Belle’s Weekly Reading: November 8, 2013

Last week, I was talking to a class at my alma mater, when a former professor asked me a question:  What advice would you give the next generation?  Lesson 1: You learn more from your failures than your successes.  Lesson 2:  Take responsibility for your part of failures and setbacks, it’s the only way to maintain a healthy perspective.  Lesson 3: Your life isn’t a highlight reel; be open about your mistakes.

1) Are you awesome enough to walk into the surgical suite before your double mastectomy and dance it out to Beyonce?  Deborah Cohan is.

2) I am openly advocating white blazers as year-round attire.  This embroidered cotton jacket from Bless’ed Are The Meek is amazing.  If you prefer wool, this J.Crew shawl collar blazer is a nice “winter white” choice.

3) This photo spread from Because I’m Addicted is phenomenal.  I’m a bit challenged when it comes to home decor, and it’s really inspired me to restyle some things in my living room.

4) I don’t care who designed it.  It’s a scrunchie.  Shudder.

5)  Speaking of unfortunate fashion choices, WhoWhatWear has a guide for how to avoid regrettable purchases.  It’s full of questions you should ask yourself before you buy.

6) Net-a-Porter recently started selling beauty products, and they’re offering a deluxe Glossybox (like a Birchbox) filled with some fabulous products.  The Ellis Faas mascara is supposed to be amazing.

7)  My friend K is throwing an ‘Ugly Sweater’ holiday party, so I suppose I should go crazy and buy a hideous knit.  I should have stopped at Value Village while I was out West, but I forgot.  So is it this atrocious nightmare or this ‘what color would you call that? vomit?’ disaster?

Well, if I don’t find one, Shopbop is selling a kit so I can make my own.  Or hit eBay, which has gems like this (yes, those are Lifesavers) and this one, which comes with Madonna-esque breast cones in the shape of Santa hats.

8) I haven’t been the biggest supporter of Rachel Zoe’s clothing line, but I am positively smitten with this Rachel Zoe Meryl wrap dress.  I love the fuller skirt and chic belt.  I also keep looking at this Foster Peak Lapel jacket for weeks.  So chic.

9) Mango isn’t my favorite food.  In fact, I usually won’t touch the stuff.  But salt it and put it on sticky rice, and I become a voracious, mango-hungry zombie.  No idea why.

10) Ear cuffs are a big jewelry trend right now.  I adore this delicate one from Kismet from Milka, but it is so expensive.  In the under-$50 category, I found this crystal cuff from Need Supply and this cool hooped cuff from Wet Seal.

This might be a trend worth trying for holiday parties, as long as you promise you won’t wear this gothic dragon cuff.  Unless your name is Daenerys, of course.