LATEST LOOT

*note - Wrote this post last week and forgot to post.  There are so many other great deals out there now, but M and I are on a strict budget in preparation for the new house {eeeeekkkk}...

All of these holiday deals have enticed me to pick up a few things for myself.  :/  Whoops!  Here are some of my latest additions to my wardrobe.  

J.Crew Polka Dot Ponte Dress - Got it for 25% off on Black Friday!

Recently wore it to a friend's engagement party...see the look here.

J.Crew Loomknit Sweatshirt - Ordered this Sunday for 30%off

Originally $69.50, mine for $20.93 plus tax!

J.Crew Sequin Stripe Tee - Also got this on Sunday.

Originally $128, mine for $41.99!

Factory Double-Serge Wool Mini - Ordered this one day with 30% off then again the next day when it was upped to 40% off!  Haha!

Factory Classic Button-Down - Layered it under a pea green v-neck the other day, see the look here.

GapFit Breathe V-Neck Tee - I now have this in FOUR colors!  It is so soft and loose enough to feel flattering, even on chubby days.  I wear it to Barre class or on a run.

LOFT Metallic Colorblock Sweater - Got this is one of those rare (#sarcasm) LOFT sales...40% off!  My sister tried to talk me out of it...it's a bit boxy, not super flattering.  I just let the comfort of it override that!  Wore it in a layered look, check it out!

LOFT Sequin Detail Striped Cotton Tee - Can't get enough nautical striped tees...

Madewell Lily Lace Dress - Actually got this in red to wear to the aforementioned engagement party, but the bride was wearing red as well!  I kept it around for a holiday party - the silhouette is timeless.  p.s. I think it was 25 or 30% off that day

{update...see my final look here}

Target Vianca Tuxedo Flats - Not super comfortable but love the look!  I wasn't sure how much I would wear a smoking loafer so I wanted my first pair to be cost effective (aka cheap!).  I've already worn these a ton though.  I most recently wore them for a tacky xmas pub crawl!

Now that I see it all laid out there, I feel like I've been naughty in the shopping department!  Whoops!  

Safe spending - Sarah

NEW NEW ENGLAND FIND

By tracking down the source from a pin, I stumbled upon the blog Classy Girls Wear Pearls...I am obsessed!!!  She mostly pulls from J.Crew or other preppy outfitters like Brooks Brothers and Barbour.  After thoroughly stalking her posts and instagram, I am guessing she dates Kiel James Patrick who is a designer with his own line!

It is all inspired by his summers spent in New England and it is just screaming Blair Waldorf!  Sadly, M and I are on a saving spree to prep for the new house, or else I would have ordered one of each of the following {my recommendations}:

Scarlett O'Hara Vickers Bow $58          |        Black Pearl Anchor Wrap $40

Winch Weather Bitt Anchor Bracelet $38      |        Kaspicks Sail Charts Silk Wrap $40

Barnstable Cape Codder Bag $138          |      Sherronex Tightline Silk Earrings $22

Have you ever ordered from this company?  Any information to share?
Wishing I was a New Englander - Sarah

CHRISTMAS KINDNESS

I made out like a bandit this year!  Everyone did such a fab job Christmas shopping...here some of the gifts I received!  

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Notes:

1 - Perfect for stacking with the bracelet I got last year from my sister!  {Thanks to M's aunt}

2 - I actually got this gorgeous coat in retro jade like I'd wanted but after trying it on, I decided I wanted something a bit shorter and less dressy so I'm swapping for this trench version.  {Thanks Mom & Dad}

3 - {Thanks M's mom}

4 - Are these animals freakin' adorable or what? {Thanks Mom & Dad}

5 - Ugh...I have gone through so much anxiety over these.  Couldn't figure out if I liked them on me or not.  Mom also ordered the classics from L.L. Bean and let me pick which one I wanted to keep.  The L.L. Bean boots were too wide for my narrow foot and didn't have the shearling lining.  I pinned a few inspiration looks and am gonna just step out of my box in these!  {Thanks Mom & Dad}

6 - SO warm and SO lightweight!  {Thanks Mom & Dad}

I got a few other goodies but these were the standouts for me!  What did you get this year?

-Sarah

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's here!  It's here!  M and I will be changing some of our traditions this year...it's the first year we're sharing holidays.  Most of our favorites aren't going to be compromised though, thank goodness.   Here's the shakedown:

Christmas Eve afternoon - Church with M's family

Christmas Eve night - Party with M's family friends.  I'll be wearing this red lace Madewell dress over black tights  to both events.  I'll pair it with heels to church and boots to the party.  

Christmas morning - Gifts at M's house with his family followed by a brunch with friends and more family.  I'll wear this J.Crew combo {shirt and sweater} with jeans and Tory flats.  

Christmas afternoon - Hop in the car and head back to my parents' in Knoxville.  My sister, bro-in-law and niece {she's crawling!!!} will meet us there.  Then we have my favorite tradition - a Christmas fiesta!  Homemade enchiladas, quesadillas, salsa, and of course the MARGARITAS!  Dad has been perfecting his recipe all year so I can't wait to try it.  We'll do gifts after dinner and sometimes a game or watch a movie.  

What are your favorite traditions? -Sarah

CHRISTMAS FOR HUSBAND

Even though it's not Christmas yet, I shall reveal M's Christmas gifts.  :)  We are currently house-hunting so we decided to forego traditional gifts and just do stockings with a $50 limit.  Here is what I came up with:

J.Crew Boxers - $14.99 - 30% = $10.49

This is always a go-to when shopping for husband for any holiday!  I just love picking out a fun design <-- nerd comment.  There were others that I liked much more but this was the only one available in his size.  

Darn Tough Vermont Socks via J.Crew - $17 - 30% = $11.90

M travels to Montreal, Canada often so wool socks are just plain practical.

Griffin  iPhone Car Charger - $6.97
Husband broek mine so I ordered two - one for me and one for him!

StickyGram Instagram Magents - $14.99

This is an awesome website!  You pick out 9 Instagram photos and the send you a sheet of magnets.  This is almost a gift more for me than him...haha.  I included pictures of a couple of our travels but mostly of Max!

*First person to use code FRIENDGSSH gets $2 off!

Grand total:  $44.35 before tax!  Perhaps I will also grab a $5 giftcard somewhere.  :)

Nothing groundbreaking here but I think they will be fun!  

What are you getting for your loved ones?  -Sarah

CHRISTMAS LIST

There aren't a ton of things that I asked for this year.  I always like to ask for more than I know I will get so that there is still a surprise.  :)  Here are some of the things on my list this year:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Notes:

I don't want two coats, down jackets or pairs of boots.  I like to give options for the whole surprise thing.  

3 - This item inspired by this adorable look!

8 - Don't really need one...my 4 is still in good shape but I really want Siri!!!

And as always....anything from J.Crew!

What's on your list? - Sarah

CHRISTMAS CARDS

This was our first Christmas as a married couple so the card had to be fabulous!  Duh.  I found a fabulous card that I ordered from Tiny Prints.  I think they were having some sort of sale, but I don't remember what it was now.  

I went with this design in black, with rounded corners and red envelopes.  I was very impressed with the thickness of the envelopes, the timely delivery and the quality of printing!

Sadly, there were no matching address labels so I went with something similar.  

One thing that I didn't love about TP was that you can't move the text around on the picture.  There were some designs that I loved, but the text was printed at the bottom and that would've covered up my dress.   After ordering, I saw a couple of cards from Minted and think I will look into this site next year.  They are a bit more expensive but have more designs that I liked and more options for personalization.

What do your cards look like? -Sarah