Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!

I just wanted to take a few moments from this hectic yet wonderful and memory filled day to wish all of you who celebrate a very Merry Christmas!  I hope you all enjoyed this beautiful day with those you love most.  Our house was so filled with love today... we even booked our vacation to Europe!  Woohoo Oh and i'm pretty sure we are the only house where santa visits TWICE in one day!  Can we say spoiled?  I was beyond excited when i opened my gifts... there were some amazing unexpected goodies that i will soon share with you all!  Hint.... from my favorites store Anthropologie and JCrew!  I will leave you with these silly pictures from our Christmas card photo shoot!  The first was the winner... but i wanted to share with you the close runners up!  Merry Christmas everyone... now where's my coquito? Cheers!

FMM Holiday Gift Guide Part 2 - Wish List

It's hard to believe that Christmas will be here in ONE week!  So have you completed your holiday shopping?  I'm almost done but still have a few items on my list.  This time of year is so busy for me since my little girls' birthday is also in December!  It's hard to believe they're already FIVE!  Between party planning, holiday decorating, shopping, baking, working, blogging... it's what Rachael Zoe might call BANANAS!  But regardless of the craziness, I'm trying to enjoy and savor this special time with my family.  Today in particular, I'm grateful that i have my beautiful baby girls to hug and kiss.  Sadly, many families in CT can't say the same as their babies were so violently taken from them.  So rather then complain about the madness of the season, I'm going to simply say... I'm grateful that i have my beautiful family to share this special time with and make yet another Christmas filled with wonderful memories. 

 

So with no further ado... here are a few of my favorite things!

 

1.  TOMS 'Classic' Canvas Slip-On
2.  Tory Burch Haircalf Printed Priscilla Bootie
3.  UGG® Australia 'Ansley' Slipper in Light Grey
4.  TOMS 'Classic - Metallic Dot' Slip-On
5.  Lula glitter ballet flats
6.  Tory Burch Chelsea Ballet Flat in Flame Red

1.  Anthropologie Spangled Bobby Pin Set (I rock mine all the time!)
2.  J.Crew Classic Chunky Link Bracelet (I may have slipped a hint to my hubby on this one!)
3.  Tory Burch 'Cole' Logo Double Wrap Bracelet
4.  J.Crew Classic pavé link bracelet
5.  Kate spade new york 'spade' thin hinged bangle
6.  Tory Burch Cole Enamel Stud Earrings

1.  Anthropologie Eileen Buttondown (I need this! Like really need it!)
2.  Tory Burch Satchel - Robinson Dome Large
3.  Anthropologie Stone-Dotted Wristlet (Totally asked Santa for this)!
4.  Anthropologie Tracing Stars Pouch (I purchased this for a friend but i wanna keep it!  Bad Carla!)
5.  Baggu for J.Crew
6.  Michael Kors Faux Fur Trim Poncho Sweater (I. WANT. THIS. NOW.)

1.  Kate Spade NY 'Ring' USB Drive (Because it's GENIUS!)
2.  Juicy Couture Faux Fur Headphone Ear Muffs ( I totally treated myself to these last year! So fun!
3.  J.Crew Printed Backup Battery for IPhone (O M G why didn't i know of this before?!)
4.  Rebecca Minkoff Pop Phone Handset
5.  Case-Mate® Monogram iPhone 5 Case (Nordstrom Exclusive) (Love Chevron!)

There you have it!  Some of my favorite things!  Hope you enjoyed!  Thank you SO MUCH for reading!  XOXO Carla

Ruffles, Bracelets and Bows, OH MY!

I love classic pieces with an edge.  In fact, this is what attracts me to stores like JCrew. They carry very basic articles of clothing with an edge.  The jacket below is a prime example of this.  It's your standard three quarter length sleeve spring jacket, yet this one has a beautiful ruffle detail on the collar all the way down the front that adds a certain whimsical feel to it.  I purchased it in Spring 2008 a few short months after having the girls.  I had lost my baby weight so i was excited to build my Spring wardrobe.  I walked into JCrew and there it was!  I fell in love... and honestly, to this very day, it's one of my absolute favorite Spring Jackets!  It's so versatile.  You can wear it with a fab pair of jeans or capris and know that you look super chic!  I snatched it immediately because i knew it would sell out... and sure enough, it did! 

Another trend I'm loving right now, is pairing up bracelets for a chunky look.  In the pictures below, I'm wearing a double wrap Tory Burch metallic gold bracelet, Tory Burch chain bracelet with matching earrings purchased at Nordstrom though i no longer see them on their website and a rose gold Michael Kors watch. 

Lastly, i love the ballet slippers pictured below.  I purchased them at the Gap a couple of years ago.  The bow is that little bit of edge or whimsy on a classic shoe.

 

Notice the sleeves have a little ruffle too... so fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

***A special thank you to my "wifey" (friend and former team teacher) Millie for taking the gorgeous pictures!  Also, a special thank you to my wonderful friends Julie and Liz for taking pics for previous blog entries.  You guys ROCK!

A Case of the Blues

I believe that accessories are EVERYTHING!  They don't necessarily have to be expensive, you just have to know how to pair things up.  I love many colors, however turquoise is a wonderful color to compliment most outfits.  Here are some of my absolute favorite blue, turquoise and teal pieces....

 This is one of my absolute favorite necklaces from JCrew!  I've had it for a while now and i get a ton of compliments every single time i wear it.  The cardigan and bangles on the right are also from JCrew.  In fact, one of the bangles is the exact same print as my cardigan.  

The bracelets to the left are all from Forever 21.  This store has a ton of fun accessories that can glorify any outfit without breaking the bank.

 

OK do you love this patent leather teal envelope clutch as much as i do???  I absolutely positively adore it!  Forever 21 for a whopping $19.99!!!  SCORE! Note:  The ring is also JCrew, and the bracelet charm peeking below on the right is Tory Burch.

Here are some more fun accessories...

 

 

 

This JCrew bracelet makes me want to retreat somewhere tropical... paired with a long flowing maxi dress and flip flops.... ahhh i can almost feel the sand on my toes :)

This is a lovely vintage broach i picked up on a trip to Martha's Vineyard.  I think i scored it for $5!

The bracelet below may be from Forever 21 but i honestly can't say for sure.  Still, it's a great little piece!

 

 

Here's another JCrew bracelet i love.  It's so vintage looking!  I mean, it's so gorgeous it kinda speaks for itself.

I fell in love with the scarf below during a recent trip to the Gap (29.99).  The vibrant colors are very in tune with the season's trends.  The reason i added it to this post is simply because i think it's a great complement to any of these accessories.  It's got some turquoise and navy hues to tie into the featured accessories, yet the bolder fuchsia and orange make it less matchy matchy.  Oh and how bananas is the coat?  It's a vintage find and label reads Saks Fifth Avenue!

 

 

 

Here's closer view of my coat's colar... i adore this vintage find.  I swear i could hardly breathe with excitement when i found it!

 

Hope you enjoyed this post!