Tag: Holiday Fashion

OOTD: Elf on the Shelf…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Elf on the Shelf…

Good Morning and Happy Thursday, everyone!

This week and throughout this weekend is jam packed with holiday parties and get togethers with family and friends- including dinners, gift exchanges, etc. Tomorrow, as is tradition- is my office’s “Ugly Holiday Sweater Day”- and although I’ve had some trusted favorites to fall back on in the past, this year I’ve got a new contender in my closet to show off!

This over-sized sweater, a gift from Troy in preparation for this year’s holiday cards- is covered in sequins, bells, different colors and fuzzy stuff- and I absolutely love it. From the peppermint striped sleeves and buttons to the sparkly collar to the illusion of it being belted. It’s adorable and hideous all at once.

I’ve worn this a couple of times since receiving it- and it’s easy to dress up or down. My go-to is a pair of skinny jeans, my knee-high boots and a green velvet Santa hat (with tiny rhinestones sewn into the white cotton- which you may not be able to see in the photos!)

Best of all- the sweater is surprisingly comfortable- not itchy or smothering at all.

I’m gonna’ wear this around this time next year, too.

Next week on the blog I’ll be sharing my favorite things from December 2019, and revisiting my top favorite photos from this past year, as well. I’ll certainly be posting before Christmas Day- so here’s to a fun, safe, stress-free weekend ahead!

Be good to each other out there, everybody!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Thanksgiving Cover-Up…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Thanksgiving Cover-Up…

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Whenever people ask me what Thanksgiving with my family is like- I’m always honest. It’s a lot of fun- with minimal political talk, occasional roasting of one another, and either football or Christmas music as the background noise to a lot of conversation and even more eating.

My mother, who has hosted the holiday every year since I was a little kid- always goes above and beyond for a house filled with people- making enough appetizers, main courses, side dishes and desserts to feed a small and very hungry army. It’s absolutely insane- and you will always go home with at least a few containers filled to the brim with leftovers. It’s just a given.

Of course, as fitness-oriented as I try to be- I still indulge on Thanksgiving- which is the ultimate “cheat day” anyway. And for this reason- I want to be as comfortable as possible for when I slip into my inevitable food coma. Gone are the days where I would wear nice jeans to the meal (buttons and zippers are essentially post-dinner torture devices that cause the ultimate discomfort) and although I can embrace an elastic waist as much as the next person- I still want to look put together and “dressy” during a big holiday with a lot of my family in attendance.

I’ve embraced layers in recent years- which both keep me warm and help hide what I’ve affectionately named the “pie paunch” after a big meal- and I’ve been loving pairing big, slouchy sweaters over loose-fitting and cozy cotton dresses over the course of this fall.

My short-sleeved little black dress for example, looks a little more dressed up and chic when I throw on this baggy white knitted sweater over it. Paired with some black, fleece-lined leggings for extra warmth and my black knee-high boots- I look presentable for dinner but remain perfectly comfy while I go for seconds on the stuffing and sweet potatoes.

If you’ve got any Thanksgiving styling tips for maximum comfort- feel free to share! The more suggestions, the better!

A little later on this week I’ll have a Thanksgiving-inspired recipe to share (it only requires a handful of ingredients and about 25-30 minutes of your time- so I have a feeling you’ll all enjoy it!) before we break for the weekend.

Until then, enjoy your “Hump Day,” everybody!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Breakin’ Hearts…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Breakin’ Hearts…

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope those of you who celebrated Valentine’s Day had a good and delightfully cheesy one yesterday- and those of you who are celebrating Pal-entine’s Day today score some awesome marked down candy and cards so you can share them with your pals at your next get-together (as is tradition!)

I worked my half day at the office yesterday- and while my sorta’, kinda’ Val/Pal-entine is presently out of state for work- I got a series of cards, texts, and little presents from friends, family and co-workers throughout the day that definitely kept me amused and feeling the love.

I dressed festive yesterday, too- without going *too* over-the-top ala wearing Cupid wings or an excessive amount of red and pink. I kept it simple via ModCloth (who are one of my all-time favorites) with this black and white striped short-sleeve sweater- which features bright red “Heart Breaker” lettering across the front.

Cute, a little funny and easy to match with pretty much anything- I wore this sweater with some simple black skinny jeans, black faux-leather combat boots and a black faux-leather jacket to give it an edgier vibe. With my signature red lip- a must in the Winter- and some red/pink glittery polish- I was ready to take on anything the day of love and romance had waiting for me.

What I love about this sweater, apart from how comfortable and flattering it is to my figure- is that I can wear it outside the realm of Valentine’s Day, too. Why I wouldn’t necessarily or actually consider myself a heart breaker- this would still be fun to wear in the Summer with a pair of denim shorts or with a black pencil skirt and some red heels/Mary Janes for a casual dinner with my friends or the fella(s?)

It’s definitely a new favorite in my closet, for sure!

This weekend I’m going to be heading out of town to support a friend’s band who haven’t been around the block in a while- and then try to swing down to lovely Newport, Rhode Island for a little day-cation getaway by the ocean before it’s back to work again first thing on Monday morning.

I’ll have some photos of my travels to share along the way, of course- but I also plan on giving you all another peek into my closet with some more Winter Wear- and a look at the makeup that has been saving my complexion this frigid, arctic time of year where I live!

Until then – here’s wishing you all a warm, safe, and most importantly- FUN– weekend ahead!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Fleece Navidad

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Fleece Navidad

Good Morning and Happy Monday (yuck…), everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was as busy as ever- with my wrapping up the last of my Christmas shopping, swinging by a really fun holiday party at one of my favorite local breweries in Malden, and spending some time with my family eating great food and making plans for the coming weeks ahead.

Today is shaping up to be a busy one- not just because of work and some scheduled errands later on this afternoon/evening- but also because the World Series trophy is making a scheduled appearance near my office today. It’s a big deal- especially with the lot of us here being Red Sox fans- so we’re re-configuring our entire afternoon around photo-ops and selfies. As one does, I suppose.

But before I fix my hair and re-apply some lipstick for my own shameless selfie- I wanted to share one of my favorite, festive sweaters to wear this time of year- and one I actually sported this past weekend. Ugly Christmas sweaters and the holiday parties that celebrate them aren’t going away anytime soon- but I like that this one in-particular is actually pretty funny, creative- and kind of cute!

Also- it’s definitely cozy!

I layered this sweater with a white tank top and paired it with a pair of skinny jeans and my knee-high brown boots. The sweater got a lot of laughs, which is always good- and I ended up keeping it on post-party when I met up with friends later on, too!

I plan on wearing this again at least one or two more times before Christmas this year. I love it so much and I never get the chance to wear it- for obvious reasons.

But for now I’m off to get my usual start-of-the-week grind going and begin checking my voicemails, e-mails and reviewing my cases for this week. I’m not thrilled about it- although I’m never thrilled on Monday mornings- but it’s just the first step towards Friday!

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day and that the next few days are as stress-free and painless as possible!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Reindeer Games

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Reindeer Games

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today is a half day for me at work, after which I’ll be heading out to Concord, Massachusetts for a bit of a seasonal photo project- weather and time permitting (Daylight Savings Time complicates everything after 3:30 p.m. these days!)

I have a lot to do this morning at my office before I take off- but I wanted to share one of my favorite holiday ensembles I wore earlier this week- both to work and then to a little tree lighting ceremony in the common of my neighborhood later on that evening!

It’s been fluctuating between warm and tolerable (but rainy) and frigid and windy (but sunny) over these past few days- so staying warm, dry and comfortable has been my goal while out with friends, getting some holiday shopping done, and running errands. I still want to stay festive and chic, of course- so I opted to sport some insanely soft fleece leggings (with snowflake and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer print!) a crisp, white chunky sweater and faux-fur lined boots.

And I have never been cozier!

And despite any pre-conceived notions of what constitutes “office appropriate” attire- this ensemble was well-received. In a season where ugly holiday sweaters are celebrated across the board- some fuzzy leggings and an over-sized sweater are pretty tame by comparison!

I had purchased these leggings at Primark last year (the sweater came from there, too!) in preparation for a family party, thinking I’d never wear them again- but I’m glad I kept them and that they still fit so nicely!

And this was completely unintentional when I put this outfit on- but I’m quite pleased that my latest holiday manicure color scheme (red and silver) matched perfectly. I wish I could say it was planned and done on purpose- but it was just luck!

But now I’ve got to get started on downing my morning cup of coffee and getting some cases wrapped up!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful “Hump Day”! We’re almost to Friday- and I know we can make it!

xx

– Ashley –