Merry Christmas! | Novelty Print Skirt and Faux Fur

Merry Christmas world! I hope you are finding your day full of love and support. I hope you have found peace from the chaos of the retail world. I hope you find grace and goodness in the warmth of you're loved ones. Also, I hope none of your presents bomb and your outfit is on point. 

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It's always good to have the grind of the Christmas season wind down. It feels amazing to be able to put on your favorite festive outfit, be it fuzzy leggings and novelty sweaters or fun and fancy pin up reproductions. That's your key to get a drink and kick back to enjoy the spoils of your labor. 

I splurged on this Hell Bunny skirt last Christmas and I can't even begin to count the times I have worn it since. It's the perfect novelty print to morph for any season and I'm loving the pin up vibes with my first attempt at bumper bangs. The bangs are just the perfect amount of pin up sass to add to the sweetness and the novelty of the Hell Bunny print as I can feel my style subtly changing to include darker, edgier elements. 

It's entirely possible I will be buried in this skirt because I adore it and it could probably be appropriate for a funeral too.

And let me just say, I truly hope your Christmas outfit includes some fur somewhere. I poached this faux fur collar off a printed wrap that just didn't thrill me anymore and I've been wearing it every day since. It's so easy and cozy just to throw on like a scarf. I know exactly how I'm going to surviving this winter; wrapped in dramatic furs and dosed in red lipstick because yum.

Shirt: (dress worn as a shirt) Kohls | Skirt: Modcloth | Shoes: Modcloth | Socks: Sock Dreams | Belt: Target | Fur Stole: Target | Scarf: Thrifted | Lips: Nyx's Liquid Suede Lip Cream in Kitten Heels

Presto, Chango! Holiday Looks! | Advice

I had originally wanted to make a post of all my favorite budget friendly festive looks that I was eyeing up but, then it occurred to me that during the holiday season it may not be in everyone's budget to purchase an entirely new outfit for one day. The truest form of a budget friendly holiday look would be to pull everything from one's own closet. So, if you are looking to limit the amount of spending you do on yourself or if you're a hardcore Christmas nerd like me and listen to Christmas music all month long and dress thematically every day in December, here are my tips for putting together holiday looks from your own closet.

When selecting pieces think about what evokes the holiday spirit. Green and red and plaid are obvious choices. They are classic and cozy and perfect for Christmas merriment. But, also consider fabric choice. Luxurious fabrics like velvet, satin, and lace have a special quality about them that reflects the "only once a year" element to the holidays. I also found myself drawn to simple, graphic prints like stripes and polka dots. They have a vintage charm that matches the nostalgic bygone feelings of Christmas. And never forget your sparkle and shine!

Sidenote: Does anyone else remember that Disney Channel movie where Tyra Banks plays a barbie doll turned human? I cannot think about sparkles without saying, "I've got you now, Miss Sparkle and Shine!"

I imagine this look as a casual Christmas morning look for the classic over-dresser. It's cozy with a little uniqueness and perfect for sitting around a tree sipping eggnog and opening presents.

For a fancier party, maybe Christmas Eve, pairing a nice lace dress with sparkly accessories and a red or green cardigan (blazer would work too) makes the perfect outfit. You could also make this dress work for other holidays by switching up the color of the top. Anything with sheen would be an excellent choice.

Christmas is not the only holiday that we celebrate in December, as there are many important days this season. While you can wear this for a Christmas celebration, ditching the red and green gives you a look that is perfect for any festivities this month. This jaqaurd fabric skirt with metallic thread is great for the winter and for any holidays that you may be partaking in. I wore this particular outfit on my birthday which, for us, is one of the many special events in December. But, I could also see this as a New Year's Eve outfit because the tight miniskirt is definitely good for a night out.

Yes, this was my SIA outfit but, I felt it deserved a spot in this post because it is my favorite "shop your closet" holiday look. I would definitely wear this black top and skirt any day of the year as a chic, vintage-inspired outfit but when I added the bow belt and layered the embellished tank under the black shirt it transformed into an outfit that screamed "HOLIDAY!" without any obvious motifs or colors. There is a fancy element in the full skirt and sparkles but, it's also modest making it work for several kinds of events and holidays. This kind of outfit really shows what shopping your closet is about. It's using your resources creatively and making your clothes transcend seasons and occasions. When you do this, you can expand your wardrobe exponentially without spending a dime.

If you have any of your own tips for shopping your closet or any holiday looks that you created with things you already owned I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Stressed Out | Style Imitating Art

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This is probably the most apropos December themed choice for SIA that could ever be. The illustration by Layla Holzer is entitled "Stressed Out" and looking at that lady I know exactly who she is. She is balancing lists and budgets, decorating and baking, shopping and wrapping presents in secret and all while trying to maintain the festive spirit herself. Until her head explodes. I am that lady.

I will admit that I never fully appreciated how hard the holiday season is on adults until I became a mother. It's nuts. Yet, when it all comes together and you get to enjoy the culmination of your work it makes it all worth it. I will take those moments of extreme stress for the moments when I feel like a Who in Whoville singing and dancing in euphoric jubilation. After all, isn't feeling like you're in a Dr. Suess book really what the holidays are all about? I'm pretty that's it.

I'm calling this one, "Where's the tape?!"

So, I pretty blatantly just copied the outfit from the picture and took some of the elements and adjusted them to what was in my closet. I brought the flower pattern from the skirt and represented it in the tights and, since I didn't have any green and red beaded tops, I used those colors in my shoes and sparkley headband. My only creative moment was the big bow belt that spoke to the gift giving nature of the holiday. Go me.

Top: Asos New version in Ivory, similar | Skirt Modcloth, similar (on sale, straight size), similar (plus size) | Belt: Torrid similar (plus size) similar (straight size) | Tights: Modcloth, similar (straight size) | Shoes: Payless similar

Tree Trimming | Outfit

What do you do when you have the world's saddest artificial tree that is too short for your house and too sparse to even look healthy? You buy a new one. Just buy a new one. Seriously, don't be us. Or you can always choose the route of laziness and cringe at it year after year while shoving as many ornaments on it as possible to hide all the gaping holes. What can we say? We are plainly subject to the laws of enertia. An object at rest just wants to stay at rest and we can't be blamed for that. It's physics.

Plus, the second law of nature involving Christmas trees is the younger your children, the uglier your tree will be. So, again, this is not our fault. We are simply letting our tiny disasters make memories. We lug out the tote of ornaments, put on some Christmas music, pour some egg nog, and let our kids go nuts. They will remember our day as something special and I will only grimace at the tree about 100 times in December. That seems worth it to me.

And if my tree can't be a festive wonder to delight the eyes, why not my clothes? This dress. Oh, my God this dress. I found it while scrolling through some blogs and it was love at first sight. At its original price point it was a bit of a fantasy but, on Black Friday Apricity held an instagram sale and offered a handful of their dresses for a deep discount. And to the joy of my little heart, this dress was included. The sizing was a bit of a gamble but, I read on other blogs that the material had some stretch and so I took the plunge. 

When it arrived at my door, I anxiously ripped open the package and was immediately impressed with the quality. I ran up to my room to try it on and thankfully, it fit quite well as the stretchy fabric added some wiggle room.  The dress was made for christmas time and I feel like a Christmas decoration while wearing it but, that isn't the end of its potential. The plaid print is just subtle enough that it can be paired with several different colors to draw out different seasons. When worn with red or green it immediately smacks of evergreens and hot cocoa. But, the dress on its own reminds me of picnic blankets and summer afternoons. The versatility is amazing.

Dress: Apricity Similar (XS-4X) | Cardigan: Target similar, similar (plus size) | Tights: We Love Colors | Booties: Payless Shoe Source similar | Belt: Torrid similar, similar (plus size)