It’s half way through November, and I have been in full Christmas mode! Finding the perfect gifts, wrapping presents, writing cards, and putting together a gift guide for you has taken over my normal “to do” list. I have had very little time to shop for myself (probably a good thing), so when I find a piece that is versatile enough to wear for multiple occasions I immediately buy it.
This navy bow dress is perfect for so many occasions, including the office. It fits true to size (wearing a 0), and it is perfect for cooler months because it is wool. The zipper up the back of this dress makes it easy to put on without having to untie the perfect bow on the front. Since this dress speaks for itself, I only added pearl earrings, a gold cuff, and a pair of gold shoes to complete the look. I have shared these Marc Fisher heels before in tan, and I was serious when I said I was going to buy them in every color. I have never owned a pair of gold shoes, and I decided these would be perfect for upcoming holiday parties. I am a little nervous when I am wear them because if they get scuffed up, I have no clue where to find gold shoe polish. This look can easily transition from the office, to Christmas events, Hanukkah celebrations, and even New Year’s Eve parties. Shop this entire look below! xoxo
About five minutes after I got engaged, I wanted to call all my girlfriends and immediately ask them to be in my wedding. I also knew I wanted to ask my bridesmaids in a more personal way, so I resisted asking until I could put something together. I wanted to include a personal note to each of my bridesmaids, and these Rifle Paper Co. cards were perfect. They even make cards for matrons and maids of honor. I also wanted to include a picture from a fond memory, so I added these adorable white and gold frames from Target to my bridesmaid proposal box. Then to add something fun, I also included these yummy Sugarfina champagne gummy bears. Shop everything I included in my bridesmaid proposal box as well as my favorite bridesmaid gifts below! xoxo
Happy Halloween! This year, Alex and I decided to dress as party animals. Ironically, we ended up blowing off all our Halloween parties to sit on the couch in sweats and watch season two of Stranger Things (whoops). Even though we did not make very good party animals this Halloween, our costume was so easy to put together. Most of our costume was already in our closets with the exception of the mask and bunny ears. I wore one of my favorite black dresses by Trouve with a classic black leather jacket over my shoulders. To transform myself into a party animal, I added these bunny ears from ASOS, and a personalized acrylic necklace from BaubleBar. Alex wore a suit and dress shirt from Brooks Brothers, paired with Cole Haan oxfords. To complete his party animal look, he just added a fox mask and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Maybe next year we will be a little more true to our outfits, but y’all Stranger Things season two was just too dang good! Shop our entire party animal look below! xoxo
When I started seeing velvet appear in stores for fall, I was a little hesitant to purchase any. I tried on this tank and skirt together in J.Crew and loved it. I knew that velvet and leather would be the perfect combo to introduce the trend into my wardrobe. This velvet tank fits true to size (wearing a small) and also comes in light pink and blue green. The velvet pairs perfectly with this pleated leather skirt from J.Crew, but also looks great with denim. This skirt fits a little large (wearing a 0, but a 00 would have fit better) and is a midi length. As it gets colder outside, this skirt also pairs well with a black turtleneck or a velvet jacket. To complete my look I added my favorite black leather pumps, a classic black leather bucket bag (similar), and black tassel earrings. Shop this entire outfit below! xoxo
In 247 days, I get to marry my best friend! I have quickly realized that planning a wedding is not as simple as I had once thought, especially with only an 8 month engagement. As I learn more about planning a wedding, I will be sharing “Wedding Wednesday” posts with you every other Wednesday. To start, I wanted to share the 5 engagement gifts that I have found the most useful. In the past I have had a hard time knowing what to give friends at their engagement parties. Alex and I were totally blown away by the love and support of our friends and family who came to our engagement party, and I quickly discovered that was the best gift anyone could give! We were also very surprised and appreciative of the fun and thoughtful gifts from our friends. I have already enjoyed using my engaged mug, our Mr. and Mrs. campaign glasses, gorgeous ice bucket, but these gifts have been the most useful to me so far.
1. Personalized Notecards. After I had become use to the ring on my finger, I realized I needed to write thank you notes. I was so grateful to have personalized note-cards, with both of our names on it, to use when taking friends and family. It is a weird feeling, but from the second you get engaged, you start writing thank you notes from both you and your fiancé.
2. Planner. This gift depends on the type of bride you are celebrating. If you think she will be planning her own wedding, a planner is an amazing gift, but not necessary if you think she will hire a wedding planner. Since I will be planning my own wedding, I am very grateful to have a place to organize all my thoughts and keep track of a budget.
3. Magazines. This seems so cliché, but a good wedding magazine can be extremely helpful in the wedding planning process. I have loved being inspired, and pulling ideas from other weddings. Since I am planning a wedding in Dallas, DWeddings by D Magazine has been very useful in finding vendors and venues in Dallas.
4. Bling Brush. I was a little skeptical about putting any kind of cleaner on my new shiny ring, but after reading reviews and researching the natural product I gave Bling Brush a try. It is so easy to use and is very gentle on my ring.
5. Ring Dish. This might be a personal problem, but I had no clue what to do with my ring when I got home. Do I sleep in it? Do I shower in it? Can I wash dishes with it on? I finally decided that I could sleep in my ring, but I needed a place to put it when I shower or to clean. I am so nervous about losing something so valuable, so a ring dish was the perfect answer for me.
Attending Austin City Limits has always been on my bucket list, and after seeing this year’s line up I decided to finally do it. Three days of live music and endless Tex-Mex and barbecue was absolutely incredible. My favorite bands were the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers, but I also enjoyed Jay-Z, Andrew McMahon, Martin Garrix, Ice Cube, Luke Combs, and many more!
Details about my day one outfit: I found this Free People dress at Nordstrom in a few colors, but of course had to have it in black. This dress fits a little large (wearing an extra small), so I recommend ordering a size smaller. I love the gold and red colors in the embroidery, so that I could wear this black dress with my new cowboy boots. I went on a serious hunt for the perfect brown boots, and thank goodness for Allen’s Boots on South Congress in Austin. They were extremely knowledgeable and helped me order these Grace boots directly from Lucchese. They fit true to size (wearing an 8 with a 7 toe) and were comfortable for most of the day. I will admit though, by the time I reached 20,000 steps for the day, these boots were really starting to take their toll. I recommend breaking them in well and even adding extra inserts before walking that far. To complete my festival look, I added this fringed Rebecca Minkoff purse and some layered chokers from Madewell.
Details about my day two outfit: I remembered seeing this Red Hot Chili Pepper tank at Nordstrom and knew I had to have it for Austin City Limits. This tank fits a little large under the arms (wearing a small) so I layered it with a Free People bralette for full coverage. It was perfect for the 90 degree heat we had in Austin and paired well denim shorts. These distressed Levi shorts have been my favorite denim shorts for a few summers now. They do not fit too tight (wearing a 25) and are long enough to feel comfortable moving around in. Since the cowboy boots ended up not being ideal for a full day of walking, I decided to switch to these Dolce Vita sneakers for the rest of Austin City Limits. They were much more comfortable, but this outfit looked so great with a pair of fringed leather booties.
Details about my day three outfit: This black O’Neill dress was too cute to pass up. It fits true to size (wearing a small) and was somewhat breathable in the heat. Since it is black it was a little hot, and there is a slip underneath that clung to me whenever I sat down. It paired well with these Dolce Vita sneakers that I decided I had to wear again for comfort and with layered necklaces. This dress looked great with my cowboy boots, which I will probably pair it when in the future when I am not walking as much. I had a blast at Austin City Limits and I highly recommend that everyone add it to their bucket list! xoxo