20 Days of Christmas - Joy Sweater

I have styled this sweater on the blog before (see that post here) and I think that it is the perfect piece to add to my 20 Days of Christmas challenge. For many who believe that Christmas is celebrated because of Jesus birth, it is a time for joy. However, I think joy is a good word to think about at all different times of year. Webster’s online dictionary defines joy as: the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

When I think of joy, I think of something much more permanent and deep than merely obtaining what I desire. I desire all sorts of things, but it is rarely the acquisition of those things that brings true joy. In the same way good fortune or success do not necessarily bring real joy. They may provide momentary happiness, but joy seems to be much more stable than the fleeting happiness that success or things may bring.

If you are interested in hearing more about joy, check out my faith post tomorrow on the blog.

I would have worn tights that matched my skirt and shoes if I had them, but when I tried these on, I thought, why not? Both the skirt and shoes are more maroon, while the hose are more burgundy. To me it just seems festive all the way around.

This sweater is thrifted and Old Navy brand. It is fairly light weight, so I felt the need to add a blouse underneath. I chose my thrifted Jaclyn Smith piece that I have featured on the blog before, for another holiday season. You can see that post here. The thing I like about these silkier types of blouses, is that they add a layer without adding bulk. Plus they have that shimmery look to them, which is perfect for the holidays.

I found this unique necklace on one of my thrift runs. I really like the colors and the design.

I’ve had this maroon pleated skirt for a while now. It was originally from Kohl’s and is AB Studio brand. To keep the outfit more upscale I grabbed my pewter sparkly clutch and added my thrifted Bandolino heels.

Figuring out a festive look does not always mean green and red or silver and gold. Sometimes it is easier to find one festive piece, like a sweater and then build the rest of your outfit around that. A pleated skirt will always kick an outfit up a notch and then adding heels and a sparkly bag or jewelry is all you need to be ready for a Christmas get together.

What did you think of this outfit? What do you like to wear for holiday gatherings? I’d love the hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for my 20 Days of Christmas challenge. You’ll see more of my every day Christmas looks.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

i’ve included a few shopping links for cute booties and blingy clutches for you to look at. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

20 Days of Christmas - Plaid Pants

Every now and then I have to get outside my comfort box. I have never really liked wearing things that draw attention to my lower half. Especially tight fitting, brightly colored pieces. I prefer a-line dresses to body con styles. If you don’t know, body con is more of a form fitting dress. I prefer dark wash jeans to lighter washes and feel most comfortable in jeans rather than leggings. I don’t wear leggings as pants, or if I do, I have my bum covered. Anyway, when I saw these crazy, red, plaid pants at Target on the clearance rack, I immediately thought of my Christmas challenge.

Those of you who regularly follow me, know I have been doing a monthly column called Outside the Box. These have been posts that I have done to try to challenge myself to get out of my typical fashion mentality. Let’s face it, we all like to be comfortable. Some women are comfortable in heels and dresses. While I can do that, it is not what I turn to when I want to feel secure. My go to, as you know are jeans and cozy sweaters or flannel shirts. But I also know that part of getting older is the urge to get stuck in a rut and not be willing to learn or try new things, thus the idea of getting outside the box.

These plaid pants do not have any green in them, so they will be easily styled with other colors, but I thought they were perfect when paired with a newer Croft & Barrow v-neck cable knit sweater and a thrifted blazer.

This blazer is actually meant to have a double breasted look, but I am too big to button it in that manner. However, when I saw it, it was the buttons on each side that made me want to buy it, that and the color. I think wearing it open, using the buttons for a decoration, works just as well. Since it is more of a forest green, I felt that it keeps the outfit from being too over the top with color.

I decided on silver for my accessories and was excited to remember this large silver pendant necklace that closely resembles a snowflake. That and my SO silver flats and a small silver clutch complete the ensemble.

I think this outfit is festive and fun and would work well for a Christmas office party, or a lunch date with your girlfriends. Would you wear a pair of pants like this? How do you like to dress up for a Christmas party?

I’ve included a few shopping links for more fun plaid prints. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone.

20 Days of Christmas - Red and Green

It is the fourth day of my 20 Days of Christmas challenge and it has been fun to pull out some of my Christmas themed pieces and think about how to put them together in a way that is fun and stylish. I also wanted to revisit some of the traditional holiday color combinations and see how I could combine them in a fresh, trendy way.

Today’s outfit uses the two age old Christmas colors, red and green. Greenery has been used in decorating for centuries to brighten up the long, drab, winter months and is a reminder of the return of spring. Red, while associated with holly berries, is also in the Christian tradition, a reminder of the blood of Christ.

I started with this LuLaRoe maxi skirt which I have styled before on the blog, here. When I initially got this skirt, I thought it had a bit of a tropical vibe, but they celebrate Christmas in tropical places too, right? I decided to add this 3/4 length sweater to brighten up the outfit, though I think a green top with red accessories would have worked as well. The sweater is Croft and Barrow.

To make the look a little bit more youthful and updated I decided to top the whole outfit with my Mudd olive utility vest. I also thought carrying the green velvet cross body bag added a bit of trendy textural interest. I’ve gotten a number of compliments on this bag that I found on the clearance rack at Meijer, last spring.

As you can see we had some snow, so I felt my Croft and Barrow knee high black boots were in order for the day. I also had on black leggings under the skirt for added warmth. I was pretty cozy all day at work and even when my daughter and I took her dogs for a walk. I also had a 3/4 length tee under my sweater. Layers, upon layers. It’s winter time.

The finishing touch was this green and gold two layer necklace. The green went perfectly with the green in the skirt.

I really like these LuLaRoe maxi’s, although I think I had heard they were phasing them out of their product line. It looks like they now have a long, pleated maxi skirt. Whatever the case, it is easy to make your summer maxi skirts winter wearable by adding heavy tights, or leggings and boots.

Do you wear red and green at Christmas time? What did you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this? I always welcome your feedback.

Have a great weekend. Be sure to follow along with the 20 Days of Christmas challenge on Instagram.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.