Thursday, December 19, 2013

Festive Party Looks



Christmas parties are the very best time to show off your festiveness. And there's nothing I love more than parties and chic clothes. Below are some great festive looks.




The age old classic red dress. Black heels would look great with this type of dress.




This is simply lovely! Wear it with a black (or green jacket if you want to be even more festive, just make sure it looks good with it) 




If you get cold easily,then a long sleeve red dress is for you. Pair it with some tights or leggings and boots for extra warmth.














Emerald or dark green earrings and necklaces are perfect to wear with any red dress! If you don't want to wear green, black is always a safe and classy choice.











Black pants or skirt. If you feel more comfortable in jeans or just don't want to wear a dress, black skinny jeans are a great pick for you. Either heels or flats will work, depending on the type of party. A black skirt also makes a great base for a festive top.


A green (or red) blazer, black skinny jeans, and heels make a great and dressy combo.Underneath the blazer, you could wear white or black, or if the green is a darker green, even red.
















This is definitely a more casual top, made for a more casual party. To dress it up, add a bright red necklace such as the one below. Having your hair in a high bun would also compliment this look.



















 This long red necklace will go great with black, white, or dark green.




















 I love ruffles!!! Soooo cute and feminine.Simple black earrings and a black blazer= fabulous!!













A perfect red overlay top. Black or white would look best underneath.



















The white Christmas look. This is a little less worn, but nevertheless chic. Just make sure the white dress is wintry enough and not too springy (example of too springy: shear, no sleeves, and super short)







I love the lace on this dress, however it is a little short for winter. So I love the socks with it. Adding a red belt and red jewelry would make this look festive. 





This is PERFECT!! Long sleeves for warmth and the length is just right. This dress gives you a great opportunity for making a statement with your accessories.













Perfect for white dresses and even some of the outfits above, these shoes are ooo la la~




I love these shoes too! The bow is soooooo cute and they make great statement shoes.











Simple black dress. It's a lot like the white dresses above. You can add red or green to make it festive.








Add a bright red jacket and black or red heels and you're good to go!




Again same thing. It's so easy to look festive with a black dress.






I adore these red earrings. They will go fabulous with pretty much any color shown here.











A gorgeous emerald green set that will go perfect with red, black, or white.















The green dress. Like the classic red dress, these dresses can be the center statement with simple, black accessories, or you can be a little more festive and pair it with pops of red.








This is a perfect stand alone dress. Replace the belt with a black one, add a black sweater and shoes and you're good to go!







I love how this outfit brings in the red not just in her shoes, but also in her beret. This is a great example of adding pops of color not just in jewelry or shoes. You could also add it in a scarf or belt.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Christmas Gift Ideas



With Christmas only a few days away, many of us are doing our last minute shopping. Below are a few gift ideas if you're stumped.

1.  Cute DIY bookmark bows. These are PERFECT for that book loving friend. It's best to pair these with another present, like sayyyy...... A BOOK! I know, I know, I'm a genius.



2. A cute/great/funny/fav photo of you and your friend or your 'special someone' *eyebrow wink*. A great place to look for frames is the thrift store. They have some really pretty ones for cheap. Another way to make this gift special, is too personalize the frame. Like write a quote on it or glue some lace to it.



Chalkboard frames are always a fun option! Pair this gift with a mini chalk set.

Love this rustic yet chic DIY frame.

A  great example of a picture with quotes. All you need is a blank frame and a black sharpie.Isn't this picture just too cute?! The girl on the right's face is hilarious.


3. DIY scrubs, masks, creams, and bath salts. Obviously a female gift, these are often easy to make and the recipes abound everywhere! Seriously. pinterest is loaded with them. If you don't want to make them, you can often find them inexpensively






4. Anything from the Dollar Store will make great stocking stuffers or add a little extra something to a larger gift. Some ideas are; nail polish, socks -these can be REALLY cute and I should know because I have several- deodorant, hair clips, ponytails, polish remover, colored duct tape- yes this has been in our stockings before- candy,gel pens, pedicure set, razors, basically anything that you know they would use or need.



5. A five dollar Walmart movie. Have you ever gone looking through this bin? If you haven't, you're missing out. Your favorite movie could be in there or your friends favorite movie. At the very least there's bound to be something they'd like in there. I've literally gone all the way to the bottom before!







6. A journal. A great gift for anyone, but especially for that writer friend of yours. You can personalize this too!
I love how unique this is!

LOVVVEEE THIS!



7. Jewelry. You CANNOT go wrong with this gift. Almost every girls loves her bling bling. A great place to buy this is from the thrift store or on clearance. I recently bought a necklace set at the thrift store for only $5! And I got a pair of earrings on clearance at Icing for only $2!!! Below are some pretty pieces.


I love this leather bracelet sooo much. Can you be mine for christmas? This is $10 at Target
These earrings are so fab and they cost only $8 at Walmart.

This cute hart set is only $6 at Target

7. Anything from the Thrift Store. Shoes, tops, jeans, skirts, scarfs, hats, books, jewelry, purses, etc. One thing to be careful of when buying from a thrift store is the condition the item is in, especially in books. Look all over the item or flip through book to make sure it's in pretty good condition.


I  love the mirror and picture frame, so vintage.
Jewelry!!!


Adore these vintage finds!

8. Cookies, truffles, jarred recipes, bread, cinnamon rolls, cocoa in a jar and the like make great, simple gifts. They are perfect as an add on to a larger gift or by themselves.


Such a festive way to show the recipe.

The wrapping is a chic way to dress up this gift up.



Mmmmhhh...peppermint

9. Scarf, hat, or gloves. These are a literally a Christmas staple. You can either buy them or go DIY.


Bows and beanies? Oo la la.


These adorb polka dot leather gloves are $17 at Target, a little pricey for people like me but you're not me so...


Yes, even guys can wear scarfs. Just to make sure you get a masculine looking one, preferably without flowers.




10. A mini hope chest. Take a box, paint it , and cover it with pictures, quotes, lace, flowers, etc. A perfect jewelery case!
This is simple, yet so stunning.

Take me to the beach!!!!

I love how feminine this is and the keys give it a rustic appeal.



11. Gift cards....are another Christmas staple and you can't go wrong here. $10 is probably the minimum you want to give. Some place ideas: walmart, kohls, macy's, best buy, target, tropical smoothie cafe, panera bread, payless, chili's, starbucks, forever 21, etc. 


12. Music cd. Have a friend who always seems to have there ear buds in? Then get them a music cd (featuring an artist they love of course) or make your own! You can put a variety of songs you know they love all on your own blank cd.


13. Ipod/Iphone case. A great place to find these is online. Below are some nice ones.*these can be pretty pricey ( at least by my standards)


Whimsical and musical.

Perfect for a guy.

This one is my fav. It's so dramatic!!




14. Ties. I know, I know but guys do need them and it's always great if you can find a unique one!My brother in law has a Christmas one that plays music when you touch it. Yeah......he doesn't really like it but it's fun for us because we can annoy him..what.. did I just say that?







15. DIY playdough for young kids. Have any young siblings? Then this is the perfect gift! It will keep them busy and save you money. Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2013/03/diy-playdough.html



16. Tickets for kids. Ok this sounds strange but trust me, it's a good idea. What me and my sister do is write on an index card size piece of paper something they can do. Like 30 minutes on my laptop, or i free makeover, (not that i actually charge them for makeovers) that sort of thing. A great way to save money. So go ahead and think up some unique, yet fun ones.


17. Poster. Artsy friend or one that loves a certain celebrity?  Or have a friends that likes a certain quote? Then get him/her a poster!