Your favorite looks of the year

Wow, I can't believe it's almost been a year for this blog!  Time sure does fly!  I didn't start posting about fashion around here until March and now it's turned into a such big part of my blog.  I write a fashion post at least once a week now and I love it.  

Since I am a stay at home mom for the time being, these fashion posts help me get motivated to change out of my sweats and get me feeling more positive about the day.  I've always felt like a great outfit improves my mood so much.

Here are the ten most popular fashion posts for the year from my blog:

eShakti dress review

 Polka dots

A Night Out

Brrr...it's getting cold

Date day with my hubby

Cobalt

Dinner with the girls

Sometimes you feel like dressing up

Lace and leather

 Pinspiration

I look forward to sharing many more fashion posts in the New Year.

What was your favorite outfit this year?

linked up at: Induffinitely Me, Bless Her Hear Y'all, Walking in Memphis in High Heels and The Fashion Canvas, Shopping My Closet, The Pleated Poppy

New Year's Outfits & Kushyfoot Review

I may need your help with this one!  I can't decide what I want to wear for New Year's!  My husband and I actually have a babysitter for the night, so we get our first night out since we had Paige almost 2 years ago!  (We've had date days, but always came back before her bedtime),  I am beyond excited... and a little nervous that I won't even be able to stay up until midnight.  Ladies, I have become such an old lady!  I am in bed by 10pm....11 at the latest, and I'm grumpy the next day.

Anyway, back to the outfits!  We have no idea what we are doing yet, so it's a bit of a challenge picking something to wear.  I know I would like to wear a dress or skirt because I don't get out much and would like to dress up for the occasion.  And there HAS to be sparkle...because, come on, it's New Year's!!  The first outfit I put together are pieces that I've had for quite a while.

 Outfit option #2 is the dressier option, because go big or go home, right?  I actually won this dress from a giveaway over at Style Cusp!  It is a dress from French Connection and you can find it HERE.  I tried red lipstick for the first time too...and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Now let me tell you about this amazing company called Kushyfoot.  I was recently contacted by Lipton Publicity Inc. to review a few of Kushyfoot's products.  I am LOVING the fashion tights that they sent me (found HERE).  How cute are they with these two outfits?!  The great part about these tights is that they have a massaging sole, so as you are killing your feet in those uncomfortable heels all night, they are offering a little bit of relief.  I am normally a little worried about textured socks/tights being uncomfortable but they really helped to cushion my feet.

Another amazing product that they sent me were the "Flats to Go".  I can't believe how comfortable these things are!  They come in a very convenient small package that could easily fit into your purse.  You know, for the days that you wear those heels that eat your feet all night.  Toward the end of the night, when you absolutely can't stand your heels for a second longer, these flats would be a lifesaver.  The flats also have a textured zig zag pattern on the sole to massage your sore feet.  Right now they come in 4 different styles: Patent (in 3 different colors), Snake print, Alligator print (pictured below, found HERE), and leopard print.  I will definitely be bringing these along on New Year's because my feet aren't used to heels anymore.

They also sent me Fleece Trouser socks and knee highs, but I haven't gotten a chance to try them out yet.  I am really excited to give them a try.  The Fleece Trouser socks are so soft inside and would definitely keep your feet warmer in the cold winter months.

Most Kushyfoot products retail for $7.99 as a 2 pair set. Flats to Go retail for $9.99. You can purchase Kushyfoot products from their website.

So which outfit do you think I should pick?  Have you ever tried Kushyfoot?

**This is a sponsored post by Kushyfoot. I received free products in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.**

linked up at: Rhea etCetera, Cha Cha the Fashion Genius and Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me and On the Daily Express, Induffinitely Me, Walking in Memphis in High Heels and The Fashion Canvas, The Pleated Poppy

New Art!!

It's been so long since I've created any new artwork (not counting my painted bulbs)!  My husband's friend from work loved my art so much (he bought my The Notebook painting) that he actually contacted me about painting something really special for him.  He was going to propose to his girlfriend and wanted me to create a couple pieces for him.  He had an idea to create 3 separate silhouette paintings.  There was going to be a silhouette of her walking, another of him walking with his dog, and then the center one was going to have him on one knee with her standing in front of him.  How sweet is that?!  It was all his idea, I just made it come to life on the canvas.  Take a look..

Center painting

Left Side Painting

Right Side Painting

So basically this is what it would end up looking like when you get them together...

What do you think??

P.S.  SHE SAID YES!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday!  I'm taking a little blog break for the day and spending time with my family.  I will catch up on all of your posts first thing in the morning.  I hope all of your Christmas wishes came true this year and you have a great day with family and friends.  Wish me luck I'm cooking my first Christmas dinner!  Eeek!

ABC's of Christmas (part two)

(If you missed the first half of the list, click here to catch up!)

N is for...Naughty or Nice.
Which list do you think you are on this year??  I would like to think that I made the nice list

O is for...Open Fire.
As in: "chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."   If I'm outdoors in the winter than I love nothing more than a big bonfire and a hot cocoa in my hand.

P is for...Poinsettia.
I think they are so beautiful!  Around her when everything gets covered in snow and the trees have no leaves, it's great to be able to have something bright to cheer up the gray days.  Although, not a good idea to have one around if you have pets!  They are poisonous!

Q is for...Quilt.
My grandma-in-law (is that a thing??) made us a Christmas quilt on our very first Christmas together.  It is absolutely gorgeous!  I make sure to bring it out every year but I never end up using it because I don't want it to be ruined

R is for...Reindeer.
I mean, you have to have the reindeer!  And if you have reindeer then you have to have....

S is for...Santa!
 I mean, duh! haha!  I was a little worried that Paige would pull off his beard when we put her on his lap but she didn't. She's so curious and misses nothing so I knew she would notice the fake beard.  She stared at it but didn't do anything.

T is for...Tree.
 One of my favorite things to do when I'm getting ready for Christmas is set up the tree.  We've always had a fake tree...I don't think I would even know what to do with a real one! lol

U is for...Unwrapping presents.
 I LOVE buying gifts for people.  A little too much if you ask my husband. haha!  Nothing is better than picking out the perfect gift for someone and seeing their face light up with joy.

V is for...Visiting.
 Even tho I mentioned earlier that it is exhausting to travel around and see everyone on Christmas, I also think that is part of what makes the holiday special.  There are some family members that I only get to see on holidays!  So that is why we are still going to make our rounds on Christmas Eve....and I also told everyone they are more than welcome to stop for dessert at our place on Christmas Day.

W is for...Wrapping presents.
 My father in law is like a wrapping ninja!  His presents always look so nicely wrapped.  When I try.....well, it can get ugly! lol

X is for...X-ray vision.
Oh come on, you know you wish you had it too!!  I am not good with surprises. I NEED to know what's in there.  It's definitely fun to try and guess but I get kind of anxious waiting. haha

Y is for...Yule log.
I have always heard that if you burn a "yule log" it brings good luck in the new year, but for the first time this year someone told me it can also be a type of cake!  Has anyone else heard of this??

Z is for...Zzzzz's.
  After all the holiday fun and visiting is over, nothing is better than crawling up for a good night sleep. lol!

ABC's of Christmas (part one)

A is for...Angels.
Growing up, we always had an angel on top of our Christmas tree.  My mom used to say that they are in memory of all of the people in heaven that can't make it to celebrate with us anymore, and to remind us that they are still with us.

B is for...Baking cookies.
Christmas cookies are a big deal around here. haha!  My Aunt makes hundreds, if not thousands, every year.  She sells trays of them and every thing.  I love the ladylocks/ladyfingers.  Yummm

C is for...Christmas Carols.
I've never actually seen or heard people going around town singing but we definitely sing and dance to them in my house.  I've always loved Christmas music.

D is for...Decorations.
Go big or go home! haha!  Just kidding!  But I do love seeing everyone's beautiful decorations, lights, wreathes, etc.

E is for...Eggnog.
Apparently eggnog is a big deal at some people's houses.  Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of it....It kind of grosses me out!

F is for...Family.
That's what the holiday is always about!  We used to travel to everyone's houses on Christmas Day but this year we are doing it differently.  We are doing our visiting on Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day is going to be spent at home with our little family.  I can't tell you how excited I am about this.  I want to actually be able to enjoy Christmas as a family rather than rushing around everywhere.

G is for...Gingerbread houses.
No matter how sloppy they are, they are still really fun to make.

H is for...Holiday movies.
If you saw my post yesterday, then you already know that holiday movies are a big deal to me.  I will try to watch as many as possible every single year.

I is for...Icicle Lights
Every year on Christmas Eve we drive around town at night and look at all of the lights (while listening to Christmas music, of course).  I feel kind of Grinch-y this year because we never got around to hanging our lights...boo!

J is for...Jack Frost.
Jack Frost nipping at your nose....  it's even part of a song!  I think it would be hard for me to get in the spirit of Christmas if it wasn't chilly outside.  It's usually REALLY cold at this time of year but this has been a strange weather year for us.

K is for...Keepsake Ornaments.
Since Paige was born I've been wanting to create different ornaments for the tree every year.  I think it will be fun every year to see all of the different ones and take a trip down memory lane.  Who knows, maybe I will even get to pass them down to her one day!

L is for...Laughter.
Christmas has always been one of those days of the year where it's okay to forget about everything going on and just be happy.  That's one of the many great things about this holiday.  I love getting together with family and letting lose, having fun, and just laughing all day.

M is for...Mistletoe.
This is another one of my favorite things.  Maybe it's the romantic in me but I love it!

I will be posting part two tomorrow, so be sure to stop back!!

My Favorite Holiday Movies

I'm one of those crazy people that watches nothing but Christmas movies for the whole month of December.  I usually try to watch them while my husband is working so I don't drive him too crazy, but we have a rule that the 2 weeks before Christmas are fair game.  ABC Family is THE BEST for this too because they have soo many great Christmas movies.  I also own a bunch because I am basically a 5 year old kid in a 30 year old's body. haha!

My absolute favorite will always be A Miser Brother's Christmas.  It reminds me of when I was really little and looking forward to Christmas and Santa.  I love the old claymation movies.

My BIG list of Christmas movies:
A Christmas Carol
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
A Year Without a Santa Claus
A Miser Brother's Christmas
Muppet's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
Nightmare Before Christmas
Elf
Home Alone
Scrooged
The Santa Clause
The Polar Express
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful Life
White Christmas
A Christmas Story
National Lampoon's Christmas
Prancer
Charlie Brown's Christmas
Jack Frost
Fred Claus
Jingle All the Way
Santa Paws
Arthur Christmas
Shrek the Halls
Deck the Halls
A Chipmunk Christmas
Love Actually
Four Christmas'
The Holiday
The Family Stone
The Family Man
Just Friends
Sleepless in Seattle
You've Got Mail
Eight Crazy Nights
Christmas With the Kranks
Serendipity
While You Were Sleeping
Home Alone
Die Hard
The Nutcracker
Rise of the Guardians
Unlikely Angel
Holiday in Handcuffs
The Mistle-Tones
Christmas Cupid
12 Dates of Christmas

What's your favorite Holiday movie?
What ones did I miss?  Let me know and I will add them...  and watch them because I'm a crazy person. lol!

My favorite Christmas songs

I am a firm believer that music can really effect your mood.  If I listen to sad songs I will be in a sulky mood for a while, but when I listen to happy songs, I can't help but smile and dance.  That's what Christmas songs do for me.  They really help get me into the Christmas spirit!  I definitely have my favorites, but I enjoy listening to just about all of them.  Although I must admit, there is one song I will change every single time it comes on.... "The Christmas Shoes".  It's a beautiful song, it really is but MAN, does it bum me out and kill the mood for me.

My ultimate favorite song is: "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee

If that song doesn't get you in the mood than I don't know what will!

A close second to that one is "Baby, It's Cold Outside".  I just love how flirty and fun it is.

I will also listen to anything Christmas-y by Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Pentatonix, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin.  Don't judge me!  I'm all over the place!

What are some of your favorites??

Currently....

Currently I am...

Loving all of the Christmas movies that are on tv and hearing all of the Christmas music everywhere I go.  Sooo excited for Christmas!!

Reading all of my magazine subscriptions that I've gotten behind on.  Seriously, I still have 4 to read!!

Feeling tired!  I stayed up a little too late last night browsing the internet and wrapping gifts.  I completely lost track of time....darn you, Pinterest!!

Watching "The Holiday" for the first time ever!  It's so funny, I love it!  Definitely adding it to my holiday movie watch list every year.

Writing a bunch of new blog posts!  I got a bit behind because of all my crazy migraines last week...but I'm catching up!

Listening to the rain hitting my house.  It's so relaxing...and it's making me even more sleepy.

Wanting to get my house clean but I just don't have any energy.  Where's my coffee?!

Needing to figure out how to keep the migraines away.  This was definitely a bad month for my migraines.  Sometimes I only get a couple but this month it was just nonstop.

Hoping my husband and daughter love all of their presents I got them!

What have you been up to lately?

OUTFIT: Cobalt

Last week I was fighting migraine after migraine so I didn't wear too many exciting outfits, but I did end up changing out of the sweats for a day or two!  I decided to keep it comfy with leggings and a tunic that I picked up at a thrift shop a few months back.  It was only $1, and it's sooo comfy!

I think one of the things that I hate most about migraines (other than the pain and nausea, of course) is the "migraine hangover" afterwards.  My whole body aches and all I want to do is sleep.  And sleep during the day is impossible with an almost two year old running around. lol!  Lately I've felt like by the time I recover from one migraine, another one is starting.  It's been pretty miserable.

On a lighter note, I did get to wrap all of the presents, so it's looking really festive in the house with all the presents under the tree.  I also made a ton of new ornaments for the tree, so that's fun.  We also went to a holiday party over the weekend and had some fun.

What did you do this weekend? Did you do any Christmas crafts this year??

linked up at: Rhea etCetera, Pink Sole and Cha Cha the Fashion Genius, On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me, Walking in Memphis and The Fashion Canvas, I do deClaire, Induffinitely Me, Shopping My Closet, The Pleated Poppy

DIY Keepsake ornament + more

This is another SUPER easy ornament idea.  If you've been around here for awhile you may remember me saying I'm a super sentimental person...and that I tend to save everything.  I kept my daughter's little hat and the bracelet from when we had her in the hospital and could never decide what I wanted to do with them.  I had them just sitting in a little shoe box for almost 2 years now.  So instead of leaving it in a box forever I decided that displaying it on our tree every year would be really cute!  Here's how I did it:

Step One: Take off the cap and start stuffing!

It really is just that easy.  Take off the little silver cap on the top and start pushing the hat through the open area at the top of the bulb.  I used the end of a paintbrush to push it all through.  It can get kind of tough at some points but just keep working with it.

Step Two: Add the bracelet

Once you have the hat all the way in the bulb, you can start feeding the bracelet through.  Cut it to the desired length or use the whole thing, up to you!  You can use tweezers to position it better if you don't like how it is laying inside of the bulb.

Step Three: Replace cap and add ribbon for hanging

After you get the bracelet in the the bulb you can replace the silver cap and cut a small piece of ribbon for hanging it on the tree.  Just knot it and you are all set!

AND THAT'S IT!!  Super easy, right?!  I loved the way it turned out, and it finally gives me a way to display just an adorable little keepsake.

I also did a few other super easy ornament tutorials if you want to check them out!!

DIY Wedding Invite Ornament  |  DIY Mickey Mouse Ornament

Don't tell my hubby, but I've been painting some surprise ornaments for him for the tree.  He is a HUGE Star Wars/Comic Book nerd so here is what I've painted so far....   What do you think??

from top left: Yoda, Iron Man, C-3PO, Spiderman

I have a bunch more that I would like to do, but we will see what I have time to finish.

Hope you're having a great weekend!!

My Christmas Wishlist

Clockwise from large photo: Herringbone Vest / Chloe + Isabel Necklace / Younique Fiber Lash Mascara / Express Gift Card / Naked Eye Shadow Palette / Scuba Leggings

Can I also add my dream home, a vacation with just my hubby and I, and a job that I love?!

Hey, a girl can dream, right?! What are you wishing for this year?

OUTFIT: Dinner with the girls

Sometimes life seems to just move way too quickly and before you know it, it's been over a month (or 2 or 3) since you had a girl day with all of your best friends.  We didn't do anything fancy, and one girl even had to bring her kids along, but it was so nice to just get together and catch each other up on what's going on in our lives.  

It was a really casual get together at Panera Bread.  They have THE BEST broccoli cheese soup!  We just sat and talked for a couple hours.  It was so nice to get out for a little while.  

Anyway, onto the outfit I wore....   

Outfit details: Top - Express, Cardigan & Jeans - PacSun, Necklace - Charming Charlie, Boots - Charlotte Russe

Do you still make time for dinner dates with your girls?  If not, you really should!  I always leave feeling so de-stressed and happy

linked up at: Shopping My Closet, The Pleated Poppy

Weekly Wear

These past two weeks I feel like I haven't stopped running around.  I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get my Christmas shopping done.  And I'm still not done!  Ugghh!  I still have to get more things for my daughter and my husband.  My daughter should be really easy to buy for (she'll be 2 in Feb) but my hubby is always the tricky one.

When I decide to go out to the store I refuse to let myself look like a complete slob, so on the plus side: I have more outfits to show you!  I thought it would be fun to show you what I wore last week!

Monday

Where I got it: Cardigan- Wet Seal, Leggings- Body Central, Boots- Payless, Necklace and bracelet- Premier Jewelry

Tuesday

Top- Express, Jeans- PacSun, Boots- Payless, Necklace- Charming Charlie, Bracelet- Premier Designs Designs

Wednesday

Free day!  I'm not going to lie....I didn't change out of my sweats or do my makeup.  I shopped from my couch. lol!  Sometimes you just need a frumpy day!

Thursday

Maxi skirt- Wet Seal, T-shirt- Wet Seal, Jacket- thrifted-(American Eagle), Flats-Charlotte Russe, Belt- really old, Necklace- old

Friday

Top-Express, Cardigan- Express, Pants- PacSun, Boots- JC Penney, Necklace- Charming Charlie

Do you let yourself have a "comfy day" one day a week? 

linked up at: I do deClaire, Induffinitely Me, The Pleated Poppy, Shopping My Closet

"Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!!..."

Over the weekend my husband and I decorated the tree together.  I'm super dorky about it and have to put on Christmas music to get me in the mood.  My hubby usually makes us hot chocolate too, but this time, we had a bit of a rough day (our ceiling in our bathroom started leaking, we got a flat tire while out Christmas shopping, and we just got our big fat bill in the mail for some of my health issues I've been having), so he decided a couple of beers were in order....because sometimes you just need a beer!  We still ended up being able to enjoy our night and get in the Christmas spirit.

Before you see our tree pictures, I should probably tell you that we decided to put it in our kitchen this year.  My daughter will be 2 in February and we knew she would never leave the tree/bulbs alone if it was in the living room.  Or even worse, she would pull it over on herself.  We have a baby gate that stops her from getting into the kitchen, so we thought both Paige and the tree would be safer in there.

Sooo I may have gotten a little carried away with the Christmas presents...  All of these presents are for Paige.  I got so excited and just kept grabbing things.

Oh, and if you take a picture of a Christmas tree you have to include a picture of it all lit up too!  I included pictures of a few of my favorite decorations on the tree too!

We took Paige to Overly's Country Christmas to see all of their pretty Christmas lights.  She also got to see Santa!  She still doesn't really understand it much yet, but she didn't cry, so that's a plus!  I was a bad blogger and didn't take any other pictures than this one.  Oops!

I hope you all had a great weekend!