FESTIVE FUN!

Hey Hey! How was every one's weekend? We lived it up Christmas style and did two of the most festive things I can think of: looked at Christmas lights and went to a Christmas party. Doesn't get much better than that! There is this monster size cave that is under the city and every year they have a car tour through it so you can see their decked out Christmas lights. We have never been to it before so decided to give it a go. Verdict: thumbs up. Probably won't pay to see it again, but glad I went. After that, we drove around the city trying to find great homes that are decked out, just for fun, and stumbled upon what can only be described as this: Griswald's. If you don't know what I am talking about then you probably live under a rock or were deprived as a child. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is probably one of the greatest holiday movies of.all.time. I CANNOT BELIEVE I didn't snap some pictures of this beauty, and it is so overwhelming with lights that I may make the hubby find the house for me again just so I can show it to you all.

I used my ah-mazing bun maker that I mentioned here. It is so easy to use and looks great! The star sweater was a steal from a Target clearance rack: $9. No joke. I also rocked a new purchase, my new dark skinny jeans by Lauren Conrad for Kohl's. Love! And to top it off, my beloved animal print scarf from Charlotte Russe and my rider boots. Comfy and cute!

Entering the Cave

Saturday we had a Christmas party to go to and then went out to a bar for a bit. We had a great time. Nothing beats getting together with people, enjoying good food and having some drinks. This time of year is the best! For the party I wore a new top by, once again, Lauren Conrad for Kohl's and you can get it here. I think the pic of it online is terrible. Trust me, this is a classic top that you will keep in your closet forever. It is a silky button down and the entire shoulder area is covered in lace. It is gorgeous!

 

 

I paired the top with my beloved faux leather pants by Rock & Republic for Kohl's and some bad ass cobalt blue heels by Candies for Kohl's. Notice a pattern here? Ha! My Emerson Bangle has blue leather in the middle so it was a perfect addition to the look. Paired that with the Sparkly Spiral Bardot Bangle, Rebel Pendant Necklace and my Michael Kor's rose gold watch. Love!



Need to change the date on my watch. ha

For the Christmas party I made layered taco dip (mmm...) and two kinds of cookies. Double Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin with icing. So good!! I ate a ton of batter while making them. Whoops. Check it out!

Mmm...

And, to continue with the festiveness, I had to wear my apron while making said cookies. I'm a nerd, and I don't care!

Now it is time for me to be a bum and lay on the couch with the hubs. Lazy Sunday indeed!


xoxo  MaryBeth

 

 

 

TURKEY DAY DELIGHT

Hey Hey! I hope every one's Thanksgiving was fabulous! I ate my heart out and had a relaxing time with the fam. Can't ask for more than that! Celebrated the holiday, did some shopping, hung out with friends and even squeezed in a Stella&Dot party. Not too shabby, eh?! But the first thing that happened to kick off my holiday was this:

Hofbrauhaus is one of the most fabulous places. ever. Good food, great beer and great company! The location in Newport, KY (aka Cincinnati, OH) is the first authentic location in America and it rocks! Due to the hubs' German roots, we have many reasons to indulge ourselves. And, who am I to deny him the treasures of his ancestors :)  ha! So, when I stumbled across these at our local Liquor Barn, you can only imagine my excitement. Dunkel (the one in the middle) is my fav! If you follow me on facebook then you may remember some pics I posted of the hubs and I at Hofbrauhaus before we went to a Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Just call me the best wife ever for setting that one up for the hubs and I.

Ok, back to Thanksgiving. We spent the holiday with my family, so some traveling was involved. Here's some fashion snaps of the week/weekend.

My travel look was comfy and full of spunk! Sometimes mixing patterns can be dangerous, but what the heck, this is fashion, so go for it! I thought it was fun and I stayed in the same family of colors to make the transition from stripes to animal print as simple as possible. Layered a couple of necklaces that I have owned forever, some flat simple boots and boom. done.

On Thanksgiving I knew that comfy, stretchy and flowy was going to be the way to go. I mean, who are you kidding? When it comes to this holiday I refuse to wear anything that restricts the midsection!! I got these fab stretchy leggings from Kohl's by Apt9 and I LOVE THEM! And, they were like $9. Ridiculous.

I fancied it up a little bit by keeping on my layered necklaces and also adding the Rebel Pendant by Stella&Dot. And, to accent my beautiful rose gold Michael Kors watch, I added the rose gold Sparkly Bardot Spiral Bangle by Stella&Dot. Love!

The hubs and my sweet nephew :)

Ok, back to beer. Ha! I came across these right before we left Kentucky and had to bring some for the fam to try Thanksgiving night. One of these three is going to be voted as the new beer for Anheuser Busch, so we decided to have a little test tasting of our own! One of the three finalists was actually created by the St. Louis Brewmaster, but sadly, his was not my favorite.

Let the test tasting begin!

The day after Thanksgiving we did some festive shopping in this cute "Winter Wonderland" type place. We don't get all in to the "Black Friday" stuff, and this is way more low key and enjoyable for us. Here's my look. Again, stretchy, loose and comfy. haha..

And lastly, I got some more Stella&Dot to add to my personal collection. So exciting!! I just love this stuff!! Check it out!

Soar Necklace
Stella&Dot $59

Bello Bangle
Stella&Dot $89

Ginger Layering Necklace
Stella&Dot $89

Have a great day!!


Some holiday decor pics to come!!


xoxo MaryBeth

FRIDAY REWIND

Happy Friday!!!

       Phew! What a whirlwind weekend and week I have had, hence, not posting since Sunday!! Sorry!! We traveled to St. Louis for my cousin's wedding this past weekend and it was F-a-b-u-l-o-u-s! Everything about it was so gorgeous and chic. Love! Here's some pics!

Travel Style

Stella&Dot Arm Party!!
Emerson Bangle $59
Luna Wrap Bracelet $89
 

Wedding Style
Sofia Pearl Bib $118
Dress- Forever21

Beautiful cake and table!

Gorg Center Pieces

We rushed back Sunday morning for a First Communion in Louisville and I had a Stella&Dot party on Monday! I was exhausted to say the least! And then I worked my three 12's in a row (which are always more then 12hours), Tuesday-Thursday!! Needless to say, I slept in today!! The party went great and we had fun! I knew it would be!

Heading to the Stella&Dot Party!

S&D Party Style

For the S&D party, I rocked my faux leather pants, above-the-knee stilettos, bad-ass tank from Kohl's by Rock and Republic, and the amazing Lillith Fringe Necklace by Stella&Dot.

My hostess earned over $300 in free jewelry and four items at half off! How awesome is that!! So, after the fun of the party it was back to reality and back to work. But don't worry, we always know how to have fun! A nurse fashion pic and some balloon turkeys can brighten any one's day! One of our resident's husbands makes awesome balloon figures for a living, and every now and then we get a little surprise for the unit. Check it out!

Fun socks and fun shoes. Love!

How Cute!

love!

Another fun thing that occurred during my three days of hospital life was that my Forever21 order came in! And boy did it not disappoint! I am so happy that all three items fit perfectly and are even more gorg in person! I took some pics of them and will def share when I actually wear them. Love!

Sequin Tuxedo Style Front

Faux Leather Panel in the Back

Love!

Love!

Today has been such a beautiful Friday and I had to take some pics of one of the trees in our backyard. It is breathtaking and a reminder of why I love this time of year SO much. The only downfall is that Winston's fur is a leaf magnet!! Never fails that when we let him back inside form a bathroom break, he will have at least five leaves stuck him, minimum, and Charlie will only have one! I also cannot wait to use our outdoor fireplace. I LOVE bonfires!! Especially when S'more making is involved.

Winston Sprinting in the Leaves!

Beautiful....

Fire Pit Love!

We are hitting up some wings and beer tonight, can't wait!! And then another wedding tomorrow!! Busy busy!


Have a great weekend!


xoxo MaryBeth

THIRD TIMES A CHARM

Hey Ladies! So I meant to post my outfit from the cookout on Saturday, but I forgot! So here it is! I rocked a Banana Republic sweater (sweet steal from the clearance rack) with my Rock & Republic faux leather pants that I raved about here. Paired that with my kick ass suede, thigh-high stiletto boots I got from Charlotte Russe last season. The link I have posted is not to these exact ones, but very similar. I guess they aren't selling them anymore. And like any good Charlotte Russe shoe shopper, I purchased these at full price and then got the same pair in brown for $15. They run this deal all. the. time. And, you don't have to buy the same shoe, I just got a little obsessed and needed both colors.

Banana Republic Sweater
Rock & Republic Faux Leather Pants
Charlotte Russe $48
Suede Thigh High Boot

As an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot, there is loads of fabulous jewelry at my fingertips! This one is a personal favorite, and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. It is fabulous. And if you think $118 is steep for a necklace, I can understand. But I promise you the quality and credentials of the designers is worth it. And, at a Trunk Show the host usually walks aways with at least $250 in free credits to pick out whatever they want and 50% off additional pieces. Did your ears perk up to that? So, pick a piece you love, have your friends over for wine, peruse the goods, and get your free jewelry. It's that easy. No stupid "games", no gimmics. Just friends, drinks and jewelry. period.



Stella & Dot $118
Femme Fatale Necklace 

Now, to explain why on earth I had three looks in one day. I had some training to attend at work, hit the gym, and then went to a get-together with some fellow Stella & Dot stylists to talk about all the exciting things to come with our growing company. Here is look numero uno. I found this fab sweater at a Gap Outlet about two years ago. I'm glad I hung on to it because the tribal-esque print on sweaters always seems to make an appearance this time of year. A basic long sleeve tee from Forever 21, dark denim and some heels and your OTD. Unfortunately, the heels are no longer for sale, but I linked you to some other LC heels that are just as fab.

Forever21 $8
Love Sleeve V-Neck
Gap Outlet
Wide Arm Sweater Cardigan
Charlotte Russe $39 
Refuge Starlett Jean
Lauren Conrad for Kohl's $40
Loafer Accent Heels

 For my second, "look", of the day, I went in another direction. ha These are fab workout pants from Kohl's and my very warm, super cute Adidas zip up fleece from TJ Maxx. Score!

And lastly, this is what I rocked for the Stella & Dot get-together. I had a great time with some awesome ladies! I wore the Rock & Republic burgundy pants tonight and I still can't rave enough about these bad boys. Paired them with a silky, flowy black sleeveless top, topped with a stretchy black cardigan that also had some neat faux leather detailing on the sleeves and the front drapery. Both of those came from the lovely racks of TJ Maxx. No shame! My fab thigh high stilettos and Stella & Dot jewels topped off this look for sure. The Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace is one of my absolute favs! It is so glamorous. And since my outfit was very bold, I decided to keep my hair and makeup simple.

 

 

Stella & Dot $118
Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace

 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Next up I'll have a, "makeup reveal" and some more home decor. Good Night!

 

 

P.S. The Cardinals won tonight! WOO HOO!!

 

 

xoxo MaryBeth