after-Christmas sales

I hope that you enjoyed a fun-filled, magical Christmas, whether you celebrate the holiday or not. We traveled quite a bit, all in-state but we still logged quite a few hours in the car. I love being with my family during the holidays, as crazy as it can be sometimes.

Now, let me preface this post by saying that no, I do not think Christmas is all about presents. That said, inevitably, there will be something you really wanted that you didn't find under the tree. Take advantage of all of the sales out there this week! (Just avoid the malls - they are going to be insane.)

Sephora is giving an extra 20% off sale items with the code EXTRA20

Pottery Barn has up to 50% off holiday items. Pick up some cute glitter initial ornaments for next year or add this guy to your home for winter decor.

Macy's has dropped their free shipping hurdle to $75 with code JOY (normally you have to spend $99), plus get an extra discount on certain items. These Kate Spade dishes are an extra 15% off!

Nordstrom's half-yearly men's sale is on - or if you're like me, you're hoarding discounted (but still gorgeous) ribbon for next year's gift wrapping.

Find 30% off full-price items or an additional 40% off sale items at J.Crew with code GIFTNOW (get this gorgeous bracelet at 30% off!)

Merry Christmas from my home to yours!

Christmas card traditions

Think back to when you were younger at this time of year:  How many Christmas cards did your family get in the mail? One of my favorite traditions at Christmas is sending out cards to friends and family, but each year it feels like they're more and more being replaced by e-cards and Facebook messages (boooooo). Though mine will go out a little late this year (sorry, friends!), I plan to continue mailing them out year after year. If you were wondering, yes, I love getting Christmas cards!

Not sure what to do with the cards you get? Here are a few fun DIYs:

Christmas card ornaments from The Chaos and the Clutter

Christmas card holders from migonis home, mud pie studio, and Persia Lou

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2013 holiday gift guide: for the person who has everything

In this season of giving, it's very, very easy to get caught up in buying, especially during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness. Retailers scream deals at you, and you accumulate an incredible amount of stuff. Yes, you're giving it away (well, most of it... I won't lie, I buy a healthy amount for myself during the deal season), but there are things you can give that don't cost anything but your time. And for the sister or uncle who have everything, think about giving a donation in their name to a worthy cause that they would enjoy (in the past I've donated to animal shelters, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Red Cross).

If you're in the mood to give your time this season, here are some ideas on what you can do:

Host a food drive
For the past three years, I've done this at work with help from a couple of coworkers. With a little bit of effort, we have collected about 10,000 lbs of food for the local food bank. That's a year and a half's worth of feeding a family of four three meals a day. (Find out if your local food bank will pick up the items - most places are glad to do it for large donations.)

Send a card
There are a few organizations that send cards to wounded veterans or troops overseas. The Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes asks for cards to arrive by December 6th (so you still have time!).

... or a care package
One organization I'm fond of around the holidays is Adopt-A-Platoon, through which you can send a care package to troops overseas. We've made it a Thanksgiving tradition to involve family members in writing out cards to include in the care package.

Volunteer
Check a volunteer site like VolunteerMatch.org to see if there are soup kitchens in your area that may need help. Or read your local paper - they're bound to do stories on individuals who run charitable organizations this time of year. And if you can't find a place that needs help at the holidays, check back in the summer months when their volunteer numbers are low.

Do you have a favorite organization that you support during the holidays?

definition via dictionary.com

BaubleBar giveaway

I'm thrilled to be teaming up with four amazing bloggers to bring you a BaubleBar giveaway for the holidays.

There will be TWO winners, one for each necklace, randomly selected via rafflecopter. You have all week to participate, and the winners will be randomly selected at midnight on December 6th and announced on December 9th on Preppy Panache (and contacted via email). If you're contacted, you'll have 24 hours to claim or prize or another winner will be selected. We want to make sure that the winner receives it in time for most of the holiday festivities. Good luck, everyone! And now for the roll call of bloggers teaming up to bring you the bling:

Preppy Panache // A Sequin Love Affair

Penniless Socialite // Nightchayde // ruffle and curl

a Rafflecopter giveaway

cozy knits + Christmas tree shopping

We went Christmas tree shopping during yesterday's crazy cold day. It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to have an artificial tree, but there's something I love about walking around a tree farm to find the perfect tree and then bringing it home. I'm so glad I had hidden a new pair of gloves in my bag, but I do wish I had worn something a bit cozier, like some of these knit options.

2013 holiday gift guide: for a lady who lounges

Are you ready for the holidays? Ready or not, retailers have started a lot earlier this year than last year (or at least it feels that way). You can blame the one fewer week between Thanksgiving and Christmas than we normally have - and enjoy the 2013 gift guides!

This season I'm inspired by Scandal's fabulous loungewear aka popcorn-and-wine clothes that Olivia Pope wears often. Any lady would love a pair of luxe pajamas (or these or these - different price ranges available!) or chic loungewear (love these too). If accessories better suit her, go for elbow-length gloves, jeweled gloves, or a cashmere wrap. And what lady wouldn't love a bottle of your favorite wine alongside some new, red-specific glasses - and the promise of a girls' night.

weekend wedding recap

This weekend we went to a fabulous wedding in downtown Boston for one of T's close friends. It went by so fast that it made me think about the months and months that go into planning (in this case, almost a year) for a jam-packed 48 hours of family, friends, and fun to celebrate a couple. 

This Ali Ro dress is unlike anything else in my closet for semi-formal events, and due to a snowstorm on Friday, I decided to pair it with black tights. I fully appreciated that one of T's friend's dads noticed that my purple shoes matched his tie and pocket square. Color blocking success.

A few details this weekend that I loved (aside from the view from cocktail hour of Boston Harbor, which I tweeted on Saturday)...

Some tables had tall centerpieces, but the flowers were atop clear vases so you could see who was across from you. The accompanying short arrangements were gorgeous as well and made an appearance the next day at brunch- and one is now sitting on my bar cart at home.

Every other table had a short centerpiece, which I fully appreciated. We were sitting at a table of good friends (when we weren't on the dance floor), so it was nice to be able to talk and take photos across the table. And a short centerpiece was not by any means less elegant than the tall arrangements. The gorgeous roses and hydrangeas looked incredible.

Shout out to the Sultans of Swing, who had everyone on the dance floor from the bride and groom's first dance to after "one last song". Erika (a Top 10 American Idol contestant from Season 11) rocked everything from Celine Dion to Carly Rae Jepsen.

weekend recap with Sprout

Sprout experienced his first New England blizzard this weekend! 

Normally he loves the snow, but the 2 feet dumped in our yard over one night has made for a very difficult time finding his normal "route" on our walks. It doesn't seem like it in the photo below, but the snow is actually taller than he is.

He was quite the little trouper on Friday, riding around with me to fill up the gas tank in the car and get some last-minute essentials like bread and matches. 

Since getting the snow, Sprout has opted to spend most of the weekend indoors, playing and taking frequent naps. Romping in the snow is tiring!

Monday musings

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Monday is one thousand times better with a new haircut and a great big cup of Starbucks. And it's even better when you have promised yourself that at the end of a sure-to-be-tough week, you will finally book that vacation you've been talking about for the past few weeks to get away from the New England winter for a bit. Cheers to the week!

sweet little somethings

initial ring (K) // aerie cotton bra // tiered chemise // Marni soft bra // dogeared heart necklace // vanilla heart cookies // initial ring (A)

or why not pull a Kimye and get custom-made earrings with both of your initials?

Though we don't normally do gifts on V-day, these are a few sweet little things I wouldn't say no to (or may even gift to myself).

I find Valentine's Day to be one of those Hallmark holidays that either a) bums you out because you're single and it feels like everyone else has plans or b) you are one of the paired off and go out with your s.o. but then feel guilty about how much that prix-fixe dinner is costing. This year I've requested that we go see the newest Die Hard movie (yippie ki-yay), which conveniently comes out on 2.14. And then we will spend the weekend celebrating Mr. Sprout, who turns 2 on the 16th!

What do you do for Valentine's Day, if anything?

First Lady of stylish outerwear

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Regardless of your political views, there is one thing we can all agree on:  The First Lady has incredible style. I cannot imagine the schedule and the stress behind being the FLOTUS and living in the White House, but Michelle does it with grace and a clearly positive attitude.

I'd like to point out that aside from mixing designers and mass market retailers like nobody's business, this lady is a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law, is an attorney by profession, and focuses her time as First Lady on nutrition, poverty awareness, and getting rid of childhood obesity.

Smarts and style = lady's got it all!

blue coat from J.Crew (on sale!) // fuschia coat from J.Crew (on sale!) // bridal belt 1 from Etsy // bridal belt 2 from Etsy

back to school

This week my break from school ends and I head into semester #5 of my MBA (if you don't count my summer sessions). I'm excited to continue learning and to be one semester closer to graduation. It's tough working full time and going to school part time, but I definitely enjoy it. That might change in the middle of this semester, though, which features finance as my core requirement.

I have always been a fan of inspirational quotes, and I'm loving this sign. It might be a good thing to hang near the front door, like Michelle did in her home, so I remember to be awesome all day, even through my classroom hours.

January covet list

My January covet list includes mixed metal baubles, girly touches for the home, and a hint of gold. 

a reminder for life - image via Pinterest // name-inscribed pencils // BaubleBar tassel necklace // chain wrapped earrings from Max and Chloe (only $40!) // mixed metal bracelet via ShopBop // Zara Home paradise tumblers // makeup table image via Glitter Guide

Christmas canvas decor DIY

Early in the Christmas season, I came across this canvas tutorial by View Along the Way and decided to try my own version of it. Rather than using the wooden letters and nativity Kelly did, I used all acrylic paint (aside from the silver Sharpie I used to write "adore" and the gold Sharpie I used for the North Star). 

I was pretty excited with how it came out and hung my little creation at the bottom of the stairs, visible from the living room (where you can also see our navy curtains in the dining room). 

I don't always love how my DIYs come out, but I'm packing this guy away to use again next year.

on the hunt |bedroom curtains|

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I've been on the hunt for bedroom curtains that are a) gorgeous b) stylish c) in my price range. Last spring I put up some pretty sheer white panels that brought in the romantic vibe I was going for, but with the onset of winter in New England, those quickly were out of season. And yes, I have procrastinated on purchasing new wintry ones because I cannot make a decision on these curtains. What a dilemma to have.

West Elm has some beautiful velvet options, but I've never been a big fan of the grommet top. Same for Overstock's velvet options. And let's not even talk about Restoration Hardware's velvet beauties. I guess for now the hunt continues...

food drive & pet food drive

It's been an incredibly busy few weeks, but some very good things have happened. A coworker and I coordinated a company-wide food drive to benefit two big charities in the area- the Greater Boston Food Bank and the Northeast Animal Shelter. We ended up collecting about 7,000 lbs of food, plus 2,000 lbs of pet food and other items.

This is what one team's collection area looked like.

We had some help (let's be honest, we work in marketing and are not that strong) getting everything to the loading dock for the food bank to pick up. Here's some of the pile, waiting for pickup.

And the next day we had a group of coworkers help us move everything to the loading dock to take to the animal shelter. We weren't expecting as much as we got, so we were responsible for hauling it there, 30 minutes from the office.

Luckily, a coworker's friend owns New England Country Rentals (rental items for weddings and events) and graciously sent one of their box trucks and 2 men to help us out. In half an hour we had everything packed up in the truck and on its way. Once we got to the animal shelter, this was the scene as volunteers ran out to help us unload in the rain, ecstatic about the "Christmas miracle".

We spent some time with the animals, learning about how the shelter works and seeing the facility. It is by far the cleanest, most well-organized facility I've seen. The dogs are taken out for a walk about every two hours on an average day by the many volunteers who work there. 

This little girl is a lab mix but 100% thinks she's a lap dog and just wanted to be scratched, which I happily took on while her friends bounced around her.

This 3 month old named Haas has the biggest paws I have ever seen on a little guy. He and I spent some quality time together inside his little area, and he was so sweet (aside from wanting to eat my leather boots).

And little Andy here, a 1 year old Schnauzer mix, had his picture taken quite a few times by yours truly. I then sent these photos to T and asked if he could be Sprout's little brother, but we ultimately decided that we won't be getting a second dog anytime soon. That said, Andy had quite a few families checking him out that day. Hopefully all of these guys, and the others at the shelter, will make their way to their forever homes soon.

At the end of the day, I came home to my little Sprout and we snuggled up on the couch together. 

I'm thankful for the generosity of my coworkers and the ability to help families and pets in need during the holiday season. Animals have a special place in my heart, and I'm so glad that we were able to help NEAS, which is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in New England. Definitely check them out if you are thinking about adopting, or even if you can foster a dog for a weekend to help them get to know the animal better!

making a statement with dsw

1 - Michael Antonio Love Me Glitter Pump $39.95 // 2 - Ted Baker Neillia Pump $119.95 // 3 - Lulu Townsend Barbara Pump $59.95 // 4 - Audrey Brooke Multi Color Pump $49.95 // 5 - Bandolino Garcy Pump $64.95

DSW has some gorgeous styles available now, many of them perfect for making a statement at your company holiday party, around the office (I love the unexpected heel on #5), or out for a night on the town (#4 screams "girls' night!"). For a more casual workday, I'd pair #2 with rolled jeans, a white tee, and a blazer.

first snow

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Yesterday was the first snow of the season here in New England! Which means it's totally okay to start decorating for Christmas, right? (Just kidding... I'm anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving so I can start, even though our neighbors took November 1 as the cue to put up their lights that blink to holiday tunes.)

I'm working on some holiday gift guides for the season that I'll post next week and the week after, in preparation for Black Friday and the holiday gift buying madness. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend!