Post Christmas Update

I'm sitting here on my floor, back in our house in Florida, after an amazing, whirlwind of a Christmas. Spending a whole week with my family was incredible. Getting to be back in my hometown with my friends and loved ones was such a breath of fresh air and truly rejuvenated my heart in a way that I didn't know I needed. I think it's easy to get caught up in life and just fall into a pattern that allows you get by but does nothing to feed your soul or excite you. One of my big goals for this new year is to make sure I fight that easy, yucky pattern and do things that take me outside my comfort zone and allow me to live each day in a fulfilling and passionate way. 

I don't know if it was being around my family and friends, or getting out of Florida for a couple of days, but it took this trip up to NC for me to jumpstart my mental enthusiasm again, and I'm not going to let go of that! So, with my heart a little fuller, my mind a little clearer, and my ring finger a little heavier (!!!) I am excited to jump headfirst into 2016! 

This year is going to be another doozy for a lot of reasons, but the best one being that James and I got engaged over the holiday! I am so happy and pumped for our life together. We have already been through so much and built such an amazing partnership that I can't even imagine the crazy, awesome things that lie in store for us. I can't wait to take this next step together and continue down this winding road of ours :)

As I write this post, I have a huge load of laundry going, a pot roast in the crockpot, there are four sleeping pups covering my furniture, I'm looking through my new cookbook that my parents gave us for christmas, and the only sound is Chef's Table playing in the background on Netflix. It is heavenly. Our home has been a little crazy the past couple of days because two sets of our good friends are moving in the next couple of weeks :( I want to spend as much time with them as possible before they PCS so we've been a home base for all six of us, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. It will be so sad to see them go off on their next adventures but part of the beauty and sadness of the military life is watching your friends leave but knowing they'll always have your back. 

So, while everyone is off running errands and doing last minute moving things, I volunteered to hang out with the pups and have a few minutes of quiet time to reflect on the past couple of weeks and try to get our home in order so we can move into the new year seamlessly. It's always crazy to me when the end of December hits! Where did this year go?? So much has happened and changed but at the same time all of the important things have stayed the same. You know, the things that truly matter like family, friendship, and love. We're all a little older, maybe a bit wiser, but still the people we were this time last year, just better! 

I hope that everyone has a beautiful New Year! See you on the other side...

10 Of My Favorite Things Right Now

In the spirit of the holidays I've been thinking about all of the things I'm thankful for. Of course the list is insane! There are just too many wonderful, kind, and amazing people in our life to forget how lucky we are :) We have made so many friends down here in Florida and even though we're going through our first wave of friends PCS'ing away from us I am so thankful for these friendships and know that we have a support network that distance cannot break. (All the feels!)

So, with that being said AND with the obvious exception of friends and family, here are 10 of my favorite things right now...

One: Essie's holiday glitter nail polish <3 
Two: Sipping delicious christmas blend coffee
Three: Re-watching all the episodes of Peaky Blinders before season 3 comes out!
Four: Getting to spend time baking in our amazing kitchen
Five: All of the beautiful holiday posts from my favorite bloggers :)
Six: It's finally cold enough to wear hats!
Seven: The folksy holiday music channel on spotify
Eight: Shopping for the perfect gift for all of my people
Nine: Watching christmas movies with J in the evenings (even though I ugly cry during each and every one)
Ten: The incredible support EM Realty has gotten from our community!

What are your "10 Things" this cozy Friday evening?
<3 EM

Cold Weather Fashion Favorites: Party Time

One of the best parts of the holidays is getting to see friends and family that you don't normally get to spend time with. And a perk of these reunions is that you get to see each other at holiday parties! Now, I've been known to go out in sweat pants when highly unmotivated, but the fashion this time of year is just too fun to pass up! With that being said, here are some of my absolute favorite holiday party looks...

1. Faux Fur: adding some faux fur accessories is a great way to dress up an outfit. It's also super comfy to wear if you decide to take a little catnap at the bar...

2. Sequins: You know where I stand with sequins. We love each other and have been in a committed relationship for years. To keep it from getting out of control, try pairing one sequined piece with something more casual like a fitted T, jeans, or a skirt. 

3. Texture: holiday parties are a great place to play with different textures and fabrics like feathers, or tartan, or chunky knits. Mix them all up in crazy ways and see what works for you! A nice, classic black blazer is a great way to keep it in check when your mixing everything else up ;)

Happy Holidays!!

xo Em

Cold Weather Fashion Favorites: Shoes

Now that the weather has finally turned, and the nights are crispy and cool, it is officially time to whip out those comfy knits, warm scarves, and awesome booties that have been sitting in the back of your closet all year! This is probably my favorite time of year as far as fashion goes because it is so easy to be comfortable and cute...most of the time.

You can literally put on black tights with any outfit and you will immediately be warmer and dressier. And of course, there are all of those wonderful holiday parties to dress up for! Anyone who knows me will tell you that if there is an opportunity to wear sequins or glitter of any kind, I am 100% in. So, this season provides ample occasions for me to whip out the holiday bling ;) Sorry, not sorry. 

With all of that being said, I've decided to compile a list of my holiday fashion must haves for all of your cold weather needs, but since the list is really long, let's start with SHOES!

My go to shoes during the winter season:

1. Bean Boots: these boots are not only super comfy and warm, they are also adorable when you pair them with jeans and some funky xmas socks. I wear them when I'm showing houses so I can tromp through construction sites easily. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't also just wear them with jeans around town because I love them so much. They are kind of pricey but last forever and are totally worth it! (Also, the J-Crew camp socks are perfect with these boots.)

2. Holiday Heels: my favorite go-to heels are a pair of nude Madewell Mira pumps that James gave to me. They go with everything and are super comfortable. I liked these heels so much, I bought them in a bright red too. I also think it's important to have a pair of crazy party heels that are covered in glitter. Some people may argue against me on this one, but they're wrong. Every girl needs glitter pumps. It's nice to have a pair of great black heels that you can wear with jeans and a nice dress. Sidenote: if you are wearing peep toes in the winter PLEASE, for the love of god, don't wear tights! 

 

3. Frye Boots: I wear my classic harness boots with everything, from tights and dresses to jeans. Frye boots may be expensive but I bought mine in high school and they are the only pair I've ever had. They get better looking with age and after breaking them in are really comfy. I do recommend buying a half size up though because they are tight at first and if you're like me, you will usually have big socks on with them. 

4. Moccasins: I LOVE my moccasins, unless its wet outside and then I hate them. Not really, but I definitely don't recommend wearing them in wet weather unless they are made for that, which mine are not. They are cute with leggings and jeans, and are great casual go-to shoes because they look good with funny socks ;) They are also fun to wear with tights and a little dress or skirt. 

5. Cute Everyday Flats: Flats are always a staple for any season. They are easy to wear with any outfit, can be dressy or casual, and are much more comfortable if you will be on your feet for a long time. 

So, there you have it! My cold weather shoe favorites :) Of course, no shoe is complete this time of year without an assortment of awesome fluffy socks, great patterned tights, and maybe a couple of pairs of sequined leggings...but that is a story for another day!

Hope everyone is as excited about the holidays as I am! Remember, as important as the fashion is this time of year there are bigger things the season helps us to focus on. There are tons of great charities which allow you to donate your gently used or older clothes to those in need! So before you head out and go shopping, go through your closet and give the things you don't wear anymore to someone who needs them :)

Peace & Shoes

E

Christmas Tree Lights & Adorable Dogs

The tree is up! And after much debate about whether we should use the wrapping around method or the weaving up and down method, the lights are on the tree too! Our ornaments are en route from NC and should be here any day now. It is officially our first christmas in our new home :) I love spending our evenings on the couch, drinking hot tea, and watching Christmas movies in the glow of the tree. The whole house smells like the holiday season!

It's even getting kind of chilly down here in good old Florida! We actually had to turn on our heat yesterday, well, maybe we didn't haaave to, but in the wise words of a random female extra on New Girl, 'it's 65 degrees and I'm freezing!' 

But you know it IS December and I would really like to break out the cute sweater dresses and scarves. While we were unpacking I discovered 4 boxes that remained unopened from the last move and they contained all of my cold weather shoes, coats, pants, you name it! It was like Santa came early! Just one of the random perks of having to move so much I guess.

Here are a few photos of our holiday decor so far...and maybe a couple of random dog pics...

Getting our tree! They were all brought down from Boone NC!

Hooray for NC trees :)

Yes, I only put lights on the front of the tree because it was heavy, I didn't have enough lights, and I got a little bit lazy, oops.

It also might be a little crooked because I attempted to adjust it while James was flying, but Copper still likes it!

So does baby Tuck! (sidenote: look at his crazy horse legs!! So cute)

Alright, I'm done posting pictures of our dogs by the tree. FOR NOW! But you better believe this next month will have a lot more to come :)

What are some of your favorite tree decorating tips and traditions??

E