I’m kicking off my 2016 holiday gift guide series with suggestions for the hostess-with-the-mostess in your life. Whether it’s the cutest cheese board ever, this adorable mask bottle opener, or this ‘Fancy Another?’ serving tray (in just a few months, I’ll take one two three others!), any party thrower would love to receive these gifts.
One of the greatest blessings that has happened this year is the newly formed friendships I’ve made with some incredibly inspiring women. I started my Instagram account almost one year ago, and through it, I’ve ‘met’ (and really met) very talented photographers, bloggers, makeup artists, event planners, and last, but not least, small business owners, most of whom are ‘mompreneurs.’ Being a WAHM (or ‘Work at Home Mom’ – so many acronyms to keep up with!) is not an easy task, as balancing raising children with running a business is no easy task.
I am such a big advocate of the whole ‘shop small’ and ‘shop local’ movement, which I believe was greatly empowered by the creation of Etsy. Although I would be lying if I said I didn’t love buying clothes from big retailers like Gap, Nordstrom, Carters, etc., I do make a very conscious effort to purchase a lot of our outfits and gifts from ‘small shops’ (this always feels like a funny term, since some of the stores below are far from small!).
Today, I’m sharing eight of my favorite shops, all of whom have kindly offered some of my favorite items in a giveaway (which, to be honest, I’d really like to win!). Enter using the widget below and make sure to read about each of the shops below! Also, make sure to check out my favorite Etsy stores post here for more small shop love!
PS This post was supposed to be published yesterday as part of the Shop Small linkup (here), but I had a nasty stomach bug! Make sure to check out some of the other posts in the linkup.
Cuteheads: Esther, the owner of cuteheads, is one of my favorite mamas around – you’ll quickly know that from reading her #GIRLBOSS interview here. I’m sad that Isla no longer fits into her adorable cuteheads chambray pom-pom romper. It’s so cute! I am so excited to see the new collection, and I’m even more excited (read: jealous) that Esther is including a seersucker top in the giveaway.
It’s hard to get your mind past Christmas when it’s only a few days away, but New Years Eve celebrations quickly follow, and it’s best to think ahead when it comes to the big outfit.
With all of the money spent on holiday gifts, the last thing I need to do is spend a fortune on a NYE outfit. I’ve put together three looks (dress, shoes, purse and jewelry) for under $250. My favorite look is first one with the neutral pinks and tans, but I love the pop of pink in the second and the sassy animal print Kate Spade dress in the third. You can hover over the items and click on the link to buy them yourself.
The next gift guide in my holiday series is for the ‘girly girl.’ Similar to the hostess and travel lover guides, I would take any and all of these presents (especially that Audrey lamp from Lulu & Georgia!). All of these gifts are for the ultra-feminine lady, which naturally means there is a whole lot of pink involved.
After checking Weather.com, it looks like Texas is not entering into the fall season any time soon, but it definitely feels close here in Colorado.The lows here this week are around 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius), which definitely requires a jacket, jeans and boots. While spring is my favorite season, fall is a close second. I love the burgundy, browns, and deep greens of fall fashion, and most especially fall shoes. Some of my the pumps and booties that I’ve bookmarked cost a pretty penny (basically everything from Tory Burch), but there are also some really cute cheaper shoes that I’m eyeing (especially those from J. Crew Factory!).
I’ve put together a collection of splurges and thrifty finds below. Which is your favorite? Are you ready for fall to come?
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