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?

Would You? Wednesday...

Today is a continuation from last Friday's post because I can't seem to get sweaters off my mind! Now typically I'm drawn to a more trendy and edgier approach when it comes to my style but lately I'm loving that all-American/New England prep look. I find myself wanting to throw on some riding boots, a plaid button down and cover up with a comfy sweater like these! (That is, if it ever decides to cool down!) I'll admit, they are slightly reminiscent of that "hideous" Christmas sweater you'd receive from your Grandma every year. But I just can't help but love these bold Nordic prints! How about you, would you? 

*Here is a little more inspiration for ya! Have you checked out this gorgeous gal Sarah? She's half of the talent behind Keil James Patrick. Both her and her boyfriend are probably to blame for my obsession for this look! They just make these sweaters look so classic and chic!
Hope your all having a fantastic week!

P.S. I'll be adding The Vickers' Bow to my Christmas list! :)

A Dose of Something Wicked...

Here is a little photo recap from the "Something Wicked" Halloween party I attended. It's an annual event that my friends throw every year and this year was bigger than ever! The guys put in so much hard work and planning and we all had tons of fun!

It's the day before and we all still do not have costumes...what do we do? Well, a couple trips to our local Goodwill's and what do you get? Three's Company! Come and knock on our door...

#notimpressed

 So my friend Megan dressed up as a gymnast (not anyone in particular) but all night everyone just assumed she was dressed as Mckayla Maroney. She didn't even know who Mckayla was! haha...So we googled her and explained that she was famous for her "not impressed" face after winning silver at the Olympics. The resemblance was spot on so she just went with it like she had planned it all along. If your not familiar check out the funny YouTube video here.

And here are some group shots taken by the photographer at the party!

Gymnast, caveman, stadium "beer guy"

Some Indians, "50 Shades of Grey", military man and woman, a member of Duck Dynasty, a gypsy, Mckayla Maroney, beer guy and an Air Force chick!

Until next year!

Check out last year here.

A Dose of Sweater Love...

Today's Friday's Fancies is all about showcasing our love for sweaters! And as you can see, I'm crushing on several different sweater trends this season! So cozy up, take a peek, and tell me what style you will be shopping for this Fall!

Sweater Love by loux2 featuring a dip dye shirt

Sweater Love II by loux2 featuring an oversized cardigan

Sweater Love III by loux2 featuring a cat sweater

Happy Friday! I hope your week was filled with more treats than tricks! Have a great weekend!