I've never picked up a pair of knitting needles but when the weather starts to chill and all of the trees have gone bare it seems like the perfect way to waste away a few of those extra hours of darkness in the evening. Sweater weather is upon us and a made-to-fit turtleneck just might be the thing we're all missing. My sweet and talented friend, Sleepy Fox Photography, is making the transition to film photography and I love how moody and wintery the graininess of these images is.

styling & art direction: Chelsea & The City
photography & backdrop: Sleepy Fox Photography
makeup: Lorraine Henderson
model: Amber Harris
(socks & jeans: model's own)

handwoven basket, stocking, brush tree farm, felt mistletoe, candle, wreath, leather ribbon, throw, mistletoe card, mug

Happy holidays! For me, Christmas shopping and decorating for the season are my favorite parts of the year. Since no occasion would be complete without a gift guide or two, I'm beyond excited to kick off the next few weeks of present picks with my favorite ways to deck the halls!

There is nothing like having a little greenery around the house and this year I've decided "real tree or nothing!". The scent of sap and spruce wafting through the air on Christmas morning, mingling with whiffs of cinnamon rolls and scotch tape  is one of those memories you just shouldn't go without (sorry plastic trees, you're not for me). A graphic basket instead of a tree skirt, cozy throws & stockings and a few rustic touches will be rounding out our holiday decor this year.

p.s. Check out my holiday decor guide from 2013 here!

shop holiday decor

other festive posts:
the holiday edit
how to survive the holidays

shop all of my holiday picks via pinterest

tee, scarf, hat & boots c/o Zappos

Have you started your holiday shopping? Since Thanksgiving weekend has passed, I'm starting to realize how behind I am on gift buying this year! I recently partnered with Zappos (an online clothing retailer) to take part in their "present palooza", a blogger secret Santa that allowed me to gift another blogger a few of my favorite pieces. I spent hours pouring over everything and finally landed on Free People's Tweedy Pullover Sweater & a gorgeous vegan leather skirt for my new friend. Hopefully she loved them as much as I do! When I received a package containing her picks for me I was blown away by all of the amazing things Connie was able to find that perfectly fit my aesthetic. This hat is definitely making its way into my daily rotation!

Zappos made it so easy to find the perfect presents (they have a huge selection of designers and shipping is free and fast) that I'm already placing a few things in my shopping cart for the people on my personal gift list. If your stuck and aren't sure where to start (and really, who isn't with all of those loved ones to shop for?!) the site's gift guide is the perfect place to get inspired.

Connie and Zappos deserve a huge thank you for letting me participate in such a fun event and for the amazing gifts!