed case. So pretty and affordable enough that when Winter comes along, you can just switch it out! 

3. Fenty Beauty Lip Gloss, $34

Listen, we’re all on top of Fenty right now. But have we talked about how universally pretty this lip gloss is? It looks good plain. It looks good over lipstick. It looks good on pale girls, on dark girls, on in-between girls. It looks good on everyone and it gives everyone the perfect rose-hued lips. Drop everything. Go and buy this lip gloss. You need it! 

4. L.L. Bean Wool-Blend Scarf, $50

Nothing beats a good Autumn scarf—and this one is really calling to me. I personally love plaid and I love a larger blanket scarf. This blue color will look lovely with a maroon or olive green sweater and jeans—or with a plain, sheath dress and jacket for a meeting. 

5. Ugg's Women's Cable Knit Socks, $39 

Last Christmas, everyone got me socks. They know me extremely well. These boot socks from Uggs are some of my favorite because they’re so warm and cozy, but they’re loose-knitted enough to fit over my calves (this is often a problem I have with socks). 

6. Leaf Charm Bracelet, $57

This bracelet reminds me of a fairy princess. It’s just whimsical and pretty enough to be special, but without being over the top. I love the color scheme. Please imagine it with a twee little dress (like this one) and knee high boots. So cute. 

When I originally made this list, this bracelet was in stock, but is currently sold out. Oops! Here are some similar bracelets: 1 and 2

7. Leaf Bracelet Stack, $7

This is definitely a little more boho than the other bracelet, which is why I included both. I love that it’s slightly rugged looking—almost like something a Mirkwood elf from Lord of the Rings would wear. I imagine it being paired with a cozy, oversized sweater (in mustard yellow) with distressed jeans rolled up over motorcycle boots. 

5 Perfect iPhone Wallpapers for the New Year

Who loves new iPhone goodies? I do. I love them. I have a folder on my iPhone of all my wallpapers and it's embarrassingly full. Whenever my phone (frequently) needs more storage, I immediately turn to this folder with a sigh. I just like backgrounds, guys. 

In celebration of the New Year, I thought I'd share my favorite New Year's wallpapers -- ones that I myself have saved and to use this month. To download, just click the link and follow the instructions.