With the holiday season in full force, it is time to find some cute holiday party outfits!  I would describe my style as elegantly thrown together.  I don’t like to look to picture perfect all the time, I like to put my own twist of everything.  If I wear a polished outfit, I might keep my hair a bit more messy.  If I have my hair pulled back into a bun, I might wear an outfit that is a little bit more baggy in nature!  Here are a few of my fashion rules for the holidays. 

#1-  Never splurge on an in-season fabric pattern that will be out by spring (you wear in once, possibly twice and then it is out of season/style)   I found this dress on Bloomingdales.com.  You can look at it here.  No matter what you wear this dress to, it will be remembered.  Making this dress have a very little shelf life.  You can’t show up to multiple parties and holiday gatherings wearing a pattern like this!  Everyone will remember, trust me!

#2-  Splurge on basics like the little black dress in a timeless silhouette, you can wear it for many seasons and even wear it to more then one event each holiday season  . I found this one here for a steal at only $158!  This dress is perfect to make your own by adding accessories!

Here is another LBD I love for this holiday season!  Just think of all the ways to change the look by changing up your accessories!!!  I am just imagining the possibilities!!!  But for an investment, you might only get to wear this one season because of the one shoulder silhouette.  So make your fashion investments wisely!

#3-  accessories, accessories, accessories!  They are your best friend, they can take the LBD or any outfit for that matter, and change your whole look in an instant. 

I am the queen of accessories, and right now I am loving extra large earrings and also I am a HUGE fan of cocktail rings!  Before I left for Mexico I splurged and stocked up on fun costume jewelry!  Here are a few finds I just recently discovered.

This necklace would look awesome with a LBD and a pair of gold heels.

I am also loving the look of this bracelet.  You only need simple gold earrings (if at all) and some heels to complete a holiday look with this!

These earrings will bring holiday cheer to anyone who wears them!  I would pair these with a LBS, skinny gold belt cinching the waist and a pair of black or gold heels!  Perfection!

Finally for a ring, I love this ring!  I think the bolder and bigger they are, the better!  This ring is relatively cheap at only $25 bucks and comes in three different colors!  I love the black and white the best (not shown in brown).

Remember these are just ideas!  You can always find items that look like these at different stores and for less!  Don’t forget to add a cute clutch to finish off you outfit in a neutral color!  It’s winter, no one needs to be carrying around spring colored clutches (just my opinion)!  : )

#4-  I think a good splurge on a pair of sexy shoes is totally worth it.  Check out these I found at barneys.com  They are simply amazing (that is before I look at the price)!  These shoes remind me of Tinkerbelle snowstorm!  If I saw someone walking down the street with these shoes on, I just might have to attempt my first mug!  I am kidding….sorta!  Ha!

So that is the end of my fashion rules!  I can’t wait to post the creations (outfits) I come up with during the holidays!  Remember, as long as you are feeling confident in what you are wearing, others will admire your fashion style! 

What is your favorite type of costume jewelry?  Do you have a go to look for the holiday party circuit and gatherings?

I have a few things to say before we get into the fun that was our Mexico trip.  First, I would post more pictures of myself, but I am usually the one with the camera, so for every ten pictures of the Husband, there might be one of me!  : )  And secondly, the Husband and I did workout in the mornings on vacation.  We probably did about 4 workouts a week, along with walking 3-4 miles on average to and from the marina and other places we would venture too.  I didn’t keep track of what we did each day, so I decided to not post on it.  Breakfast was always very healthy while we were in Mexico and lunch was usually a turkey sandwich with lots of vegetables.  I am not posting too much on those meals, because I think dinner is way more fun to share!  : )  Also, I do realize the last few weeks of my life have been crazy in terms of my eating and drinking.  I enjoyed the vacation immensely, but since I preach living a balanced healthy life, the next month will be very healthy and balanced for me, with fewer indulgences then normal to make up for my fun two weeks on vacation.  Remember, you can indulge, but you need to make sure you eat really healthy to counterbalance those indulgences!

Now, week two.

Sunday was renamed “flex day” because we felt like normally we would be traveling on this day, so we thought of it a a bonus day!  We decided to skip the sun and head to the sports bar to watch the Minnesota Vikings play!

Here is “Flex Day” in a short recap

Sleepy morning breakfast (yes my face really is that bloated- too many cocktails and chips and salsa!)  : )

Getting ready to watch the game

After a wild time watching the game (we lost) we decided to keep it low key and eat at the resort for dinner.

The next morning, we were feeling larger than usual, so we had a cup of coffee for breakfast and I stuck with a Larabar and the Husband had a protein bar.

After a slow wake up, we headed to the pool.  At some point in the morning the camera got switched into black and white mode.  It didn’t last long.

After a day of sun, we decided to venture into downtown Puerto Vallarta.

We arrived at Twisted Palms Rooftop Lounge

I had the brightest blue martini I’ve ever seen!

We sat and chatted with the owner for a while.  He was the nicest guy!  Then I noticed this weird thing out of the corner of my eye.

We got hungry for dinner, so we headed to a restaurant called Andale’s!  But first the Husband found his Halloween costume for next year!

Andale’s is one of my go to restaurants in PV.  It has great food, a great ambiance and great people!  We sit upstairs, it tends to get pretty rowdy on the street level!

Extra large mango margarita- Yes Please!

I was blown away with its size

Dinner was vegetables and shrimp!

We headed back to the resort then went off to bed!

We woke up to another beautiful sunrise!

Went for a walk on the beach!  I am cheesy I know!

We didn’t get much pool time because we had to get ready for Rhythms of the Night.  It is a really cool show that you take a boat ride to get to.  It is very romantic!

On the boat heading to dinner and the show

The next night we went to Fajita Bananas again…

The following day, we ate breakfast at the resort,

Victors in the marina for a late lunch

The Husband and Victor taking Tequila shots!  : )

Then had a lazy rest of the evening reading books!  Yes, I know!

We woke up to another brilliant sunrise!  Not much to report from this day!

The last night we were in PV, we went to a restaurant called Dante’s on the marina.  It is a really great Italian place that is recently new.

We had quite the feast and sat by some friends we met at the pool!

Calamari and prawns

Portobello mushroom with balsamic reduction and goat cheese

Lobster Gnocchi

and…mahi mahi, I told you we had quite the feast!

We topped the meal off  with tiramisu and a dessert liquor

The next morning, we woke up sad to by leaving.

Not even an elevator ride could cheer our spirits

We did force smiles when we found some pretty flowers

I had to sneak in one last sad face before we got seated for brunch

While walking to our table I couldn’t believe my eyes, was it champagne brunch day?  Indeed it was!

After brunch, we checked out of our room and headed to the sports bar for the Vikings game!

Yes, once again my face really is that bloated…. at least I was pumped for the football game!  : )

Once at the bar, I ordered strawberry lemonade with vodka (don’t worry, hours had passed since I had champagne at breakfast!)

The waiter screwed up our order and to fix it, he brought us each two drinks!  Whoa mama!  That’s a lot of cocktails!

The Vikings lost yet again and we flew back to Phoenix tired and sad.  So this concludes our Mexican vacation!  It was so much fun!  If you have any questions about Puerto Vallarta, please don’t hesitate to email me!  Now its time to get balanced with workouts, salads and lemon water!!!  :  )