I would wear two sweaters everyday if SoCal would let me. We had some serious rain recently that brought chilly weather just in time for Christmas. Even better because last week I chopped several inches off of my hair which means I won’t get the “scarf tangles.”
Every time I wear a scarf with my hair down (or almost any fuzzy sweater for that matter), my hair gets tangled in knots like a six-year-old. It is a nightmare. Two years ago in New York I remember showing my parents the aftermath of a coat + scarf + hat – knotted like a dog!! Do any of you have this problem? Detangling spray and this brush are my saving grace. Although I’ve seen people using this kind of brush – do any of you have a detangling tool you swear by?
I wanted to share a peek into our holiday decorations with you guys! I don’t have a ton of holiday goodies, but what I do have I love, and it reminds me of home.
When Porch.com asked me to share some stories about special decor in my home, I knew exactly what I’d share. These little carolers. They are special to me because my Dad bought my Mom a caroler every year that completed our family – Mr. and Mrs. Claus, two parents, two girls, one boy and two dogs. Mom set them out on the buffet in the dining room every year and my sister and I would argue over which girl was who – obviously I wanted to be the one with the fur hand muff. Now my mom gives Sarah Thorne and I one each year – although she gave me a daughter last year not realizing I don’t have a daughter… but it’s fine, we’ll let it go. I may have bought a Lula and Bailey for myself. Mom – if you’re reading, I still need Mr. and Mrs. Claus, hint hint!
Note: I was showing these to a California coworker and she couldn’t help but hide her facial expression which made me laugh so hard. She definitely thinks these figurines are super creepy and I get that – they’re not for everyone but they are just sentimental to me! Kind of like my dad’s unusual gnome collection… another story for another day.
What are some Christmas decorations that are sentimental to you? Porch.com and I would love to hear. Share your holiday stories with pieces that are special to you with the hashtag #loveyourhome. Thanks for reading and sharing. Merry Christmas, y’all! XO –
I can’t even say enough about this skirt. It’s one of those pieces that when you put it on, add some sparkly bling (like my latest obsession, this Michele watch) and instantly feel fancy and glamorous – like you could walk in the room anywhere and feel like a million bucks. Anything that makes me feel like my most feminine, confident, powerful (read: sky-high stilettos) self is a friend of mine.
The best part? It won’t cost you a million bucks. The skirt is on sale (!!) and will cost you less than $40. And that my friend, I think would make Carrie Bradshaw proud.
I love a maxi dress and a maxi with long sleeves is one for the win. This dress was the perfect dress for our weather a few weeks ago because was consistently in the 60s and 70s, and as I sat at happy hour with my girlfriend Nikki, sweating in my wool sweater, I thought, “remember: never wear a wool sweater in Southern California before December ever again in your life.” Noted.
This Lulu’s dress kept me party perfect in 70 degrees, and I’m lovin’ it.
Also, the earrings, ring and necklace I’m wearing are all a part of my exclusive gift set withShop Prima Donna! I have seriously been wearing the earrings and ring with everything, so you can expect these beauties to show up a lot more in the next few weeks, but I must share that you can get 10% off atShop Prima Donnawith the codeCBLGIFT10. The earrings are the perfect addition to any festive holiday look with red, and y’all know I’m a sucker for red and pink together.
I mean… sequin joggers don’t really need an explanation. Cause they’re awesome. Baggy and covered in sequins is basically a pair of Kathleen’s dream pants and Christian’s worst nightmare.
I’m into it.
And because these pants aren’t loud enough on their own, I added some leopard pumps in the mix to keep it crazy.
So I tried to pull off the half-up top knot and I don’t think I’m doing it right. I LOVE it on shorter hair but while I thought it looked cute on me in the mirror, when I looked at these photos afterward I was like, “Christian why didn’t you tell me I looked like a crazy person?” And he was all, “You’re a sequined MC Hammer and you think your hair is what makes you look crazy?”
Do any of you longer haired gals have tricks for this ‘do? I’d love to hear! Thanks for reading – XO –
– my sister-in-law’s adorable Thanksgiving table –
– the most adorable surprise package from Chandon – #pouronthefun!
– the face I got Monday morning when Bailey realized she wasn’t going to work with me –
– sequins on sequins –
– waking up to Christian’s latte skills –
This week, the first week of December, is one of the most magical weeks of the holiday season I think. The shopping is underway, the decorations are up, the eggnog is for sale, the pine-scented candles are lit… it makes me giddy just typing it out! I’m not going to lie…I do have nightmares that Bailey will knock over our Christmas tree, breaking each ornament as it comes down. Perhaps if I’m sharing this fear then it won’t happen! My support for this nightmare: in our former CA apartment she ran through, literally ran through, the screen door 4+ times. In our bedroom in MS she was roughhousing with a toy so much that she ran into the mirror that was resting against the wall, and it fell on top of her. She scratched the wood floor so hard to try to miss it that she left permanent scratch marks in the wood.
I HAVE AN 80 LB. HORSE LIVING IN MY HOUSE, Y’ALL.
So I’ve been locking her in the kitchen/breakfast room at night to avoid a catastrophe with our first Christmas tree. Fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, Lula LaShonda is practically perfect in every way – go figure! 🙂
Y’all have a beautiful weekend and please share your Christmas tree stories and adventures – I would love to hear! XO –
This is my last Big Bear post from our anniversary trip and while we were there less than a month ago…I am already planning a trip back. We straight up skip winter weather in Southern California and I literally crave the cold! The grass is always greener, I know, but I have a stack of sweaters that are practically collecting dust and it’s mildly depressing.
I snagged this mens flannel shirt years ago and it has elbow patches which I seriously love. I’m convinced mens plaid shirts are better than women’s because they’re a looser, more “boyfriend” style fit that just feels so much more comfortable than a fitted women’s shirt. No shame. I am who I am.
Do you have a favorite cozy flannel or sweater that you keep reaching to right now? I’m always in the shopping mood, so I’d love to hear. Thanks for reading! XO –
When you’re dressing for holiday parties, you can’t go wrong accessorizing up a classic LBD. It’s my go-to for an outfit that is appropriate for any setting – work, your guy’s work, church, friends, family, etc. This dress is stretchy (read: comfortable) and unique in its angled hem that it’s definitely going to be my fall and winter black dress of choice.
And everything looks more flattering with over-the-knee boots, right? At least I think so!
Thanks for reading and tell me if you scored any great deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday! I snagged these jeans and this hat at 30% off, these boots and got five awesome gifts for my nieces/nephews. Checking off some of that Christmas shopping and adding some presents to our first-ever Christmas tree, is there any sweeter feeling? Thanks for reading! XO –
This crop top and midi skirt is probably my favorite outfit I’ve worn in quite some time. While I know what looks good on my body, I can’t help but want to try out new trends. Bermuda shorts, mini skirts, leg warmers with ankle booties, lots of hair braids – I love all of these trends on other gals but they don’t really do anything for my body. Crop tops and midi skirts? This is a trend I gladly embrace.
I have always had a lean torso and carry my bulk in my bum and thighs – I’ve been told have my grandmother’s figure who I never got to meet but I’ve seen photos and can totally see it. Thanks for thighs, Bette! I love a full or flowy skirt that hides this while accentuating my waist. It gives me a little shape which is nice. But don’t get me wrong, I love a comfy, loose top and shift dress… although Christian isn’t a fan of loose clothes on me. Not that I really care, obviously I dress for myself. BOOM! #makingCarrieBradshawproud
So forgive me for sharing too many photos of this top + skirt combo – I’m just quite obsessed with it and love winter white this time of year!
It’s here! Black Friday is tomorrow and tis the season to get great deals on those items you don’t want to pay full price for – cashmere, leather, designer sunglasses, designer shoes, etc. I have a little list of goodies I hope to score this weekend and want to share some of the greatest sales with y’all!
J.CREW – 30% off select full-price styles and additional 40% off sale + free shipping with code HOLIDAY J.CREW FACTORY – 50% off everything + free shipping with code THANKS
KATE SPADE SATURDAY – 30% off site wide + free shipping with code DEALME KENDRA SCOTT – 15% off + ground shipping with code BFCM2014
MADEWELL – 25% off your entire purchase with code GIFTON
Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping! I’ll be sharing more codes tomorrow so stay tuned! Don’t forget to enter the Ray Ban & Rakani watch giveaway – XO –
Now that I don’t go home to my parents or in-laws house for Thanksgiving, I realize how much I took these holidays for granted when all I did was show up! Not that I don’t love cooking and showing my love for others through food (I mean, hello, I’m Southern), but I have a feeling I’m going to come home from work and will be up into the AM prepping for Thursday. All in the name of a casserole, right?
It’s fine, now that I have a serious addiction to this podcast.
This year, I plan to bring several dishes, including this sweet potato pie that is delicious time and time again. Christian and I aren’t huge pumpkin-lovers, so the sweet potato is the perfect pie to accompany the mandatory chocolate-anything pie. And you can’t serve dessert on a holiday without a hot cup of coffee. This year, I have fallen head over heels in love with my Nespresso VertuoLine. I love that I can instantly have a hot cup of coffee, flavored coffee, decaf, an espresso, latte, macchiato, you name it. It’s actually the perfect machine for entertaining because you can straight up take coffee orders like you’re at Starbucks (but not like this).
I fell in love with this machine when there was one in our villa on our honeymoon. And not that Christian doesn’t have amazing coffee-making skills, but this Nespresso has me looking forward to my morning stumble down the stairs and it’s the perfect partner to my Thanksgiving holiday. Who has one of these beauties and how much do you love it?
I’ve recently stumbled into a new blog crush, these gals, and saw Brooke had purchased this leopard scarf and it looked so cute on her… so I had to have one for myself. Combine blanket scarf with leopard and it’s basically a no-brainer.
Bailey and I coordinated our outfits before having brunch in Big Bear and I was cozy as could be. There is a 80% chance this is almost exactly what my Thanksgiving day outfit will look like. Christian has the day off this year (last year he was working and I had a Friendsgiving with other out-of-state friends), and we plan to go to LA to spend it with my brother’s family and a Dermatology resident. I’m bringing the sweet potato casserole, a pie (you will see the recipe tomorrow!), a green bean casserole and stuffed squash. My sister-in-law is prepping her first turkey and I have total confidence in her!
But back to shopping… today I’m teaming up with some adorable blogger gals for a giveaway valued at $400 – scroll down to check it out!
Let’s chat about this giveaway! I’m teaming up with some seriously adorable ladies to give away a pair of Ray Ban Aviators ($150) and any Rakani Watch (up to $250), for a total value of $400, just in time for the holidays. The giveaway runs through midnight, 12/5.
Thanks so much for reading and entering… and good luck! XO –
PS – I’ll be sharing more info tomorrow, but today is the last day to get 25% off a Nespresso! I’m addicted, and if you’re a coffee-lover, you’re going to need one of these for a Christmas gift… to yourself. More to come but the sale ends today!
