It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

It's a little ridiculous how much I love this time of year. Every year I come home on Thanksgiving night and begin putting up decorations. I'm usually by myself in this endeavor as my husband is sacked out on the couch after a long day of eating. It doesn't matter though, I love it that much. Our house is already festively attired and I love sitting in our dimly lit living room with a fire in the fire place, looking at the twinkling white lights. Now, if I could just finish up the semester, it's off to my parents house to enjoy the holidays!

Decorations sitting in martini glasses

A little holiday brew kept cold in snow

Candles & Christmas lights strung in a dim lit room

and the winner is....

Congrats to Mandy S! You've won the beautiful Sierra Winter earrings! I'll be contacting you shortly to arrange shipping!

Happy Friday!

Currently Browsing: lots of Vintage!

If there's one thing I enjoy, it's the thrill of a good vintaging trip. For the last two days I have been dreaming of stopping by my favorite thrift store after work, but no such luck. The joy of long hours of work, lots of deadlines and family coming into town for the holidays has left me without a vintaging trip. Oh well, I have lot of shopping excitement to look forward to this weekend :)

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers! I hope your day is spent surrounded by the ones you love.

Free Friday: Sierra Winter Designs

Happy Friday, dear readers! Today I am happy to be able to present to you another wonderful giveaway! Monday, you got to glimpse into the wonderful design studio behind Sierra Winter designs, and today.... read more

A look into Sierra Winter Designs

  

Saturday I drove up to Kansas City to do a little pre-holiday-craziness shopping and enjoy the lovely fall weather. That afternoon I was delighted to meet with jewelry designer and owner of her self named jewelry line, Sierra Winter Designs.

I met Sierra at her studio, a bright and airy space that her father helped her create in her home. I was immediately greeted with turquoise, chunky polished stones and silver chains scattered across a sunlit workbench. Her work is a beautiful collection of delicate silver pieces intertwined with southwest-inspired elements. I loved being in her workspace. Sketches, inspirational photos and an earthly, southwestern influence filled the space. I spent an hour snapping photos and chatting with Sierra, and left feeling completely inspired. Not to mention completely enamored with her work. Etsy shop, custom orders and a line soon to grace boutiques in Kansas City... this is one designer to keep your eyes on.

  

that's classic

Now, I love styling the newest trends as much as the next fashionsita, but let's face it... there really isn't anything any better than a good pair of riding boots and a classic trench.  Earlier this week I was perusing the web (yes, I have a tendency to do that from time to time), when I ran across a lovely little shop called EmersonMade. It was love at first sight. How can you not love the owner, Emerson, and her oh-so-adorable flower pins (see example in red above)? She recently came out with a line of clothing with which I am completely smitten. I love the old school, high waisted denim jeans. Albeit, they are a tad expensive (for me), but so classic and would last for so long. I am strongly considering....

Pocahontas

Some accessories are so good that they just have to be worn again and again. That's how I feel about this scarf. Yes, it's the same scarf. Instead of wrapping it around twice, I tied the ends together so that it would hang longer. If you have long hair, this technique works well regardless of how you tie it because it won't be seen. If you have shorter hair, you'll probably have to play with it a little to make the knot look pretty. Regardless, I love the dramatic effect tying it this way has on an outfit. For this scarf in particular, the colors are perfect for fall, the sequins are right on trend and the tribal print looks great with my comfy moccasins. The result was a cute and relaxing Sunday afternoon outfit!

get cozy!

I know I've said about it before, but I'll say it again... my favorite part of the Fall/Winter season is wearing lots of layers.  It makes me feel cozy and happy. Like sitting in front of a warm fire with a huge blanket enjoying a good book. See, wasn't that a nice thought to have on a Friday?

To get you all prepped and ready to enjoy a cozy weekend, here are a few lovely, cozy items. I would love to wear any of these... and, probably all at once!

1. Cable Knit Tights, Topshop $24
2. Cable Knit Wrap Cardigan, American Eagle $90
3. let's get away knee high riding boots, Ruche $44
4. Soy Latte Cardigan, Modcloth $60
5. Country Soul Dress, Modcloth $50
6. Pink Studio "Geneva" bowtie tweed flats, Ruche $77
7. Pink Studio "Junnet" peep toe wedges, Ruche $95
8. Fossil "Vintage Reissue" Satchel, Nordstroms $178
9. Sorial "Tanya" Suede Drawstring Hobo, Nordstroms $188
10. Grey Horses Cardigan, Modcloth $70

and the winner is....

Congratulations to Rich and Mallory! You've won the beautiful crystal-inspired cocktail ring from A Twist of Fate Design! I'll be contacting you shortly to arrange shipping :)

old habits die hard

It wasn't so long ago that I was donning maxi dresses and sandals, and scurrying around town in my convertible. While the dog days of summer may be behind us, I'm still not over one habit. I am still seeing and loving maxi dresses. Fortunately, there still remains a selection of fall-appropriate options to choose from. I especially love the plaid dress from Free People on the top right corner.

Long hemlines + tall boots = perfection!

business in the front, party in the back

No, I'm not endorsing mullets. But, this outfit kind of reminds me of that saying - business jacket on top, party shoes on the bottom. There's nothing I love more than a good blazer, and the metallic booties really jazz the whole ensemble up. Speaking of which, don't you love it when you find a good steal that actually looks trendy the following season? That has been my luck with these BCBG booties.  I actually purchased these two or three years ago at the end of Winter for a mere $25. I wasn't sure if they would look trendy or ridiculous in the following years, but I liked them at the time and decided the price was right.  Fortunately, similar silhouettes and styles in booties have continued strong and I still sport them proudly. 

Happy Hump Day!

unexpected bling

This Fall, I've been loving all the sequins and glam incorporated into laid back, day wear pieces. Whether it's plaid with jewels or sequins on a blazer... I'm smitten.  Fortunately, this scarf that I found on sale at Target last Fall fits in perfectly with my current style infatuation.  The sequins paired with a tribal print are the perfect combination of laid back glam. Give me some textured tights and a corduroy skirt and I'm in heaven.

On another note, here's to hoping everyone had a Happy Halloween! I had a little munchkin at my house that was cute, but not very happy :)

Free Friday: A Twist of Fate Design

My apologies, dear readers, for it being nearly a month since my last giveaway.  I promise that I did not lie to you. There are more giveaways coming through the pipeline.  Like my Mama always told me, good things come to those who wait and trust me today's giveaway is very, very good..... read more

all jeweled up

I have made no secret about the fact that I love layered necklaces (evidence here, here and here). Fortunately for me, this season has been loaded with lots of beautiful options from ribbon adorned chains to large faux rhinestones (a la J. Crew) to vintage detailing.  

About a month ago I was perusing Etsy when I stumbled across A Twist of Fate Design, a shop with loads of beautiful necklaces and other whimsical pieces of jewelry. What I love most about this shop is how the owner and designer, Maureen, incorporates unique, vintage pieces into all of her work. Whether that is an over-the-top vintage earring mounted to become a ring or a vintage broach embellishing several layers of beautiful chains. I was so delighted with the Vintage Crystal Cascade necklace she sent me that I completely lost track of time on Sunday while snapping these photos! I can already envision all of the ways I’m going to wear this necklace in the upcoming months. With layered sweaters and crisp button downs during the day, cocktail dresses for Holiday parties, faux fur… the options are endless! However, my hours on Sunday were not.

playing catch-up

Last week was a crazy week, which meant this weekend was filled with homework, photo taking, laundry and all the other things I missed during the week. This outfit was actually from last Thursday. Layering is probably my favorite part of getting dressed during the Fall/Winter seasons. I will keep a cardi like this one from Kohl's readily available from now until March.

In other news... the bangs are back! Thoughts, feelings, emotions? I wasn't gonna, but I went in for a trim and some low lights and decided to complete the look. I'm kinda diggin' it was the waves. We'll see how long they last. We've always had an on-again/off-again, love/hate relationship.

Weekend Happiness!

I promise I will resume regular posting and outfit photo taking next week.  This weekend my goal is to get caught up because this week has been a very sartorially satisfying week! For now, I have one last leftover outfit photo from the collection to share.  I'm still lovin' the Modcloth skirt I purchased last month.  Despite being floral, the colors work well for Fall. Paired with my fav riding boots and I'm set.

Happy weekend, dear readers! This chica is awfully happy this week is finally coming to an end.  Do you have any special plans for the weekend? I'm afraid mine is full of catch up blogging and homework.

Crazy Busy

Between work, mid-terms and life in general, this week has been completely nuts. I have several great outfits to share with you, but no time to shoot photos! Ugh! Here is an outfit that I gave you a sneak peek of from our anniversary trip.  Like I mentioned earlier this week, I'm slightly in love with plaid right now. And, I stalked these boots on Nordstroms.com last fall until I couldn't stand it any longer! Luckily for me, we're still in love :)

Happy Hump Day, everyone! Thankful a week full of chaos is beginning its slow descent to Friday. Any plans for the weekend? Is it bad that I'm already dreaming of sleeping in on Saturday morning?