Good morning, friends! I am sitting in class all week trying to finish up my final coursework in order to graduate from seminary in May. Basically, this means that I’m going to be non-poster this week except for this little announcement. A few of my fellow bloggers are going to begin this little gem on January 1st. You can also read a little more from a post that Leslie wrote here. Hope you join in! It should be a great time for all.

I’ll leave you with my Christmas Eve outfit. Here it is!

Have a lovely day! See you more next week, friends!

Linking up: Induffinitely Me. I do DeClaire. Bless Her Heart Y’all. Get Your Pretty On. The Pleated Poppy. Shopping My Closet. The Mummy Chronicles. Classy Yet Trendy. Style Honestly. God Life Happy Wife. Musings of a Housewife. Sweet Haute.

It’s Christmas week and life is busy. The hustle and bustle with parties and families is well underway. The Style Me Bloggers decided to post a day earlier than usual. We still a few more outfits to finish the challenge with Alison at Get Your Pretty On. I’m posting a few outfits from the challenge but I didn’t style one everyday this past week. So here’s what I have.

The taming of the blanket scarf! A monumental moment of styling history {jk} but showing two options.

 

 

 

Please check out my sweet fashion bloggers and their incredible fashion. You’ll be glad you did, friends. Hope you have a lovely day! Merry Christmas, friends! Hope you have a beautiful New Year as well!

 

Linking up: Get Your Pretty On. Watch Out for the Woestmans.

One of the things that I have learned about style this year is creating interest with pattern mixing. I would say prior to 2014 I did not wear much in the line of patterns. If I added interest to my basics it was most likely with a scarf (tied oddly I might add) or some type of necklace. Well, as the year is quickly coming to a close I have learned to mix multiple patterns. I thought I would share the outfit I put together for a Christmas shopping outing. Three patterns, oh my!

I was totally thrilled with how this outfit came together. I would also wear leopard print wedges or booties to change-up this look. I think it would be great with a festive red sweater as well.

What about you? What patterns are you mixing? Not mixing patterns? Why not give it a try before the end of the year.

This is the last Monday’s Mix for 2014. Hope you will come back in the new year for more style and fashion fun.

Merry Christmas, friends and a Happy New Year!

Linking up: Watch Out for the Woestmans. Fashionably Employed. Still Being Molly. More Pieces of Me. On the Daily Express. Fizz and Frosting. Induffinitely Me. I do DeClaire. Bless Her Heart Y’all. Style Elixir.

Back in April of this year, I participated in my first Style Me Challenge with Alison at Get Your Pretty On. I have done several more since then but it was first challenge that was the start of some great blogging friendships. Over time we have started to blog and link up together writing about different topics. We have grown in our fashion style as well as our friendships. You should read our email threads because they can get quite humorous. Honestly, we have great aspirations to meet up in person one day. Maybe 2015 will allow that to come to fruition.

As we have blogger together and as the holidays drew near we all participated in a Secret Santa of sorts. Deena, our fearless leader organized it and set it all up through Elfster. We each received our recipient and were tasked with sending a gift within a dollar limit that represented our region. Well, sweet Leslie, who blogs at Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After, received my name. (If you haven’t stopped by her blog yet, please do). Leslie is one lady of enthusiasm and encouragement. So glad we met via Style Me Challenges and we live in the same state to boot. Unfortunately, we live about nine hours apart. Texas is a BIG state, people!

Here’s some pictures my sweet man took when I opened the gifts from Leslie. Love her choices for me. A precious cross ornament, soaps, pistachios (spicy, yes)! and the coveted blanket scarf. She is one terrific gift giver. Love it all! All the items, except the scarf, came from New Mexico, which is our neighbor. Unique and original. I think Leslie gets me! And to think we met through a style challenge. Amazing things happen when ladies get together through fashion and life. Can I get an amen?

And yes, I wear glasses…can’t read a thing without anymore!

Thank you, Leslie! You are a sweet and thoughtful friend!

Honestly, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank Alison as well. It all started like this…On Saturday, my style blogging friends and Alison were really on my heart. I was out Christmas shopping and of course looking at clothes. When I was done I went home to finish my some cleaning around the house and the laundry. As I was folding clothes and putting things away in my closet, I realized I am really happy with how my wardrobe looks right now. I love so many of my pieces and can create tons of outfits. Much of this is because of the many outfits Alison created for me and the pieces she suggested using the shopping lists provided through the Style Me Challenges. I feel like my wardrobe has a completeness that makes more sense now. It’s no longer just random pieces but items than can be remixed. And yes, I read other blogs and find great style inspiration on Pinterest but there is something about the Style Me Challenges that has me coming back. You know what it is? It’s community. Real women of all ages speaking words of encouragement and kindness to other women in ways that cause them to get out of their comfort zones and take fashion risks. Those risks build confidence in style choices but it bleeds over into others areas of life for sure. These challenges also build friendships, much like what I wrote about earlier in this post. Style Me Challenges are much more than fashion. They are a safe place of community!

Thank you, Alison for what you created to style women and how graciously you have allowed this community to flourish for every lady who signs up and chooses to participate. You have helped women take fashionable risks that might have been unthinkable before a challenge. And BeBe, I think you are such a precious asset. You are creative and genuine. So glad you moderate with your wit and charm. Alison, I am thankful for you and the impact you have had on my life and what you have taught me. I am grateful for the precious ladies I now know at the end of 2014 that I didn’t know when this year unfolded and all because I signed up for a style challenge last April. Hope to see more of y’all in 2015!

May you have a beautiful and very Merry Christmas, Alison {and BeBe too}!

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