Christmas and Christmas Eve Outfits

December 19, 2012 · By Rachel · 29 Comments

Classy: An LBD with red lip, perfectly crafted bun and simple chain necklace

If you’ve started to pack for Christmas vacation and your time off with family and friends, you might be in a slight panic thinking “what in the world am I going to where on Christmas Eve and Christmas day?” Thinking about what I’m going to wear for these days is important otherwise I’ll pack two extra suitcases (seriously). Thanks to my Christmas board on Pinterest, packing has become a lot less complicated. Do you know what you’re wearing for the holidays this year?

Christmas Colors: Pair red with green in an unexpected way

Simplicity: Add a pair of colored tights to spice up an otherwise plain outfit

White & Black: Play with textures (feathers) and patterns (stripes) to create a chic, perfectly styled winter outfit and add a red lip for charm

Nontraditional: Opt for something you normally wouldn’t for Christmas such as leopard print, over-the-knee boots and a beret

Filed Under: Fashion, Holidays, Outfits · Tagged: christmas colored outfit, christmas outfits, cute christmas eve outfits, cute christmas outfits, cute outfits, fashion, fashionable christmas outfit, holiday style, holidays, outfits, style, unique christmas looks, unique christmas outfits, what to wear for christmas eve, what to wear for the holidays, what to wear on christmas

Christmas Manicure

December 17, 2012 · By Rachel · 15 Comments

When it comes to manicures, I try to keep it simple and I love the idea of having one nail a different color or shade on each hand, so for the holidays I went for a rich burgundy shimmer color along with a gold glitter color on my pointer fingers. What do you think? Will you be adding some glam to your nails for the holidays?

L.A. Girl Flare in “Garnet” (Available here) :: Sinful Colors in “All About You” (Available here) :: Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat (Available here)

Filed Under: Beauty · Tagged: beauty, beauty ideas, Christmas, christmas manicure, christmas nails, christmas polish, holiday manicure, holiday nails, manicure, manicure ideas, manicures, nail color ideas, nail polish, nails

Emmagram

December 14, 2012 · By Rachel · 18 Comments

It’s fair to say that I’m obsessed with my 7-month old mini Australian shepherd Emma and Instagram. Thus I present you with Emmagram.

You can follow along @rachelslookbook

Also… Emma just got home today from her spay surgery. It went very well, but I’m hoping for a speedy recovery! In the meantime, she’ll be wearing her lovely cone of shame.

Filed Under: Interests · Tagged: australian shepherd, cute dog, cute puppy, dog, i love my dog, Instagram, mini aussie, mini aussie shepherd, pup, puppies, puppy

The IT List! December 14, 2012

December 14, 2012 · By Rachel · 2 Comments

Fancy Francy looks so chic in leopard, leather and cozy knits – the ultimate winter look! So cute! (find Fancy Francy on Twitter!)
The Second Best is satisfying her color craving in bright hues and printed pants that she carried over from her summer wardrobe! Love this look! (find Second Best on Twitter!)
Ishi is making her closet do double duty and rocking her shorts even in the colder temps! Pop over to see how she styled this versatile piece to stay warm!
Fleurani is sporting a new hair color and new glasses while frolicking in the snow! She looks so cozy in plaid and a bright blazer!
Rachel’s Lookbook is channeling her inner Sex and the City and pulled out her vintage fur coat for the first time! Absolutely fabulous! (find Rachel’s Look Book on Twitter!)
See Mo Go is sporting a festive new top for a day out Christmas tree shopping! Pop over to see where she found her (on sale) sweater! (find See Mo Go on Twitter!)
My Thrifty Chic is showing us how to make our own embellished sweater for the infamous Tacky Christmas party that everyone finds themselves at this time of year! Head over to get some inspiration and see her tips! (find My Thrifty Chic on Twitter!)
The Chic Curator rounds up some fab finds in emerald – the new color of the year! Go check out all of the cute pieces and scoop up some emerald of your own!
Laura Wears is trying her hand at vintage clothing for the first time in plaid pants and she knocked it out of the park! Don’t miss her fun menswear accessory! (find Laura Wears on Twitter!)
Sam ipsa Loquitur shows us how to look chic on a major budget! The whole outfit is under $50 – impressive! (find Sam ipsa Loquiter on Twitter!)
A Fashion Fixation proves that you really can wear white after labor day! Head over to find out how she styled her summer jeans for cooler temps! (find A Fashion Fixation on Twitter!)
Rose a la Mode is thinking pink in a casual tone-on-tone look ready for a weekend out and about! So cute! (find Rose a la Mode on Twitter!)
Good Life glams up her look a bit with a fabulous fur cowl that she scored on the cheap and a hint of glitter! Definitely one to recreate! (find Good Life on Twitter!)
Second Street East shares her favorite type of room with us – lived in and cozy but still chic and stylish! Pop over to see the room and the outfit that were recreated from the inspiration look! (find Second Street East on Twitter!)
Sweetie Pie Style shows us the 13 pieces she can’t live without in her winter wardrobe and how to make them into 9 outfits! Love them all! (find Sweetie Pie Style on Twitter!)

the IT list is brought to you weekly by Jill of Good Life and edited by Michelle of Second Street East.

For more information on how you can be involved – click here

Filed Under: Fashion, Interests, Outfits · Tagged: casual outfits, dressy outfits, fashion, fashion bloggers, fashion blogs, outfit, outfit ideas, outfit inspiration, outfits, style, what to wear, work style

Snow Ready

December 13, 2012 · By Rachel · 36 Comments

We had our first snow storm this past weekend in Minneapolis and I couldn’t have been more excited to pull out all of my hats! I found this little bow-detailed hat in Paris at a boutique near our hotel last summer. I was secretly SUPER excited for colder weather this year just so I could wear this hat. It was actually quite a funny story when I was picking out and buying this hat. The guys working at the boutique were being pretty flirty with my mother, calling her princess and catering to all of her needs. My little sister and I were cracking up, but hey we all got a discount on our items, so not such a bad deal, right?! As we left, one of the guys told us to never forget him. Don’t worry sir, I won’t soon forget! No matter how much I’m in love with this hat, I love the memories associated with it even more.

Hope you are all having a great week!

Christmas Gift Guide Under $10!

December 12, 2012 · By Rachel · 47 Comments

As much as I love giving gifts to friends and family during the Christmas season, I don’t think it necessarily means I need to spend a ton of money. If you are looking for some affordable options for gifts, take a look at some of these items!

1. Kate Spade “The Long List” Notepad – $6.30

2. Dainty Dark Gray Flower Ring – $8.17

3. Fair Isle Scarf – $8.00

4. See Through Poker Face Playing Cards -$9.95

5. Studded Flats – $9.98

6. Ombre Nail Polish Set – $10.00

Filed Under: Holidays · Tagged: Christmas, christmas gifts, christmas gifts under $10, Christmas presents, cute gift ideas, family, friends, gifts, holiday gift guide, holidays, presents, under $10 gift guide, what to buy

Sassy Accessories

December 11, 2012 · By Rachel · 49 Comments

Recently, I was contacted by Firmoo about trying out a pair of glasses, in my case, non-prescription glasses, and do a review on the fit and style. I LOVE the idea of wearing glasses as an accessory and honestly I have always been jealous of people who wear glasses because I think they are so adorable and can really make you look sassy! Glasses = nerdy? No… glasses = sexy! Just like a great statement necklace, bag or pair of heels, non-prescription glasse s can really make a statement and be fun with more dressy or casual outfits. I have styled a pair of non-prescription glasses I bought last year with a menswear look (seen here) so this time I wanted to style the Firmoo pair with a more casual, fun outfit! Faux leather leggings, a white blouse, chambray top and leopard print heels is an outfit I could wear all day, every day and a look I can wear out too! I absolutely love my pair of Firmoo and can’t wait to wear it with more dressy and office-appropriate looks.

If you are looking for a stylish, cute pair of prescription or non-prescription glasses, Firmoo has a wide selection where you can narrow down the options by shape, material and frame. I liked the idea of a rectangular frame and a tortoise print, similar to my favorite pair of sunglasses. If you are looking for a new pair of glasses, Firmoo offers first-time buyers a free pair (you just have to pay the shipping)! Always nice if you are looking to try something new!

Channeling Carrie

December 10, 2012 · By Rachel · 44 Comments

Sex & the City is just one of those shows that I could leave on repeat and never get sick of. Lately I have been watching Season 6 over and over again since it is available OnDemand. I really should just get the whole season in the big beautiful book! (Note to self: add to Christmas wishlist). If you are a Sex & the City fan, you probably have picked out a favorite character and I can’t help but love Carrie, for many reasons, but mostly for her passion for writing (I am a writer as well, although very different as I write about manufacturing lines and sensors, I am still passionate about writing and miss writing for my college’s newspaper) and because she NEVER gave up on love.

Even after all she went through, she still believed she would find love and share her life with someone who loved her for who she is. In the season finale episode, when Carrie is telling Alexander about the party some Parisians are throwing her because they love her book so much, she is holding onto his arm wearing a big brown fur coat, cowl neck sweater, jeans and black boots. Well Carrie, thank you, because you inspired this outfit and helped me wear my vintage brown faux fur coat for the first time! It is SO warm and will be making many more appearances in the upcoming winter months. Here is my favorite Carrie quote…Happy Monday:

Recent Purchases

December 7, 2012 · By Rachel · 15 Comments

I don’t think anyone would be surprised to know that my recent purchases included Lia Sophia jewelry after hosting a party. The reason I wanted to share this with you was to let you know how great of a deal you can get on the jewelry line if you host your own party! It is easy, all you do is find a consultant in your area, set up a time, theme and invite your friends, co-workers, neighbors, whoever you’d like! They bring some of their jewelry from the line to share and there is no pressure to buy anything.

If you reach certain hostess goals, you can get credit towards the jewelry, and if your reach certain sales goals (your guests will help you get there) you can receive hostess bonus items, meaning anything under $100, even if it is $98, you get for $15 and all other items are listed at hostess bonus price. Some may be $20 or $30 but still significantly less than $150 for an item!

So I just got all of these pieces shown above (Dynasty necklace, Versailles earrings, Empress necklace, Candy coated bracelet, Vanity bracelets, Verde bracelet) for $95! Do you see why I host parties now? The quality of jewelry is great and there are always some unique pieces! If you are interested in hosting a party, try to contact a consultant in your area. If you live in the Twin Cities area, Sarah Baptiste is an amazing consultant who has been to both of my parties! You can email her if you are interested at sarahbaptiste.liasophia@gmail.com. By the way, I am sharing this information out of my own free will, I just love jewelry and accessories and fell in love with a necklace that I had to have and went to my first party. There I fell in love with ALL of the jewelry and realized that I couldn’t afford to pay that much for it. My solution? Hosting a party! You can do it too!

Filed Under: Accessories · Tagged: accessories, how to buy accessories, how to buy jewelry, jewelry, lia sophia, lia sophia jewelry, shopping, what I bought

The IT List! December 7, 2012

December 7, 2012 · By Rachel · 3 Comments

A Devine Life turned an old dress into a new skirt by layering a sweater on top! A great way to transition your summer wardrobe into cooler temps! (find a Devine Life on Twitter!)
Rach.E. Cakes is rocking one of her go-to feel good dresses that is versatile enough for work or play! Pop over to see why she keeps reaching for this pretty little number! (find Rach.E.Cakes on Twitter!)
Fancy Francy gives us some great tips on how to style a midriff bearing bandeau top and shared two looks for inspiration! Great solutions to one of the more difficult pieces in our closet! (find Fancy Francy on Twitter!)
The Second Best is recreating a low-key look from another blogger and knocked it out of the park! Goes to show that inspiration is everywhere! (find Second Best on Twitter!)
Ishi is showing us her studious side and how she stays stylish and comfortable for days spent with her nose in the books! So cute!
Fleurani lets her pretty gold skirt shine by pairing it with lots of black! It’s gorgeous and the perfect piece for holiday party season!
Rachel’s Lookbook takes her outfit to the next level by throwing on some purple tights! Such a fun way to add excitement to your look! (find Rachel’s Look Book on Twitter!)
See Mo Go is totally comfy in her new printed cords! She paired them with a blazer and boots and is ready for a day at the office!(find See Mo Go on Twitter!)
My Thrifty Chic pairs her new glasses and patterned tights together for a geek chic look! The total outfit only cost $55! Go check it out! (find My Thrifty Chic on Twitter!)
The Chic Curator gives us a bedroom duvet breakdown on a budget with three different price points to choose from! Pop over to check out the super cute bedding and find out where to buy!
Laura Wears is showing off her holiday party style – a little bit of sparkle mixed with a little bit of responsibility! Love this look! (find Laura Wears on Twitter!)
Sam ipsa Loquiter wrapped up her 30 f0r 30 challenge and she definitely ended on a high note! Pattern mixing at its finest! (find Sam ipsa Loquiter on Twitter!)
A Fashion Fixation is showing us some love in a gorgeous new sweater! No better (or more stylish) way to make a statement than that! (find A Fashion Fixation on Twitter!)
Second Street East is in love with a bright and beautiful little girl’s room! She recreated the look in a room and an outfit – tons of great pieces! (find Second Street East on Twitter!)
Sweetie Pie Style rounds up her favorite stylish rain boots after getting tons of use out of hers lately! Head over to pick out your favorite pair to be ready for the rain (or snow!) ahead! (find Sweetie Pie Style on Twitter!)