40 days until Christmas

Does anyone else have holidays on the mind at full speed?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my mind is spinning & lately I have been all about DIY gifts.
Every year around Christmas time I try to reflect back on what I received for Christmas the previous year & to be honest, the ONLY things I can ever remember are things that were made personally for me.
So instead of taking the easy route and shutting down retail stores this year, I have committed to trying to create the most personal gifts for our loved ones.
Stay tuned for lots of DIY projects for grandparents, spouses, newlyweds, white elephant.

Apparently my wardrobe has Christmas on its mind too.
I think this may be one of my top contenders for a Christmas outfit this year.

Later this week, I am revealing ways to dress up your house for the holidays at little to no cost. 

Here's a little sneaky peek. 

Thanks for visiting! What is your favorite DIY gift to give or receive? 

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: Vodka Infused Lemonade// Perfectly Courtured// Mix and Match Fashion// Penniless Socialite// Glitz and Gold

To all the moms out there: The 5 minute challenge

I've recently received a few emails from a couple different moms, all with the same complaint- "All of the outfits I see on blog and Pinterest aren't realistic for me because I have kids".
While I don't have kids yet, I do understand the conflict of wanting to dress up but also needing something functional (shout out to all my nanny fams who kept me busy/employed during my college years).

So I gave myself the 5 minute challenge and channeled my inner mom. I gave myself 5 minutes to get ready for running errands and completing all of my mom duties, and I gave myself 5 minutes to transition over into a date night outfit. Wearing the same shirt was important to me because I wanted to show versatility in clothing purchases.



For the day time: Gap ruffle shirt ($5 via goodwill), skinny jeans, flats and little stud earrings.

I know that necklaces and bracelets are not typically options as a mom, so the ruffles of the shirt gave me enough confidence to feel put together still. The red lipstick also put a little pep in my step.

Please excuse the wrinkles on the shirt- I wanted to make it realistic... busy moms don't have time to iron ;) 

Night time: Date night, back to school night, coffee with friends; anything. I threw on red pumps, added a gold tassel necklace, and grabbed a clutch. I think it took me about 3 minutes total. 

What do you guys think? Realistic for a mom to dedicate 3-5 minutes to throw on a ruffle shirt and some lipstick?

P.S. I loved receiving emails this last week- please keep them coming!!

Xoxo, 

Nicole