Christmas Round-Up Part 1

It's hard to believe Christmas is over already! With all the commercials and music on the radio and the huge sales, most of us can't wait til the day arrives and when it's over, it always seems like it went by too fast.
Luckily, I had a very good Christmas yesterday. My parents, sister and I always spend the day with just the four of us and I like it that way. We don't rush to wake up and tear open the presents so we had a nice long breakfast and opened our stockings and then got dressed before we opened our gifts.
I got quite a few great things, including a sweater from Abercrombie & Fitch, grey Bearpaw boots, sparkly blue tights and a nice necklace from American Eagle. I also got a gift card to AE for $50 and I'm looking forward to a day of shopping later this week. I'll post all the pics of my new stuff soon. But my best gift would have to be the iPod Touch 4th generation! I've wanted it since my sister bought the 3rd gen for herself over the summer but the 4th gen is even better since it has a camera and a FaceTime app, which is similar to Skype. My mom's planning on getting a Touch, too, so she can FaceTime me when I'm away at school.
Hopefully I can take some good pictures with it and it'll be easy to use on the go, instead of having to take all my outfit shots at home.
After the presents were opened, we watched part of the "A Christmas Story" 24-hour marathon on TBS (favorite Christmas movie ever!) and then my dad, sister and I took a walk around the neighborhood while my mom made dinner. It was quite chilly but there was no snow so it was a refreshing walk. After dinner, we played a ridiculously fun game called Quelf and then had a pretty quiet rest of the night. It was a really good day.
Did you have a good Christmas? What made yours special? Did you give or get a really nice present? Tell me all about it!

Christmas Inspiration

Can you believe in exactly three weeks, it will be Christmas? And in four weeks, it will be a brand new year? Neither can I--this year's gone by pretty fast. It's hard for me to grasp that over six months ago, I graduated from high school and I started my freshman year of college nearly four months ago. I guess I can understand what my parents think when they say that just yesterday I was playing dress up and enjoying elementary school! Well, I can't deny it anymore--the calendar says December and it's definitely time to start getting ready for Christmas. I already have a mini tree on my desk, I've been listening to Christmas music on Pandora and enjoying the seasonal Starbucks drinks (peppermint mocha frappuccino, anyone?) Now it's time to start dressing for the occasion!

I put together two outfits--one to wear on Christmas Day, celebrating the holiday with family, opening presents and taking part in other traditions; and one to wear to a festive party or special event.
First up, the party outfit. Instead of sticking with the usual dress or miniskirt, why not try a pair of polished shorts? The AE Sequin Party Shorts ($49.50, online only) are the perfect glammed-up shorts--they're black, which looks great with everything, and sequins are definitely appropriate for the season! Pair them with a simple open cardigan, such as Hollister's Solana Beach cardigan in red ($39.50), and a cute ruffly tank (Westward Beach, $24.50, pink). Don't forget the tights (in black) and a pair of stand-out shoes (try the Nine West Felma in dark red from Zappos.com, $62.27) and you'll be sure to turn heads at any party!
For a simple but adorable outfit that'll look great in all the family photos you're sure to take on Christmas, try a wintery cardigan, like the AE Snowflake Toggle Sweater ($69.95). If you'd prefer to skip out on the red-and-green-overload that this season tends to bring, just buy the sweater in new bell navy--the snowflake pattern will still make it work. Layer a basic white cami underneath (AE Lacy Cami, $24.50, chalk), throw on a pair of light wash destroyed skinnies (AE Skinny Jean, $49.50, medium vintage destroy) and you're ready to exchange gifts!
Of course, no outfit is complete without a few (or a lot of) accessories. The holidays are all about sparkle and shine, so make sure your extras reflect that. For a party, don't leave without a pretty clutch, such as Coach's Madison Leather Checkbook Wallet in silver ($238)--it has enough room to store your essentials, such as credit cards and ID, plus some breath mints for that kiss under the mistletoe! For the big day, don't skimp on the jewelry. Try something simple but blingy, such as the AE Love Script Necklace ($15.50) or the AE Sparkle Fringe Drops earrings ($15.50). Either will help you stand out and shine on this special day.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!