1 dress 3 ways: holiday party style

Friends, the season of holiday parties is among us.

A very common predicament for many ladies I know is trying to figure out what to wear to holiday parties. Maybe you got invited to a house party with a few friends and then you've got an office cocktail party. Or perhaps a festive luncheon is on your radar?

I'm going to make a very bold claim today, y'all...

You can wear the same little black dress (henceforth LBD) to all of those events.

1 dress 3 parties by aprilanne147 featuring dooney & bourke

This LBD (Old Navy) can be dressed down or up depending on how you style it. In outfit 1, leatherette leggings, animal print flats/bag and a gold belt make the dress appear more casual...but still seasonally appropriate. In outfit 2, the dress is worn with bare legs and suede booties. A turquoise scarf and bag provide a nice pop of color and keep it from looking too dressy. In outfit 3, elegant jewelry and a sparkly clutch dress up taupe tights and pumps.

You can satisfy your wardrobe requirements for all of your holiday events with just 1 dress! 

Have a happy weekend, y'all!

if i were a (part 2)

I really enjoyed writing this post the other day.

And even though a lot of you didn't really read it, I still enjoyed being able to pause and reflect on how truly strange I am.

And then I said to myself, "Self, why stop with that post? Why not do more 'If I were a's?"

So, to use a catchphrase from one of my favorite dads..."there you go."

If I were a Pop Tart flavor, I'd be Chocolate Fudge. Fairly standard and common in the flavor lineup, but not as boring as apple cinnamon or strawberry.

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If I were a My Little Pony, I'd be Rainbow Dash (G3)...showing my nerd status here. But I'd be Rainbow Dash because she's spunky and reliable. Plus, she has rainbow hair and that's just plain awesome.

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If I were a shoe, I'd be these ballet flats. Practical fit and color, with a bit of glam and drama. 

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If I were a dog breed, I'd be a Lhasa Apso...kinda weird, but cute and sort of snuggly.

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If I were a picnic lunch I'd be fried chicken, potato salad, fruit and chocolate chip cookies. Because I'm southern with a sweet tooth. Get it?

Lastly, if I were a boy, I'd be...

...dead. I could never pee standing up.

The end.

OOTD: slightly nautical

Cardigan | Tank: Rue 21 (similar) | Jeans | Infinity Scarf: Handmade | Shoes: Target (similar)

Sometimes, outfits just "work". For me? This is just one of those...

-A nautical color combo (my fave)
-A navy scarf (my fave neutral)
-My win-win combo of cardigan + flats
-Mustard yellow...a color that I'm totally digging lately

Do you ever have those outfits that just work for you?

Linking up with Lindsey and Miriam.

holiday decorating

If you've been tuning in to TSF for any amount of time you know how much I love Christmas.

So, it's no real shocker that I've already decorated for Christmas. Here are a few snapshots from the decorations at my house...

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

holiday weekend review

Well, I think I'm STILL stuffed from this weekend. My family celebrated by traveling down to Charleston to visit my older sister and her husband (and dogs). I loved having a smaller Thanksgiving gathering with just immediate family.

Don't get me wrong, I love my HUGE family, but sometimes just hanging out with a smaller crowd is a little easier.

We had some DELISH food. Turkey, rolls, cranberry sauce, peas, sweet potato casserole, broccoli cheddar bake, broccoli slaw, mac & cheese, pumpkin pie, chocolate pecan pie and coconut creme cake. YUM!

Sweet Potato Casserole and Cheddar Broccoli Bake

I took Hewitt to my sister's house, so the cousins could hang out. But, lezbihonest...Hewitt is not the most social of dogs. His cousin Lucy was more afraid of him than anything. But, they coexisted...

My BIL (brother in law) got a new fancy, schmancy 3D tv.

So, my younger sis and I decided to try on the 3D glasses and watch a little bit of football. 'Tis a Thanksgiving tradition, after all...

Speaking of sister shots, here are a few from the weekend...

The three of us...also known as the Tech Triplets.

Linking up with Sami & Dana, Molly and Meg.

thankful

Today, a simple post.

Spending time with my family
An awesome job
Great friends
A precious dog
My car, Patty
My blog readers
Good health
My talents
Financial blessings
Favor
Great health insurance
Church
The Office
A great book
Chapstick
My camera
Freedom
Christmas decorations that are already up :)
Great-smelling candles
Allergy shots
My creativity
A cozy down comforter
For my extensive shoe and cardigan collection
For grace and forgiveness
For being Southern
For a roof over my head
A God who loves me

...for all these things I am THANKFUL.

Happy Thanksgiving Day, friends.

if i were a...

Well, apparently y'all didn't know it was "let's talk about April" week, did you?

Honestly, I didn't either until I read Jenn's post yesterday. Then I totally got the itch to do it myself. This one is way fun because I'm comparing myself to objects.

And I definitely love a good metaphor.

If I were a home, I'd be colonial style. Solid, sprawling, mostly white and fairly traditional.

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If I were a quote I'd be...

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If I were a handbag, I'd be a colorful Prada tote. Classic and elegant with a touch of whimsy.

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If I were a cocktail I'd be a Cosmopolitan. It's classic and fruity. HEH.

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If I were a piece of jewelry, I'd be pearl earrings. Classic (again!), white and round. :)

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If I were a dress, I'd be an A-line with sleeves. Oh, how I love sleeves. And stripes.

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If I were a celebrity I'd be Reese Witherspoon. I just love her.

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As you're reading this I'm thoroughly enjoying my time off from work today. I took a day off to prepare for tomorrow...so my day is filled with cooking, shopping, packing and all the sorts. Those of you that are working today, don't hate me too much! Also, stay tuned for a less shallow and more, you know, reflective post tomorrow. :)

Q & A

Me. Straight up. Well...maybe with a little teeth whitening in photoshop. ;)

I'm a pretty private person, normally. Actually, it's kind of not normal. But that's another post for another day.

But, for some reason, the "privacy" of The Internets (yes, I added an "s" to it...just go with it) makes me just want to spill my guts.

Though I normally don't do these types of Q & As, but when my girl Kelly tagged me and I read it, I figured I'd give it a try because this one, unlike many of the other ones I see doesn't have rules for you to tag 197 people, do 3 jumping jacks, comment and tweet your answers while standing on one leg.

Okay, maybe I'm over exaggerating...but y'all know those quiz things I'm talking about.

But, I'm gonna put my own spin on it. Because, that's how I roll. So, I won't be bothering y'all with the 11 facts about me part because, quite frankly I just don't want to lose any readers when I regale the saga that is my exciting and adventurous life. </sarcasm>

The Rules:

1. Every tagged person must tell 11 things about themselves. (Yeah...I won't be doing this.)

2. Answer the 11 questions that the person who tagged you asked.

3. Ask 11 questions for the 11 blogs that you are going to tag.

4. Mention the blog that tagged you but don't tag back.

My Questions From Kelly:
1. If you could only DVR one show, what would it be? The Office
2. What is your favorite movie and book? This is REALLY hard. I just...I can't. I can't pick one. Well, okay, I can. My favorite movie is Reign Over Me and my favorite book (other than the Bible...) is Pride and Prejudice.
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Bora Bora.
4. Christian Grey, Edward Cullen, or Mr. Darcy? Defend your answer ;-). Okay, this one is pretty easy. I haven't read the book, so no Mr. Grey. I'm a hardcore Team Jacobite, so no Mr. Cullen. I'd definitely pick Mr. Darcy if I had to choose from these three. Why? 1) Darcy is human...unlike Edward. 2) Darcy is normal, unlike Grey. 3) Darcy is filthy rich. (call me shallow!?!) Though I don't particularly care for brooding men, I'll take dark and brooding over weird with a complex and non-human/cold ANY DAY!
5. Rice pudding or tapioca? Um...neither. There is no chocolate in either of those things.
6. Congrats, you just won the lottery, big time. What are the first three things you do? Tithe. Pay off my debt and my parents' debt. Buy one of these while I donate my car to charity.
7. What's your favorite holiday recipe? Bonus points for sharing. Oreo FREAKING truffles. Recipe can be found here.
8. If people knew you outside the blogosphere, whats one thing that might surprise them about you? That I'm pretty shy?
9. What's one of your guilty pleasures? Magazines.
10. If you could have any dream job, what would it be? I would like to be the person that names streets. Or paint colors. I know, weird. But it would be awesome. 
11. What are you looking forward to the most in 2013? Meeting a man. A real one. It WILL happen. Say it with me, ladies. 

So, I'm not tagging anyone in particular. I'm tagging EVERYONE that reads my blog!! :) Yep, I took the easy way out. Just go with it. Here are my 11 questions for you to answer, should you choose to accept my challenge.

1. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
2. Colored Christmas lights or white Christmas lights?
3. What is your least favorite smell?
4. Do you have any pets?
5. What did you eat for dinner 2 nights ago?
6. What was your very first job?
7. If you could have any dream job, what would it be?
8. What was your favorite memory from 2012?
9. Daniel Radcliffe or Taylor Lautner? Explain.
10. Do you wear pajamas?
11. How many jobs have you had?

Tag! You're it!

OOTD: fall colors

Top: Marshall's (similar) | Long Cardigan: Old Navy (similar) | Jeans | Shoes: Rue 21 (similar) | Blazer: Limited (similar) | Bubble Necklace: JCrew via Ebay

I'm not a huge fan of orange and brown (deemed THE fall colors) but I felt it necessary to give them their proper place in a fall outfit post. The long cardi is more comfy but I think the blazer is more figure-flattering.

Please pardon the roots. Those are getting worked on this week. Consider my contribution to the fall color palette. ;)

Linking up with Meg, Molly, Lindsey and Miriam.

confessional friday

//1. I confess that this adorable creature has been consuming most of my free time this week. I mean...how can I resist this face? Especially when he brings me his "babies" to play.

He is totally side-eyeing me in the first photo.

//2. I confess that I'm kind of freaking out about what I'm going to wear to my company's Christmas cocktail party. I don't want to wear a cardigan (shocking, I know) because I wear cardigans all the time. I want to wear something different. I'm thinking lace. But I really don't know.

//3. I confess that when I started allergy shots this week, I was probably the oldest person in the shot waiting room. Yes, my friends, it was my 20-something self and various children aged 3 to 12. I occupied my time by reading the latest Highlights magazine.

//4. I confess that I changed the lock screen on my phone...to this picture. 

#sorrynotsorry #obsessed

//5. I confess that I already bought Christmas wrapping paper. My tree will be going up this weekend and y'all better believe I will have some wrapped gifts under there before Thanksgiving. 

'Tis the season.

//6. I confess that I might just have to go see Breaking Dawn Part 2 alone. I'm okay with that. Because I WILL see it. It's just a matter of time. #teamjacob

//7. I confess that I pretty much have an idea of what Christmas gifts to get EVERYONE on my list...except for my sister. She is THE hardest person to shop for. Sigh.

Do you have any hard-to-shop-for people in your life? Oh well, that's why I'm giving myself LOTS of time.

And to all of you, dear readers, a loveliest of weekends to you!

pretty things thursday

Happy Thursday!

How about some pretty little things to help get you through the day?

original photograph

gradient tights

original photograph


colorful cardis


watermelon raindrops


flamingo print

statement necklace

Come back tomorrow, y'all hear? :)