{12 days of christmas: a gift - about $50} + a giveaway

this year i'm hoping to wrap up my christmas shopping much earlier than usual. that way i can sit back, relax and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. i've been hunting for gifts that are thoughtful, budget friendly and feel a tad indulgent. and when possible, i've been grabbing gifts from local/independent shops. 


and today, i'm happy to be giving away a great gift from an independent artist. one lucky reader will win an 8x10 print from kari herer's etsy shop. the antler print in the above guide is my personal favorite, but she has lots of other beautiful work that would make a great gift or perhaps a little present for yourself. just leave a comment below and follow a lovely escape to be entered. winner will be picked next monday.

{from top left, clockwise}

anthropologie slippers

arrow bracelet (10% off for a lovely escape readers with code YAYTEN)

glitter purse

antler print (giveaway)

celestial coasters

leopard loafer

notebook

home love book

voluspa candle

red toggle coat

taxi mittens

plaid scarf

furry earmuffs

initial necklaces (10% off for a lovley escape readers with code ESCAPE10)

glitter iphone case

UPDATE: congratulations, elle sees. you're the winner of the print giveaway! 

{12 days of christmas: a dress}

i thought it might be fun to celebrate the upcoming holidays with a 12 days of christmas series. since picking out a shiny new dress for holiday parties and fetes is at the top of my christmas to do list, it seems like a fitting place to kick it all off. and who can really resist the opportunity to pick out a new dress to rock around the christmas tree in?

{turn on the shine}

polished platinum dress

sequin dress

tulip skirt dress

{lbd}

velvet tunic

tulle dress

leather and tulle**
{red lace}

lace dress

skater dress

**the back on this makes it my fav

{outfit post - gray matter}

{h&m sweatshirt, rag & bone kola wide leg trousers, forever 21 necklace, etsy neon pink hat, dolce vita hayward pump, mac pink nouveau lipstick}

monochromatic outfits have been my go to lately. and i particularly like it with just one little pop of color - like this neon knit hat that i bought to try and match this one.

hope you all had a great long weekend!

giving thanks

{thankful that the holidays mean lots of time with family and friends - and the chance to wear this lbd}

 {thankful for my boyfriend who makes me a better person - and is the man behind the camera}

 {thankful for all the new places i've been able to explore this year and the adventures to come}

and finally, i'm thankful for everyone who stops by the blog everyday. it's been such a fun hobby for me and i've meet so many new friends through it - i feel lucky and grateful to have it as a creative outlet. so thanks for reading :) 

hope you all have a warm and filling thanksgiving!

{outfit post - workwear}

{jcrew pencil skirt, madewell chambray shirt, anthropologie military jacket, forever21 necklace, michael kors watch, free people ring, urban outfitters clutch (similar here), dolce vita heels}

this jacket, shirt and skirt are wardrobe staples. and while i love them for the weekend (as seen here and here), lately they've been my work wear go-tos. the clutch is a new weekday addition though. in an effort to cut down all the crap i lug around day to day i've started using a large clutch during the week. finding my keys, cta card and lip gloss is suddenly a snap - and it looks quite chic.

friendsgiving

 {a burlap runner makes for a chic tablescape}

on saturday two of our closest high school friends had 18 of us over for the first annual friendsgiving feast. the food was great and the company was even better. do you and your friends get together for friendsgiving?

ps - in case you need some thanksgiving dish ideas still i've linked to all the delicious recipes.

 {the hosts with the most}

 {love this color combo on my friend aileen}

 {just a sampling of the spirits}

{stuffed sausage mushrooms to start}

{mulled wine - so festive and comforting this will definitely be a holiday staple}

 {mashed potatoes for 18 makes for a good arm workout}

 {pumpkin bars}

{gooey monster bars}

{oreo truffles}

{outfit post - lace and fur}

{forever21 lace dress (similar here), forever21 fur scarf (similar here), american apparel tights, zara belt, zara booties (almost identical here), michael kors watch, h&m bracelets}

pulled out my favorite little lace dress (also seen here) for friendsgiving this saturday. topped it with my new fur scarf from forever21 that when belted almost resembles a fur vest, but without the extra bulk. 

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{tights, socks, and my beat up frye boots. it suddenly got quite cold this week!}

{mini vases now bookending some favorite etsy prints}

 {my latest read. what are you reading?}

 {found this shiny, pleated maxi this week. in love}

{walter's favorite spot in the apartment}

so very, very happy the weekend is here after a busy, busy week! plus, the weekend's arrival is always a bit sweeter when you have dinner with the girls (at a restaurant i've been dying to try) and friendsgiving on the agenda. what are you up to this weekend?

ps - it's been a bit crazy over here the last couple weeks but hoping to get back to daily posting next week. xo

{outfit post - sequins and cords}

{jcrew sequin top (similar here), anthropologie corduroys (similar here), forever21 leopard belt, seychelles wildlife booties, michael kors watch}

who would have thought that high waisted burgundy corduroys could be so versatile? paired with sequins and a leopard belt for a night out with the girls, but worn here first with a vest and stripes. i might have to go buy my own now since i stole these borrowed these indefinitely from my friend lauren.

{outfit post - black and a hat}

{eugenia kim hat, zara leather jacket, anthropolgie top, bdg black jeans (similar here), schuler & sons booties, forever 21 faux fur scarf (with pockets!), michael kors watch, mac 'ruby woo' lipstick'}

saturday morning i stopped by one of my favorite chicago boutiques, p45, to meet famed hat designer eugenia kim. i got a chance to chat with her a bit about her designs, try on a couple of her beautiful hats and catch up with some of my favorite blogger ladies, including emma from tres awesome who took all these pictures.

{the lovely andrea of blonde bedhead}

{more of eugenia's gorgeous hats}

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{a feathery addition to our bookcase}

 {leek and goat cheese strada at the last al fresco brunch of the year}

{roses certainly brighten up a wednesday}

{a quick breakfast crepe in the park}

{my little man enjoying a morning walk}

things have been a little crazy as of late so i'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with not much on the to do list. hope you all have a sweet couple days off!  

chocolate chip covered snicker cookies

last weekend i decided to bake up a treat with all our left over halloween candy. so now instead of grabbing fun size snicker bars  when ever i have a sugar craving i've been snacking on chocolate chip covered snicker cookies. not healthier, but quite delicious.

to make, use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and just form cookie dough balls around the snicker bars. the mini ones work best or you can cut fun size ones in half.

{outfit post - the prep}

{h&m striped dress worn as a skirt, madewell cable knit sweater, forever21 plaid scarf, american apparel tights, seychelles wildlife booties, michael kors watch, elizabeth and james sunnies, h&m/vintage bracelets}

what's preppier than cable knit, stripes and plaid? pulled out tights for the first time this season to top off this preppy weekend outfit.

half way through the week - happy wednesday!

ps - check out another preppy ensemble over at lynzy's lovely blog.