Mini satchels for fall 2014

The mini satchel has been a hot handbag style both on the runway and on the street over the past few seasons. For fall 2014, the mini satchel is showing no sign of slowing down as one of the most important handbag styles of the season. For fall 2014, mini satchels are being shown in fall’s dark color palette as well as classic red and cobalt blue. In addition to flat colors, metallic hues are also hot for the autumn season.

Mini satchels are an easy handbag style to wear. Although they are small in size and big on style, mini satchels have proved to be functional too! Mini satchels, although small in appearance to the naked eye, are actually quite roomy. The boxy nature of mini satchels allows for a larger interior space than seen on other mini bag styles. This allows wearers to carry a wallet, glasses case, phone and other essentials comfortably inside of their handbag. What better way to “downsize!”

The other amazing quality mini satchels carry is their versatility. Mini satchels can be worn with casual attire or work attire; as long as carrying around a laptop is not required 😉 Mini satchels in dark colors or dark metallic hues can also be carried as an alternate to an evening bag for evening events; excluding formal and gala events of course.

I found a few fabulous mini satchels for the fall 2014 season around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Escada Born in Paradise EDT review

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Pictured: c/o Escada “Born in Paradise” edt

Escada’s “Born in Paradise” eau de toilette is a beautiful, warm weather, exotic fruity fragrance which will instantly transport you to a luscious paradise island in a faraway land. From the exotic packaging to the cool, light-hearted bottle, Escada’s “Born in Paradise” edt will make everyday life feel like vacation. 

Escada’s “Born in Paradise” edt starts off with a fruity zing laced with a warm musky undertone. The fruity scent is refreshing and ideal for warm, summer temperatures.  As the day wears on, Escada “Born in Paradise” edt settles into a sweet, fruity scent which is long-lasting, and continually refreshing throughout the day. At the end of the day, the fruity scent diminishes and you are left with a warm, woody, musk scent which transitions from warm, daytime temperatures to cool, evening temperatures.

Top notes: green apple, watermelon, guava

Middle notes: coconut milk, pineapple

Bottom notes: sandalwood, cedarwood, musk

Escada “Born in Paradise” edt is an ideal fragrance for daily wear during the summer months. The refreshing, fruity scent works well in warm weather and helps invigorate you mentally throughout the day. Love that! Although Escada “Born in Paradise” edt is an eau de toilette, the fragrance is surprisingly long lasting and sustains it’s fragrance cycle throughout the day as if it were an eau de parfum. The overall fragrance experience is reminscent of an island paradise vacation which can help make everyday life at home feel a little bit like paradise 😉

My overall rating for Escada “Born in Paradise” edt is five out of five stars! Escada “Born in Paradise” can be found online here and here.

On the lake

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Pictured: Hat: Eric Javits / Earrings: John Hardy / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Petal” / Top: JCrew / Short: Gap / Tote: Rebecca Minkoff / Bracelet: Tory Burch / Rings: John Hardy / Nail Polish: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Gaia” / Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff (sold out, also love this pair)

A couple of week ago my family spent time with our friends at their lake house. It was a beautiful weekend with swimming, boating, fishing, jumping off rocks and more! Our kids had a lot of fun and we enjoyed spending time with our friends. 

Since we were on a lake, and one of our many activities was boating, I decided to go for a nautical look. This hat, which offers SPF protection, came in handy over the weekend and kept my face from being burned. The JCrew top I am wearing in these photos has also become a favorite of mine this summer. See how I styled it with a skirt here. The Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote I carried was perfect for storing towels, goggles for the kids, sunblock, and a sweatshirt just in case the weather changed.

Overall, the weekend was beautiful, fun and relaxing! I hope you have been able to get away this summer. What types of summer getaways do you enjoy?