A Dose of a Wishlist...

Happy Friday gals. This week has been a crazy one but one filled with so many great moments! Tuesday I celebrated my birthday with family and friends, last night I went to a concert (Dustin Lynch)/ugly sweater party and tonight my family is having our annual Gingerbread house decorating party! In the midst of all that, I managed to finish my Christmas shopping finally! Whew! I'll be doing a recap of all those festivities after the holiday madness dies down a bit. But I figured today I would share a few things I put on my Christmas wishlist.  What did you wish for this holiday season?

 

Since I probably won't be posting again until after the holidays I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you for reading this silly blog of mine and taking the time to comment. It really does make my day! Cheers!

A Dose of Lou...

Here is a bit of what I've been up to during this holiday season so far!

A night at the ballet.

Since my sister, my mom and myself all have December birthdays we plan a fun outing every year to celebrate together. Usually it's a play, music event etc. This year it was The Nutcracker ballet! It was my first time attending a professional ballet and it was so beautiful. #missedmycalling :) We started with dinner at Province and ended with a late night dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. Seeing the Nutcracker made me feel like I was 6 years old again. Oh nostalgia, I live for that stuff! It was a great night and I highly recommend checking out all the performing arts opportunities that Downtown Phoenix has to offer! Especially during the holidays!

Cocktails at The Phoenician and party time with Meg.

A Christmas party was the perfect occasion to finally bust out my faux leather skinnies. I wish I had a better picture of them but they have ankle zippers and fit like a glove...and they're from Forever 21! Score. So the party was highly entertaining. White elephant gifts included; a snuggie, a neck strap for your wine glass (hands-free!) , a beer bong (complete with a Coors light), an industrial flashlight, a donation to the "human fund" (Seinfeld reference) etc. And we may or may not have given and/or received some of those! P.S. The Phoenician is an insanely beautiful resort. The entire place was decorated for the holidays. Kinda looks like we are in a forest of Christmas trees huh!?

Christmas tree decorating.

Please take note of Meg's flip flops, tank top...and scarf! Ha! That's Arizona winter for you.

Our finished product. Pretty dang good if I do say so myself.



And on a side note, I was cleaning out my purse the other day and came across this. 9! Count em, 9 varieties of lipstick in one purse. Really!? How many does a girl need at one time? Please tell me I'm not the only one who is hoarding lip gloss. How many are currently in your purse? Spill it!

And more birthday fun to come!

Tomorrow is my birthday (eek!) so I'm celebrating by taking the day off work and spending quality one-on-one time with my nephew! I couldn't think of a better way to spend my day! Then tomorrow night, a birthday dinner with all my good friends! So excited to see all my favorite faces in one room!

Heartbreak...

I know the details are still pouring in, but I am devastated to hear about the tragic shooting that took place at a Connecticut elementary school this morning. Innocent children, it's just...I really don't even have words. For all those affected, the holiday season will never be the same. It really makes all this gift giving, shopping, decorating etc. seem so insignificant. So take some extra time in the coming days to say a prayer for the heartbroken, hug your loved ones a little tighter, hold your babies a little longer, and give thanks.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/14/15907407-elementary-school-massacre-26-dead-including-18-kids-in-connecticut?lite

A Dose of Elin...

First off, I gotta thank you guys for your feedback on WYW post regarding bangs! Most of you said go for it and I was totally on board...that was until I watched the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Guys, I couldn't take the plunge. I was lead astray by all those gorgeous bang-less beauties. Sooo I decided to take another route. See below!

 So this was the little inspiration collage I showed my hair dresser aka best friend. Isn't Elin Kling just gorgeous? Major hair envy. And that signature front hair flip thing she has going on...love it.

Here is the finished look. And this is my best attempt at the Elin Kling hair flip. :) I wish I had a before picture but let me tell you it wasn't good. My roots had grown out so much that my friend said it looked ombre. Ha! I took about 6 inches off (major for me!) and added some swoopy (I'm sure that's the official term) layers around the front. Ta-da! A whole new woman.

Would You? Wednesday...

With the lackluster winter we've been having here, I can't help but look ahead a few months towards spring. I'm sure a few of you located in the Midwest or East coast might be a little depressed by the idea that your spring and summer wardrobes are a long ways away, so I apologize in advanced. :( But today's trend up for debate is bermuda shorts. These were all over the S/S 2013 runways! Most styles were updated with a more relaxed, over sized and slouchy feel to them. And I gotta say, I'm loving it. Now it's your turn, would you..or will you be wearing bermuda shorts come spring?

J. Crew S/S 2013

 

 Rachel Zoe S/S 2013

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*On a funny note: I remember reading a quote from guest editor Victoria Beckham (whom I love!) in the September issue of Glamour magazine, she stated that bermuda shorts are one of her fashion "don'ts" and prohibited them from being featured in the magazine. Hmmm, I wonder if she would still stand by that? What do you think?

A Dose of Holiday Cheer...

With only about 2 weeks left until Christmas (eek!) it's time to get those holiday cards in the mail asap! If you haven't yet don't worry, you're in luck! Today I've rounded up a few of my favorites for you guys. Because who doesn't love receiving a thoughtful or funny card!? I know I do, and those gorgeous gold and black ones are at the top of my list! Which one is your favorite? 

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Now go start sending some holiday cheer! :)

A Dose of Plaid...

What a busy week I tell ya! With the weekend just around the corner can we all take a deep breath and let out a collective sigh...ok now that's better. Let's get to it, shall we!?
I was excited for this weeks' Friday's Fancies because as you read earlier this week, I'm loving all things plaid! Especially cropped plaid trousers! And since we are all in the holiday spirit around here, my outfit is a little bit festive. Perfect for a work or family gathering I think! Speaking of, I have my first Christmas party to attend tonight! Sooooo you might just find me hanging out under the mistletoe wearing those cute "kiss me" studs. Company is welcome. (Tall, dark and handsome company.)  ;) Cheers.

Some more plaid inspiration for you!

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A Dose of Crafty...

Attention all Arizona gals! Frances and Smeeks is hosting their annual Crafeteria this Friday Dec. 7th! If you've never paid a visit to either of these amazing shops in Phoenix, they are definitely a must! I attended Crafeteria last year and boy oh boy..so many great holiday gifts! Unfortunately I won't be able to attend this year due to a Christmas party but I just had to share this with you all! So go check it out and mark some items off that Christmas list!

For more info and daily giveaways leading up to the event go here.

Would You? Wednesday...

It's the holiday season and how much more festive could you get than tartan?! I've been spotting this distinctive plaid pattern everywhere these days. And I'm loving it on about everything! From clothing to accessories, I think it makes any outfit winter chic. Now what about you? Would you wear tartan for the holidays?

Can we talk about how cute that sequined Coach wristlet is!? It would make a perfect Christmas gift for your fashionable friend, mother, daughter, or even your favorite blogger...just sayin. :) Find it here along with other cute options!

Happy Wednesday!

A Dose of Holiday Glam... (Part 2)

It's time for part two of my favorite looks for this holiday season. And of course no list would be complete without some sparkle! My favorite of this bunch would have to be the silver sequined skater dress from TopShop (and it's on sale!). I'd love to hear which one is your favorite!

 

 

Check out Part 1 here. Now which of the four trends will you be trying this season?

A Dose of Holiday Glam... (Part 1)

December is here and that means my calendar is chalk full of events! Birthday parties (my own included!), Christmas parties, an evening at the ballet, and before you know it, New Years Eve! Of course all of these call for the perfect dress. So today I'm sharing part one of my favorite picks for this holiday season. Does anyone have an exciting holiday plans on the horizon? If so, will you be trying either of these trends?

Would You? Wednesday...

Ok ladies, for this weeks' WYW I need your help/advice! Ever since graduating high school I've been growing out my hair. It's been blonde, brown, (even black, for like a day), ombre and everything in between. But I've never done anything drastic when it comes to cutting it. A few layers here and there but that's about it. Lately though, I'm getting the itch. You know what I'm talking about? It's the, "I need to do something with this mess right now or I might go crazy and cut it myself itch." Ya, that one. So please, before I do something drastic help me decide! Bangs or no bangs? What...you thought I was gonna go all Miley/Anne Hathaway on you? Ha. Baby steps gals.

I don't know why but I drawn the these particular retro looks. So what do think? Do you like them? Do you have them? Did you regret getting them a week later? Spill!

A Dose of Thanksgiving...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! I woke up early and ran the Turkey Day 5K in downtown Phoenix on Thanksgiving morning. I was feeling a little under the weather but still managed to run a personal best. It was a perfect way to start the day and made me feel a tad bit better about stuffing my face later in the day! :) The rest of the weekend was spent doing some Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew, lots of relaxing and I even managed to clean out my closet! It was long overdue! And you would think with all that extra closet space and the abundance of hangers I might have went crazy on Cyber Monday, but I somehow managed to refrain from buying anything for myself! *pat on the back* Anyone score any awesome Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals?

Last week I can across The Glossy Life's cute DIY and remembered I had burlap left over from a baby shower...a few hours later, and boom.

(You can see more snipits of my Thanksgiving weekend on Instagram @doseoflou)

And I had to add this picture because Miss B cracks me up with this adorable face.

Happy Tuesday!

Would You? Wednesday...

The holidays are here and I can't even believe it! It's been in the 80's this week so forget about those scarfs and chunky sweaters! This Thanksgiving I'll need something festive that won't have me sweating by noon. I'm thinking shorts and tights would be perfect. It gives me an excuse to wear those summer duds one last time. (Hopefully.)

 Denim cut-offs and colored tights can be a great casual option for hanging with the family during the day.

And for something a little dressier in the evenings, leather shorts, printed tights and a blazer would do the trick!

Now what do you think? Would you try shorts with tights?

*I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! It was last year on Thanksgiving that my nephew surprised us by saying he was "thankful for the baby in mommy's tummy" and now here I am a year later with the cutest, most sweetest lil niece ever. I can't even imagine our family without her. Those two lovies have brought us all so much joy this year so I know I have plenty to be grateful for this season. :)

A Dose of Volunteering...

This past weekend I checked another item off my Fall To-Do list. I volunteered for Ironman Arizona! It's definitely the coolest, biggest, most intense and inspiring sporting events I've ever witnessed. It's held in Tempe and around 2500 athletes participated along with thousands of volunteers. If you remember, I had a friend who competed in an Ironman back in May and I was a spectator but to be on the other side of things was a totally new experience. To see how much time, energy, money and heart goes into these events is just awesome! You get to see young athletes in there twenties all the way to the 78 year old man who made it across the finish line with minutes to spare! Now if that's not motivation then I don't know what is! Congrats to all the athletes who competed and good luck to my friend Nick who signed up for next year's race!

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Would You? Wednesday...

With holiday parties on the horizon I've been eyeing tulle skirts as a fun and festive option! Made popular by Miss Carrie Bradshaw, the tulle skirt can be dressed up or down but always makes a statement! What do you ladies think? Would you try a tulle skirt for a holiday party? Or any ole' day for that matter? Because who needs a special occasion in order to play dress up, right? ;)

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Love it? Shop these fabulous options:

Athropologie offers several options like this $188 and this $128

Opening Ceremony $138

BCBG $118

Threadsence $42

PB&J Boutique $39

A Dose of Bonfire Attire...

Happy Friday all! Today things are getting toasty over at Long Distance Loving because the theme this week is Bonfire Beauties! I was excited for this look because I can't wait to cozy up around a campfire soon to roast some marshmallows. It's actually one of the items on my Fall To-Do list! For my look I made sure to include a warm cardigan, comfy leggings, minimal jewelry (campfire themed of course), a cozy beanie and some sensable (and cute) boots! I'd say this is pretty foolproof outfit! 

 

Here are few more looks that I think would be perfect for the occasion!

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Hope you all have a great weekend! I don't have anything too exciting planned and will be taking it easy. But what about you? Any exciting plans?