I love this time of year when I finally get to pull out my sweaters and my over the knee boots finally make sense!  The cooler weather just makes me want to cozy up and a sweater dress and over the knee boots are the best way I have found!

I am loving this new sweater dress shown here. It is going to officially be my holiday go to look. Just add a necklace and big earrings and you can dress it up for some sparkle.

I have linked several options colors for sweater dresses and many of them on sale!  All under $100!  Check out my exact dress here (also available in dark gray $89). Two similar dresses here (in gray and ivory just $53) and here (in camel, olive, black and gray just $59).

Also my over the knee go to boots have been a life saver this year. I feel like they make everything winter ready just by adding them to an outfit. I have linked several options in gray, browns, tans and blacks here and here - All of these are under $200!

The multi color bag is linked here and is on big time sale! 

Hoping you stay cozy and stylish this winter!

I am so excited about the great response to my "shop small" posts.  I am hoping these posts give you some unique ideas for gifts (or just to keep for yourself) and also to help support amazing small businesses.  

So today I bring you Ellsworth and Ivey. You may have seen their rain capes I showed you a few weeks ago (blog post below). Now I want to show you their winter capes.  Get ready to fall in love!

​Ellsworth and Ivey is an American womenswear brand with a modern approach to a heritage style.  Their look is classic and their quality is unrivaled.  For me it was love at first site and then super duper love at first touch.  I have five of her capes - yes five (and I am so eying a 6th in a blush color)!  There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.  

I have pictured two of my favorite Ellsworth and Ivey winter capes:

1) The Shawl Cape - Pictured black cape.  Love the way this creates an open collar and then has a tie waist.  It can be worn with or without the sash. It has snaps so you can keep it closed without the sash.  This cape is available in 4 colors including a gray and a blush! So on trend this year. Plus I think this can be a great casual piece with jeans and riding boots!  Winter fashion perfection!

2) The Homestead Cape - Pictured ivory cape.  This cape is one that can go from day to night with ease.  I wear this to work and I also will wear this over formal dresses.  It never disappoints.  Ellsworth and Ivey has made some great tweaks to this adding in a leather sash.  This company just continues to elevate these amazing capes.  Available this year in blush and black.  

Ellsworth and Ivey has some other great options like stoles, rain capes, long coats and hunting blazers so go check out the site! Also as an added bonus Polished Professionals readers get 25% off their order with the code polished professionals.

Hope you enjoy these capes as much as I do.  I cannot wait to see pics of you in these beauties that you will surely love for years to come!

As we think about gift giving this year, I am excited to share some of my favorite small businesses.   As a small business owner myself, I try to "shop small."  I love finding local designers that have quality products that are anything but cookie cutter.  I also I love buying local and supporting my community.  I hope you agree and will enjoy this shop small series. 

With that in mind, I want to introduce you to an amazing Houston jewelry designer Laura Jorn with Laura J Finery.  Her pieces are so unique. They are made with genuine semi precious and precious stones. She  then combines them in great styles and patterns and makes what are some of my most favorite pieces in my jewelry collection.  Here are some of my favorite pics!

Skinny wraps - are these necklaces, bracelets or both?

With Laura J. Finery - the answer is both! How fun is that.  I love the colors she has on these and all the different stone options, gold and silver. Above I have two of her skinny wraps worn as bracelets. I love that unlike bangles they don't rattle on my desk when I am typing and I love how lightweight they are.  And then, the coolest thing is these wraps can be worn as long chains or doubled up as a necklace!

Bracelets - stacks and stacks!
I love these bracelets.  They always stay in place on my wrist and are so easy to wear with everything casual or formal.  I also love the charms that are added. Plus these come in the most fun colors!  You cannot order just one!

All choked up with these Chokers!

Laura J Finery has some beautiful diamond pieces that are definitely worth the investment.  I recently got her chocker with a diamond moon shown below.  Love love love it.  Also I love that the necklace can be choker length or adjusted for a little longer piece.  You cannot go wrong with this fine jewelry. 

One last surprise - go to Laura J. Finery and with the special code polishedprofessionals and you can 25% off your order of these amazing pieces!

To shopping small and being all sparkles this winter!

My best friend Mandy and I live in very different climates these days - Mandy is in the mountains of Nevada and I am in my beloved swamps of Houston (yes her summer is much better than mine but I do save on not buying moisturizer).  But we both of have some serious weather with which we contend throughout the seasons. She has snowstorms and ice; I have hurricanes and tropical storms.  We want to give our best tips to stay stylish, dry and safe through any weather!

One of my favorite finds has been by Ellsworth and Ivey.  If you don't know them I promise you will see me where a ton of their pieces this fall/winter.  They specialize in capes and their all weather cape in a waxed cotton has to be one of my favorites.  It really works during any snow or rain and does not look like a huge rain jacket when its not raining - just a great fashionable cape. Plus you can see the great plaid lining in the above picture.  And you can fit a purse neatly underneath the cape and voila - a purse protector in bad weather!

Ellsworth and Ivey also has a summer/spring version of the cotton cape that I link here and may be good if you live in a place like Houston where we rarely get super cold weather but still need to stay dry.  You can use the code POLISHEDPROFESSIONALS for 20% off your order! 


Now to the shoes!  Oh my gosh have galoshes come so far since Mandy I were kids. You can actually make a fashion statement in these and be safe in thunderstorms, snow, and ice.

​Here are our favorite picks!

Mandy swears by the below pictured wedge Sorel boots.  She states, "Oh Sorel, how I love thee! Now that I live in a region with snow and ice, I get to buy...boots! I quickly learned cute boots must be functional cause ICE. These new Sorel Lea wedges are amazingly comfy and stable. Check out that sole. I kinda want them in every color cause they make this 5'2" gal taller with no wobbling around."  

If you want to add some more heel height to your Sorels - they also make the below moto heeled stunners.  Talk about rocker babe!  We found them on super sale here - just $67 and available in three colors!

We also had to give more than honorable mention to these super cute Sam Edelmen galoshes that we found here - Just $69 and available in leopard print and snakeskin as shown below and all black.

Now stay dry and stylish out there!