For this gift guide, I've divided my selections into four kinds of people - The Fashionista, The Beauty Guru, The Homebody and The World Traveler. Surely, I know girls that fall into each of those categories, if not all of them at once!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Holiday Gift Guide - It's a Girl Thing
I love shopping for the girls in my life - mom, sisters, friends - since it's so fun to pick out things that I probably want for myself! When shopping for girls, I like to think of what kind of person they are, what kind of personality they have, and what things that define them, and then find a gift to match what I come up with. It helps me make sure that I purchase something ther person will be able to appreciate and enjoy.
For this gift guide, I've divided my selections into four kinds of people - The Fashionista, The Beauty Guru, The Homebody and The World Traveler. Surely, I know girls that fall into each of those categories, if not all of them at once!
For this gift guide, I've divided my selections into four kinds of people - The Fashionista, The Beauty Guru, The Homebody and The World Traveler. Surely, I know girls that fall into each of those categories, if not all of them at once!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Engagement Pictures
Esposito and I are enjoying a loooong engagement - he proposed in Christmas 2009 and we have yet to get married (or pick a date for the wedding, for that matter)! Growing up, I was never one of those girls who spent their time thinking about their fairy tale wedding, and, not that it's not important to me, but Esposito and I have other priorities right now than having a wedding. Plus, we already own a house and live together so it just isn't pressing for us. Eventually we would like to throw a big bash to celebrate our love with our family and friends, but for the time being we are enjoying just being engaged.
Hence, even though we got engaged almost two years ago, we didn't really do any of the typical post-engagement things - no engagement party, no engagement photos, no wedding planning... That is, until we visited Chicago with our friends Tina and Jose this past October - they offered to take engagement pictures of us (they are starting their own photography business) and we happily obliged.
Want to see more? Check out a sampling from our photo session over at Tina's blog!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Work It Wednesday - Red Pants
For this edition of Work it Wednesday, I'm styling up a pair of red skinny pants. I've been coveting a pair all fall, but haven't found the right ones - the ones that I've tried (from JCP, Delia's, Forever 21...) were off on either color or fit, so I'm still on the hunt.
Here are a few ways I would wear red skinny pants:
A casual look for the weekend:
A dressy look for a night out on the town:
A more structured, business casual look for work:
Head on over to Jill's blog to see the other entries or link up your own!
Here are a few ways I would wear red skinny pants:
A casual look for the weekend:
A dressy look for a night out on the town:
A more structured, business casual look for work:
Head on over to Jill's blog to see the other entries or link up your own!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Holiday Gift Guide - For the Men in Your Life
After decorating, my next favorite thing about the holidays is shopping! I managed to do quite a bit of (online) shopping during Black Friday/Cyber Monday as some deals were just too good to hold off on. While I still have a few people on my list, I know exactly what to get and where, so for all intents and purposes, I feel pretty good about this holiday shopping season.
I approach gift shopping quite pragmatically; I like to go one of two routes - either something I know the person wants, or something I know the person wouldn't buy for him/herself. Since I'm a savvy shopper, I stay on the lookout for good deals on my "wishlist gift" items so that I can stay within my holiday shopping budget but not skimp on gifts to the people that matter most to me. I have an aversion to giving gift cards because I tend to think that if I don't know you well enough to pick something out for you, I probably shouldn't be buying you a gift! (though don't get me wrong - I don't mind receiving gift cards)!
Since the bulk of my shopping is practically done, I thought I'd put together a few gift guides so I can shop vicariously through this blog. To start, I picked the men since most people tend to find them the most difficult to shop for!
What man doesn't like to receive the latest technology or gadget? The Iphone and Ipad are obvious choices, but other items like cool headphones, personal care items, etc. could also be useful. For the guy who already has all the latest tech, why not buy some cool accessories for their favorite item? Cases, attachments, etc. can all be more than stocking stuffers!
Part of what makes gift shopping for men so difficult is that they tend to be more minimal than your average girl. But a guy can still accessorize! Watches, shades, a murse, a designer scarf can all be customized to cater to the men in your lives' look and can be purchased at a budget-friendly price at discount stores like Century 21 or Nordstrom Rack.
Some people find it difficult to buy clothing for others. I don't, since I just find something I think they might like and provide a gift receipt in case they don't! Shirts and ties are always a safe choice, and I like to jazz up this most basic of gifts by buying them in different color/pattern combinations than the guy would normally wear. A coat is also a fail-safe gift - I'm loving toggles at the moment! The latest trends in sweaters and shoes could also be a good gift.
Think of what the guy likes to do most , and give them something that allows them to enjoy it! Concert or game tickets, gift certificates for a massage or mani/pedi, even packages geared towards golfing, driving, etc. experiences can be fun!
I approach gift shopping quite pragmatically; I like to go one of two routes - either something I know the person wants, or something I know the person wouldn't buy for him/herself. Since I'm a savvy shopper, I stay on the lookout for good deals on my "wishlist gift" items so that I can stay within my holiday shopping budget but not skimp on gifts to the people that matter most to me. I have an aversion to giving gift cards because I tend to think that if I don't know you well enough to pick something out for you, I probably shouldn't be buying you a gift! (though don't get me wrong - I don't mind receiving gift cards)!
Since the bulk of my shopping is practically done, I thought I'd put together a few gift guides so I can shop vicariously through this blog. To start, I picked the men since most people tend to find them the most difficult to shop for!
What man doesn't like to receive the latest technology or gadget? The Iphone and Ipad are obvious choices, but other items like cool headphones, personal care items, etc. could also be useful. For the guy who already has all the latest tech, why not buy some cool accessories for their favorite item? Cases, attachments, etc. can all be more than stocking stuffers!
Part of what makes gift shopping for men so difficult is that they tend to be more minimal than your average girl. But a guy can still accessorize! Watches, shades, a murse, a designer scarf can all be customized to cater to the men in your lives' look and can be purchased at a budget-friendly price at discount stores like Century 21 or Nordstrom Rack.
Some people find it difficult to buy clothing for others. I don't, since I just find something I think they might like and provide a gift receipt in case they don't! Shirts and ties are always a safe choice, and I like to jazz up this most basic of gifts by buying them in different color/pattern combinations than the guy would normally wear. A coat is also a fail-safe gift - I'm loving toggles at the moment! The latest trends in sweaters and shoes could also be a good gift.
Think of what the guy likes to do most , and give them something that allows them to enjoy it! Concert or game tickets, gift certificates for a massage or mani/pedi, even packages geared towards golfing, driving, etc. experiences can be fun!
Decorating for the Holidays - Inspiration
Whew! Now that my test is done, I can finally focus on the holidays!
Over the past few weeks, as the blogosphere has been gearing up for the holidays, I've saved quite a few inspiration pictures to guide my holiday decorating this year.
I hope to hang something similar from my chandelier!
I love mantels, and always wanted a fireplace just to be able to hang stockings from it! I don't get to do much else with our mantel, since the TV hangs above it, but I love the greenery and the ornament wreath above this one!
When I do get a tree, I always spring for a real one because I think the smell and texture adds so much to the ambiance, but if I ever get tired of having real trees and decide to go faux, I will most certainly go white!
OUTDOORS
We have a similar, off-center entryway, and I love the simplicity of this decor.
Over the past few weeks, as the blogosphere has been gearing up for the holidays, I've saved quite a few inspiration pictures to guide my holiday decorating this year.
THE DINING ROOM
I love this dining room setup, especially the tablecloth, place settings and color scheme! It looks so festive, but totally classy as well!
 |
| via |
 |
| via |
THE LIVING ROOM
 |
| via |
 |
| via |
OUTDOORS
 |
| From Cottage Living |
There's nothing I love more than wreaths on windows and garland on a fence when it comes to exterior holiday decor!
 |
| via |
Usually, my seasonal decorating motto is to keep it simple - the more I decorate, the more there is to take down so I try to achieve a festive environment with as little as possible. I start by picking a color scheme (usually white and silver, plus an accent) and work from there. This year, I'm going with lime green as the accent. I've still got a few more things to do in terms of decorating my house, let alone buy our tree, but I hope to share pictures of our holiday decor soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)