Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas

Whether you celebrate Turkey Day pretty low-key or your family goes all out, there are tons of fall themed outfits to choose from. Above I put together some ideas on every end of the spectrum. Let me know which one is your favorite or how you normally dress to celebrate. And if you do not live in the United States, take this as just some more fall/winter inspiration!

Casual

If you are not looking to go over the top for Thanksgiving and simple and comfy outfit like this one is perfect. A comfy sweater layered over a nice blouse will make you look nicely put together without much effort. For more inspiration for layering sweaters and tops check out my other post HERE. I paired the top portion with some simple skinny jeans. For the finishing touches, I added a cute pair of leopard flats and a gold watch.

Middle Ground

If you are a fashionista who doesn't want to sacrifice your style for little get together this look will give you the best of both worlds. Even a basic top can become a little more glamourous with a more visual fabric such as chiffon or with leather details. I chose this flowy button up because it has a nice tailored look but doesn't over power the awesome metallic pants I added on the bottom. For accessories, a pair of heeled ankle booties will do the trick and geometric earrings add instant fabulous-ness! 

Fancy

When I see velvet, I think sophistication. This adorable maroon dress is perfect for a more dressy party you may be attending. I added sheer black tights because I feel like that makes it a bit more fall/winter appropriate. The black pumps with gold detail on the toe are super cute and a matching tone headband adds a little girly touch that ties the look together. I picked out a delicate bow necklace to dress up the neckline a little bit more.

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving or just a great week! Let me know any other posts you'd like to see as well in the comments below.

XOXO Meghan

Mad Hatter

I always thought that wearing hats was such a big deal. Like it was one of those fashion risks that you weren't sure would pay off or not. Especially at school, I thought that it might be a bit too bold. I had waded into the pool with slouchy beret style hats a few years back, but I always adored the look of a real  hat. One of my friends wears hats quite often to school and I have realized it is not that strange! However if you are still on the edge, try out a thick headband or a big bow to get started. 

Many people would say they use hats as an shield to a bad hair day. If you were to ask me, I think it is very important your hair goes somewhat with your head piece. I would never really just throw a hat on a walk out the door. My best advice to deciding what kind of hair goes with your hat isn't very straightforward but will pay off. Start off before doing anything, like heat styling etcetera, to your hair and just put the hat on. Survey how it looks and then go from there. Find if you prefer straight locks or curls and waves. But my biggest advice is make it manageable. I normally find it necessary to have to readjust my hair after awhile of wearing a hat. So, if you have that issue in common with me, make sure the hair style you are sporting allows for a quick, as I would call it, 'phloof'-ing to liven up limp pieces. 

Another fun play of the standard hat is something like a "hat on a stick." Really only acceptable for a party in my opinion, you can find little bitty hats with other fun add on's attached to a head band at lots of stores. I think it would be really fun to DIY one with friends for some sort of costume party!

Right now I love big floppy brimmed hats! Even though they remind me of summer somewhat, the burnt orange, black and navy shades scream winter. What is your favorite type of hat? How do you like to wear it? Let me know in the comments below! 

XOXO Meghan

Counting Down

Look glamourous while counting down to the new year! When I think of New Years, I think of sparkle! I chose this great sequin dress with some sheer black tights. I added the Lita booties for some edge, but any black heel would look great. If you were to skimp on the accessories you could even go for booties with a little glitter! The oversized clutch can hold all the necessities you'll need. For jewelry I chose small little stud earrings, some gold stack rings, and a gold watch so you can look out for midnight. I kept the makeup fairly simple with just a champagne eyeshadow and some black liner. The bold lips add a pop to the look, I think any lipstick would look good with this look, maybe fuchsia! I picked a gold nail polish, but if you want a little less sparkle go with a black. Hope you all are excited for the new year, see you in 2012!

XOXO M

Skin Saver

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Suffer from super dry skin? Lately I have been trying out new skincare products and they've started giving my normally oily skin dry patches! Cold weather may also be causing your skin to dry out, which is why it is even more important to moisturize your skin in these cold months. My secret weapon to combating dry skin is...Jojoba Oil!

Pronounced hoh-hoh-bah, this natural oil is great for your skin and hair. It mimics human sebum, or your natural body (especially face) oils, which is why it works so well. It tricks your skin into believing it has produced enough oils (which is good for people with oily skin) while also adding back a lot of moisture (for those dry skinned girls!). Different uses for jojoba oil are: moisturizer, makeup remover, conditioner and massaging. Some people also claim it is very helpful in clearing up acne. Personally, I don't find that it necessarily clears my acne, but it doesn't cause any new breakouts for me.

The jojoba oil I use is the 100% Pure Jojoba Oil from Trader Joe's. I don't recall the exact price but I believe it was under ten dollars. I will add about three drops to my moisturizer for all over moisture or put some on a cotton ball to focus on certain patches.

I definitely recommend this to all skin types to try out. Let me know your favorite natural remedies in the comments!

XOXO M

Rain Check

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With the weather starting to get chillier and the rain clouds moving in, it is easy to slip into a "sweatshirt everyday" mode. Draw some inspiration from these outfits I pulled together that will keep you comfy, warm and cute! These probably aren't the best idea for snow, but I don't live where it snows so I can't help you out there. The worst weather here is strong winds and rain, and these are some of the outfits I would wear on a cold day!

Tips to Stay Warm

- LAYER LAYER LAYER! I will layer and t-shirt under a sweater under a jacket. Adding tights or leggings under jeans will help keep your warm and from the gross feeling of wet denim!

- Take advantage of boots! Wear fuzzy socks to keep your toes warm, and no one will even know!

- Wearing a hat keeps heat escaping from your body, and a lot of heat escapes from your head (also from your feet), so covering those parts of your body will keep you extra warm! You'll notice the difference!

This is one of my favorite looks and I wear similar outfits often! I love the look of a leather jacket with a zip up underneath and the hood hanging over. It's just so cute! Some extra things to keep you warm that I added were a thermal top and some leggings. I love these boots, I wear them constantly! The mittens are a cute touch and will keeps your fingers warm! I also recommend a backpack or a larger back for when it rains, you don't want to be carrying around your binders and have your papers get all wet!

For the girl who doesn't want to give up fashion for bad weather, this is the outfit for you! The red cape is a great, bold color and I put a knit sweater underneath to keep warm. These rain approved wedges are to die for! The hat and the scarf are nice touches that look cute and will also keep you warm. The quilted bag, while it may not be very functional for rain, is super cute with this look. My favorite part is the clear bubble umbrella! I have one of these, not with the black trim, that I always bring when it rains. They are good for covering your face and look so chic! The only downside is that they aren't compact and you'll have to carry it around, but I think it's worth it!

Keeping up with a girly style in the rain can be tricky, but here's a good idea of how to maintain your femme look. The polka dot dress and the sweater look super adorable together and if you layer underneath will keep you cozy. Adding tights or leggings will keep your legs from freezing and I also found these cute blue leg warmers! These little oxford flats would look really cute, but if the rain is coming down hard, there is always a part of me that is drawn to a cute rain boot (especially these Burberry ones!) I love the mustard yellow and navy color combo, so thats why I added the bag.

For the  little girl in your life, whether that be younger sister, daughter, niece, etc., I put together this cute outfit that will help brighten up a gloomy day! I choose pink just as an example, but I think it would be really adorable if you did it with the girls favorite color! The puffer jacket will definitely keep you warm. I added a knit hat, scarf, gloves, and these polka dot rain boots! Underneath, you could go with a sweater and some fuzzy socks.

I hope you have some inspiration for you next rainy day! Let me know if you tried any of these outfits.

Follow my Polyvore, that's where I put together these outfits!

XOXO M

Feeling Furry

Getting those invites to holiday parties yet? I had one last night, and I thought I might as well do a quick blurb on my outfit! I put the top half of my outfit on a mannequin I have, I thought it might look kinda cute in pictures, tell me what you think! This isn't the warmest outfit, (I don't live where it snows or anything), but it's definitely very fashion forward! 

The Clothes

Sheer Black and Nude Polka Dot Button Up Blouse - H&M

Faux Fur Vest - Target (only $24.99! I got this from the kids section... I know right?!? Somehow, I fit into it ;)

Dark Wash Skinny Jeans - Forever 21

Riding Boots - Steve Madden "Intyce" <-- Click the link to see a pic!

Leave any comments or questions below! 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin' 

and this blog! Lots of love!

XOXO M

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Haven't any idea what to get your family or friends for the Holidays? Whether you'd like to splurge on a gift or grab something cheap and quick, there are tons of options to choose from. You don't even have to buy the exact things I show. You can always go cheaper (or more expensive) but keep the idea!

Shoes of Prey

 Here are just some images I have compiled of my favorite shoes of the moment!

And also...Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I just cant resist all the different lace-up shoes this season! First off, just your normal heeled bootie with shearling trim. Secondly, the military inspired combat boot. Lastly, one of the many inspired Jeffery Campbell "Lita" Booties. 

In the dull winter months to come, add a pop of color to your life with a statement shoe. The best way to wear a colored shoe is just your classic pump. These bright colors may remind you of summer, but in the winter they'll look extra bold.

Probably one of the best ways to add some holiday cheer to your look is adding a sparkly shoe. There are glitter, rhinestone, studded; the list goes on and on. There are tons of different styles to wear these shiny shoes in and they all look super fabulous! 

Nailed It!

I just got four new nail polishes from the store this evening. Just want to do a quick post on them because they are literally amazing. Well, I mean, from the one I've tried. All four are from Revlon, to which I also have to add: I love the packaging of their nail polish, it just looks so nice for a drugstore brand!

I used the one in the bottom right, Gold Coin. It's gorgeous! It's not too gold though, which I like. It almost has a little green and silver, or as Rachel Zoe would say, "Gilver," which make this polish really unique. And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it is so opaque, I only used one coat! This stuff is great and I can't wait to try the others! I totally recommend these!

Top (Left-Right): Pure Pearl, All Fired Up

Bottom (Left-Right): Copper Penny, Gold Coin

White Collar

Reading through a magazine last night, I noticed a lot of the big knit sweaters, which was understandable, considering it's winter time. However, I noticed a small detail that I thought was a cool twist on just a plain sweater. A peek-a-boo collar! This look is a great mix of feminine, menswear, classy, and especially comfy! 

I got these images off of Polyvore, and with my Photoshop skills I cut the collared shirts down to make it appear that they were peeking out of the sweaters. This can really work with any collared shirt and sweater you have, just make sure the width of the neckline and the size of the collar is somewhat proportional. By that I mean that if you have a sweater with a really long neckline, like it could almost pass as an off the shoulder, a shirt with a larger collar will generally look a bit better. I also love it when the collar sits over the hem of the neckline!

In the first image (top left), I used a very basic sweater and this great mustard/marigold button up. I love that the collar is rounded and since the sweater is a bit of a scoop neck, keep the shirt underneath buttoned up all the way. You may think you'll look almost too conservative, but I promise you, it almost even adds a girly touch.

In the second (top right), was just your normal sweater, very run-of-the-mill design and shape. But I added this larger rounded collar that even have embellishment of it to add a little pizzaz and sparkle! The shine against the cozy knit screams trendy.

The third sweater (bottom left), I used a very chunky cream knitted sweater. I like that the knit details are very large on this sweater. The colors of the medium wash denim and the cream sweater are a great combo and with some skinnies and black booties could look extra edgy.

The last sweater (bottom right), has a deeper "V" neck. Because of this, you'll have even more room to house a bigger collar. I used a big bow tie collar, again mixing cream and blue. It's extra cute if you have a bow with even longer tails so they fall down over the sweater!

Hope you had some new inspiration to re-wear your favorite sweaters this season! Enjoy XOXO M

Ruby in the Rough

I love the warmth of jewel tones, especially in the winter. For holiday season, going with these rich hues will definitely stand out amongst the crowd at any get together. There are many ways to incorporate jewel tones into your outfits, through makeup, clothing, accessories, etcetera. Here are a few looks I put together as inspiration.

By the way, I created these photo sets off of Polyvore, follow me! I also would like to throw out there, that the clothes I used are not necessarily the clothes I'd recommend, seeing most of them are pretty pricey. I just looked through the pictures till I found ones I liked; these are just for inspiration.

Make Your Mochas at Home!

I have tried for literally years to perfect the art of making a Mocha Latte! Until yesterday, I discovered how to make one with only three ingredients and it tastes delicious! It still isn't Coffee Bean good (I have this joke that I want to work there for like a day so I can figure out how they make theirs and then quit and just make it for myself, shh don't tell ;), but to warm me up for the winter, it's great!

The main component of this is a mocha powder. I know that sounds really obvious but I thought I'd be able to get it right with some coffee and chocolate. Compared to this, boy!, was I wrong. I recently got this Maxwell House: International Cafe Suisse Mocha Powder from the grocery store. This is the only powder I've tried but I saw others there as well so keep your options open! One of the main reasons I got this was also that is decaf which is good for when I want a hot drink before bed.

Winter Makeup Trends

1. Smokey Eyes + Dark Lips: Normally, when doing a dark lip or a harsh eyeshadow look, we opt for a more natural version of it's opposite. However, mixing the two can create a sultry and smokey look as long as you do both in complementary ways. Pick colors that can play off each other or are in the same color family. As in the first picture, the red-violet lips hint at a gorgeous jewel tone that is also used in the bronze eyes.

2. Eyeliner: With all the different options for eyeliner out there, this trend has endless possibilities. This look was seen with a more bare face or a light pink flush. You could also go towards the more frosty colors. My personal favorite is winged liner because I feel that it suits me the best. Play around and try to find your favorite formulation and style of eyeliner for this season!

3. Natural Makeup: However weird this may sound for winter, natural makeup really dominated much of the runway. Keep your face makeup light and use eyeshadow sparingly. Add some bold lashes and maybe a frosty white in the inner corner and you'll be looking as fresh as the first snow of the season.

4. Bold Brows: No matter how many times you've heard it before, brows really do frame your face. If you are new to brow shaping and grooming. I recommend going with your natural shape this can be found by holding one of your makeup brushes vertically against you nose, it should line up with the beginning of your eyebrow. From the outermost corner of your nostril, hold the brush at an angle to is intersects your pupil if you were to be looking straight forward, and that should be where your arch is. Lastly, going again from the corner of your nostril, line up the brush with the outer corner of your eye, and that is where your brow should end. Speaking of the end of your brow, another thing to try is elongating your brows, or going further than your natural end if you are feeling extra bold.