:: 2014 ::

Cheers to a new year and thanks for following along!

 

:: Merry and Bright ::

I always forget what the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is like. It’s so strange to still hear holiday music playing on the radio, yet feel like it couldn’t possibly be Christmas yet because you haven’t heard enough of it. Christmas lights still line every corner while inflatables and tiny mangers stay in the yard – yet somehow you hope they stay up just a bit beyond New Year’s Day to extend the season’s joy. With the sky turning dark so early – how can we not want just a bit of merriness and brightness to fill the air?

When winter knocks at your door, it’s easy to throw on dark layers (or in my case, flannel pajamas) and hibernate until spring. Fortunately, J. Crew always comes through in brightening up my wardrobe while still keeping me warm.

This neon green (some call it yellow – they’re wrong) tunic sweater does just that for me. I snagged it on sale last winter, but the style is so popular that J. Crew is still stocking it. That’s a sign of a staple!

Hope your days are still merry and bright!

Top // J. Crew

Pants // J.Crew Pixie’s

Boots // Sam Edelman

Bag // Target

Necklace // Neiman Marcus

Bracelets // J. Crew, Wisteria

:: Don’t Sweat It ::

Merry Christmas Eve, my friends! I’ve finished up all of my Christmas shopping and plan on picking up T at the airport today to begin what shall forever be known as “A Series of Completely Unsound Logistical Christmas Events.” It’s really all my fault – Christmas is such a special time that I cannot just go to Oklahoma or Dallas, and have convinced Taylor that in a twelve-hour time span we can make it to Christmas with both our families.

There’s a reason we haven’t celebrated the holidays together in the five years we have been dating.

From December 20th to December 25th our schedule went something like this: Drive to Shawnee to Edmond to Shawnee to Dallas to work to Shawnee (insert Taylor’s flight to OKC here) to Oklahoma City to Shawnee to Dallas.

And so, I shall be living in something grey (my go to color of choice these days), warm, and made of sweatshirt material until January 5th. Add a touch of chiffon to the bottom and voila – I actually look put together! All in all, we are really fortunate to live within driving distance of both our families and get to spend the holiday season with our very own clan of Griswolds. How can you stress when there’s that much food, family and eight unheard episodes of Serial just primed for a long drive?!

In a nod to George Carlin – “Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.”

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!

 

 Dress // BCBG

Boots // Tory Burch

Bag // Vintage Chanel

Bracelets // Swarovski, Wisteria

:: Blank Space ::

I never thought this day would come. As long as I can remember, I have been the anti-Taylor Swift fan. We could discuss this for days – don’t get me started.

The world is clearly spinning backwards, because I can’t stop listening to 1989 on repeat. The. Entire. Album. While my outfit is a slightly different “blank space” than the song is referring to, I have had this sweater on repeat just the same as the playlist itself.

Additionally, have we all been singing about “starbuck’s lovers” since we heard that song? This article proves I’m not alone in the lyrics I’ve been jamming out to.

“They’ll tell you I’m insane…”

 

Top // Anthropologie

Pants // J. Crew

Shoes // Gap

PBag // Kate Spade

Watch // Anthropologie

:: Party Pants ::

There are some things which I have always dreamed of hanging up in my closet. Among them – a pale pink tulle midi skirt, the perfect leather jacket and glitter pants.

I busted these babies out for their first spin at T’s office holiday party. My background in southern hospitality and tiara-wearing may fit the bill of an attorney’s wife, but my pants were made to party.

Now, I tried my hand at playing that part – by ordering a dress from Rent the Runway. That one dress ended up being damaged by another customer, and after quite an ordeal  I received a whopping total of seven dresses. Of course, these made my pants look casual so I threw caution to the wind and went rogue.

As much as I love a good skirt, I really enjoy wearing the pants. Especially the sequined pants.

 

Top  // Juicy Couture

Pants // Nordstrom

Shoes // Louboutin

Necklace // Max & Chloe

Ring // Lulu Frost

:: Stocking Stuffers for Him ::

Hey fellas – I didn’t forget about you!

1 // Pooping Penguins: Does this really need any explaining?

2 // Left Right Center: This is our new favorite at family game night – up the ante by playing for gift cards to your favorite restaurant. Never gets old!

3 // Fuzzy Face Picture Frame: His new favorite game to play at the office.

4 // Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix: Bacon. Chocolate. Pancakes. Mmmm.

5 // GI Joe Bottle Opener: A childhood favorite gets a modern twist.

6 // Cigars: I give cigars for special occasions only AND highly suggest throwing in some of these Reviver wipes as well for post-cigar stink.

7 // Portable charger: A need. Not a want.

8 // Muffin Top Tins: Ha ha ha…

9 // Scratch Offs: Who doesn’t get excited about scratch offs?

:: Black Swan ::

Every time I wear this skirt, someone compliments how very “ballerina,” I am that day. No matter what I pair it with, I consistently look like I am trying to emulate Kristin Young. So today, I am embracing my inner ballerina.

Growing up, I despised ballet because of my scoliosis. Nothing pained me more than the ways I would twist and turn my back, yet still never quite line up thanks to that twenty-four degree angle. Fortunately there’s no pain with this skirt – even if the title implies so!

 Skirt // BCBG

Top // J. Crew

Shoes // Valentino

Bag // Kate Spade

Earrings // Kate Spade

Bracelet // Kate Spade

:: Stocking Stuffers for Her ::

I love gifting. It’s an incredible challenge to not just shop, but to find something really special/fun/unique for those on your Christmas list. Everyone seems to have different traditions when it comes to stockings – some get hygiene products (a lifetime supply or 40 years of razors, soap, shaving cream, deodorant, etc.) while others get gift cards.

In my family, Santa sends a mixture. Stockings always include some hilarious things (think the pooping reindeer), a ridiculous amount of candy, some gadgety type things, socks…. it changes yearly.

I’ve compiled a short list of fun stocking stuffer ideas – what does the big man bring to you?!

1 // Lush Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar: I’ve become a big bath person, and Lush’s bubble bars are the way to go. Break them up and one bar lasts multple baths.

2 // Fresh Sugar Sampler: Looking for a great tinted chapstick? Fresh makes the best, and the raspberry tone is ah-mazing.

3 // Jack Black Lemon Chamomile Chapstick: My absolutely favorite chapstick on the face of the planet.

4 // Metal Soap: Sometimes I completely avoid using garlic/onions all together because it takes days of multiple showers and hand washes to get the smell off my hands. Not anymore!

5 // iPhone Charger: My dad is the only man in the house, so he labels everything in the fear that we will take his iPhone chargers. This adorable decal makes it slightly less likely that we’ll steal something which has been sharpied with “Chuck’s iPhone Charger.”

6 // Starbucks Tumbler: A double-walled tumbler made with recycled materials that gets you one grande brewed coffee every day for January 2015. Upgrade to the fancy one for $65 and get ANY seasonal drink daily.

7 // Butter London Nail Polish: Butter makes really amazing nail polish – not gloopy or runny.

8 // Cork Comet: I can already see this flying across the room at a New Year’s Eve party!

9 // Arrow Drink Markers: If you’re going to have drink markers, you might as well pick the phinest…

10 // Nail Wipes: Love to take these when I travel, or if I’m just simply over using cotton balls.

11 // Socks: A go-to stocking stuffer!

12 //  Corkcicle: Wine not?

:: Old Friends ::

When Josh came into town (Dallas to Oklahoma City to Shawnee), we somehow only had a small window of time to meet, and of course that was in the morning.

I don’t do mornings.

So, I jumped up, threw on my favorite sweatshirt dress, and we braved the Oklahoma winds for coffee and an impromptu photo shoot! Just like old friends, this dress is a staple in life.

 

Dress // J. Crew

Jacket // Stella Rae’s

Shoes // Converse

Bag // Kate Spade

:: Tis the Season to be Mary ::

“Well, that’s my name!”

I’m not going to tell you how much I love Christmas. But I love Christmas almost as much as I love smiling.

Smiling is my favorite! – Buddy the Elf, Elf

Thinking about stopping there because you don’t know what’s coming next?

“Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny… Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he’s gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.”    – Clark W. Griswold, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

That’s right – we are going full on Christmas today from the flouncy green skirt to the bow-tie adorned pup. Time to break out the Holly Jolly, trim the tree, and string up glittery garland as far as the eye can see. Light up that house like the Fourth of July and start praying for a White Christmas!

This year we will only be hoping for the movie, and not the actual white Christmas, since we are going the way of Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon with a few Christmases of our own. Luckily, not four, but definitely more than we have ever made it to before!

Then again, how can we not dream of a White Christmas?!

“If you really love Christmas, come on and let it snow.” –Billy Hack, Love Actually

 

 

Top // Old Navy (old)

Skirt // Chic Wish

Boots // Tory Burch

Bag // Anthropologie

Ring // H&M