Red in the Snow

Getting so sick of Wisconsin weather. Just the other day, I was getting out of my car to go to work and I realized I barely even needed my heavy coat. I heard birds chirping, the snow was starting to melt and make little puddles for me to dodge across the parking lot and the wind didn't feel like burning on my face. "How delightful, spring will be here soon!" I said to myself in my best Disney princess impression (not really) and went about my merry way.

Not five minutes into my shift a customer passingly mentioned the snow storm that was coming. I mean, I guess that's what I get for not watching the weather, but seriously? Make up your mind, Wisconsin.

I'm getting sick of boots and I'm getting sick of pants. I know, I know -- no one really wants to hear me complain. So I'll make note of some good news. If I were going to be stuck wearing the same pair of boots for four months straight, this pair from Nine West would be it. They're super comfy wedges, they're waterproof and they don't weigh 50 pounds like my last pair of boots so I don't take an extra 20 minutes lumbering to class. The best part? I got them at an outlet mall for only $24.99.

Outfit Details

Top: Ann Taylor

Jeans: Express

Boots: Nine West

Necklace: Express

Still, I have a rack full of cute flats that haven't been worn yet because I'm waiting for the slush to disappear. Keeping my fingers crossed for some warmer weather soon!

December Activity Ideas

As much as I can't stand the cold, I love the warm-fuzzy feeling of the Holiday season. There's nothing better than coming in from the cold to a cup of hot cocoa and soft glowing lights. Though honestly I'd be more than happy to skip over the majority of the Winter months, December is one of the few that I actually look forward to. Here are some ideas for ways you can enjoy your December to the fullest!

♥ Decorate for the Holidays. It doesn't matter what you celebrate, adding lights and a few decorations makes your place feel cozy.
♥ Bake cookies, pastries or other kinds of sweets. Share them with friends!
♥ Make sure your closet is prepared for winter (coats, hats, boots, etc.) Go buy anything you're missing right away, before you get caught without it.
♥ Paint your nails something sparkly. Last year I used some blue and silver nailpolish that reminded me of snow for my Winter manicure!
♥ On that note, store anything that is strictly out of season like breezy summer dresses and sandals. Basically anything you know you won't need for a while, it'll free up space in your closet and you'll know exactly what you have to work with when getting dressed in the morning.
♥ Get a cute welcome mat for your front door to save your carpet from slush.
♥ If you don't know already, December 21st is allegedly the Mayan Apocalypse  The only correct way to handle this is to plan an End of the World party, of course. My friends and I already have one in the works.
♥ But just in case the world doesn't end, start planning your gift list...
♥ ...and wish list!
♥ Send greeting cards to anyone you can't afford to buy presents for, but who you want to show your appreciation toward.
♥ Do some hunting for cold Winter night reading material. If you have a fireplace, you are required to read in front of it. No excuses.
♥ Volunteer your time or donate to a cause you believe in.
♥ Once there's snow on the ground, get your friends together and build a snowman or go sledding.
♥ Afterwards, watch cheesy Christmas/Holiday movies. Olive the Other Reindeer is one of my favorites.
♥ Check out your local light displays. In Milwaukee, there's a neighborhood called Candy Cane Lane that collectively goes all-out on their displays to raise money for the MACC Fund. I visit with my family every year!

What's your favorite way to have fun in December? Tell me in the comments! 

Happy Holidays!

I hope whatever Holiday you and your family celebrate was fantastic! My family isn't religious, but we still celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Eve we have an extended family party. I taught my family how to play Werewolf. For those of you unfamiliar, Werewolf is a fairly simple role playing game where you draw a card that assigns you the role of either a Werewolf or a Villager, and the goal is to kill off the opposite team without knowing the other players' roles (It's very Christmas-y, no?) It was my first time moderating the game, and it was actually kind of fun being "in the know."

Christmas Day I have dinner with my immediate family and my grandmother. My sister woke me up early to open presents. It's a little funny to think back to when I was a kid and how I couldn't sleep because Santa was coming, and sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the presents under the three waiting until morning so I could open them. Now someone has to wake me up and I roll out of bed only begrudgingly.

Here's what I got!

I love, love, love this Betsey Johnson watch. I remember being at Boston Store with my mom a few weeks ago and pointing these out to  her. She picked a good color, I probably would have gone with hot pink only to realize it doesn't match anything I have. I like the gold face with rhinestones and the iridescent cream colored band though, I'm sure it will go with almost everything.

On the same trip to Boston Store I was helping my mother pick out a new perfume, and I told her I liked Armani Code. She went with a different Armani Perfume: Acqua di Gioia, but I guess she picked this up for me too. I love it when I get presents that show that the person was listening closely to the things that I said I liked earlier in the year.

My sister bought me this gorgeous tea pot. I got a teacup and saucer from her last year, she certainly knows how much I love tea.

Tell me in the comments what you got for Christmas! 

"Winterizing" a Summer Dress

My favorite dress is billowy, light and has a delicate red and pink rose pattern on it, very romantic and reminiscent of warm weather and gentle breezes. I've lamented not being able to wear it for the last few months since the weather began to turn bitter. However, today I set out to find a way to make it more winter appropriate, both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of me not acquiring frostbite. With a long winter coat on top, I actually managed to make this wearable outdoors for as long as it takes to walk to class, or from the car to a store. I probably wouldn't suggest it for extended outside Winter fun time, but if you want to be able to wear your summer dresses to class or out shopping this should be a good method to go about making it suitably warm.

Dress: Macy's

 Cardigan, Belt: Wet Seal

 Tights, Boots: Target

Find a Top and Bottom Layer
I wanted to put an extra layer between the thin fabric and my skin, so I found a good layering cami in my closet that matched one of the colors of the print to wear underneath. It's spandex, so it doesn't add much bulk, but the lace peeking out of the collar looks lovely. Next, I tried to match the colors to an outer layer cardigan. I chose a long cardigan in a burgundy color because it went well with the pink and red scheme of the roses, but made the color scheme seem a bit "warmer" to me.

Wear Thick Tights
Knit tights are actually pretty warm, and they're an absolute necessity if you're going to be wearing a dress in the Winter. I chose a cream colored pair to wear with this dress, since the print of the dress contains some white and it also matched a belt I wanted to use, which comes to the next tip...

Wear a Belt
I don't think this is a necessity like tights, but I always feel a little bit warmer when I have a thick piece of elastic hugging my waist. I also just love to wear belts in general to emphasize my waist and to tie an outfit together.

Wear Boots
I suppose this depends on how cold your region is, but boots will help keep your legs warm and keep your feet safe from snow and slush.

Add Accessories
This is a good rule regardless of what you're wearing or what season it is, accessories are the little details that take an outfit from good to great. I went with a knit hat in a cream color to tie in with the belt and tights, a pearl bracelet, a gold and coral colored cameo necklace and pink and gold earrings. Look through your accessories and try to find colors that are present somewhere else in the outfit. Hold them next to your clothes until you find something that works.

How do you make warm-weather clothes appropriate for Winter?