Naughty and Nice Christmas Sweaters

Merry almost Christmas! ‘Tis the season for spending time with family, drinking egg nog and wearing ugly Christmas sweaters! Wait… please tell me my stylish readers are NOT wearing tacky Christmas sweaters. You all are better than that!

Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party — yet I’m always amazed that retailers sell these atrocious things. So I thought it might be fun to see if we could use these ugly sweaters as inspiration and find a few chic sweaters to wear Christmas morning. Happy holidays!

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Reindeer Sweater
Instead of letting Rudolph’s nose steal the spotlight, rock a cardi with a whimsical reindeer pattern.

 

Embellished Sweater
Can you believe this embellished Santa sweater is $89 from Dillards?! Ho ho NO. I much prefer one with more subtle embellishments.

 

Applique Sweater
An applique Christmas tree is cheesy. But suede applique elbow patches? Stylish!

 

The Vest
Sweater vests can be risky, but a skinny belt and flattering cut keeps this one hip — unlike the barf-enducing blue number.

 

Where to shop: all “nice” sweaters found at Forever 21: Reindeer Sweater Cardigan for $24.80; Pearlescent Sweater Top for $27.80; Elbow Patch Sweater for $13.50; Fair Isle Vest for $24.80.

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Fashionable Stocking Stuffers
This Holiday Season, Go Green

Fashionable Stocking Stuffers

Christmas stockings are a big deal in my household. I love opening a bunch of small gifts all carefully wrapped in green and red tissue paper. My family always has a few predictable stocking stuffers (lotto tickets, Cheese Balls), but in case you’re in need of a few fresh ideas, I’ve pulled together eight fashionable and thrifty stocking stuffers!

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Where to shop: (1) Forever 21 Embossed Leopard Print Clutch $16 // (2) Sonia Kashuk “Circle Of Hope” kabuki Brush // (3) Chronicle Books Elephant Journal $9.95 // (4) Target Cable Knit Stocking with Sequins $13 // (5) Wet Seal Bling Bow Waist Belt $11 // (6) Goody Doublewear Elastics $4.99 // (7) Minimergency Kit for Her $13 // (8) Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Kitty Kitty $8.11.

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This Holiday Season, Go Green
Easy DIY Holiday Gift Idea

This Holiday Season, Go Green

Thanksgiving has come and gone. What does that mean? Time to start stressing about holiday gift giving! Every year, I tell myself the same thing: get an earlier jump on shopping and spend less money.

Well, this year, I’ve finally found the perfect way to accomplish these lofty goals while also doing something good for our planet: I’ve pledged to give GREEN gifts (you can sign the pledge here, too!).

The Nature Conservancy is running a special campaign called Green Gift Monday, which happens tomorrow, November 28. Instead of wasting hours surfing the web on Cyber Monday, they’re asking folks to join the green movement and give responsible, meaningful gifts. Love it.

Style Me Thrifty has a few green gift ideas to share. See below. The best part? Giving the gift of green can save you, ahem, green! Yey thriftiness!

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Shop Etsy
Where else can you find wine charms made from beer bottles? Or how about sustainably harvested cheese boards? Etsy currently boasts 11 million handmade items from across the world, which means there is something for everyone on your list. Etsy even has a search engine that helps you find items from local sellers. Handmade + local = homerun.

Try a DIY Project
I sincerely believe you’re never too old for a little crafting. Any excuse to get out the hot glue gun! Invest in one and then start perusing the web for DIY ideas. I love this list of 101 green handmade DIY projects and fashion buffs need to follow the blog PS I Made This for chic DIY ideas. Pinterest is another great spot for DIY inspiration.

Give an Experience
Remember when you used to give your parents handmade coupon books redeemable for “one free room cleaning” or “free hugs”? Channel your inner seven-year-old and give your loved ones an experience — like a meal to their fav sustainable seafood restaurant or day of kayaking on the Potomac River. You won’t waste paper wrapping the gift and the experience is more meaningful than anything from a big box store.

Hop over to the Green Gift Monday site for more green ideas >>

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Easy DIY Holiday Gift Idea
Fashionable Stocking Stuffers

Easy DIY Holiday Gift Idea

If you have 45 minutes and a family member that loves a heartfelt gift, this DIY project is for you. Using my sister’s wedding invitation, I whipped up a handmade Christmas ornament for her and her husband (yes, that’s her curled up invitation inside!).

My step-by-step instructions are available over at Cool Green Science, the blog of The Nature Conservancy.

This DIY project is truly thrifty (hellooo $1.25) and so easy peasy that you can do it while watching Dancing with the Stars with a spastic kitten on the loose! Trust me!

See the instructions >>

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