All I want for Christmas...

Its the day after Thanksgiving and its official. It is now socially acceptable for me to be the Christmas song singing music teacher that I am! Not only can we get a tree, decorate the house, and constantly bake cookies, but its also time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. After doing a little online shopping, I have created a few GIFT GUIDES for the various people in your life. To start off, here are my top 6 things for this Christmas.

Stay tuned for more gift guides!

Good luck shopping and welcome to the Christmas season!
Dear Santa,

Eddie Bauer parka coat / Collar jacket / Kate spade crossbody / Kate Spade holiday jewelry / Isaac Mizrahi tech accessory / Blanket

Thanksgiving Day Outfits

Its thanksgiving morning. The parade is on, the smell of good food is filling the house. OH and you must decide what to wear for the special day. Here are my three recommended outfits for your Thanksgiving Day!

Outfit #1- Dressed Up

This is my pick for this Thanksgiving. This is great for someone who really like to dress up or has a more formal get together. Pair a dress with a nice collared shirt for a classy look. Add some tights and heels and you're done!

Outfit #2- Girly Flair

I love this look. Pair one of your favorite blouses with a big sweater. When pairing these, look for similar color schemes so they mix well. I love this blouse from Charming Charlie's because it has fun details in the arms -- little bows! Add a necklace for a little sparkle. 

Old Navy Blue Sweater         AE High-Rise Jeggings

Outfit #3- Casual

If you have a more casual Thanksgiving environment, look for something with jewel tones. Alongside a good pair of jeans, you can dress this look up a bit with some good jewelry. 

AE High-Rise Jeggings           Boxy Crop Top

I hope you all have a filling (with food and love) day & you can truly reflect on your life. BUT remember! Don't forget to reflect on your life and be thankful all year round :)

Happy Thanksgiving friends! 

Buffalo Check & Pearls

 This past weekend, Tony and I met his sister and family to have a mini photo shoot in the snow since I got a new camera about a month ago (could you tell?! :)) The air was very cold but gosh I am most definitely ready for winter now that I've seen wonderful midwestern snow. Ask me again in January and I might not have the same answer... Regardless, we got some great pictures and I think they represent us perfectly (see the old school house?!)

   Opposites attract. This is the best way I can describe this look from this past weekend. When thinking about red plaid, I have always thought lumberjack. But now this pattern is a strong player on the fashion scene for this fall and winter and I love it! Pairing this pattern with feminine touches such as pearls soften the look up a bit.  Next time, I might add some sparkly necklaces instead!

Charlotte Russe Top             Old Navy Leggings       

Three Years

    What a crazy but wonderful weekend! Tony and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary of dating so we took a little trip to Galena. We had a wonderful meal, tasty wine, sweet dessert, some shopping, and SNOW! The romantic night became even better when it started to snow while we were shopping downtown. It was a short but great trip to reflect upon the last three years of being together.

   Not to get all mushy gushy, but I am very thankful to have Tony in my life. He has always been at my side and he's the best friend a girl could ask for. He's sweet, funny, motivated, and kind. If you are reading this, know that I love you very much.

    Okay thank you for still reading. Now, back to clothes! Knowing it was going to be cold, I wore my MK dress coat, AE jeggings, Gap gray sweater, and my self made buffalo checked scarf!

Embrace the cold and break out those winter sweaters everyone. Stay warm my friends!

Falling for Fall: Stripes & Ponchos

Happy Saturday! This weekend is off to a good start with a fabulous Friday night out.  I got to meet some of my boyfriend Tony's friends so we went into town to have a few drinks. After an exciting time last night and today being so chilly, a warm sweater was necessary for today.

Forever 21 pretty much was pretty much the entirety of this outfit. Poncho and turtleneck were from Forever with leggings from Old Navy. What can I say? I love good fashion but on a budget!

Heres a peak at my look from today :)

Falling for Fall: Full Skirts

Hello all! So my recent obsession has been about full circle skirts lately. I have been searching for one online for forever but can't get myself to spend that much money on a skirt ($80 and up!) After my boyfriend's niece wore hers from Express, I knew I just HAD to have one. She was very gracious to let me look at it and after that, I decided to just make one myself!

So I pulled out my sewing machine, got the closest fabric that I could and started sewing! It turned out great and I am very proud of myself. Needless to say, its something that is a MUST this season. 

My not so secret secret is that I LOVE wearing tights. I know many people don't but I think a black opaque tight is great because it can extend dresses and skirts into the winter months, it makes your legs appear smaller, and they keep you warm! Pair them with a black pair of heels and your legs will seem miles long.

I paired mine with a delicate lace top and sparkly details. Enjoy!