I know we are all in a holiday hangover, but I hope everyone had a truly lovely holiday weekend!

(And got absolutely all the goodies they wanted ;))

The hubby and I spent our Christmas in Northern California with my family. One of my most favorite and magical days was Christmas Eve when my mom, sister, and I went to see the San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker! Not only is the ballet lovely and festive, but downtown SF and the beautiful old War Memorial Opera House was just so magical that it called for a special ensemble.

I felt like I could just join the dancers right on stage with these shoes! (Not really, haven't danced in nearly a decade!) I loved the fun twist on ballet shoes these pink tie up heels added to the all business black dress and jacket.

I had really tried a million other ideas for my hair before deciding on this unoriginal high bun. But every tutorial and YouTube video completely failed me! An hour later and I was stuck with an arm cramp and major frizz. I was out of time and joy! I had to revert back to what I know. Hence ballet bun for the ballet.

*Miranda Priestly's voice* "Bun..for the ballet..groundbreaking!"

If you are a fellow Devil Wears Prada lover you will get it! If not, get the reference here.

Also, how adorable are these earrings?? I have always loved the fun Baublebar earrings, but a pair at Nordstroms can set you back anywhere from $30-$60. But Baublebar's "Sugarfix" line at Target is just as cute and over half the price!

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading! Let me know what you think, and share your own fun holiday activities (and outfits!) below!

Happy almost Christmas! The next 5 days are sure to be filled with fun and joy, so enjoy the time with a quick and easy holiday party look!

This oversized sweater is an H&M black Friday find, which was 1/2 off at under $20 + free shipping! *always a selling point for me* It is SO cozy and soft, plus incredibly versatile. I've worn this sweater with leggings and flats to work, and then ditched the pants for night! ;)

It's a great look for a party because it is totally easy and fuss free, plus you can eat to your hearts content without looking like you're preggers. When going with an oversized sweater, I would definitely recommend high boots to off-set the short length of the sweater. I am 5'8", and without these OTK boots I looked like I was definitely missing an article of clothing. But I love the sexy peak of thigh between the boots and the sweater, while still remaining 99% covered and warm (if you happen to live in a part of the country or world that goes under 60 degrees).

I am definitely NOT a beauty guru, so I am all about a hairstyle that is easy and achievable but still glam (if ONLY I had a dollar for every YouTube video I watched that has gone so terribly wrong...I wouldn't need to shop sales)

I've been all about leaving hair out around my face when wearing an up-do. I think the look is more put together and elegant, and less like I'm hitting the gym up after. I used a clear elastic tie for the high half, which I think is very important for a seamless look. They are super cheap at Target or drugstores, and I just find them far less distracting than a big black hair tie.

I'm usually a pretty low maintenance chick when it comes to make-up (refer to previous comment about ZERO beauty skills) and typically stick to my tinted moisturizer, brow gel, blush, and mascara. I add a tinted chapstick when I'm feeling flirty. xD

But hey, it is the holiday season! For this look I added liquid liner to my lids and a nice, sheer gold eye shadow. The color is actually from an Urban Decay palette I picked up earlier this year for under $20 at Nordstrom Rack. I always love to go through their small beauty bins and stands because sometimes they do get in some really good brands and products.

To offset the gold eye shadow, I went with a darker hue of lipstick (HA like I know what I am talking about). This lipstick is actually a sample of Bobbi Brown that I got from The Cosmetics Company Store. This is essentially an outlet store for the Estee Lauder company and all of their sub-brands, i.e. Mac, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and a variety of perfumes. It's not a place to come for specifics as items and shades vary, but they have a large number of products at super discounted products. They also have a special where you pick a make up bag and 6 very decent samples from a large selection for only $10! That is where I got this lipstick AND a number of cute little stocking stuffer gifts!

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think of this look in the comments below!

As soon as Thanksgiving ends and the holidays hit, you can always count on amazing sales and deals to starting rolling into your inbox. And they are so difficult to refuse! I know this first hand...

First off, this adorable retro checked sweater was an in store purchase courtesy of Banana Republic! The material is so soft, and I love the high neck and bell sleeves. It gives me a casual 50's housewife vibe! Regularly $100, the price was marked down to $60 on clearance. Sale was an additional 50% off, plus an extra 10% for BR card holders. 1/4 of the original price! *Note that BR sale that is 50% off or more is typically final sale, so make sure you love what you buy!

These distressed skinny ankle jeans are not an item I would typically wear, but they called to me and I didn't say no. I'm totally smitten with them now! I think they add a fun, young detail to an otherwise sophisticated look, plus they are SO stretchy! (Perfect for the holidays!) I got them through a Black Friday sale on the Gap website, a partner of BR. Not sure of the original price, but after being marked down to clearance, an additional site wide sale, and extra discount for BR holders, I got them for a measly $10!

Lastly, these perfect go-with-everything nude chunky heel flats have been on my radar for sometime, and I found a deal at Nordstrom Rack in store that I couldn't pass up! I was just nonchalantly scouring the clearance racks of Rack while wasting a few hours in Seattle a couple weeks ago and grabbed these and never let go until they were on my feet! Originally over $100, I got these Susina flats for only half the price at $50. Insider tip! There were a lot of sales associates going through marking down the red tags for a lot of designer shoes, including Tory Burch, Longchamp, and Burberry, and those are only the few I saw. They were still a bit too pricey for me, but if you are in the market for a new pair of designer duds I would highly recommend checking out Nordstrom Rack!

Thank you for reading! If you have scored your own sweet items through holiday sales and deals, share with us in the comments below!

Me literally every morning:
5:45am - Ok I am going to snooze ONCE and then I will get up and look cute
6:00am - I guess it's a ponytail kind of day
6:15am - Who needs breakfast?
6:30am - Who needs a job?

If you are NOT a morning person, like moi, you live for a quick morning routine. When I am out of time and have to throw something together, I find I can never go wrong with a classic button up, high waisted jeans, and flats. Voila! Looks like I definitely woke up more than 10 minutes ago...

I love the contrast of sexy shear + buttoned up prep in this top. It’s classic but untraditional with the lack of collar and black trim. Plus this top is very thin, so it is easy to tuck in and go without worrying about getting untucked and unraveled on the move.

How did I get this fun Banana Republic blouse for free, you might ask? A happy combination of clearance discounts and the annual $15 birthday reward. I practically stole it (but not really)

I mentioned my love for BR jeans in my last post, and these are a recent pair that I just live in. They are stretchy (perfect for the holidays) but don’t bag, have a fun frayed detail on the ends, and are a great light color for a more casual look. Plus the waist is just high enough to hold in a shirt without looking like full blown mom jeans.

Thank you for visiting! Would love to hear your go to ensemble below in the comments!