To say I’m happy it’s Friday this week is a total understatement. It’s been quite a week getting settled back home after spending the entire month of October away – and boy, does it feel so good! I missed simple things like sitting on my own couch or being able to work from my kitchen table if I wanted. I absolutely love traveling, but there really is nothing like coming back home.

HOLIDAY + GIFT GUIDES

This week started in a tizzy for me as I just felt so overwhelmed with everything on my to do list for the next two months. I can’t believe it’s already NOVEMBER! You guys – insane! You’re going to start seeing the official Style Cusp Holiday Guide pop up in the next week or two – a little later than I wanted, but hey, one thing at a time, right?! I’d love to get your input on what you’re shopping for this holiday season. Gift guides are super fun to put together and I usually try to cover a ton of topics, but I’d love to hear from you guys on what you’re looking for. I create these guides for YOU to shop, so your input matters!

100K & THANK YOU

While I was in London, I hit 100K on instagram – something that’s been a goal of mine for quite awhile and a goal for this year. There was a tiny window of time I honestly thought that it wouldn’t happen in 2016, but thanks to each and every one of you – and lots of hard work – it happened! I knew 2016 was going to be a breakout year and it truly has been, there’s so many exciting things happening behind the scenes for Style Cusp right now and hitting 100K is just one of the outward examples of this. Thank you so much for each and every one of you that follow along. I don’t think I can ever truly express how grateful I am to be able to wake up and do something that I love each and every day.

My family and close friends got me these balloons as a surprise for when I walked in my door from London – seriously how FUN and how sweet are they to do that? I almost cried!

SHOPPING IN LONDON

With hitting 100K, I knew I was going to treat myself to something special & it just so happened that it worked out perfectly to do some shopping in London. I got the Givenchy Antigona bag after having it on my wishlist for years, but telling myself it was something that would symbolize hard work and determination after hitting a huge goal – and it most certainly does!..

The thing is, I had the CRAZIEST time trying to get this bag and wanted to share the story with you guys. I knew I wanted a classic, timeless color – but didn’t want black or the ordinary ‘cognac’ color. I already have a nicer bag in a gray color so I also ruled that out and really, what does that leave as options? #misspicky over here, yes I know. I searched online and also visited Harrod’s, and they had this dusty color in stock but only in the small, and I wanted the medium. Givenchy doesn’t have a stand alone boutique in London (why.) so I looked online, but it was sold out everywhere. After over an hour of looking, I finally found it on one website and called to see if they could have it delivered to me in London before I left – but after lots of back and forth, they couldn’t guarantee it and I didn’t want to risk it. I ended up finding ONE left on Neiman Marcus and just bit the bullet ordering the USD price. Fast forward 4 days later and I received an email that my order had been canceled – after FOUR days… Yeah, no. Not happy at all.

In the midst of all this, I also decided to call every store in Paris that carried Givenchy – boutiques and department stores – and was going to make a day trip the day before I flew back to the states just to pick up the bag – but none of them ended up having it. Oye.

After I got the order cancellation and had a slight freak out, I took to the web again to search for it and this time I found it on Matches. I ended up ordering it and securing same day delivery for London (which ended up being the following day since it was a Sunday that I ordered). I may have drove the Matches Customer Service guy insane all day Monday, calling on my order over 5 times to make sure that it was going to be delivered before I left. Sure enough, it came around 9PM the night before I flew home in a box big enough for me to live in. I nearly kissed the delivery man of happiness and was so relieved that finally – this bag found it’s home!

Leave it to me to pick the one color that’s sold out worldwide (I literally got the last one) and go on a wild goose chase while abroad to find the bag – but hey, it makes for a good story and makes it all even more worth it. I guess I really had to work for it, didn’t I?!