Holidays

This past Thanksgiving was very memorable for me because Ryan and I hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner in our new home, AND I survived my first turkey encounter. Well, meaning, that I cooked my first turkey and it turned out picture perfect - as you can see below in my before and after picture...I credit my success to all of the advice my family and friends gave me, and the Italian Food Network beauty, Giada. That girl knows what she's talkin' about!

You may be surprised, but the day after Thanksgiving I never go shopping. No way! My day-after-Thanksgiving-tradition is to decorate for Christmas. So, Ryan and I enjoyed a lazy morning, and spent the afternoon putting decorations up around the house.

This was a totally new and fun experience because it will also be our first Christmas in our own house. AND therefore we had to learn how to properly hang lights.

All I can say is thank goodness for staple guns. Amen!

Thanks to Ikea I found some rad wreaths for the three windows of our bright door.

I thought it would be fun to draw a Christmas tree on my chalkboard door too. I got the idea from a CB2 catalog. Although, their drawing was WAY better than mine. hehe.

If you haven't noticed yet, I don't really decorate in the usual Christmas colors. I love the idea of a modern Christmas. Case and point my white Christmas tree.

Oh, and you may be wondering why in the world it's way behind my couch...Well, let's just say my dog, Wendy, likes to eat ornaments.

BUT, I will say, I think we're going to get a real Christmas tree as the big day approaches because pine scented candles just don't do the trick. Of course, this tree will be wrapped in ribbon and lights only, and not tempting, shiny ornaments. =)

How was your Thanksgiving? What type of decorations are you doing for the holidays?

Thankful

There are SO many things to be thankful for each day let alone each year. One of those things is friendship. I'm so blessed to have such incredible friends! Growing up as an only child, I looked at friends like my family. Actually, I STILL look at my friends like my family.

Last week, one of my best friends in the whole world, Michelle, came to visit me along with her amazing husband Rob (You may remember Rob from all of the menswear posts).

Michelle and I went to high school together, have been in each others' weddings, and continue to remain close.

It was SUCH a sweet time of catching up! And, of course, I had to capitalize on the fact that these two are flippin' adorable and fashionable.

So, Gina Meola (another one I'm SO thankful for) and I put together a southern inspired anniversary shoot.

I styled them with fall and winter colors and clothing in mind. There are SO many southern inspired shoots out there, but they all seem to showcase the stereotypical sundress and jeans. I thought it would be fun to play with something different. A little more Billy Reid-esque, especially since Rob used to work there.

These are just some pics from my measly cell phone camera. I can't WAIT to share with you the finished product!

Until then, you can check out the inspiration board for the project and a sneak peek photo on Gina's blog.

Bargain Hunting Dress Code

Black Friday is almost here, and I can smell the bargains, especially since I did some huntin' today at my favorite place, Last Chance. Regardless of whether you're going to brave the madness on Friday, there's definitely a way to dress to maximize your shopping time and look cute in the process.

1. Slip-on shoes - wear shoes that are comfortable, and that you can slip quickly on and off of your feet. This will make trying on shoes a breeze. And if you live in a climate like Arizona, don't wear socks.

2. Wear jeans - Pick your favorite pair that you'll feel confident in. Jeans go with everything so you can easily try on tops and jackets with them. Plus, they are comfortable.

3. Nude strapless bra - No matter what the top is you know that a nude strapless will show you the most optimal look with any dress or top you try on. The color nude goes under black AND under white. So, if you don't have a nude strapless at least wear a nude bra with slim straps.

4. A solid camisole or Tank top - Wear a camisole or tank top. There are so many things that require a camisole underneath them, so you may as well be prepared. Plus, when you're trying on different bottoms, you'll have something that matches them on top to give you the full picture.

5. Cardigan - It's something that you can take off in a snap and it'll keep you warm when wearing that tank top. Plus, if you get too warm you can wrap it around your waist.

6. Body-cross bag - Using a purse that can go across your body will enable both of your hands to be free. Thus, you'll be able to better sort through those bargain bins AND you won't set your purse down and forget it.

NOTE: You also want to avoid wearing your hair up and bright lipstick. Your hair is bound to get messed up when trying things on, so just leave it down. Bright lipstick can definitely ruin clothes. Just go with gloss and a darker eye if you feel naked without color on your face. I would probably avoid jewelry too. Sometimes snags happen.

Now this outfit may not be the most fashion forward cutest outfit ever created. DUH! But this is going to make your shopping trip incredibly efficient, and it's comfortable while being cute.

Drama Earrings

Last year statement necklaces were the accessory that was the "must have" item to glam up your outfits, and this year it's all about statement earrings. As you are preparing for all of the parties this holiday season, think about adding a wow factor to your outfits with earrings.

They don't even have to be very expensive. One of my favorite places to shop jewelry trends is Forever 21. You don't have to feel guilty about following accessory trends with prices like $3.80 for a pair of awesome earrings. They have 600 pairs of earrings to choose from right now, so you're bound to find something to match your outfit.

I actually just popped my head into the store the other day and walked out with the beautiful earrings below. $15.00 was my grand total for accessories that I plan to get great use out of. Lately, I've really been loving big earrings with my hair in a bun, but regardless of the hairstyle these earrings look great every time.

The Method Behind The Madness - Evjen Christmas Photos

Being a stylist, I'm always behind the camera suggesting the clothes people should be photographed in. Well, I had my turn to step in front of the camera with my hubby for a photo session with our great friends Jason and Jessica from Session Nine Photography. Talk about pressure!!! Haha! I knew that all of my friends and followers would be waiting to see what I picked for our family photos, and this totally freaked me out. Granted, I had my mind pretty much made up as far as what I wanted to do, but I totally second guessed myself. I guess it's like when a graphic designer tries to design for their self - it's SOOO hard, but you could never ask someone else to do it for you. That would be like admitting failure.

I'm SOOOOOOOOO happy to say that I LOOOOVE the outfits I picked and how the photos turned out. I wouldn't have changed anything. They represent me and Ryan so well, and THAT'S exactly what the end result should be - photos that are interesting, beautiful and look like you!

SO...How did I come up with everything?

It started with one picture (below).

I loved the hair, the makeup and the vibe. It's like modern 60's - very me.

I had also just found an awesome dress that was black and white by French Connection, and KNEW it would be perfect.

I also knew I wanted some pictures in our new home because our family has been wanting to see some pics, and was visualizing a vacant parking lot for the dressy photos. And not that it really changed anything, we wanted to have some photos with our dog Wendy.

From there I started a pinterest board to visualize everything. I pinned some furniture I had in my home, some outfits I liked for Ryan, hair and makeup ideas for me...Voila! My contemporary 60's vibe was brought to life!

So now to the clothes...Well, I wanted something red and something green in the pictures too since these were going on Christmas cards. So I tied a green bandana around my neck (something I wear a lot) for my casual look. (Note: I always try to have two outfits for every shoot - one dressy and one casual). My Banana Republic chambray shirt is a staple of mine in the summer and winter, and I also have fallen in love with my Jeffrey Campbell over-the-knee boots. With all of that that giant love fest going on in my closet, I figured some shorts and tights were a fresh change from the usual skinny jean that you see in photos.

For Ryan, the guy that never dresses up, well, I wanted to dress him up, but in a Ryan sort of way. So, jeans were an obvious comfort choice, but who doesn't love a man in a sweater during the fall?! So, I asked him if he would be up for wearing a sweater, shirt and tie, and he was a great sport about it. I chose a chambray shirt for him as well to tie our outfits together.

I already had my striped dress picked out, so I just added some tights and pumps to complete it. For Ryan, a black blazer was the perfect complement to my outfit. So, for contrast I found this awesome t-shirt from Bunky Boutique, a local shop in Phoenix, that had some bright red in it.

That's it! That's the method to my madness!

As you can see, I had a pretty strong plan of attack. I knew the purpose (christmas photos), I knew I wanted photos with my dog and of the house for sure, I knew I wanted some green and some red in the outfits, and I found the overall inspiration from a picture/time period.

Try it! Brainstorm ahead and chat with your photographer. Planning ahead always helps!