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October Q&A: My Amazon Favorites, Handbag Trends, Fall Wedding Attire, Scarf Tying Tutorial & More

Happy Tuesday, friends! And while we’re at it, happy Amazon Prime Day!

Today I’m doing my October Q&A, and I’m starting with some of my Amazon Favorites, for anyone looking for some Prime Day shopping inspiration.

Q: Amazon Prime Day is overwhelming to me. What’s your best advice for shopping Prime Day, and do you have any product recommendations? 

A: I hear ya. I am always saying this. So many bloggers really work this event, but I get so overwhelmed by it, I usually ignore it. Also, it usually happens at the same times as the #NSale, and I just don’t have the bandwidth to cover both.

But this year, they’re doing Prime Day in October, which makes so much more sense… as it’s right before the holidays. I hope they keep it this way going forward.

What I can tell you is this. We live by Amazon Prime over here. I don’t think a day goes by that we don’t order something from Amazon, so I can definitely make recommendations… although admittedly, my Amazon shopping is less fashion-oriented and more home and electronics.

I also have most of our paper products and cleaning supplies on auto order.

If you aren’t familiar with Prime Day, basically, for two days only, popular items across all categories go on flash sale. Things sell out fast, and the biggest catch is, you must be an Amazon Prime member to participate.

If you don’t have Prime, Amazon is offering FREE 30-day trial memberships. (You can cancel anytime.)

So anyway! As for my Amazon favorites…

A big Prime Day Spotlight Deal is $30 off Kindle + $5 Kindle Book Credit. We probably have 5 Kindles floating around our house. We all enjoy reading a good old-fashioned paper book, but Kindles are so convenient. I love being able to download something immediately and start reading. Three cheers for instant gratification!

Another Prime Day Spotlight Deal that jumped out at me is the Apple AirPods with Charging Case. I literally bought 4 of these last year — each child got one for Christmas, and then I treated myself because I realized I was the only one in the house still using wired ear pods. We all love them and use them daily, and amazingly, no one has lost theirs yet!

The Bose Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are an amazing price today. I have the Sony version, and I love them for travel.

Looking for an espresso machine? There are a bunch on Prime Day Deals. I think I mentioned that our Nespresso machine just died. I was hoping they would be included in Prime Day, but so far, no dice. Maybe one will pop up on a Lightening Deal at some point today.

It might be time for us to bite the bullet and get the Ring Video Doorbell. Everyone seems to love these, and this Prime Day Deal comes with an Echo Dot. My kids love their Echo Dots, and we have the full-sized one in our kitchen. We use it all the time.

Got college age kids? D asked for a waterproof bluetooth speaker for Christmas last year, and he uses it all the time.

Shop My Amazon Favorites for Home & Family:

And of course, there are some great fashion and beauty deals to be had as well.

Kendra Scott has 20% off her Amazon shop for Prime Day. I have quite a few pieces of her jewelry that is in constant rotation, and they make nice gifts for teens and young adults. My 17 year-old has a few carefully selected pieces that she wears a lot. This necklace is really pretty for a teen, and I wear these Simon Drops a lot, as well as this multi-strand necklace and also this Candice filigree cuff.

Elemis has some good Prime Day deals — their cleansing balm is one of my favorites, and I’m dying to try their Pro-Collagen Marine Cream with SPF 30.

Also, my T3 Curling Wand is on a Prime Day Deal as well!

Shop My Amazon Beauty  & Fashion Favorites:

(NOTE: If it says SOLD OUT, it may NOT be. Click through to be sure. Sometimes these widgets are wonky.)

Q: I just ordered a pair of faux leather paper bag waist pants from target. They look so cute on everybody, but when I put them on I feel like I have absolutely no waist. I saw on your blog that you said you were short waisted. Now I’m wondering if I am too. Have you ever tried these or styled them? Many people I follow say this is universally flattering but it certainly has not been on me!

A: Is it just me, or does it seem like the people saying clothing items are universally flattering are always the tall, twiggy types? Not that there’s anything wrong with being tall and thin… but it is certainly easier to wear a larger variety of clothing styles when you’re blessed with that body type.

Most of us have to choose wisely what styles we wear, and paper bag waist pants can be tricky for a few reasons.

One issue with paper bag waist pants is they pretty much require you to tuck in your shirt. This can work out well if you have a small waist you want to highlight, or if you are long-waisted and want to create a better balance.

But I’m short-waisted, and paper bag waist pants tend to sit up high on the natural waist, so once I tuck a top into these pants, I’m all boobs and legs. They also tend to emphasize the disproportion between my wide hips and skinny calves. That is why you haven’t seen me style these pants. They look ridonkulous on me.

If you feel like you lose your waist in these pants, try tucking in your shirt, and you’ll probably also want to wear one that’s more form-fitting. If your balance looks off, you may want to steer clear of them as well.

Q: Could you show us how you tie your scarves?

A: Definitely! I actually have a demo on my Insta Story, and that’s the easiest way to see it in action. It’s saved to my Highlights under Scarf Demo. Here’s a screenshot to see where to find it:

Basically, all I do is put it around the back of my neck, with both ends hanging down in front, but you want one shorter than the other.

Loop the long end around the back of your neck, bring it to the front and place it inside the loop.

Then you just futz with it until it looks the way you want it. I like to keep my loop on the looser side, so I don’t look like I’m being choked.

If the scarf is too short for that, I just fold it in half, place it around the back of my neck, and put both ends through the one loop. Adjust, and go!

This is the easiest way to tie a scarf and works well with the thicker ones.

Q: I noticed you had a few comments in last fall’s “remix” post about “mom bags” and how you are sizing down into a little more structured bag. I’d love to see a post around fall bag trends. I have so many handbags and keep thinking I need to get rid of ones that are no longer in style. I’m just not sure what those handbag styles are!

A: This is always a hot topic. Handbags are such a personal thing, and we all have to take into account our needs and personal preferences, but handbag styles definitely evolve, just like clothes and shoes.

I’ve noticed that slouchy bags are on their way out, and we’re seeing more structured styles.

It also sounds like a lot of us are also rethinking our handbag needs due to Covid. We may not be out and about as much, or for such long periods of time.

Plus, we’re more concerned with picking up germs and bringing them home, so I’m definitely seeing a trend towards smaller handbags and crossbody bags that allow you to be hands-free.

I’ve actually purged quite a few of mybags lately because I wasn’t reaching for them anymore — mainly my bigger, slouchy shoulder bags.

The ones I kept are my classic totes, my crossbody bags (I have several camera style bags that I really like a lot), and a few mid-size shoulder bags that are good for daily use.

I also have a collection of clutches I keep on hand for fancier events and going-out looks, but I don’t carry them very much. I much prefer a bag with a shoulder strap of some sort.

Here are some of my current favorites: (I don’t have all of these, but they are all bags I like and recommend as good quality options.)

Q: Going back home the first weekend of November for a wedding. The wedding is at 6:00 which is a formal hour. I’m sure that people will be dressed in different things – pants suits, dresses – I have gone online and looked at various places like White House/Black Market and Nordstrom for a cocktail dress, and I can’t seem to find anything. Any suggestions?

A: I’ve been getting a lot of iterations of this question. It sounds like there are a lot of weddings happening this fall! White House Black Market and Nordstrom are the two places I would start as well.

You may remember my hunt for the perfect wedding guest dress last fall. I ended up scoring with this Eliza J number.

Unfortunately, it is no longer available, but I rounded up some other good options below.

Once you have your dress picked out, don’t overlook the accessories. I actually think they are more important than the dress itself. Nothing ruins a beautiful cocktail dress faster than carrying your everyday leather purse or wearing clunky shoes.

Be sure to think about each piece and pick something that complements the dress — you’ll need appropriate shoes, bag, jewelry, and a wrap. See how I pulled my wedding guest look together.

If it’s going to be chilly, I suggest a faux fur wrap of some sort — this faux fur shrug is super cute.

Q: Do you iron your clothes or use a clothes steamer? I vaguely remember you saying you use a steamer. What kind do you have, stand up or portable? Name brand? And do you like it over an iron?

A: I have both, and it depends. I had a portable steamer for a while (that one’s actually a Prime Day Deal!) but it finally broke on me.

After that, I invested in a full size Rowenta, and I’ve never looked back. It’s fantastic. I keep it in my bedroom and use it on all my delicates and sweaters.

Some things still do best with a traditional iron, though — like blue jeans (sometimes I need to press them real quick after they air dry) and structured jackets. I hope that helps!

Q: Would you ever do a blog on regular glasses and sunglasses? I need glasses to drive. Been wearing the same style for 10 years! So need to update!!! 

A: Such a good question, and yes, eyeglasses are one of the first things that will date your look. In fact, I wrote a post about it a few years ago, Fight the Frump: Update Your Eyeglasses.

And I have to laugh, because I’ve had two pairs of eyeglasses since then, and the ones I was wearing in that post look dated to me now.

No hate mail please! I’m sure there are people out there wearing a very similar pair (or maybe even that exact pair) and feel like they look perfectly current. I actually don’t think they are out of style, but you know how it is, once you update your glasses, the old ones have a way of looking tired even if they’re still okay.

I’m actually amazed at how long the larger, plastic frames have been on trend. I don’t feel like eyeglasses trends have changed as much in recent years as other things have. Or maybe I’m the one who’s stuck in a rut, who knows!?!

My current frames are from Warby Parker.

They are awesome because they send you 5 frames in the mail, and you can try them on at home and get the feedback of your friends and family.

You can get a good gauge for what’s in style by scrolling through their selection of women’s eyeglasses. They don’t really carry out of date styles.

Right now, the round frames seem to be coming back into vogue, and cat eye is popular too.

But I’m also starting to see more rectangular shapes again. As always, it’s important take your face shape into account. Mine are more of a square, and I like them best on me.

It’s also on trend to wear a colored frame. I’ve had pink in the past, so this time I went with the Striped Pacific.

Eyeglasses are like everything else nowadays — they’re a fun way to accessorize, and if you wear them every day, you can even get a few pairs to swap out based on your mood. Of course, they’re pricey, so that isn’t practical for everyone, but it’s something to consider if you’re looking for new ways to elevate your style.

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10 Responses

  1. I wasn’t thinking of buying anything today (amazon prime day), but then I saw your ring video doorbell link. We don’t have anything like this (just the old fashioned doorbell, no Echo, no Alexa), but I am thinking this would be good. Also, I am thinking for our new house (which will be built, we hope, spring/summer). So, first purchase for the new house! Hurray! Surprise for my husband!

  2. I love the outfit underneath your Q&A banner (with the jean jacket, white jeans and plaid scarf). I’d love to know where the scarf comes from!

  3. I love our video doorbell…and one of the neat benefits – you can talk to whomever rings the bell, no matter where you are. This comes in handy for those of us who, ahem, get deliveries a lot and may need to tell the delivery person it’s ok to leave a package if we aren’t home. 😉

  4. The last time I was in trying on glasses, I snap a pic of myself. Once home, I airdropped to my iPad.. That way I was able to see through another pair of eyes, so to speak. All three pairs were just too big on my face. I was able to then go back and get appropriate size for my small face and still be current. Just a suggestion for those that are undecided. 

  5. What a helpful post! I totally agree on the paper bag waist pants! I’m 5’3″ & also short-waisted, so these are a no-go for me, as well. They’re adorable, though. Thanks for sharing what steamer you use…that’s on my list of things to get. I am so over ironing *aaallll the time!* Ugh. I hope you have a good day & are enjoying autumn weather where you are. It’s absolutely beautiful here today! ❤🍁🍂

  6. Hope this isn’t a weird question…but…..
    How do you tie a coat ?

    I hate the “tied like a sack in the middle” I get……I am short waisted, so everything looks weird. Never been able to tie a trench / and even belting looks odd.
    The coat you styled earlier this month looked perfect. Not tight and puffy, but still gave a flattering waistline…
    Any tips?
    Thanks for your help (again)

  7. I am not a fan of Amazon….does not matter if it is .com or .ca
    Yes they have some good things but wading through the junk to find the good stuff is time consuming. I did the Prime thing once but of all the so called deals they offered there was only one item that I liked….but did not need. 
    But what really gets to me is how irresponsible Amazon is with returned items. CBC Marketplace just did an evaluation of the Amazon returns process (they even put electroinc trackers in returned items so that could track where they ended up). Very little makes it back into stock….some goes to liquidators….but most of it goes to landfill !!! 
    Amazon is also horrible to deal with if you are a legitimate Seller who has come up against one of the Scammers who create fake reviews/complaints against the legit Seller. Amazon immediately blocks the good guy Seller, takes months to review the so called bad review… with a horrific run-around about who to deal with at Amazon to get unblocked. Meanwhile the Scammer posts a similar but fake version of the good product and takes all the Sales. 
    Amazon needs to clean up the way they do business
    I will happily support ethical business practices but at this point that is not Amazon!

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