My First Blog Collaboration- Neutrogena

I'm so excited that the day is here to share this fun news with you! Neutrogena reached out and asked me to partner with them and share their Healthy Skin line! 

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My immediate (and obvious) answer was YES! Number 1- the freezing cold temps and Christmas treats have taken a toll on my skin, so ummm duh! I'm more than happy to give some products in a line called Healthy Skin a try. And number 2- hello, it's Neutrogena! I have used and loved this brand for years, so of course I would love to try their products and share my thoughts with you! 

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I have used their sunscreen, lip gloss, face wash, and makeup remover for as long as I can remember. However, all of the products they sent were new to me, so it has been so much fun experimenting with them!

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Some fabulous news is that they gave me a code for you to get 25% off any makeup product from Neutrogena.com. Just type in code HEALTHYSKIN25 at checkout for your discount to be applied. And you can get free shipping with a $25 purchase. I'm not going to go in depth about all of the products in this line, but I wanted to share a couple of my favorites. 

1. Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Foundation

Would you believe me if I told you I've never owned liquid foundation? It's the truth. They sent 3 colors for me to try, and shade Nude (40) was the perfect shade for me. I was always scared liquid foundation would feel really heavy and caked on my face. This stuff is very natural-looking and does not feel that way at all. It is a lightweight formula that contains SPF 20. So this makeup is actually better for your skin than wearing no makeup at all!

2. Moisture Smooth Color Stick

This color is a little different than the color I have been wearing lately, but I LOVE it! I used color Fresh Papaya (20), and it is unfortunately sold out on Neutrogena's website right now. However, it comes in 7 other colors that are currently stocked. You know how sometimes lipstick can feel like it is drying out your lips? This product does not do that. It is so moisturizing and smells amazing! I found it pretty neat that it is made with fruit extracts. Maybe that's why it smells so good.

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As I mentioned, you can get 25% off at Neutrogena.com. However, if you'd prefer to shop at Ulta, they are offering buy one get one 50% off on the products pictured below!

Throughout my first 8 months of blogging, I have not felt like any brands who reached out were a good fit for me. There have been quite a few times where I have had to say no because I will only partner with brands that I truly love. So, as you can probably tell by now, my first partnership with Neutrogena has brought me so much joy! 

I am so grateful for YOU reading my post, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to partner with a brand I love! Can't wait to see where this crazy fun blogging adventure goes in 2018! And if you have any questions about any of the other products pictured above, feel free to message me. Or click here to check out Neutrogena's website yourself!

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I'm going to add one more thing to this post because several bloggers have messaged me asking how I decided which brands to say no to and why I finally said yes to a brand. As I mentioned earlier, I have not felt like any brands were the right fit for me until Neutrogena reached out.

Sure, it sounds fun to receive free products and get paid to share about them. AND I am a people pleaser and hate saying no! However, what is most important to me is keeping the trust of my readers. I would feel awful sharing products or brands that I cannot stand behind 100%. I only want to share products and brands that I truly love, and Neutrogena positively falls into that category!

I am so thankful to have you here! If you have any questions, I'd love to chat! Have a great day!

Winter Q&A

After the craziness of the Lilly sale, I'm excited to switch gears today and share a more personal post. I was tagged by my sweet friend Jennifer from Sincerely, Mrs. JMM to participate in this Winter Tag. It includes a fun list of questions- a couple are about the holidays, but most of them are winter related. 

Winter has definitely arrived, and I'm already ready to say goodbye to the frigid temps. However, Parker and I still have our Christmas decorations up, so I guess you could say we're not quite ready to part ways with the holidays just yet.  Orrrr we were home in Alabama for 2 weeks and hit the ground running when we got back to Southaven and haven't had the time to put them away. Regardless, I'm really excited about this Winter Q&A!

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

My favorite holiday tradition actually begins before we head home for the holidays. Parker and I do our own Christmas before we travel to be with our families. We get dressed up and go to a fun Christmas dinner, drink some wine, and open our stockings (and the pups' stockings). It's always fun to have this time together before we head back to Alabama!

Outfit Details: Dress // Tights

Outfit Details: Dress // Tights

What is your favorite go-to winter lip product?

My favorite winter lip product is actually my favorite lip product of the entire year. I cannot live without Blistex Lip Medex. I started using it in high school and have never found anything that compares. I linked a 3 pack on Amazon, but you can also find it at CVS and some Targets. I wrote more about it in this Three Things Thursday post. As you can tell from the picture below, I have quite a few and LOVE it!

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What is your favorite winter scent?

Christmas tree! Parker and I stock up on Christmas tree candles when they go on sale after Christmas and burn them all year long! I'm not picky about where they come from. I love them all- Bath & Body Works, Anthropologie, Walmart... as long as it smells like a Christmas tree, we love it!

What is your go-to winter fashion trend?

Leggings and oversized sweaters! And sweatshirt dresses. Parker’s parents gave me this ruffle sweatshirt dress for Christmas, and it is going to be my new uniform! I clearly love all the comfy clothes!

What is your all time favorite holiday tune?

All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey for my fun Christmas tune and Mary, Did You Know for my actual Christmas tune. This became my favorite when Jordan Smith sang it on The Voice!

Do you prefer to travel or stay home for the holidays?

I LOVE being home and enjoying our Christmas decorations, but we have to travel to be with our families. So I would have to say I prefer to travel because that is the only way we can be with our families. 

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What is your favorite winter skin care must have?

I am very picky about lotion. I have honestly never loved it. However, it is obviously necessary for your skin, so I put a very light lotion on my face in the morning and at night. I used to only wear this Bobbi Brown hydrating face cream. However, I stumbled upon a really light Nivea lotion that is a tiny fraction of the price and works just as well! I linked it on Amazon, but you can find it at Target or basically any drug store.

What is your favorite winter hair care product?

I don't really use hair products, aside from shampoo and conditioner. I'm trying to teach myself to use dry shampoo, so I don't have to wash my hair every day. So I guess I would have to say Batiste dry shampoo. I do like this brand much better than the other brands I have tried.

What is your favorite winter activity?

Does sitting on the sofa with Parker (and the pups) and watching a movie count? I HATE the cold weather. 

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Do you love or dislike the snow?

HATE.

What is one item on your wish list this year?

The item on my Christmas wishlist I was most excited about receiving was my new phone! My parents and Parker split it, and I could not be more grateful. I had been using my iPhone 6 since March of 2015, so this iPhone X camera is basically life changing. And a huge help for blog pictures! 

What is your favorite holiday treat?

Red velvet cake balls! Recipe here.

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Do you finish your holiday shopping before December or are you a last minute shopper?

I think we finished close to the beginning of December this year. We have to order everything early to make sure it comes in before we head home for the holidays. 

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Thanks again to Jennifer for the tag in this fun Q&A! You can read her answers here. I want to get more personal posts up this year, so this was a fun way to get started!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for $50 & Under

Parker and I are the type of people that love nothing more than knocking out our Christmas shopping early. And we kind of have to be because we are about 6 hours away from our families. We like to make sure we get all of our gifts in and wrapped before we head home for the holidays (AKA tomorrow!!!!!).

However, I have seen on Instagram that there are tons of people still trying to finish up their shopping. So I have rounded up some Christmas gift ideas today in case you are someone who is still looking for a last minute gift! They are all $50 and under. And I tried to choose items that would be good for various reasons- hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, and gifts in general.

I'm trying out something new today that I'm really excited about! You can click on any item in the collage below to be taken directly to the site! All items in the collage are from Nordstrom. I chose to do this because Nordstrom shipping is so trustworthy, which is obviously important right now! You can click here to check out their shipping deadlines. Scroll through the whole page for detailed shipping info. 

Thanks so much for reading and check out more $50 and under gift options below!

A Fancy and Fun Holiday Outfit

If you have been on the lookout for the most fabulous holiday outfit, I have found just that! As soon as I spotted this fun and ruffly top, I knew I had to have it to wear with skirts. And then I stumbled upon this skirt in the sale section, and it was the very last one in the entire store. And it just so happened to be my size. Obviously, it was meant to be!

Shop My Look:

Top | Skirt | Shoes | Bracelets | Necklace | Self Tanner

This outfit could be worn to holiday parties, on New Year's Eve, or to any event where you want to feel cute! :) And some wonderful news is that the top and skirt are both on sale through tomorrow! The top is 40% off with code TIME2GIVE, and it also comes in a really pretty green. And the skirt is 21% off with no code needed. In my opinion, they both run true to size. 

You may have noticed that I linked self tanner above. :) This is because I was SO pale when I tried this outfit on in the store that I immediately went home and educated myself on how to apply self tanner (that I had been too nervous to try since I bought it 4 months ago). 

I finally found an outfit worthy enough of making me do something about my Casper skin. It was my first experience ever with self tanner, and I was SO happy with it. I have a whole blog post coming soon with all the details. However, if you've been looking for some, the kind I used and 100% recommend is St. Tropez (plus I used the application mitt)

Anyway, let me know if you have any questions about this outfit or self tanner! The ruffly neckline of the top and the metallic print & bow on the skirt are just too cute! This is one of my favorite outfits I've ever shared!

If you're looking for a more colorful holiday look, you can click here to check out another skirt and top that are also on sale! Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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FREE Shipping Day!

I am continuously learning new things in this whole blogging world. Last week we had Green Monday, and today we've got Free Shipping Day! The fact that I have to pay for shipping at most online retailers causes me to second guess a lot of purchases I make. However, today is the day to shop from SO many retailers that are offering free shipping, along with the promise that your purchase will arrive before Christmas!

Today just so happens to be the last day to UPS standard ship orders in time for Christmas!  There are 963 Free Shipping Day participants. That is A LOT! Below, I am sharing a list of my favorites! All of the retailers on this list are offering free shipping, and I will also include other promotions they are running!

I have to give one astounding deal a shoutout before I get into the list of retailers participating in Free Shipping Day. Y'all know how I feel about this coat. I have an entire blog post dedicated to it here. It is currently marked down from $228 to $91. It has never been more affordable, and sizes are going fast. Click here to shop now while you can get this bargain price in addition to free shipping (with code DASHING). I'm truly considering ordering the black one!

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Anthropologie- 25% off entire purchase (this sale in addition to free shipping with no minimum never happens at Anthro!)

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ASOS- Extra 30% off

Athleta

Banana Republic- 40% off your purchase of $200+ with code BRWINTER

BaubleBar- 30% off everything

Bloomingdale's- Save 25-45% on select items

Carhartt- Spend $125 get $20 (in Carhartt bucks), Spend $200 get $50

*This is where all of Parker's Christmas gifts are coming from. He is getting this jacket, these pants, and some of these shirts to wear to work. If you have other ideas that guys in their 30s would like, PLEASE send them my way. I've got to find some fun gifts for him!

Free People- additional 25% off select sale styles

Frye- take 25% off select styles

Gap- Up to 50% off everything

GiGi New York- Free personalization

J.Crew- 40% off full price styles with code TIME2GIVE

*Here is a sneak peek of an outfit coming to the blog next week. I'm sharing early so that you can grab it now while it's on sale and ships for free!

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J.Crew Factory- 60% off everything with no exclusions, plus extra 50% off clearance, code- DASHING

Jack Rogers (I own, love, and highly recommend all of the shoes pictured below!)

Joe's Jeans

Karen Kane20% off all sale styles with code JINGLESALE17

*This sale brings one of my favorite dresses down from $148 to $88.80!!! Click here to go to the site. It is fully stocked in black and red!

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Kate Spade- Up to 30% off select items with code EXTRATREAT

L.L. Bean- $10 gift card when you spend $50+

Lands' End

Levi's

Lilly Pulitzer (The dresses below are not on sale, but I'm going to start praying now that they will be included in Lilly's next big sale taking place in January!)

Macy's- Extra 15-20% off select departments with code SHOP + 100s of gift specials

Michael Stars

Nordstrom

*We took this picture at Parker's work Christmas party on Wednesday night. This dress is perfect for any holiday event!

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Old Navy- Up to 60% off the entire store

Ray-Ban- Up to 50% off select styles

Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Taylor

Revolve

Saks Fifth Avenue- Up to 60% off designer selections

Saks Off Fifth

Show Me Your Mumu

Sperry

Stila Cosmetics

T3 Hair Styling Tools- $25 off $150+ with code HOLIDAY25 (I am dying for this hairdryer and this curling wand trio!)

Talbots

Target

*This sweater is now 33% off, bringing it down to $20! I want all the colors!

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Too Faced (I just bought this mascara that is the #1 selling prestige mascara in the US. Every blogger I follow rants and raves about it, so I can't wait to try it out.)

Tory Burch

Trina Turk

Ugg- Up to 50% off

Under Armour

White House Black Market- 40% off entire purchase with code 88521

Will you be doing any Christmas shopping online today?! Or taking advantage of these deals and treating yourself? I have got to find something fun for Parker!! Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful weekend!

Three Things Thursday

I'm finally back with another Three Things Thursday post today! it's been too long since I wrote my last one, and I had so much fun putting this one together. I'm going to shoot for at least one of these a month. Now, let's get into the 3 totally unrelated things that I am so excited to share with you!

1. Nativity Scenes

My mom has collected nativity scenes for as long as I can remember, and she has helped me start my own collection over the past few years. They are our favorite Christmas decoration, and they are also a great reminder of what the Christmas season is really about. I'm sharing pictures of 4 of my favorites below. 

A. I got this one from Hobby Lobby last year!

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B. I got this one last week from Target! You can click here to check it out!

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C. My mom put this cute and tiny one in my stocking!

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D. This is my favorite Coton Colors Christmas attachment!

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Shop some nativity scenes that are currently available:

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I realize this is a super random thing to share. However, my sister just purchased a sectional, which is what made me think about it. If you have been looking for a fabulous sectional, I highly suggest this one.

We got this couch when we moved into our house in Southaven back in March, and we could not be happier! I did months and months of research on sectionals. I was beyond ready to get rid of Parker's brown, ripped. faux suede leather sofa, loveseat, and recliner. Those things moved up to his mancave, and we finally got normal looking furniture for our living room!

It wasn't easy though.... after tons of online research, Parker and I went to 4 furniture stores in town (that were seriously disappointing) before we headed to Macy's in Memphis (thanks to my friend Emily for the recommendation!). I had no clue Macy's even sold furniture. As soon as we walked into the furniture section, we immediately knew we wanted the first one we saw. 

The color is just what I was looking for. It's lighter than the dark brown we had, and y'all- the fabric is magical. Bailey and Rosie's muddy paw prints and Parker's red wine spills have been so easy to get out. Macy's sent some magical cleaning supplies, and they get everything out so easily!  

I'm also bringing this sectional up today because it is on sale! It is currently marked down $1200! Maybe I should have dedicated an entire post to this sofa. I could go on and on about how much we love it, but I'll stop now. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out though!

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I got my first sweatshirt dress when I went to the Nordstrom Rack Grand Opening party in Memphis a few months ago. At first, I thought it was an embarrassing thing to buy (because who actually wears these things?), but it was under $20 and so comfy that I purchased it anyway. And I'm here to tell you that money was well spent. I wear it every single weekend. It is so comfy!

The exact one I have is sold out, but Parker's parents are giving me this one for Christmas, and it is still in stock. Plus, I've linked quite a few options below. If you don't own one of these, you need one for comfy weekend wear! 

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

Red for the Holidays

Yesterday I shared my favorite little black dress, and today I'm sharing my favorite red dress for the holidays! If you read yesterday's post, you may notice that the dresses look pretty similar. That's because they are the same dress. :) When my mom and I find something we absolutely love, we tend to buy multiple colors.

SHOP THE LOOK:

Dress | Shoes | Necklace | Bracelets | Earrings

This is the dress I wore to church for Christmas last year with tights and booties. I styled it today with sparkle heels for a more fun holiday look! Like I mentioned yesterday, my mom missed out on this dress in red last year, so she ordered it from yesterday's blog post and plans on wearing it with some leopard print heels. I LOVE that idea! 

If you missed my post yesterday, I will give you a brief summary of the important things you must know about this dress. It sold out SO fast last year, and I feel certain it will sell out again this year, especially since its currently on sale. It runs big. I am wearing a medium, and there is still quite a bit of fabric. You might want to size down for the best fit. It is currently on sale for under $100! And some of the best things about it include the wrinkle free fabric, pockets, tie sleeves, swingy feet, high neckline, and appropriate length. 

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I really don't wear red very often, but December is the month I wear it the most. It is perfect for any holiday party, church, Dirty Santa, Christmas Tea, etc. I think I've made it pretty clear that I highly suggest the dress I am wearing in today's post, but I have rounded up some other adorable red dresses you can look through below!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

SHOP THE POST:

SHOP MORE RED DRESSES:

The Most Versatile LBD

Y'all, I got this dress last year, and I am SO excited that it is back this year! It comes in black, red, and teal. And it is currently on sale for 33% off! I have it in black and red. The red is perfect for the holidays. I actually wore it to church for Christmas last year. But the black is the most versatile dress that can be worn over and over again for various occasions.

Also, I have to give Parker a shoutout for being the kindest husband to put up with my pictures. He listens to all sorts of directions that I give him, and I even annoy myself when I'm asking for certain shots. I asked him to squat down on one of these to attempt to get a closeup of the ties on the sleeves... Just a little behind the scenes for you. :)

SHOP THE LOOK:

Dress | Tights | Booties | Clutch | Earrings | Bracelets

My favorite parts of this dress are the pockets, tie sleeves, swingy fit, and fact that it does not wrinkle! It does run a little big. I am wearing a medium, and it is definitely loose fitting. I always prefer my clothes to be comfortable and loose fitting though. If you do not, you might want to go down a size.

I call this dress versatile because it can be worn in so many ways. All you have to do is change up your shoes, accessories, and outerwear, and it can fit whatever occasion you are dressing for.

I'm going to tell you now that this dress will not last long. My mom and I discovered it at the end of the season last year, and we tried to wait for a sale. Nope- bad idea. My mom ended up not being able to get the red one because it was completely sold out. The good news for you is that it is on sale now and fully stocked, so purchase it as soon as possible if you've been looking for a cute and classy little black dress!

Do you have a go to little black dress? I think it's something that everyone needs to have hanging in their closet. Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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Holiday Gift Guide: For Her

I have a whole Holiday Shop page on my blog, but the thought of putting a gift guide into a blog post has been intimidating me. There are so many fabulous options out there. How am I supposed to narrow these things down??

During the SEC Championship, I decided to stop overthinking this topic and make a list. I picked out 10 items that I own, love, and highly recommend. And I picked out 10 other items that I do not have but think any girl would love to receive as a gift. I chose several investment gifts because why not? I am most definitely not saying that I will be receiving these items, but if I can't dream big on a blog gift guide, then where can I?! 

Plus, I will have a stocking stuffer/ under $25 gift guide coming soon, so I will save some of my favorite less expensive options for that post! 

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10 Gifts that I Own, Love, and Highly Recommend

10 Gifts that Any Girl Would Love to Receive

We highly recommend these pajamas! Ebie and I both received our first pairs for Christmas last year and love them so much that our parents are giving us a second pair this year! You can click here for Ebie's matching set. And make sure you size down. I am wearing size small, and Ebie is wearing size XS.

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If you'd like to see more gift ideas, scroll up to the top of the page, click Menu, Holiday Shop, and then you can choose which category you'd like to shop from!

What are you asking for? Of course there are several things that I would like to have, but I am most excited about getting a new phone to help with the quality of my pics! And gift cards are always something I look forward to! Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day!

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Holiday Dress Guide

Tomorrow is somehow already the first day of December, so holiday parties should be starting very soon! Isn't it the worst feeling when you have to go last minute shopping and you find absolutely nothing that you like? I try to avoid this situation by having a few dresses in my closet that I would be happy to pull out for any event.

So today I am sharing 10 of my favorite dresses for the holidays! Some are casual, some are more dressy. I would love to hear your favorite one! You can click on the words in italics to be taken to the website where I found each dress  

Fluttered Tunic Dress

This is my favorite dress I have bought this fall, and it is almost completely sold out. If you wear size XS, purchase it now before it's gone! You can click here to see where I talked more about it in another post. I can't get enough of all the pretty details!

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Kim Cowl Tunic Dress

I got this dress in leopard print 2 years ago and was immediately obsessed. I wore it to work at k.k. FOX, dinners, Parker's work Christmas party, the Auburn-Arkansas game, etc. The style, material, pockets, cowl neck, quality, and so many things make it a dress I will have in my closet forever and wear year after year. My mom and sister also bought it after they saw mine, and I got a second one. I highly suggest this dress!

My exact prints are no longer available, but this one and this one are the closest two I could find. I also LOVE the solid colors. They are a little more expensive than the printed ones, but I love the dress in this beautiful ice blue color.

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Dayna Shift Dress

This is another dress that is unfortunately almost sold out, but it is PERFECT for any holiday event. If you wear size x-small or small, purchase now! The color makes it perfect for Christmas, and the subtle metallic flecks make it even more festive!

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Ruffle Sleeve Dress

If you do not live in the south, you may be confused about why I included this short sleeve dress on this list. Last Christmas, I packed all my sweaters and sweater dresses to wear in Mobile and Dothan over Christmas. Poor choice. It was in the high 70s, maybe even 80s, and sweaters were out of the question. This dress comes in 5 colors, and I think the black or deep teal would be perfect for a warm and casual holiday event. Plus, it's under $40!

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Flute Sleeve Shift Dress

I have this dress in black and leopard print. It also comes in a cabernet color that would be perfect for any holiday event. This dress is so comfortable and flattering. The best part is that it is originally $34.99 and gets marked down lower than that all the time!

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Hailey Crepe Dress

Here is another short sleeve option that would be the perfect short sleeve dress for an event that is casual or dressy. It is under $50 and comes in 8 colors. The red or green would be super festive, and I think the black one would be the perfect little black dress you'd be happy to have in your closet. 

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Ruffle Sleeve Mock Neck Tunic

I love winter white, but the bright red color this dress comes in would be perfect for the holidays! One of my best friends wore the bright red dress with black leggings to the Iron Bowl, and it looked adorable! 

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Twill Shirt Dress

The exact print that I have in this dress is nearly sold out. However, I have linked a print that is more festive! This dress would be a great option for a casual holiday event.

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Long Sleeve Flounce Dress

This is one of my favorite dresses of all time! Throw on some black tights and black closed toe heels, and this dress would be a holiday party stunner!

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Go Go Dress

I am ending this post with another one of my favorite dresses of all time! I wore this dress to my bridesmaids' luncheon, and I also own it in green. It comes in gorgeous colors, and if you're looking for a nicer holiday dress, the bright red would be perfect for any Christmas party! Click here to check it out.

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Do you have any favorites? I tried to include a mix of casual and more dressy dresses, so that you would be covered for all events! Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day! 

SHOP ALL 10 HOLIDAY DRESSES:

One last thing- honorable mention goes to this dress that I got at Personal Couture in Huntsville several years ago. It is made by Annie Griffin, who is no longer designing clothes. :( However, I searched other long sleeve red dresses and came across SO many adorable ones, so I will link them below!

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