Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide!

December 23, 2015

I'm usually a huge planner making lists upon lists of Christmas gifts months before the holiday gifting season even starts, but there are always a few that somehow slip through the cracks and become a part of my last minute scramble to get every gift ready for the holidays. I thought I would share my last-minute holiday gift guide for every type of person on your gift list!

For the coffee addict:

Starbucks Mugs: $10-$30 (Their holiday styles are on sale now!) Any coffee addict knows that a big, cozy coffee mug makes a huge difference when it comes to rough mornings. Starbucks has a huge selection of mugs in all shapes and sizes with a huge variety of patterns as well. Their travel mugs and tumblers, too, are some of the sturdiest and most stylish ones out there. I've found that a lot of mytravel mugs end up leaking after use or start to deteriorate after a season, but my Starbucks mugs are always just as put together as the first day I bought them.

For the mother-in-law:

Bath & Body Works Candles: $22.50 (currently $15 on sale!). Candles are one of the easiest gifts for anyone who owns a home or apartment and loves making it just a little bit homier! Bath & Body Works has an amazing line of three-wick candles that comes in all kinds of scents. Since the holiday season is prime time for candle buying - they're very easy to find and pick up - which makes them perfect for last-minute gifting!

For the work-a-holic:

Day Designer: $50 + Shipping. I haven't even started using my 2016 Day Designer yet and I'm already suggesting it as a gift. Work-a-holics need an on point organization to get all of their work done and Day Designers offer a classy, beautifully styled planner that is set up to make organizing hectic lives easier.

Desk Terrarium: $18-$50. Work-a-holics are constantly stressed and staring at a boring desk all day can make for long days. A desk terrarium brings a little bit of green outdoorsiness into the office and can help brighten your work-a-holic's mood!

For the hard-to-shop-for dad/brother:

Go Tech: cost varies. I've always found it incredibly difficult to shop for the men in my life (dad, brother, boyfriend - you name it) but one thing I've found that they generally all appreciate is tech gifts . While tech gifts tend to be a little on the pricier side, the sleeker and more high-tech a gift is, the more likely they are to appreciate the gift! Some examples of past gifts I've given include noise cancelling headphones like these and wireless chargers like this one.

Birchbox Man: $20/month (or less if you buy a 3 or 6 month deal). I know, I know - here she goes again with the subscription boxes - I can't help it! Subscription boxes have not only been fun for me, they've also been a life saver when it comes to gift ideas. There's a subscription box for nearly everything and when it's gifting season and I'm running out of ideas, they are perfect because all you have to do is select a box that caters to the interests of your giftee. Plus, it's a gift that keeps giving long after the holiday season has passed, which in my opinion, makes it more fun! Birchbox man is an awesome box if you have a hard-to-shop-for man in your life. It provides a monthly subscription of hygiene and lifestyle items that are picked and sent for you (less work for you!).

For the couple-friends:

Groupons: cost varies. As I've gotten older, there are more and more cases where I feel like I need to get my couple friends a collective "couple gift" rather than individual gifts - especially since I usually know one of them better than the other but don’t want the other to feel left out! Usually when I'm in a pickle like this, Groupon becomes my number one source of "couple" gift ideas. There are tons of date night ideas to choose from - plus, you can instantly print the groupon out or send it via email which makes it a perfect last-minute gift.

For the health-crazed:

Fitbit: varies. I can't say enough good things about my fitbit and would highly recommend it to anyone else who is looking to keep better tabs on their fitness goals this upcoming year. Tracking my eating habits and workouts has given me a realistic look at what I need to do to be healthier - plus it's fun to compete with friends who also have fitbits to see who can get the most steps (:

ClassPass: varies by city. If you're lucky enough to live in or close to a big city, ClassPass is a fantastic service that allows you to take classes at boutique yoga, pilates, cycling or other fitness studios with just one pass (instead of having to buy each membership individually!) While I currently do not have a class pass because I'm part of a gym that offers great classes, Classpass is something I've considered joining over and over again because it offers such an unbeatable deal.

For the perpetually-cold:

Toast Hand Warmers: $46. Not only are these the cutest hand warmers to have ever graced the earth, they are also incredibly useful for the perpetually-cold! Just make sure to check on the dress code of your friend's office - while they're adorable, they may not be considered "professional"!

For the cat-lover:

Space Cat Leggings: $16. Because….well, who doesn’t want leggings with cats in space on them.

I hope that these last-minute holiday gift ideas can help round out your holiday shopping for the 2015 season! Happy Holidays everyone!

herringbone + maroon ♥

December 19, 2015

Vest: Van Huesen/Tee: Old Navy/Necklace: Target/Jeggings: American Eagle/Boots: Target

Before this fall, I didn't have any vests in my wardrobe. As an all day every day baggy sweaters + scarves kind of girl, a vest just didn't really fit into my wardrobe - but since the herringbone vest trend has come around, this sweaterscarf girl is officially convinced! I picked up this beautiful vest at Van Heusen and have been wearing it almost every week with either a black or maroon long sleeve tee underneath.

I've found that the vest is really not as hard to style as I'd originally imagined. With the black and white base, the vest goes with almost any color, as long as I don't wear too many other crazy patterns along with it! Plus, it gets major bonus points for keeping my core warm and most importantly - having pockets!

The weather's made a turn for the colder here in Chicago (I'm writing this under two blankets next to a space heater - eek!) and despite how miserable I usually am in the cold, I'm trying to be optimistic this year and make a serious effort to invest in clothes that are actually designed to keep me warm! If you have any suggestions on brands and pieces that are tough in the cold weather, I'd love to hear them!

4 Ways to Brighten Your Office Desk!

December 13, 2015

If you follow my Instagram you'll notice that I absolutely love colors. Any and all colors are welcome in my closet, in my office, in my apartment - you name it and it's there. I think part of the reason I have such a strong love for brightly colored surroundings is that I am easily affected by the mood of my environment and bright colors gives off a cheerful vibe that helps to keep me sane - especially during the winter months.

Ever since I started working a 9-5, I became obsessed with decorating my desk space so that I could make it through a whole day in the same spot! As a student, I almost never had this problem because I was up and outside on my feet within an hour or two. In a full-time position, however, making an effort to brighten my desk has really helped make long days much more manageable!

1. Keyboard Covers

If you work in a typical office like I do, one of the easiest ways to dress up your technologyis by throwing on some colorful keyboard covers. Since my company provides another keyboard for me in addition to my laptop's keyboard, I chose two colors that complement one another (blue and purple) from this collection of covers I got from Amazon.

2. Post-It Notes (and other supplies!)

Post-It notes are another simple way I have found to brighten an otherwise dreary desk! They come in all sizes and colors to suit whatever color preferences you may have and are incredibly useful to boot. As someone who is constantly making lists, it's nice to have a convenient stack of post-its that also function as colorful accessories for my desk :)

3. Pretty Coffee Mugs

Most people drink coffee or tea at work and while this may seem like a relatively mundane part of the work day, it is the perfect opportunity to brighten up your office space with colorful, artistic, or even motivational mugs! I even use a matching set of bowls and mugs on my own desk- the bowl holds all of my desktop knick knacks, one mug holds all of my pens, and the other mug is my designated coffee mug. Starbucks always has a gorgeous selection of beautiful mugs and I am highly considering buying this classy (and inspirational!) one from Amazon: Mug.

4. Desktop Backgrounds

Since I keep my computer desktop pretty clean, it's a great space to decorate with images and patterns that help to brighten my mood. Vera Bradley has downloadable desktop backgrounds that I use frequently. I also love to use images of sunflowers as my background because I like to think I can trick myself into thinking I'm outside!

Bonus Tip:

If your office allows it, taking brief walks outside- maybe just for coffee or lunch - can really help to break up a long work day. I am lucky enough to work in an office where we are free to take breaks whenever we need to and people are often in and out of the office taking walks and even taking all of their calls outdoors when the weather is nice. Walks, coffee breaks with co-workers, or even simply taking a meeting outside instead of in the office can really help to dash away the blues and revamp your work day!