Wednesday 15 December 2021

Ageless Style: Five Holiday Looks & Link-Up


Welcome to the Ageless Style link-up which happens the third Thursday of each month.  This month Carrie from A Simple Lovely View choose the prompt of showcasing out holiday looks.  I had big plans of shooting a new to me dress but it didn't happen because life and also snap it got real cold around here!  So instead I am going to showcase five looks that I will be recycling throughout the holiday season.  Check them out and be sure to blog hop to see what the other ladies are wearing.  

#1 The Statement Outfit:  Is it the velvet red or the shimmery mantellic or the chunky gold plated necklace that makes the statement?  All of them independently are amazing but together they definitely have a WOW factor.    I loved this combination soooooo much.  The rich velvet really pops and complements the shimmer that the skirt provides.  Honestly, I don't think it's tooo much at all and I love this outfit and it always makes me feel beautiful.  If you don't have a pleated, metallic skirt in your closet you NEED one!




#2 Asymmetrical Ruffle Dress:  I wore this a few years ago at the holidays and it's still in my closet because it's just a beautifully fitted dress.  It pulls into the waist in just the right place and honestly makes me look curvy in a good way!  The asymmetrical ruffle pulls your eyes down so they don't linger tooo long on the tummy area which is a bonus for me.  Add a scarf for a little extra warmth.



#3 Stay Warm in a Sweater Dress:  This dress is OLD you guys but it's a keeper.  It's a bit tricky to see but the dress has like a sparkly thread through it that just makes it shimmer and shine in the most subtle way.  Pair it with leggings or go bare legs depending on your weather!


#4 Comfort for the Win:  This was a splurge for me last year and it's sadly sold out on the Smash and Tess website  but you can check out some of their other rompers here.  It's a burgundy, velvet romper and it's like pajamas in the best way.  You can read my post here, but I actually didn't like it at all when I first put it on but fell in love the more I wore it.  In fact I have been eyeing up the velvet green one because I love it so much.  How things have changed!  



#5 The Classy Look:  Although you may think this dress is black, it's actually navy and it's been used for many occasions.  I paired it up with rose gold jewelry from my favorite company Hillberg and Berk, and a beautiful shimmery pink duster.  This really is a classy look for church, Christmas dinner, holiday staff party, winter wedding or NYE. 




What will I wear this year?  I DON'T know but what I do know is that I am wearing the romper this weekend to celebrate Anya's birthday with  our families.  And I'll worry about the other outfits later on, but I clearly have a few to choose from.  

Now go check out all these amazing women and get inspired regardless of your age, style, location, and lifestyle.  



Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Bo ~ Bo's Bodacious Blog

Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin'

Carrie ~ A Simple Lovely Life

Blog | Instagram Pinterest | Facebook |

Daenel ~ Living Outside the Stacks

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |Twitter |

Joanna ~ My Slice of Life

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Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style

Blog | Instagram | Facebook |

Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle

Blog

Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Robin ~ Hello I am 50ish

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Sunday 5 December 2021

How to Set a Simply Elegant Christmas Table



I am glad to be back to my Monday posts!  Life finally seems to have returned to a more balanced paced or at least a pace I can manage.  Today I wanted to share how I decorated my holiday table for dinner last year.  I LOVE to host and I actually get lots of opportunities to host around the holidays as we celebrate Anya's birthday on Dec. 21st and then either Christmas and New Years is at my house.  Sometimes I go all in and other times I keep it simple.  There is room for all of it and over the years I've learned that no matter how fancy or simple it is, the only thing that truly matters is coming together with the people you love.  Last year just before Christmas, we had a complete shut down due to COVID and we weren't allowed to see anyone outside of our family.  It was devastating and I really wanted to make our home feel special and beautiful as our plans to come together with family changed once again.  This year thanks to science, we are all fully vaccinated and looking forward to celebrating together.  That feels good.  


Check out the post I wrote a few years ago about Tips and Tricks for hosting a holiday dinners here.  These tips and tricks are coming to you from a full-time working mom of two, a women who hosts on a moderate budget, and doesn't have infinite time to shop and decorate (but maybe one day).  LOL.

Now let's take a peak at how I spruced up my everyday dining table without breaking the bank.  What you need:

  • garland
  • candles of various sizes (tea lights, tall candle sticks and battery operated festive candles)
  • candle holders (
  • your best dishes (because what are you saving them for)
  • pine needles or rosemary, cloth napkin and twine
  • special cocktail and a good bottle of wine

The garland can be pricey but if you wait until the week before Christmas most places will already have it marked down and you can save some money.  Choose to go either with gold or silver as your color, which will make everything else come together easier.  I took a trip to Dollarama and bought all the candles and candle holders there.  I also just took a pair of scissors to our pine tree for the napkin settings.  The items I did splurge on were the drinks and obviously the food it self.  Our specialty drink was Reindeer Mule that I got from my sweet blogger friend Andrea from Living on Cloud Nine. I also splurged on a more expensive bottle of wine than I usually drink.  I love Quails Gate Merlot wine and it always reminds me of our wonderful trip to their winery a few years back, read all about it here.

Since I have all the items now, I plan to recreate this beautiful table setting again this year when I host Christmas Eve, although I haven't decided if I am going to be more casual and make appetizers  or a spiral ham dinner.  






My parents and us for Christmas 2021.  We snuck them in.

My parents and us for Christmas 2020.  We snuck them in for a little visit.  

May you find light and joy in the small moments of life.



What are your plans?  
What kind of host are you, simple or fancy?  
What is the best and hardest thing about hosting for you?

Wednesday 1 December 2021

Tween & Teen Gift Guide 2021



Tween and teens can be tricky to buy for especially if you are not looking to spend a million dollars on the newest technology trends out there, which sometimes Santa can help out with.  Each year my girls, currently almost 12 and almost 15, compile a list of items that are reasonably priced to give ideas to grandparents, aunts and uncles.  We don't like getting a bunch of stuff that will either be returned, donated  or tossed in a few months time.  Although usually your teens have a hobby that they are also really interested in such as dance, horseback riding is a big one for us, snowboarding, etc, this list is more generic to suit most teen girls go-tos for this holiday season.  Some of the items are old favorites such as gel polish that can last for up to two weeks, or candles, while other items are HOT this year such as the Oodie (see #3) or the Sunset Lamp (#1).  Also books are always a personal choice but I've linked two different YA sets that both of my girls have enjoyed and To All The Boys I've Loved Before has been made into a movie, while Shadow and Bone is a Netflix show!  Hope this is helpful to you!!!


Would you like to see anything else or different included next time?  Who is the hardest person to shop for on your list?

1 .  Sunset Lamp (Amazon $25)

2.  LED Strip Lights (Amazon $21)

3.  Harry Potter Oodie ($125); Urban Planet Oversized Hoodie ($20)

4.  Red Carpet Gel Polish Lamp Kit (London Drugs $80)

5.   Gel Polish Set  (Amazon $43)

6.  Candles from Bath & Body Works  ($25 for 3 wick or $15 for single wick)

7.  Colorblock Oversized Crew (Garage Clothing $40)

8.  Shadow & Bone trilogy ($39 or $13 for each book)

9.  To All The Boys I've Loved Before book set ($44 or $15 for each book)

10.  Rings  ($15)

11.  Hillberg and Berk Sparkle Balls ($50 - $80 depending on size)

12.  Airpods 2nd Generation (Amazon $150) 


I hope this helps you out this holiday season.  I also going to link-up a few past shopping guides for kids below.  




Gift Guide for 6 -8 Years Old Girls



Tween Girl Gift Guide


Tween & Teen Gift Guide