JANUARY FAVORITES

January usually drags on forever, but for some reason, it flew by for me this time around. From our trip to the Guggenheim, to snow days and finally going back to the theatre (we saw Kimberly Akimbo!), there were so many awesome moments. This past month was tough too though, filled with grief hitting hard and at random. That’s the thing I learned most about grief when my grandfather passed, it can strike at literally any moment when you come across something familiar to the one you lost. I channeled my grief a little uniquely this past month. Get to the bottom of this post and you’ll see how. Read on for my favorite January things.

fashion

Nasty Gal I’m That Girl Fur Coat – I’ll be straight up, here, I’ve never been a huge trench coat fan. But hear me out: this coat was calling my name. I love the reddish-brown fur accents, the length and how snug it fits. This might just be the trench that converts me.

Houndstooth Sweater by Amazon Fashion — This super cute sweater was an Amazon Fashion steal, and I’m so obsessed I just ordered it in black, too. It’s really warm, covers your neck (so no need to throw a turtleneck underneath) and can be dressed up or dressed down in a snap.

accessories + home

Custom Converse — So this was a belated Christmas gift to myself, and it took a while to get in, but man it was worth it. I designed these teddy Converse for a much needed new pair of sneakers for this winter and couldn’t be happier with them. Not to mention, they came out to about $95, which is just about the same price as most of their other sneakers. Totally worth it.

Banana Clips from Amazon — I am challenging myself to step out of my headband comfort zone this winter/spring and incorporate clips into my hair routine and style. This cute set was only $13 and I love the checkerboard pattern.

Scent Lab Candle * gifted * — This customizable candle site literally can make the smell of your dreams come true. You get to pick the vessel, the blend and notes. I went with a sugar and spicey theme myself with creamy vanilla, fireside and teakwood/bergamot.

Studs Piercing — Last but not least is the piercing I got this month! Story behind this: After we lost Lindsey, I wanted to do some sort of modification to remember her and our friendship by. I have extremely sensitive skin, so a tattoo was out, but I decided to take a gander at her Pinterest to see what piercings she had saved. Lo and behold, she had a handful of helix images in there, which gave me the perfect placement idea. As far as the butterfly, it’s one of the best symbols to represent her unique, beautiful and artistic life 🦋. I love looking in the mirror and watching it twinkle in the light, to me, it’s a reflection of all our memories over the ten years of our friendship (which I am so happy are also documented on her Youtube channel).

For the piercing itself, I went to Studs on UES. Would highly recommend if you’re looking to get any ear piercing: they were quick, painless (well except when the needle is in your ear but they can’t help that one), and CLEAN! It’s such a beautiful addition to my ‘earscape’ and now I have a physical representation of how I carry her with me everyday. Grief is unique to everyone, and a small reminder like this one helps me get through <3.

I can’t believe February is literally next week. Leaving you with some Shakes-love:

“O powerful Love, that in some respects makes a beast a man, in some other a man a beast.”

[Merry Wives of Windsor 5.5]

Cheers, xx - A. Martine

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