November Favorites

I can not believe the month of November is already over!  It seems like just yesterday I wrote out my october favorites and now it's almost my birthday (YIKES!)  Well at least that means I am one day closer to winter break.  Here are a few of the things I have been loving this past November:

1. Candles
Something about cooler weather makes me love lighting candles.  Even though they are useful year round I've always liked them better during the cooler months of the year.  You can find candles almost anywhere, but my favorites are the Illume brand that they sell at my local Whole Foods.  You can also find great candles at L'Occitane and Bath and Body Works.

2. Winter Coats

Now that the weather is consistently colder I am relying more on my nice coats to keep me warm! My two favorites are my Barbour Beadnell and my Ralph Lauren Peacoat!  My warmest however is my Patagonia down jacket.  Not the most stylish thing I own but once the sub-freezing temperatures hit it will be worn a lot! Here are photos of my Barbour and Patagonia (though since both are rather pricey I recommend trying them on in person to get the perfect fit, especially with Barbour Jackets because they use UK sizing and I had to go down a size from what I normally would wear.) The great thing about the Patagonia jacket it not only is it waterproof, but it has a removable outer layer, so you get two jackets in one.  It is super warm, and the pockets are lined.  This coat has singlehandedly gotten me through 3 Boston Winters, so I highly recommend it.  Plus Patagonia offers a lifetime warranty on the jacket in the case of wear and tear.

Barbour Waxed Beadnell 

Patagonia Women's Tres Parka 

Here are two Jackets from J.Crew Factory that are cute if you are in the market for a cheaper coat than the two pictured above.  Plus I love the fun colors J.Crew Factory offers! :

3. Plaid/ Tartan Scarves

Now that the weather is consistently cooler I find myself reaching for those war thick scarves.  I currently have 3 (and one or two more coming...) in plaid and tartan that are perfect for the cool weather.  The ones pictured below are my personal  favorites.  The black one I picked up in Scotland from House of Fraser, a Scottish department store, and the camel one I purchased in China of all places.  Both are warm, cozy, and perfect for the winter!  Other great places to pick up scarves is ASOS, J.Crew, or Nordstroms!

Left Black Scarf from House of Fraser and Right Camel Scarf from China

                                                           

Holiday Wishlist

Boatneck dress
lillypulitzer.com

Shift dress
lillypulitzer.com

J Crew loose tee
jcrew.com

Frye tall boots
 nordstrom.com

C Wonder Makeup Pouch
cwonder.com

J Crew elephant necklace
jcrew.com

BaubleBar crystal necklace
baublebar.com

Bead tassel necklace
baublebar.com

Pave pendant
baublebar.com

C Wonder scented candle
cwonder.com

My Weekend in San Francisco

The Christmas Tree in Union Square 

This past week I was lucky enough to to travel home for my thanksgiving break!  One of my favorite traditions is every Saturday after Thanksgiving my family, along with friends, venture into San Francisco for a day of Ice Skating, Shopping, and wandering!  I've lived my whole life no less than a 30 minute drive or BART ride from SF so I am very familiar with the city, but every time I visit I always have fun!

We always go to Embarcadero Center for Ice Skating, visit the Ferry building for coffee/hot chocolate, have lunch, wander over to Union Square to look at the Christmas decorations, and the Macy's Windows, where every year they put animals that are up for adoption from local shelters (too cute! I want to take them home every year!). After we usually check out shopping nearby, but this year we visited our family friends new condo, and let me tell you they have THE BEST view I have ever seen of San Francisco!  The weather was wonderful, and all in all it was the perfect day! Below are some photos I took this weekend!

San Francisco Ferry Building 

One of the Puppies in the Macy's Window!  

The Hyatt Hotel in Downtown SF has all their lights up! 

Snow Village Display in SF complete with a Golden Gate Bridge 

A View of a classic SF hill, complete with Alcatraz in the background

View 1 from our Family Friends new Condo

View 2 of our family friends condo (Golden Gate Bridge off in the distance!)

View 3 with the Bay Bridge! 

Black Friday Scores!

Here is my Black Friday Haul!

Ordered online as an x-mas present to myself - Baublebar State necklace

I got a California in Tortoise!  And I am so excited!

Purchased in store
Kate Spade Bow Earings

Kate Spade Wallet

J.Crew Sweaters

and an early bday present to myself (made possible by many long hours babysitting) my first adult purse from Kate Spade!  I purchased it online during the surprise sale last weekend!  I can't find a photo of it, but once it arrives I'm sure it will make an appearance on my blog!

Giving Thanks

It's been a long time since my last post!  This past week has been quite hectic!  Lots of papers due, lots of hours traveling, and lots of time spent with family (and the puppies!).  This past week has given me a lot to feel thankful for (hence the holiday), and here they are.

I'm thankful for 

-my opportunity to get an education at a good university

-my ability to travel home for the holidays (I know I have many friends who aren't able to spend thanksgiving with their families) and that my home is still war (it was almost 70 degrees the past two days!) 

-my good health 

-my amazing family

-my two adorable dogs

And last but not least I'm thankful for all the readers of my blog and all my followers! 

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!  

-xx

Claire 

Prep in the Sun's Holiday Gift Guide

With the Holiday season approaching quickly I thought I would make a Holiday gift guide of things you can give to friends.  Pictured above are some cute little things that I think are great options if you are struggling to pick out presents for everyone on your list! 

Jewelry always makes a great gift (assuming you know your friends taste!).  Bauble bar, Jcrew, Nordstroms, Accessory Concierge or Fornash are great places to get fun jewels for a friend!  Want to make it personal then add a monogram!

Cute little home accessories are always fun to get!  Candles, wall decorations, trays or wine glasses are always nice gifts!  

Bubble Bath, Nailpolish, perfume, and other sweet scented gifts are great to let a friend relax and unwind!  Check out Sephora or Lush for some great home spa gifts!

Do you have a friend who loves to bake? Then what better gift than bake mix or cooking accessories!  These can be found at Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma!

If you can't think of anything they would like a nice gift card always does the trick ( I know I appreciate every Starbucks gift card I get!)

Pictured:
Top Row: Taylor Swift's Album, Moon and Lola Monogramed Mug, Design Darling Print, OPI Nail Polish, Starbucks Gift Card, Sprinkles Cupcake Mix (c/o Williams Sonoma)
Middle: Candle, Lilly Pulitzer Tumbler and Wine Glass, Plaid Scarf (c/o ASOS), Statement Necklace (c/o Accessory Concierge) Monogramed Bangle (c/o Moon and Lola), L'Occitane Hand Cream, Mason Jar Cookie Mix (c/o Macy's)
Bottom Row: Jewelry Tray (c/o C.Wonder), C. Wonder Ring, Kate Spade Earrings, Philosophy Shower/Bath Gel (c/o Sephora)

New Obsession: Bloglovin

I've just discovered Bloglovin, which is this great app/website that allows you to save all your favorite blogs in one place!  The phone app lets you read your favorite blogs anytime (the perfect way to both procrastinate doing work, and entertain myself while waiting in lines).  It also lets you mark you bookmark your favorite blog posts for quick access (which I love doing with recipes!) I definitely recommend checking the app or their website out! You also receive and email feed letting you know what new posts are up every day.

Be sure to follow my Blog on Bloglovin as well!

or my Personal Blogger Profile