Why I Love Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve, friends! If they haven’t already, let the festivities begin!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! From spending quality time with family I live far away from to finally getting a break from the non-stop work that accompanies acquiring a PhD in engineering, Christmas is my most favorite season of them all. And it’s not even just the more obvious things like those. But it’s the twinkling lights, the genuine laughs, and the smell of something sweet baking in the morning. It’s all the little sights, smells, and sounds that truly bring me home and happiness for the holidays.

So today I wanted to share some of this magical sentiment with you with a just-for-fun outfit I put together in the spirit of Christmas!

For this look, I knew I wanted to do something out-of-the ordinary and just a little over-the-top. And when I found this shirt at the PINK store in Chicago, I instantly knew it captured the excitement of the season. It’s such a fun shirt, no? I’ve linked similar ones below.

This shirt is one of my new favorites, not only because it has sequins on it, but because it references one of my all time favorite movies–Elf! More than it just being a hilarious, fun-loving movie, it really captures the childlike excitement I feel during this season. Buddy’s happiness is contagious and reminds us to never lose our excitement and wonder of life. Sometimes I feel like as we grow up get older, we lose sight of what’s important in our lives. And for me, it’s the Christmas season that really reminds me to enjoy the simple things in life, like homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and the warm, all embracing hug of someone I haven’t seen in months.

I paired the sequin shirt with a glamorous white midi skirt that reminded me of the snow. I just recently moved to Colorado (from South Texas) and have been overly excited about having seasons again–the snowy season being one of my favorites. Allen is from Alaska and I asked him one day if he thought I would ever tire of the snow. “For the average person, probably” he said. “For you, probably not!” Haha. And it’s true! He knows how giddy I get when the snowflakes start falling, be they large or small. There’s just something magical in the air when the snow starts to fall during Christmastime. And you can bet I’ll be frolicking over there in the snow drift, making a snow angle and catching snowflakes on my tongue. It’s just where I am meant to be.

I added in some patent red pumps to amp up the party flavor of the look. Because Christmastime is the time to celebrate! And there is no shortness of festivities during the holidays. And why not?! Let’s celebrate the life–THE ultimate gift–we’ve been given with those who have made life so fantastic to live!

I topped the outfit off with this adorable faux fur pompom beanie that reminds me of the crisp biting wind during the holiday season. And while most people think of this as something to dread, I think of the cold wind as a reminder to bundle up and to snuggle up close to the ones we love. One of my favorite ways to spend the break is with a nice cup of hot chocolate in hand (with double marshmallows, of course), a blanket around our snuggled bodies, and a crackling fire at our toes to keep us warm. The cooler breezes are in fact a reminder to stay close during the holiday season, and always.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope you get to spend lots of time with family and friends this season. And never forget the true reason for the season!

Photos by Dylan Allen

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Get the Look…

Shirt: PINK | Skirt: Express | Hat: J. Crew (similar here, here, here, here) | Heels: J. Crew Factory (similar here, here, here, here) | Bracelet: Francesca’s | Rings: Aggie Ring, KD Ring gifted | Lips: Revlon (certainly red)