Winter Getaway

Winter Getaway by elbonner featuring 1 piece swimsuits

I'm ready for a vacation that doesn't involve a lot of cooking and shopping.One where I can laze around in the sun and take a swim if I want to. This isn't something that can happen where I live in December which is why today I'm daydreaming about a winter getaway vacation! Since I've been in grade school/college/graduate school for the past almost 20 years, I haven't been able to really go anywhere in the winter time. Hopefully, with cooperation from the boyfriend, we can have arelaxing week away somehwere nice and warm. Since I am convinced that I have seasonal affective disorder since I get incredibly aggravated with the cold each winter, I think a beach vacation right in the middle will break up the cold and grey and also keep me from committing winter boredom suicide.  I've put together a little collage of what would be great for a winter beach vacation, including some things you can still wear once you get home!

1. Loose white t-shirt: great for layering over a bikini or layering under a big sweater once you return from your trip. Rag & Bone 

2. Beaded silk shorts: loose and flowy for the beach over a swimsuit, great for lounging around the house when you get home and realize how dumb it is to even bother going outside in January. Mara Hoffman

3. Swimsuits, two-piece and one-piece: a two-piece just because it's winter and you can and a one-piece in case the holidays have you feeling less than fabulous. Zimmermann, We Are Handsome

4. Gladiator Sandals: I'm convinced that gladiator sandals will never go out of style(they haven't for 3000 years) so get yourself a simple, leather pair and keep them forever. Ancient Greek Sandals

5. Sunscreen: just because it's winter at home doesn't mean you don't need sunscreen. This formula from Lancaster lets you get a bit of color while keeping you from getting the cancer. Lancaster

6. Big Cardigan: You have to come home sometime. Skip the big jacket and get a big, blanket-like cardigan that you can use on a chilly island night. Calypso St. Barth    

7. Lace Dress: this will look as at home on the beach as it will over leggings and under a giant coat once you get home. Free People

8. Wrap Bracelet: very beachy, but in a neutral tone that is great for winter too. Chan Luu 

9. Printed Backpack: You need a beach bag, why not get a pretty printed one that isn't a giant hot pink vinyl bag that looks odd and can't be used for anything else. Billabong 

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that our Christmas bonuses will be enough for a quick island getaway or that we'll meet a Daddy Warbucks while drunk at an office outing and never have to work again. However you get out of the cold this winter, go for it!

  

Holiday Dresses: Look Better Than Your Entire Family

Holiday Dresses by elbonner featuring french connection

The holidays are upon us in the Western world and for the good ole' US of A, Thanksgiving is next Thursday. The next few weeks will probably see a lot of mandatory office holiday parties, seeing all those relatives you choose not to see for the rest of the year, and drinking yourself into lots of embarrassing holiday stories to be told until everyone who witnessed it is dead. Even if you accidentally make out with an intern, with these dresses no one can fault you for looking bad doing it. Holiday time is a time to go all out with sparkles, embroidery,  and jewel tones so I have collected a bunch of holiday dresses that will look good on lots of different people.

1. Dolce & Gabbana- go baroque in this awesome velvet embroidered dress and make everyone feel poor!
2. Candy Apple Dress from Modcloth- it's retro, it's red, it has a bow, it just screams Christmas dress.
3. Warehouse Lace Bodice Dress- Swingy and sophisticated; the full skirt helps hide your extra butt circumference from all those midnight gingerbread cookie raids.
4. Coast Emmy Crepe Dress- great color and great for a fancy holiday party. The pleating at the waist helps hide any lumps and bumps from too many peppermint lattes.
5. French Connection Fast Iris Dress- stretch lace always looks nice. It's a little edgy with the black lining underneath and is a little praise Satan and hail the birth of Christ.
6. Tory Birch Kathy Dress- This shift dress has a tie-waist to give it more shape, but can be let out in the event of too much ham.