holiday highlights

(At the Unionville Millennium Bandstand)

I know it's the first couple weeks of 2016, and I should be looking forward to the year ahead, but I feel like the Holidays went by so quickly this year, that I barely had a chance to take it all in. I did so much, but I was also working a lot (kind of missing that now though that retail has slowed way down and I'm barely working anymore), which never really allowed me to slow down and enjoy the moment. I was so busy planning fun festive things to do on my days off, that I never had time to relax and reflect on how fun the last two months of the year were and how lucky I was to be able to do so much with so many people I love. So here are some of my Holiday highlights that I wanted to share with all of you, and hopefully this will also get me out of my January funk (I go through this every year; when everything slows right down and I have too much time on my hands), and remind me that more fun is just around the corner. For more highlights visit my Instagram.

anniversary in niagara

(Some beautiful Christmas decorations along the Falls at night)

All summer I kept saying how I wanted to take Phil to Niagara Falls. He hasn't been since he was very little, and after I went with my sister at the end of June, I remembered how much fun it was and couldn't wait to go with him. We never got a chance to go in the summer, and I was thinking of what would be a great first anniversary present for him, and a friend of mine gave me a great idea when she told me that Groupon was having some amazing deals on hotels in Niagara Falls, and that there's a bunch of stuff you get with the booking of the hotel. So I looked up some different options and finally decided this would be a fantastic anniversary present, and to be able to get away from work for a little bit as it's getting crazy for the holidays.

holiday sweater

Last holiday season I made a post about the "ugly holiday sweater", and it seems the style has only gotten more traction since then. Not only do more stores and companies carry the sweaters, but I also see people wearing them in their everyday life, unironically, and not only for "ugly holiday sweater parties". This year I really wanted a holiday sweater, of the so-called ugly variety, but I wanted it to be something that was actually very cute and that I could wear throughout the month of December.

Toronto Christmas Market

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I would be getting to the Toronto Christmas Market at some point this holiday season, and that I would share some photos with you after I had gone. I am going on vacation with my family and getting on a cruise tomorrow, so as my last post until the new year, I thought I'd leave you with some cute pictures and holiday inspiration.

My City Gossip: Holiday Outfits

Need some help with what to wear to holiday parties? Read my latest for My City Gossip for tips!

(Not So) Ugly Holiday Sweaters

A severely ugly sweater may have been a serious faux pas in the past, but in recent years (maybe over the last 3 or so) ugly Christmas sweaters have become ever so stylish. The ugly sweater trend itself started a while back (it became popular to have an ugly sweater party sometime around 2001 (source)), but back then the sweaters were still considered "ugly".

Holiday Spirit

Maybe it's because there's no snow on the ground, or that the weather hasn't even been that cold lately, but it's been hard for me to get into the holiday spirit this year. As much as I love warm weather and summer, I always love to get cozy in December with fuzzy PJs, Christmas movies, and the holiday spirit.

Weekend Highlights

If you remember my post from a few weeks ago, this weekend I attended the annual Spark Sessions fashion and beauty blogger conference in downtown Toronto. I won't go into much detail about the conference today, as I will be posting about the details in a separate post later in the week, but I will quickly say that it was such a great experience to hear all the amazing panelists and speakers, and to meet a ton of fellow bloggers.

For day 1, I decided on a casual chic outfit of a grey cowl neck sweater, faux leather leggings, and a cozy vest. I added an off-white blazer for extra warmth.

Sweater: Old Navy

Blazer: H&M

Vest: H&M

Sunglasses: Joe Fresh

Coat: Old Navy

Scarf: H&M

Boots: Old Navy

On Saturday the conference ended around 3pm, and then I headed back uptown for an early family dinner at my Grandparents' house. When I transition from a day to night outfit, I usually like to keep one or two pieces of my outfit the same, and my colour scheme, since it feels more transitional to me (obviously there are exceptions, and I do often change my whole outfit). So for the night, I decided to keep my sweater on, but instead of the leggings opted for ripped black jeans. And instead of the blazer and vest I put on a leather jacket, to give the look an edgier feel.

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Jacket: Dynamite

Heels: Nine West

Bag: Aldo

Spark Sessions was over the course of the whole weekend, so for Sunday's outfit I went for a layered look, utilizing denim and leather, and added a light blue statement necklace on the denim shirt. Lately I've been loving monochromatic looks, using slightly different shades of the colour. It still makes the outfit look chic, but also adds some interest into it.

Shirt: H&M

Dress: Zara

Necklace: Aldo

Boots: H&M

Bracelet: Pandora

And here are just some more cute pictures from the conference. Enjoy!

(Some cute desserts they had for us; This was such a lovely cookie!)

(The Benefit Cosmetics booth)

(Some Christmas themed centrepieces for the tables, to get everyone into the holiday spirit)

(Exchanging business cards with the girls at my table on day 1)

(Some beautifully tinted macarons at one of the sponsor booths)

Red Hot

Since I posted about electric blue being big this fall, it has gotten a lot cooler out, and now I think its time to talk about a trend that will actually warm you up. This beautiful poppy red is almost always seen for the end of the year; starting in September when the leaves start changing into a similar colour, and straight through to December when it becomes celebratory for Christmas.

Whatever the month, though, be sure to make this statement colour part of your wardrobe! Because of the very wet weather we've been having, I've decided to include super cute rainy pieces, like the umbrella and rain boots (which never go out of style). Wear this colour with a classic black and white ensemble, or go monochromatic. Whatever piece you choose to be your pop of bright red, pair it with something burgundy or try a lighter pink (also very trendy, and you can bet there'll be a post about it soon). Or, bursts of red in your accessories (like a bag, hat, or gloves) will give your look that extra boost of chicness!

1. Coat: Zara

2. Rain Boots: Hunter

3. Blouse: H&M

4. Dress: Zara

5. Gloves: Lord & Taylor

6. Umbrella: Fulton

7. Jeans: Alice + Olivia

8. Cross Body Bag: Nine West

We Heart The Holidays

Happy holidays everyone!!! I hope you all are having an amazing holiday season, spending time with family and friends, partying, and drinking lots of peppermint flavoured everything!

Here are some things to keep you inspired over the holidays! All pictures are from We Heart It.