Friday 5: Luxury Look-a-likes

Whew, the holiday hustle is in full swing! While I may not be running around store to store shopping for presents (I made my list early and tackled it quickly), I am enjoying all the holiday soirees and cheers with dear friends.  This weekend is all about Christmas musicals at my church and my Mamma's.  At my church the kiddos are putting on the show and my Mamma is in the choir performing at hers.  I'm so proud of the hard work that goes into putting on these beautiful shows that fill us with the true spirit and love of Christmas! #Jesusisthereason 

When it comes to shoes I'm not your average gal.  I am not overly enthusiastic and have a small inventory compared to most (Mr has a hard time grasping this) but it's the truth.  Like I am constantly sharing with you gals, quality over quantity.  I purchase well made shoes that check the top box of comfort. I also believe that low heeled shoes are far classier and a wise investment. 

Nothing is worse than painful shoes - Can I get an Amen?!!

High end designers make beautiful shoes but they also come with a sky high price.  While I have noticed that recent styles have embraced a lower heel height the cost is still too steep for my wallet.  So, I scout out shoes whose outer, lining and soles are made of leather and look for sewn in soles rather than glued.  These are trademarks for a well constructed shoe.  Just like your garments, shoes should be made of natural elements.

This allows for breathability and for the shoe to conform to your foot for a glove like fit. 

These look-a-likes maybe be a fraction of the cost but they are 100% full of quality and style.

Confession:  I am guilty of owning 4 of the 5 lood-a-likes below. (the exception of the red loafer because I already own these red shoes and don't need 2 pairs of horse bit loafers and my lace up flats are nude)

Gucci is on FIRE and I'm grateful to have found similar looks for less. But I won't be scouting out any impostures when it comes to this handbag - It's #1 on my wish list!

Luxury: Metallic Loafer  ||  Horsebit Loafer  ||  Red Horsebit Slipper  ||  

Velvet Slipper  || Lace Up Flats ||

Look-a-like: Metallic Loafer  ||  Horsebit Loafer  ||  Red Horsebit Slipper  ||  

Velvet Slipper & Here  || Lace Up Flats  ||

Dress Beautifully in Luxury for Less

XOXO Sarah Louise

Leather & Sweater

Talk about contrast - mixing a soft warm sweater with edgy cool leather makes for a super chic look.

Both textiles are full of texture and essential for a winter wardrobe.

This outfit also combines classic & modern with these block heeled booties and saddle cross body bag.

Pull from the extremes to create your next look and I promise the mixed vibes will have you winning in the style category!

Sweater || Leather Skirt || Booties || Handbag || Earrings || 

Dress Beautifully in Sweater & Leather

XOXO Sarah Louise

Ribbons & Lace

Lace used to be for those special dress up occasions.  Today, you can find lace in all types of garments. It adds texture, detail and lots of femininity!

While lace hasn't lost any of its fanciness, you can tone it down with simple styling.
This dress has casual elements with its piped collar and pockets.

I styled this black lace dress with layers, because it's finally getting cold down here in the South.  With added coverage it creates a more modest look that is appropriate for day/office.  I kept it extra classy with pearls and a patent clutch.

Note: I went up a size.  I wanted to be able to layer easily and I find that shift dresses really shorten with sitting. Since that's a necessary aspect of life a little more room & length is a good thing. Pay attention to the arm holes when sizing up, often they become too big and it is NOT classy to expose undergarments!

To take it to the weekend, try brown boots/booties and a denim jacket.  I believe that shoes and a jacket have big power to completely change your look.

I wanted to amp up the girly and nothing says girly like a bow.  But because I'm in my thirties (seriously where does the time go?!!) it needed to be small and understated.  I recently purchased a velvet choker necklace with my youngest sister (#flashback - everything that was cool when I was young is back!) and decided it's perfect to repurpose in my mane.

This dress is not only great for the holiday season but because it's sleeveless and light weight you can ditch the layers and pair with sandals come Spring.

Tip: Pairing tights with heels can be a slippery mess, a Mary Jane style holds down your feet for easy walking.

Lace Dress || Silk Blouse || Mary Jane Pumps || Similar Clutch || Chocker Ribbon || 

Dress Beautifully in Layered Lace & Ribbons

XOXO Sarah Louise

Gal Pal Gift Guide

Tis better to give than to receive!

I have mixed feelings about this gift giving season. I love to bless others but I'm not so keen on the pressure to buy and feel that there are better ways to show your love than gifts.  Like quality time - priceless!

There are tons of gift guides floating around out there, just check your Instagram and Pinterest if you're stuck for ideas. With that I'm going to leave all that effort to all the other bloggers, but what I will share with you what I'm actually gifting my gal pals this year.

It is with great intention that I designed this post around my gal pals.  We all have them and we all need them. Amen?!  My gal pals have been beyond instrumental in my life.  They love me and pray for me.  They are right by my side cheering the good times and drying my tears on the bad times.

Girlfriends are the sisters I chose for myself

 Locket || Picture Frame || Wine Glasses || Candle || Present Over Perfect - Grace Not Perfection  ||

Let's break these treasures down ...

Wine Glasses - Everyone loves to cheers and with their beautiful gold leaf base, these are a unique must have.  They also come from one of my favorite shops ever! #shopsmall 

Locket - A timeless classic bauble that's not only pretty but sentimental.  Place pictures of those who are nearest and dearest to you inside.  I actually own this one and I feel special when I wear it.  I also love the modern design of a longer chain.  Great gift for Mamma's!

Candle - If you've ever had one of these burning in your home then you know why it's such a lovely gift.  It truly is the most amazing smell!

Picture Frame - We post and post and post. But I like the traditional way of viewing the moments with a hard copy framed picture.  We've become lazy. Snap a pic on your phone and with just a couple clicks, a filter and a few hashtags it's out for the world to see.  It really only takes the same amount of clicks to send it to Target and you can pick it up as soon as an hour.  And y'all let's be real, we're at Target all the time. As for frames, I typically grab mine at Homegoods but at this time of year there are all kinds of specials and sales at all the home decor stores.  

How sweet it is to display those precious memories, filling your home with the smiles of those you love.

Books - I believe it's important to turn off the noise.  I'm talking no phone, tv, iPad, computer; you know all those sites/social media that suck you in for hours.  Gals, you can't get those hours of your life back and more often than not you close out feeling inadequate.  I'm thrilled to be gifting these books (and receiving for myself) this year.  It's not about perfection in the world's eyes but about presence and grace in God's eyes. Comparison is the thief of joy.  Hold on tight to your blessings!

All of these gifts are modestly priced and are great for absolutely any gal regardless of her style or interests.  

I encourage you to give with love this year and challenge you embrace the gift of face to face time.

Dress Your Gift Giving Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise

Magnolias for the Holidays

Dare I say I got crafty this Christmas?! Eh, maybe creative is a better word.  I'm far from a DIY gal but this Christmas I wanted to do something other than my standard gold wrapping paper.  I say standard because I use it all year round for just about every gift giving occasion.

So as to not break my utilitarian nature, I went with brown craft paper, twine and magnolia leaves from our backyard to wrap our gifts this year.  Magnolias are my most favorite flower and I'm over the moon grateful to have a tree to enjoy.  Magnolias are commonly used in holiday decor with garland and wreaths, but they sure do come with a price tag.  So I decided to incorporate these beautiful gems in my wrapping.

The brown craft paper is thick and durable and not to mention along with the twine super low cost.  It's crazy to me to spend tons of money on ribbons and bows that get maliciously ripped and tossed away; and ugh the glittery mess they make.
To attach the leaves I used double sided tape.  It's one of the most handy supplies!

Supplies: brown craft paper, twine, metallic marker, double-sided tape, scissors and magnolia leaves. 

These presents have a quintessential southern vibe that I'm quite proud of.

I have a feeling this will be my new standard for next year's gift giving.

Dress Your Gifts Beautifully with Magnolias

XOXO Sarah Louise

Foxy & Fabulous

"I say, dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance. Wear something that says 'Here I am!' today." - Iris Apel

Foxy & Fabulous!  That's how I feel in this arctic blue fur number.  It's a statement, a bold statement, and I L.O.V. E. it! Fashion is about wearing pieces that make you feel beautiful and confident and this piece does just that.

I literally have been frustrated over the past few weeks that the weather hasn't been cold enough to rock this beauty.  But finally Winter has shown itself and I'm strutting out in my pale blue faux fur coat.

Now, not everyone is a fan. What??!!! Bless them.  #haters
What some may think is over the top, gaudy, tacky, or crazy I find to be stylish, glamorous and down right fabulous! (I can't use that adjective enough)

So, if you share my sentiment let's talk about this blue wonder.  It is faux fur and in a slightly cropped design the fit and thickness doesn't overwhelm with too much volume.  Cropped hems leave room to showcase your top and shorter sleeves leave room for movement of your arms and hands while allowing space to let your cuffs or bracelets shine. I also adore the necklace neckline.  With no collar it leave the space open around your neck and face which is slimming and again leaving room for layers and highlighting accessories.

The fur is super soft and has an eye-catching luster that makes the ice blue pop.  There are hook and eye clasps for closure.  I apologize for not capturing the lining but it's in a small damask print in navy and burgundy.

Tip:  Always look to the lining of jackets/blazers for color pairing options.

I stayed neutral in color pairings with this fur.  I went with a semi-casual look with a silk ivory blouse, grey skinny jeans and suede over the knee boots. Mixing casual and dressy is the name of my game.  It allows for optimizing wear of my 'work' clothes and investment as they are almost always more expensive due to the nature of their quality and it takes my weekend/evening looks from basic to chic!

I'd rather be interesting that blend!

I plan to pair with navy, ivory, grey, burgundy suiting pieces for the office for a more subdued palette. For the weekends, it's all about color with printed pieces containing the colors mustard yellow, emerald green, purple ... the sky's the limit!

While the silk blouse, boots and fur are more on the fancy side of the style scale the jeans and cross body saddle bag are more relaxed.

When you take garments out of their intended style box and blend them together you create a blended look that sure to set a fabulous tone!

Maybe a colored fur coat is a bit much for you; I sorta get it.  Then maybe you should try a colored faux fur collar or simply try embracing a piece that is outside your box that makes you smile.
Clearly I don't let others dampen my strut and you shouldn't either.

Here I am in my blue foxy fur!

I seriously feel like I'm snuggled up in a luxurious stuffed animal

It's simplistic yet chic when the coat comes off 

Party on the outside and business on the inside

Blue Faux Fur Coat - Similar & Here & Here & Here || Silk Blouse || Grey Jeans || 

Over the Knee Boots || Saddle Bag || 

Dress Beautifully in Faux Fur

XOXO Sarah Louise

Pinkalicious Christmas

Welcome! Come on in to our decked halls!

Ok, maybe decked is embellishing a bit.  I'm not big on lots of Christmas decor.  It's not my favorite holiday. Gasp! but it just isn't.  And, I don't like to invest money into things that are temporary and then have to store them.  I detest pack rat habits.

So, I've decided as with most things in my life, that I will do it my way.  In pure SL style.

First things first, I love the entryway into our home. The outside and in.  Because our rounded stairs and front door make quite the classic statement all on their own I simply added red bows onto our iron urns for a bright pop that's stands out all the way from the street. And because they're under $2 each, can simply be tossed come January.

On the inside I cleared our foyer tables and placed the most important decor you'll find in our home front and center, the nativity.  Jesus is the reason for the season. Amen!

If you look closely you'll see our mistletoe 'kissing ball' hanging in the formal room entry.  

We take full advantage :) 

Above in our foyer and below in our formal room, I place poinsettias plants in my vintage champagne buckets.  I typically have orchids in them.  I chose these pretty buttercream blooms because I'm not a fan of red in my home and I like the lighter brighter look.  

My formal room evolved unintentionally incorporating blush pinks.  I love it!  So last year while Mr was deployed, I decided to embrace my feminine style and continue this color palette & decorate in blush and gold for Christmas.  This year now that he's home I was worried he would be opposed, but in true 'happy wife, happy life' fashion he went with it. 

I add a little something new to my decor inventory every year to spread out the cost and it's fun to bring in fresh elements. It's always a new ornament or two, and most of the time more birds (I love birds on my tree - they symbolize peace to me) but this year it was these blush trees and glittery church.  What a pretty pink scene!!! 

Our tree decor is the same as last year.  Except for this year it isn't leaning since I had someone to help me set it up. I've had this same gold star topper now for 7 years. It's a trooper.  We kept the ornaments this same with the exception of a US Navy one that I gifted Mr this year.  It's bittersweet now that's we've left the military but it will always be a part of our lives.

All it needs are presents!  

We enjoy sitting in front of the tree and soaking in the spirit of the season sharing our thoughts.  It's cozier with hot chocolate! 

Our family room houses the fireplace and it is the room we spend the most time in.  I was so excited when I found real boxwood wreaths and pine garland at my local Trader Joe's! I quickly scooped one of each up as they were going fast.  The pine garland was surprisingly super long but with some arranging and shedding I was able to get it so that it framed our fireplace beautifully.  I had some burlap that I cut and used to hang the wreath over the mirror. 

I have a plethora of candle stick holders. I'm not sure how it happened - ok well let's be honest it's a mix of family heirlooms and my frequent trips to thrift stores / obsession with old and shiny brass/silver things.  I have a tendency to over clutter sometimes because I just love my things, but I could just hear one of my gal pals who is always urging me to keep it clean and simple.  So I did, with just 2 sets of candles in both brass and silver.  I like to mix up my shine. 

Our stockings are from our very first Christmas as Mr and Mrs 7 years ago.  

Scragley kitty all snuggled up by the fire, how he can stand the heat with all that fur I don't know.  He's way over due for a hair cut. Yes we shave him even in the winter.  He's super cute and lives in climate control. Oh and for those of you who've seen this pic on my instagram/facebook, I have serious guilt from all of your comments on why Scragley doesn't have a stocking! 

I also added red bows on our corner sidewalk lamp post and mailbox.

And last but not least, for the past few years I place candlestick lights in all of our front windows for extra curb appeal. I have a feeling next year Mr is going to want to hang lights outside.  I guess if I can have pink on the inside he can light up the outside - in moderation!

Let your light shine bright for Jesus!

I hope you enjoyed my little holiday home tour. May you be inspired to decorate your home in your own style and perhaps be inspired by mine :)

Dress Your Home Beautifully for Christmas

XOXO Sarah Louise

Velvet + Plaid

Velvet and plaid are the signature textiles for the Winter season.  They're warm, soft and add lots of texture to your look.

There's no need to keep it separated, mixing it up creates interest and style.  Velvet tends to have a fancy vibe while plaid can be more on the casual side, so together you get a nice balance.

I styled them both for the office with a crisp white shirt and classic mary jane pumps.

Tip:  All of my blazers have functional button cuffs so that I can fold them up. I am on the petite side and I find that for easy of movement and work it's practical and quite frankly it's sloppy to have your sleeves hanging over your hands.  I also find it slimming to highlight your small features like your wrists. 

Styling Options with a Velvet Blazer:
Casual - tee, jeans and flats
Dressy - cocktail dress, strappy heels and a clutch

Styling Options with Plaid Pants:
Casual - tee, denim jacket and flat booties
Dressy - cashmere sweater and statement necklace

P.S. How precious is this locket necklace to hold a sweet picture of what's near and dear.  It's a timeless piece and makes a great gift.

Velvet Blazer || Dress Shirt || Plaid Pants || Mary Jane Pumps || Necklace || 

Dress Beautifully in Velvet & Plaid

XOXO Sarah Louise