Holiday selfie

I finally took this statement coat out for a spin at an office holiday party.  This was one of those pieces that I went to visit a few times partly because of the price tag (not that it was exorbitantly priced, it's from H&M) but because I didn't feel right about spending that much when I knew that A) it wasn't going anywhere since the racks were stocked with every size and B) a sale was bound to come around especially during the holiday season.

My patience paid off when the price went down to only 35 dollars -- at which point I quickly nabbed my size and raced to the register.  Okay, it wasn't really quite that dramatic, but you get the picture. 

The bold plaid print is so big this season - everyone from Topshop to my fave designer, Marc Jacobs is in on it (:

Coat: H&M (you might still be able to find it on super sale!)  I still see it in stores now and I can't imagine why - I love it so much.// Necklace: Old Navy (purchased ages ago)// Black dress: H&M - just your basic shift dress with sheer organza sleeves. // Tights: Uniqlo.// Faux leather tote: thrifted// Flats: H&M - OMG, I can't believe I'm in head to toe H&M - but I'm sure you wouldn't have guessed it! 

(NOTE: a pair of pointy toe Zara heels were tucked away in my tote, no need for a painful commute when you can quickly change into your heels upon arrival and look as though you've been donning your heels all along!  This is something I've learned to embrace since moving to NYC.)

Since we were all Christmased out from celebrating back home the week before - we opted to spend a quiet night at home with a yummy dinner and A Christmas Story on DVD.  I made roasted pork tenderloin with garlic and rosemary (seriously a match made in food heaven).  Adam whipped up an amazing spinach souffle with a crisp outer crust and melt in your mouth center (yes, we each had our own ramekin of spinach souffle - too good to share!  A batch of stuffing (my dad's recipe) and some pumpkin mashed potatoes rounded out our Christmas feast for two.  We planned to exchange gifts at midnight - but who are we kidding, I have zero patience so we opened around 10PM >.<

I'm feeling super blessed this year and looking forward to all that 2014 has to offer (starting with our wedding in April!).  New years is looming ahead - we don't have any solid plans, except for maybe having a little NYE cocktail party at our place watching the ball drop on TV.

What are your new years eve plans?  Going out or staying in?

xo,
Alexa P.

Palm Tree Holiday

We celebrated Christmas a week early with my family back in sunny California. Too bad it was unexpectedly cold the first week we were there. Despite the sunny skies you see pictured below, the bitter chill made coats more appropriate than the shorts I packed and hoped to wear one last time before the summer!! Talk about California dreamin'!  It wasn't until our last two or three days that we peeled our coats off and basked in the California sun we so craved!

Early on in our trip, we spent a few days meeting with our vendors in Santa Barbara as this was our last trip before we walk down the aisle!! Eek!  Even in DECEMBER, SB was as beautiful as ever.  I'm so excited for the day of our wedding - but I'm cherishing every moment leading up to it because I know it will come and go too fast.

Up next, my bridal shower.  Held at my mom-in-law's house, her English country themed home fit the tea party perfectly. All the hard work and effort my whole family put into it brought me to tears during the gifts portion of the day. 

Check out the spread at my tea party themed bridal shower. This was only half of it!

Here's me and my girl Paloma having a moment at my shower. She's so precious it hurts!!

Now that you're almost up to speed on recent happenings - expect a holiday mirror selfie! Merry (belated) Xmas!

Xo,

Alexa P.

Wedding on the way

I'm going back to California to sort out wedding stuff, to spend time with family and friends, and to attend my bridal shower. 

I would post the dress I bought for my shower (from Modcloth) but I want to keep it a secret from family and friends who might be in attendance.  Let's just say it's fitting for the tea party theme and I'm really looking forward to it. 

I just finished our photo booth logo which I've been meaning to do forever. This will be printed on every photo strip that comes out on our wedding night. We used to refer to ourselves as A-squared since high school so we thought it would be funny to throw a little nod to our past! The cursive text and border add a little elegance to the otherwise quirky title. I also wanted something simple and elegant and I think this achieves just that.  The logos provided by the vendor were all cheesy and very clip-art-y so making our own was a no brainer.  

I'm looking forward to gathering some props for the photo booth too - some funny cutouts of glasses, mustaches, lips, and a monocle. I saw a set at H&M for only 5 bucks but I thought it was easy enough to DIY. We will see - if lazyness ensues, the ones from H&M were really quite perfect.

Xo,

Alexa P.