My Christmas Favorites

Well, favorites is a strong word here. I loved all of my presents, but some stood out a bit more than others because they were things that I really really wanted. I got a really good loot this year. I got great stuff from my family, my boyfriend, AND my secret santa at work! Here are a few of the things that I got from everyone (including myself):

(L-R)

Saffron Jame Le'a Perfume Oil- Smells like a tropical paradise full of plumeria flowers and sexy sunsets. This is a good mid-winter pick-me-up since I'm sick of wearing actual clothes.

Minnetonka Short Fringe Boots- So cute a fringy, but not obnoxiously fringy. They have enough to be fun, but don't make me look like a wannabe hippy that's trying too hard.

Oribe Apres Surf Hair Spray- Really awesome beachy hair spray. It's on-par with Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray which is the best stuff on earth. It smells awesome and gives your hair a piecey matte look aka sexy-ass hair.

Ksumi Tea Essentials Sampler- Lots and lots of delicious Russian style teas that come in a buttload of flavors. There's black tea, there's mate, there's grean tea, you've got some much to choose from! Every one I've tried (probably four by now) have been awesome. Also got two tins of tea, one a chai and one a Christmas themed tea. All are great!

Bath & Body Works "Meet Me in Tahiti" Candle- Smells like vanilla, coconut, and tropical island flowers take me to another place when I'm sitting in my tiny bathtub. Plus it had Tahiti in the name so it's a given that I was going to buy this. PS- I bought this for myself. Merry Christmas to me!

J. Crew Infinity Scarf-My secret santa got this for me right under my nose at the J. Crew outlet. It goes great with my army green jacket and little boots. It's a nice neutral brown with a pop of fluorescent orange. Super warm and super cute!

I also got a really sweet record player from my boyfriend. It was a big surprise because I wasn't sure he would indulge my hipster tendencies, but guess who was wrong! Now I just need some records to play and I'll be set!

I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a wonderful holiday and those who don't I hope you had a great day off unless some butthole made you work. Until next time, see you in the new year!

Last Minute Shoppers: Get Presents That Don't Suck

I say this from atop my high-horse, I got all of my Christmas shopping done about a month ago and have really only supplemented it with little things I think are fun along the way. If you are way too busy and have only got a few days to get your shit together, then you are in luck. Here are a few last-minute gift ideas for your loved ones:

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara Collection- Sephora

Most major cities have a Sephora, and luckily Sephora has some great gift sets that give you lots of stuff for not that much money. I like this set because Lancome Hypnose is a tried-and-true good mascara. Plus you get a primer, liquid liner, and a makeup remover. I would totally want this!

 

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette- Sephora

Thank you again, Sephora. This palette has every neutral shade you need, plus a brush, plus a tiny adorable lip gloss. Unless you like wearing wild colors all the time and work as a circus clown/colorful stripper, this is really all the colors you'll ever need. 

 

Art of Shaving Unscented Initiation Kit- Nordstrom

Most dudes shave or have refused to since Movember. Guilt them into shaving off that beard with this fancy kit from Art of Shaving.It has a badger hair brush, shave cream, after shave balm, and pre-shave oil to make your dudes face smooth and classy.

 

Jack Black "Balm Squad" Balm Quad- Nordstrom

Everyone hates dry, crusty lips. Jack Black's (not from Kung-Fu Panda fame) lip balm is supposed to be the next best thing in lip care. With this set you can either give them all to one person or you can divvy them up and give them to four different people. It even gives you the opportunity to keep one for yourself!

Diptyque Holiday Candles- Diptyque

These are fancy-ass candles that make for a fancy-ass gift. Diptyque has released two Christmas-themed candles, sapin dore that smells like Christmas trees, amber oud that smells spicy and seasonal, and oublian which smells like frankincense (baby Jesus approved). Diptyque candles always make a good gift because they look nice and everyone likes candles. If they don't like candles, too bad!

(available at Nordstrom or Saks 5th Ave)

Cashmere Infinity Scarf- J. Crew

If all-else fails, you can never go wrong with a nice scarf. It works for either gender, and unless it's made of burlap and razor wire, it will be soft and comfortable no matter what the price. If you really want to make someone feel bad about not getting you something better, get them a cashmere scarf. Now, whenever they start complaining about things you can remind them of how much you spent on that scarf and the guilt should shut them up!

Hope this little guide helps in a pinch. If you really don't have time to shop just resort to food. Everyone likes cookies and here are a few of my favorite cookie recipes. Some don't even need baking! Happy shopping everyone!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles (vegan)

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Peppermint Bark

Gingerbread Cookies

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shopocalypse: It Pays To Work

Three years ago, my boss came up with a glorious idea: instead of having a run-of-the-mill office Christmas party, how about I give all my employees an envelope full of cash and drive them to the outlet malls since they've been bitten and thrown up on all year. Today was that glorious day. We visited our local Prime Outlets and went to town. I always feel like I bought a lot of stuff and come home to see it's a moderate amount of stuff compared to some "hauls" you see on YouTube or other blogs. I also do a lot of Christmas shopping for other people, people who may read this blog, so no spoiled surprises!

The outlets my friend/coworker/coshopper and I hit are Levis, J. Crew, ALDO, Cosmetics Company Store, Bath and Body Works, and a few others. Today, I got two shirts and a pair of jeans from Levis, three shirts from J. Crew, and a pair of boots from ALDO. Not bad seeing as I got presents for three other people with money left over! Here's photo evidence from my trip:

(1-3 J. Crew, 4 & 5 Levis) and yes, that's my background is my sofa

All of these tops were super on sale and I am always getting holes in my shirts so I just buy a bunch.I have also resigned myself to being one of those people who wears variations of one kind of shirt: striped t-shirts. I like them, I look decent in them, and when people see a striped shirt they tell me "that's so Emily" so the striped shirt is my thing now. I also figure if something fits well, get it in every color available so that's what I did!

Shirts were not the only thing I got, I also purchased (received in the mail) two pairs of shoes:

(Left- Target, Right- ALDO)

I have wanted sneaker wedges for along time, but I would never ever shell out $600 for Isabel Marant trend shoes. Luckily, target.com had these for $35 so I went ahead and took the plunge. My boyfriend thinks they look a bit silly and called them my Marty McFly shoes. Sounds like someone is jealous and will be kicking himself when he sees me cruising on my hover board with my awesome shoes. They are pretty comfortable for a heeled shoe and give me a bit of extra height which is always a good thing. The second pair are suede ankle boots from Aldo. They look a bit "Marant-ish", but were under $100 and not an entire paycheck. They are super cute and actually look good with my big Fjallraven army jacket. I love boots and can never have enough of them and these really made my day.

After a nice lunch, we drove back home ready for a nap. Tomorrow is Friendsgiving with some of my old college friends and now I'll have cute new stuff to wear! Outlet malls are wonderful things and they have some great deals around this time. Happy shopping everyone!