Do you know what excites me about fall and October? Apart from celebrating my parents’ birthdays, football, crunchy leaves and golden hues, it is the perfect balance of ‘cooler weather, I can still do things outside without fear of getting the Zika or ‘humidity exhaustion’ (I bet that’s a thing) - AND it is permission to do none of that and stay inside with a warm cup of cider or ‘a nice calming indoor activity’.

Window treatments can do so much more than just provide privacy. In bustling spaces like kitchens or rooms filled with hard surfaces—think cabinetry, tile, and stone—softening the space is key to enhancing comfort. The absence of upholstered items and rugs can make these areas feel stark and noisy. In one of our recent projects in Villamay, we transformed a cozy kitchen nook with a custom flat Roman shade crafted from a stunning artisan textile.

This weekend we’re celebrating our 21st Anniversary by hosting our biggest ever Citizens of Humanity Trunk Show. I don’t think we have ever had this many styles and such a great variety of cuts and washes. We have skinny jeans, straight jeans, wide-leg, both cropped and long, barrel jeans, slouchy jeans and cargos. The event goes on all weekend and you can always shop online, too!

When you decide to open a business, there's a natural desire to create an amazing space. But this moment became something more. I realized that within this business, I had the opportunity to give my creativity life. With that, I knew I was nurturing a new culture from my unique lens, perspective, and experiences. Redefining vanity became a mantra—a celebration of our self-esteem journeys.

I tend to be a strictly no kitsch girl when it comes to holidays, with the exception of Halloween.  Halloween is the holiday where I break out all of the skeletons, giant spiders, and tombstones. My love of Halloween décor doesn’t stop at home, and each year our collection of spooky floral décor grows at Helen Olivia. Here’s what’s new and frightfully exciting for the season ahead:

When it comes to modernizing a traditional home, it often requires a delicate balance between preserving its original charm and incorporating contemporary elements. This 1940s home in Beverley Hills, Alexandria, underwent a remarkable transformation thanks to the collaborative efforts of Convene Architecture and Marks-Woods.

So… you are noticing a few things…You’re losing sleep. You are a little more irritable or reactive over the “little things.” You seem to have increased pants sizes overnight. Your allergies came out of left field.  Soon you discover – from a knowledgeable source and NOT from Insta – you are in perimenopause.

It’s fall, y’all, and ghosts and goblins abound! There’s one that lurks around you, though, all year-round – and he is so sneaky. Let’s have a little chat about that sly little gremlin known as lifestyle creep. You know, that insidious phenomenon where you’re just living your best life, and before you know it, your spending habits have ballooned faster than your last self-care splurge.

What a year 2024 has been! When we celebrated our 20th last fall, I could not have predicted that within 12 months: I would not have a men’s store, I would have an outlet (I like to call it a local version of Nordstrom Rack) and that The Shoe Hive would close its doors at 127 South Fairfax St. and merge into our space at 315 Cameron St. I feel tired just typing it.

Shara has always had an entrepreneurial mindset. “You get out of school and think they’ll teach me how to run a business. But that doesn’t happen in the chiropractic industry…they make you their workhorse, and you just adjust clients, and don’t learn how to run things. There are people who can’t work for others and figure things out for themselves. That was me.” 

To help kick off the fall shopping season we’re having a Bag and Boot Sale. We have so many great bag lines this year. We have our first delivery of fall from Maison N.H Paris, tons of great new pieces from customer favorite Jerome Dreyfus and our first selection of Ganni purses. And we still have MZ Wallace, Think Rolyn and my favorite, Parker Thatch.

At our upcoming Patina Tag Sale, we will present everyone in line with a marking system for the items they wish to purchase. We recommend that everyone bring their own packing material, bags, bubble wrap, etc. This will be a credit card/check event only, no cash. This is a one-day sale. All the final details will be shared on Friday, September 27, the day before the sale.

Hair growth can feel like one of those elusive goals. We've all been there – staring at the mirror, willing our hair to just grow already. But often, it’s not just about what we’re doing to encourage hair growth; it’s about what we’re unknowingly doing wrong. Here are some common mistakes that could be stalling your hair’s journey.

I tend to be a planner except when it comes to more personal things for myself, then I put them off to focus on things for others, until there is a deadline. It took me months after my divorce to get my documents in order. Are you that way, too? If so, I am going to tell you why you should set a deadline for a medical directive for yourself.

We have finally hit the “ber” months, and I am so ready for some cozy, fall vibes. The kids have headed back to school, football season has kicked off, and it’s also a pretty important time tax wise! Grab a pumpkin spice latte (or a pumpkin cream cold brew *light cold foam*– my personal fave) and let’s go over what you need to do. 

After 20 years, we’ve figured out what really works, and want to carry more of what people love. Thanks to Annette’s design we figured out how to keep the shoes right in the center of what we think is the heart of the store – the sitting area where people congregate. Here's our shoe lookbook for fall so everyone can see, we still have tons and tons of great shoes.

I LOVE October. It’s the perfect temperature, I can wear sweatshirts with sandals, mellow creme pumpkins hit the candy shelves, the leaves are peak color, and Halloween. Those are all good reasons to love the month, am I right?! I’ve never been one to dress up for Halloween as an adult, but I revel in the joy it brings to children.

What better way to embrace the new season than with a cozy fall movie night? I’ve seen a fun trend on TikTok where guests host movie marathons, each choosing a film and bringing a drink that complements the movie's ambiance. For instance, pairing a classic James Bond movie with a Vodka Martini, “shaken, not stirred.” See my take:

The first thing I notice as I walk into Old Town Books Junior is the tree. It is magical. Its leaves. Its trunk. The pillows strewn in front. “It’s the first thing I wanted,” says Ally Kirkpatrick. “I researched the tree before the store designer. I wanted a moment, a beautiful memorable thing. If I were a little kid, I’d remember the tree."

At Boxwood, I adore this time of year, September kicks off fall and holiday season planning. We conquered our summer entertaining with vibrant shades of pink, blue and yellow, with picnic baskets and acrylic champagne glasses and beautiful linen napkins. Now we welcome with open arms – the oranges, reds and browns.