The Perfect Personalized Gift

Something that brings me great joy is buying gifts that I know people will truly love. ANDDD getting these gifts for good prices. :) It's easy to scoop up some scarves and coffee mugs and gift them to all the people on your list. I strive to go in a different direction and put thought into each gift I purchase.

Something I have learned recently is that I actually end up saving money when I purchase one nice gift for someone, as opposed to buying multiple less expensive things. So today, I'm sharing a fabulous personalized gift option, which just so happens to be the gift that Ebie, Parker, and I are giving my mom for Christmas. It also happens to by my favorite (and most used) Christmas gift that I received last year. 

This particular gift I'm talking about is a GiGi New York Madison Crossbody Bag. However, anything by GiGi New York would make a perfect gift. Everything is so well made and beautiful! They also offer the option of personalization. I love alllll things monogrammed, and GiGi New York does them in a simple yet classy gold font.

Some fabulous news is that GiGi New York's Cyber Monday sale is extended through tomorrow at 8 AM, so you can still take advantage of their best sale of the year! They are offering free shipping on orders of $98+, as well as the deals you can check out below.

Madison Crossbody

Like I mentioned above, my favorite bag is the Madison Crossbody. It is the bag that I carry every single day. If I need more storage, I will stick it inside of a tote, and then I don't have to switch my bags completely. However, I honestly don't use a tote nearly as much as I use this bag. It is the perfect size for what I typically carry, and it comes in 8 different colors. We got my mom the black one for Christmas!

All in One Bag

This bag is so versatile. It can be used as a clutch or as an organizer inside of a tote. It can be dressed up or dressed down, and it comes in 8 fabulous color options.

Catherine Crossbody

The gorgeous color of this bag makes it my spring/summer time bag. However, it now comes in 5 colors that are perfect for all months of the year. The gold hardware that matches the gold initials is my favorite part!

My Mom's Bags

Aren't my mom's bags so cute together?! The 2 smaller bags can be used as organizers inside your tote, or they can be used for other things. I have the cute little zip pouch too and actually use it inside of my Madison crossbody bag to hold my cash and coins.

All of My Favorite GiGi New York Bags

All of these bags come in multiple color options, so if you like a style and not the color, you can click on the picture to check out the other colors it comes in!

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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The Best of Cyber Monday + Christmas Gifts

I don't know about you, but the past few days have been full of Christmas shopping for us. Parker and I have knocked out all of our gifts for his entire family, and we are hoping to purchase my family's gifts while things are on major sale today!

If you haven't started Christmas shopping yet, it would be a great idea to get started today while SO many retailers have fabulous sales going on! I am sharing quite a few things below that would make perfect Christmas gifts!

In the first section, I am sharing My Best Sellers*. In the second section, I am sharing my picks from my 5 favorite retailers that are having amazing sales. And in the last section, I am sharing a list of other fabulous sales that are going on!

*I always find it SO interesting when other bloggers share what people are buying through their links. So the first section below will have links to a few of my best sellers (which means the things that the most people have bought through my links) that are currently on sale. And like I have mentioned before- I can see when purchases are made through my links, but I never know who is doing the shopping. So if you are shopping through my links, THANK YOU, and I love nothing more than hearing from you! Also, I own and LOVE all of the things included in this list!

My Best Sellers:

The two pictures below show the coat (currently under $100 and free shipping!!!) and wedges (under $35) that are my top 2 best sellers. As well as the leggings and Free People thermal that are also in my top 10!

My 5 Favorite Retailers that are Having Amazing Sales:

Anthropologie

Anthropologie is offering 20% off full price items plus free shipping! Click here to see all of my favorite things at Anthropologie, or check out my top 10 favorites below. I own the first 2 items pictured below. Thanks Mama! :)

GiGi New York

GiGi New York is my favorite brand of handbags! All of their bags are made beautifully, and you can get personalization on everything. This makes their handbags the perfect gift. They rarely ever have sales, and you can get up to 35% off today. 

I will share pictures of my 2 favorite bags with you. The first one is the Madison Crossbody, which is the purse I carry daily. I cannot say enough positive things about it. I highly suggest it. The clutch in the second picture is the All in One Bag. I don't carry it nearly as much as the first one, but I do love it too.

J.Crew

J.Crew is currently offering 40% off plus an additional 10% off plus free shipping! Use code SHOPFAST. HURRY- this is amazing for J.Crew! I am wearing this coat in the picture below. 

J.Crew Factory

J.Crew Factory is offering 50-60% off everything plus free shipping with code CYBER. You can also get 50% off of clearance with the same code. Do you think I like this coat (pictured below)? :) My mom got me this pink one on Black Friday, and it is now marked down to under $100 and ships free!

Nordstrom

Nordstrom is offering an extra 20% off select sale items and free shipping and returns as always. I'm sharing my top 10 picks below. And you can click here to see more of my Nordstrom sale picks. This $22 sweater and these $20 olive moto leggings are pictured below.

A Few More Fabulous Sales:

Amazon- Cyber Monday Deals and Sales

Baublebar- 35% off everything with code CYBER35

BeautyCounter- My sister in law sells these amazing products, and Parker is ordering me one for Christmas! Now is the time to shop because of the Cyber Monday deals going on (deals pictured below)! Parker is getting me this Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation. I also think this Touchup Skin Concealer Pen looks amazing. And one day, I would love to invest in this Flawless in Five set.  

Camilyn Beth- Additional 30% off sale styles

Kendra Scott- 20% off of everything with code YELLOW20 plus free shipping

Lilly Pullitzer- Cyber Funday get free gifts with purchase

Loft- 50% off + Free shipping with code CLICK

Madewell- 25% off your purchase with code GOODMOOD

Old Navy- 50% off of everything, no exclusions 

Ray-Ban- 20% off of everything + up to 50% off select styles + free shipping

Sam's Club- Cyber savings + free shipping on most items

Shoes.com- Up to 75% off, Hunter Boots up to 40% off!

Target- 100s of Cyber Week deals + Free shipping + Save an extra 15% off online orders today

Tory Burch- 30% off $250 or more with code THANKS

Ulta- Cyber Monday deals + $10 0ff any qualifying online purchase of $50 or more with code CYBERMON17

Vineyard Vines- 25% off of everything with code HOLIDAY17 + an additional 40% off of sale styles + free shipping

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you take advantage of these fabulous deals! Have a wonderful day!

How to Make Thanksgiving Fun When You're Not with Family

Thanksgiving spent with family is always the best option. However, sometimes life happens and you have to come up with an alternate plan. Parker usually has to work most days during Thanksgiving week, so it would not work for us to travel home when he may just have Thanksgiving day off. So, we stay put for Thanksgiving and look forward to a longer Christmas break with both of our families.

We have actually come to really enjoy Thanksgiving with just the two of us (plus Bailey and Rosie obviously). I believe the year we got married and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas was the first time I missed Thanksgiving with my family. At first, I was really disappointed to miss out. I have so many cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents that I love to catch up with on Thanksgiving day. However, we came up with a plan that we now look forward to every year!

Everything on the list pictured above happened in 2015, and we have revised it a little bit each year since. For example, the amount of food has been decreased significantly, and we skip the pigs in a blanket breakfast. (And FYI- the things under our names are things we were in charge of cooking/picking up... meaning I didn’t choose all of the 300 things under my name.) However, lots of the things on this list do occur! Let's jump right in, shall we?!

1. Start the day off with pineapple/orange juice screwdrivers and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade!

2. Facetime your family. When I can't be home for birthdays and other festive occasions, my family always Facetimes. It doesn't have to be for long, but it's nice to get to see them while chatting, as opposed to the usual texting behind the phone situation.

3. Turn on some tunes and make cooking fun!

4. Set the table with your fine china, crystal, and flowers! We just had a couple of bright sunflowers on the table, and they added so much warmth and happiness!

5. Eat off of your everyday china! I get great joy out of pulling out my fine china and setting the table with it. However, being able to throw my everyday china into the dishwasher when we're finished eating is much more fun than hand washing fine china in my opinion! 

6. Go for a walk. Parker and I don't go on a long exercise walk, but we do enjoy getting out of the house for a little stroll with the pups.

7. Watch football / online shop / watch movies / take an afternoon nap!

8. Make a list of 10 (or more!) things you are thankful for.

9. Eat pie and all the desserts! Thanksgiving only happens once a year!

10. Check out ArtFashionFun.com for a roundup of all of the best Cyber Week sales! :) SO many Black Friday sales have already started, and even more will continue to go live over the next few days. I have blog posts tomorrow, Friday, and Cyber Monday with some of the very best deals! We will definitely be using this time to put a dent in our Christmas shopping!

Also, I have created a new page on my blog in an effort to help with navigating Black Friday sales. If you go to the menu at the top and click on Black Friday, you will be taken to the page where I have rounded up a list of my favorite retailers that are having sales. I have also included the codes you need to use to get the sale prices . You can click here to be taken directly to the page. Or you can check out the sales below. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day and a very happy Thanksgiving!

Early Black Friday Sales + Codes

Baublebar- 30% off holiday collection and gift sets with code YAY30

J.Crew- 40% off entire purchase and free shipping with code THANKU

J.Crew Factory- 50% off everything, no code needed

Loft- 40% off everything with code GIFTITUP

Madewell- 25% off entire purchase with code DONTSTRESS

Nordstrom- Up to 40% off, no code needed

Old Navy- 50% off everything, no code needed

Shopbop- Up to 30% off with code MORE17

Tory Burch- 30% off $250 or more with code THANKS

My Favorite Sweater + A Dupe

The first time I saw this sweater, I knew I had to have it. I saw it on another blogger, and I immediately went to her Like to Know It page to find out all the details. I soon discovered that this sweater is made by my favorite brand of sweaters, Free People.

SHOP THE LOOK:

Tunic- Free People, Also here // Faux Leather Leggings: Spanx // Booties: Steve Madden // Earrings: J.Crew Factory // Hair Tie: J.Crew // Clutch: Moyna

Free People's price point is typically a little high (in my opinion), but you are definitely paying for the quality. The quality of this Free People tunic is superb. For some reason, the pictures I saw of it made me think it was made out of a fleecy material. My mom brought it up to me (best gift ever), and I soon realized it is not fleecy at all. The description says it is made out of a heavily ribbed ottoman knit fabric. Can't say I know exactly what that is, but I do know that I really like it!

Tunics are my favorite type of top to wear in the fall because their length typically allows me to wear leggings. This tunic certainly does that. The length, material, and mock neck are my favorite parts. I have actually seen people wearing it as a dress. For reference, I am around 5 foot 5, and it would not work as a dress on me. However, if you're shorter, it might work as a dress on you!

I paired mine with my favorite faux leather leggings, black booties, and black statement earrings. However, I also plan on wearing it with regular black leggings and riding boots. I think the bright pink color is so fun, but it also comes in several other cute colors. Pink is selling out quickly. However, several colors are still in stock at a few retailers. If you are looking for the perfect gift that any girl would love, this tunic is definitely a winner. 

If the price point of this tunic is a little high for you, I found a pretty great dupe! The quality is definitely not as nice, but the appearance is very similar, and I actually bought it in navy!

SHOP THE LOOK:

Tunic: Old Navy, Similar (just size up for length) // Faux Leather Leggings: Spanx // Boots: Sam Edelman // Crossbody Bag: GiGi New York // Earrings: Nordstrom

Unfortunately this post is a couple of years old, so the dupe that I found is no longer available. However, this sweater is very similar. It’s just shorter. Size up to make it a little longer!

For size reference, I got the pink tunic in a size medium. And I am actually wearing an XL in the navy tunic to make it fit the way I wanted it to. I tried on a large, and it was too short and the mock neck did not lay properly. The XL gave me the length I was looking for, and (oddly enough) the mock neck laid right and looked a lot more like the much pricier Free People one.

I know my pink one will last me forever, and the navy one will not last nearly as long, but I absolutely love both of them! 

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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The Best Coat in 7 Colors

I am so excited to give this coat its own blog post today because it is such a great one! It is very nice quality and comes in 7 cute colors, which makes it really hard to decide which one to order. The price point is also reasonable compared to other similar coats! To make it even more affordable, it is on major sale today!!!! And free shipping!

(Sorry for the overload of !!!!!s. It is always exciting when something I have planned to post is on sale the day I post it!)

Coat // Tunic // Leggings // Shoes // Crossbody Bag // Earrings

The J. Crew Factory coat that I am talking about today is almost identical to this J.Crew coat (pictured below) that is much pricier. The main difference is the pockets. And the enormous price difference. Aside from that, they are basically the same coat. And this one is also super similar.

When I posted the picture of me in the green coat on Instagram, I got some questions about sizing because the reviews say it runs big. I totally agree with that review. However, I typically like my coats pretty big, so I can comfortably wear sweaters underneath them. I am usually between 2 sizes, and I went with the smaller size, and there is still plenty of room to fit layers underneath it. So if you are between 2 sizes, I would choose the smaller one.

Parker and I actually got the green one I am wearing for my mom's birthday gift. However, I knew I wanted to get one for myself too. I went to the store last week and tried on every color they had to decide which one I like best on me.

Before I tell you which one I chose for myself, I'm going to show you the pictures and see if you can guess which color is my favorite! Also, please ignore the dirty mirror that is causing spots to appear in funny places.  I am wearing this super soft plush turtleneck tunic, these leggings, and these boots in all the pictures below.

Did you guess that pink is my favorite?! I have always loved bright colors, but I have been loving bright pink even more than usual lately. So PINK is the color of the coat I like best for myself! My mom likes the green one best. Which color is your favorite?

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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Pink and Sparkles for the Holidays

Because I wanted to enjoy every single second of the weekend I had with my family in Southaven, I decided to take Monday through Wednesday off of blog posts. I also wanted to use the past few days to prepare some holiday content for you! 

I was going to share all about my weekend with my family today. However, because my outfit is on sale through tonight, I decided to switch the dates of the posts. This way you can take advantage of the sale prices before they end tonight, and a recap of my weekend with my family will be on the blog tomorrow! 

Anyway, can you believe that Thanksgiving is one week from today, and then Christmas is right around the corner? Time is flying! I have a lot of holiday content and gift guides coming your way. So today, I decided to kick off these posts with my favorite holiday look thus far.

OUTFIT DETAILS: Top // Skirt // Shoes // Bracelets

As soon as I stumbled upon this skirt, I knew I had to have it. I honestly can't remember the last time I bought a skirt. However, this one was screaming my name, and I couldn't pass it up. The ruffles, the length, the COLOR... I love it all! 

The first time I tried it on, I tried it with this top (which I love)...

and this top (which is so cute, but a little different from the one I linked)... 

I love both of them. However, when my family was visiting last weekend, we stumbled upon this white top, and this one was the winner for us. I adore the ruffles and scalloped lace trim. However, you can't go wrong with any of them, especially since they are all on sale today. You can get 25% off full price styles through tonight with code CHACHING. It is an online only promotion, and you can get free shipping if you spend $150+ or $5 flat rate shipping.  

My mom, Ebie, and I all got the same white top with ruffles and scalloped lace trim. The details are so fabulous. But let me tell ya something- In this skirt, I sized down 2 sizes and still had plenty of extra room, so I was feeling pretty good about myself...

They didn't have my true size in the top, so I grabbed one size below and one size above to try on. I tried on the size above first, thinking it would be too big. Nope, too snug. So I had to go up 2 full sizes in the top. I was quickly brought back down to reality after the excitement of going down 2 sizes in the skirt. 

I will make up any excuse to wear sparkle heels. So today, I am styling this skirt with a white top and sparkle heels. However, there are so many different things you can do with this skirt. When it cools down, throw it on with a black sweater, black tights, and black booties, and you have a totally different look.

My mom actually got this skirt too, but she got the gray one and is going to wear the same white top with it. Ebie and I have the same pink skirt and white top, so she will most likely try to twin with me when I'm home for Christmas.

This outfit makes me feel so festive and ready to attend some holiday parties!

Have you started planning any outfits for the holidays yet? I'm clearly so excited about this one! Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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