It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Let me start off by trying to convey the degree of freezing I was in these photos. My dad and I took them during a nasty bout of the polar vortex and honestly I’m not totally sure how I survived.
I’ve since managed to recover from my close call with hypothermia, mainly by curling up near the fire and drinking copious amounts of tea (sounds awful, woe is me). But ok ok, enough about the frigid Chicago temps. WE GET IT, KIRA. It’s cold.
Today’s look is classic and simple, and one that anyone can rock during the holidays. Black and white is timeless and never fails at elevating your chic status. My pants are old, but I found similar ones here. And this top is one of my favorite go-to’s. Add a faux fur stole, classic black pumps, and a bright red lip and you are ready to conquer the holidays!
My family doesn’t usually exchange gifts during the holidays, which most people find to be a strange and bizarre habit. We instead try to find a way to all take a trip together somewhere and spend some quality time with one another. I can say in all honesty those trips and the memories we made on them far outweigh any physical gift I’ve received. This year, however, my sister and her fiance are coming in from Italy, and we will be having a more traditional Christmas. We’ll have a nice dinner together and, yes, even exchange gifts with one another. This is the first time I’ve had to concern myself with “gift-buying” in quite some time and I have to say, I’m kinda rusty. Wanting to get someone you love something personal and thoughtful (and within your budget) can be a challenge. It’s given me a whole new appreciate for all the gift guides out there. I think ultimately we found great, personal gifts for everyone. But it really made me pause and appreciate how much our non-gifting habit really keeps the stress at bay during the holidays. And it makes me grateful for our family’s trip-taking tradition, where my biggest stress is whether my tan lines are even 😉
Regardless, I hope you are really enjoying this week leading up to Christmas. I’m feeling the holiday cheer so much more than last year! I think it’s because I’m letting myself indulge a lot more – lots of cocoa and cookies 😉 I’m off to work now but GET THIS: Check back later today for a SECOND post! That’s right friends, I’m double-dipping today. TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE. So I’ll see you back here tonight! Til then, STAY WARM.
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