2.18.26
The Up Next Edit, Vol. 3
While I know my winter wardrobe can survive on the holy trinity of a great pair of jeans, a perfectly layered sweater-and-tee combo, and one standout jacket, my eyes have never been very good at staying focused. They wander. Constantly. Usually straight toward the slightly odd, the unexpected, the pieces that feel like they could quietly but completely reroute my closet. This roundup leans into true investment territory, the kind of pieces that earn their keep year after year and somehow feel better with time. And although I’ve historically lived and died by black and white, something has shifted. I keep gravitating toward rich browns, mustardy yellows, icy silvers, and deep navy. A color story I would’ve side-eyed not that long ago, but here we are. Consider me intrigued, mildly confused, and very open to letting the tides turn.
Beautiful Brooches
If there is one accessory that has dominated just about everything this year (Substack, Instagram, Pinterest, street style!), it’s the brooch. Brooches are everywhere, and I appreciate that there are many affordable options; they don’t take up much space, and they are something you can hold onto forever. I am very fortunate to have many beautiful brooches passed down to me by my mom and grandmothers. If you are not this fortunate, NBD, just check out our favorites below, or use this Etsy saved search!
Weekend Reading, 2.7.26
The most under appreciated films of the twentieth century. 2026’s best home trends. How to recharge your social battery. Everything good hitting Netflix this month. Meryl Streep’s one gripe with the Devil Wears Prada fashion. The best new books from February. How to layer your necklaces. Habits that will help you live longer. Super Bowl Sunday recipes. How to pull off a restaurant-quality date night at home. All about Nancy Meyers’ new film. And a Blair Waldorf sequel, wow! Plus shopping finds and loads more.
Chocolate Brown
Chocolate brown has been a trend (can we really even call it that, though? It’s a classic!) for a while now, but I’ve found myself really leaning into it this year. Brown still feels dark and moody, perfect for winter (but with a little more warmth than black or navy). It pairs beautifully with other neutrals (black, navy, camel, and grey all look great) and even brights like chartreuse (more on that here). Lately, I’ve been leaning into chocolate on chocolate . . . a more monochromatic vibe that layers different textures. Think suede, leather, wool, and maybe something silky. Mixing and matching different materials in the same color feels very chic to me. You can see more of that in this reel too!
Carly’s Cut, Vol. 6
The weather outside has been doing that annoying thing where it can’t decide if it’s too hot or too cold, but inside is another story. Friends, a good bowl of soup, and zero urgency make everything feel right. January is usually my least favorite month of the year, which I think is a fairly popular opinion, but this one surprised me. It delivered small, steady delights and now I’m almost a little sad to see the first month of the year wrap up.
I ate more bowls of soup than I could reasonably keep track of, made a serious dent in a very cinephile-leaning Letterboxd watchlist, and finally watched the leaves give in and blanket my yard in crisp, wilted layers. All things considered, January showed up better than expected.
Everything I Read in January 2026
This was a lighter (but still great!) month of reading. There were many, many DNFs, I had a bunch of travel, and I am working on a creative project that has pulled me away from both reading and TV. (More to come on that!) The new Colleen Hoover was not my favorite, but I loved The Vanishing Place and really liked My Husband’s Wife.
Tell me what you read and loved in the comments section: I always shop your recs. And for even more books, check out The Library: a catalog of every single book I’ve read over the past ten+ years; you can even filter by genre and sort by best/worst. Also – check out last month’s list!
