My October edit: what I've been wearing, spritzing, lighting and binge-watching as fall finally settles in.
A letter from the editor
Welcome to the very first On the Avenue, my monthly edit of everything I'm loving, wearing and bringing into my life.
Think of it as the page at the front of a magazine where the editor tells you what's actually on her nightstand. No sponsored wish lists, no random roundup of eight things I've never touched. Just the scents, colors, pieces and little rituals that made my month feel like mine.
My October was a full one. Between sports, school activities, work and all the in-between, I felt stretched thin more days than not. So this month's edit is really about the small luxuries that brought me back to myself: fragrances that feels like a hug, a nail color strangers stop me for, and a show so gorgeous I put my books down for it.
If October had a color, it was oxblood. If it had a pattern, it was tortoiseshell. And if it had a smell, well, let's start there.
On my body
What I'm wearing, spritzing and putting on this month.
My current favorite scent combo
For me, fall starts the morning I switch up my scent. This month it isn't one bottle, it's a three-step combo that starts in the shower and ends with a spritz. Layered together, it smells fresh, clean and warm all at once, and it's perfect for fall. It's my staple right now.
1. Baylis & Harding Goodness Oud, Cedar & Amber Body Wash
My newest find, spotted on a random Whole Foods run. It's rich, woody and warm, basically fall in a bottle, so the scent starts while I'm getting clean.
2. Aveeno almond body oil
Right out of the shower, on damp skin, before lotion. It feels incredible, and it gives fragrance something to hold on to. Perfume lasts far longer on moisturized skin than on dry skin.
3. Nemat Amber Perfume
The finishing touch and my year-round staple. It's amber, but it wears clean and fresh rather than heavy, and it ties the woody wash and soft almond oil together into one scent that smells like me.
Next month I'll share a new combo, so stay tuned.
On my nails: DND Winter Wine
This is the most complimented thing I wore all month, and it's a nail polish. DND Winter Wine is a deep oxblood with just enough red left in it to feel bold. It reads wine in low light and rich cherry in the sun, which is exactly the range you want for fall.
The reactions have been hilarious. Girlfriends grab my hand to ask what it is. Strangers ask in line. Even the boys at my son's school told me they love my nails, which might be the highest compliment I've received all year.
If you try one fall shade this season, make it this one.
On my feet (soon): oxblood croc booties by Michael Kors
I'm in a full oxblood era, and it's spilling from my nails onto my feet. I ordered these pointed-toe croc-embossed booties from Michael Kors, and even though they haven't arrived yet, I have not stopped thinking about them.
Here's why they made the edit: I've been living in wide-leg pants and wide-leg jeans this fall because comfort wins on busy days. But a wide leg needs a sharp shoe to look intentional, and a pointed toe peeking out from under a full hem is the chicest finish I know. These will carry me straight through winter.
And yes, they match my nails. I'm very excited about that.
Styling idea: cream wide-leg trousers, a camel knit, oxblood booties and a tortoiseshell claw clip.
On my arm (soon): the handbag on my wishlist
Right next to the booties on my wishlist is this olive green woven leather handbag from JW PEI. I cannot explain how this bag satisfies my current olive color crush and how much I love this color with oxblood. It's exactly the kind of piece that makes a simple fall outfit look finished.
The fashion trend on my radar: FUR ACCENTED maxi coats
Once Round Top fashion hits the scene, I am ready to dive into my coat closet. I'm seeing these everywhere this fall, and I can't stop saving them: floor-sweeping maxi coats in brocade and jacquard with an old-world tapestry feel, finished with plush faux fur at the collar and cuffs. They look like something you'd find in a European antique shop, and that's exactly the appeal.
What I love most is how much work they do. Throw one over jeans and a simple knit and the whole outfit instantly reads collected, cozy and a little bit dramatic. It's the fashion version of moody maximalism, and it would look so good with oxblood booties peeking out underneath. I have my eye on this affordable find:
Shop the Forever Floral Jacquard Coat
In my home
What I'm decorating with, lighting and bringing in for the season.
The decor trend I'm loving: moody modern maximalism
The decor trend I can't stop thinking about right now is moody modern maximalism. These are rooms that feel rich, layered and a little dramatic, like they were collected over years instead of ordered in one cart. It's not clutter. It's confidence.
Here's what makes it work:
A deep, saturated palette: wine, oxblood and burgundy grounded with olive and a pop of bright green.
Texture on texture: velvet, burl wood, glossy ceramics, shimmery capiz shell and gold tassels.
One wild print: tiger striped pillows add instant personality.
Art with a point of view: a piece that makes people stop and ask about it.
I pulled together my favorite Amazon finds to get the look, from a velvet accent chair and a green velvet floor lamp to a burl wood nightstand and a cowgirl portrait in an ornate gold frame.
Shop the moody maximalism roundup →
What I'm bringing home: tiger print pillows
My black-and-white zebra pillows just weren't working with my cream sofa this season and oxblood plaid pillows, so I ordered tiger print pillow covers from Amazon instead. Warm, moody and a little unexpected, they're the easiest way to bring this trend into a room without changing a thing. I'm obsessed already.
Tortoiseshell everything
Tortoiseshell is the maximalist's neutral. I drink out of my tortoiseshell wine glasses every single day, and I just found gorgeous tortoiseshell ornaments at Walmart that I can't wait to put on this year's tree. They look so much richer than the price tag.
Candle of the month: Caricia
Every month I'll share the one candle I can't stop lighting, and October belongs to Caricia from 1111 candle co, a candle company run by one of my girlfriends. I've lit it every single day this month.
Caricia is the Spanish word for caress, a gentle and loving touch, and the name fits perfectly. It's soft, sultry and a little seductive: bright bergamot and eucalyptus up top, sweet plums and rose in the heart, all resting on a bed of smoky musk and powder. It makes the whole house feel wrapped in velvet.
There's something extra special about filling your home with something a friend poured with her own hands. Supporting women-owned brands will always have a spot in my edit.
On my radar
The art, shows and little obsessions living rent-free in my head this month.
The art I'm obsessed with: cowgirl art
I am so into cowgirl art right now. It's the perfect mix of my Texas roots, my love of all things Ralph Lauren western and my bohemian, maximalist heart. Think vintage western scenes painted with a loose, abstract hand and warm southwestern colors that feel collected, not decorated.
This month I found the cutest piece on Amazon, a vintage-style western abstract painting, and I'm obsessed. She's a faceless cowgirl in an oversized black hat and a crisp cream blouse, martini glass at her side, painted in thick strokes of mustard, olive and sky blue, and finished in an ornate gold frame. She's chic, a little mysterious and completely my vibe. You'll spot her in my moody maximalism roundup above. It proves you don't need a gallery budget to bring real personality to your walls.
What I'm watching: The Gilded Age
Life felt like a lot this October. Between sports, activities, work and everything in between, my brain was full. And I realized that sometimes the thing I need most isn't another book to finish, another item on the to-do list or another project to start. It's getting completely lost in something beautiful.
For me, that's been The Gilded Age. I put my books down this month and let myself sink into it. The costumes are breathtaking, the sets are a feast, and the characters, with all their scheming and social climbing, are pure delicious drama. Every episode feels like stepping into a velvet-lined jewelry box.
Season 4 comes in out January so I am catching up on all three previous seasons and it is giving me my life back.
Consider this your permission slip: rest counts, even when it looks like an hour on the couch with a period drama.
Until November
That's my October: oxblood on my nails and feet, tortoiseshell on the tree, oud and amber on my skin, and cowgirl art on the walls, and a little Gilded Age escapism at the end of long days.
Next month, the Avenue goes full holiday, starting with my Ralph Lauren-inspired home. Tell me in the comments what you've been loving this month. I read every one, and your favorites might just make a future edit.
With love from the Avenue, Ashlina
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