Happy holidays! I’ll be posting sporadically over the next several days, so wanted to tell you that I hope you have a wonderful weekend with family and friends and I wish you much happiness and relaxation.

Oh, and let’s hope for a Christmas baby, shall we? :)

xoxo,

Jackie

Get in the holiday spirit with this adorable reindeer sweater. I’d wear it with an oversized scarf, leather jacket and cargo skinny pants.

Forever21 Reindeer Pull Over, $14 with free shipping using code S2DFREE

pinkindiaink asked you:

Hi Jaclyn! I’m a huge fan and would love your expertise: I’m going to my husband’s office holiday party next month and plan to wear BB Dakota’s red jacquard Halsey dress (Tumblr won’t let me link, but it’s very google-able). I think it could look really elegant with the right accessories, but the shoes are a problem; red seems too twee, and black looks clunky/unsophisticated. Help? I’m looking for a high heel, no platforms (they make my unshapely ankles look even thicker), preferably under $70.

I tried to choose accessories for your cute dress that were pretty and a little whimsical/fun. I love how you can never have enough sparkle at a holiday party, hence the shoes and bracelet. This would look adorable with a sleek ponytail, light lips and a brown/beige smoky eye. Super cute!

• Bracelet: ASOS Bow Arm Cuff, $14.54
• Clutch: Express Wristlet, $20.93 
• Lipstick: Tom Ford Private Blend Lipstick in Pink Dusk, $48
• Earrings: ASOS Oval Drop Earrings, $14.54
• Pumps: Guess “Geenly” Pump, $99 (For a more affordable lookalike, check out Gomax’s Ashland Pump for $37.50)

Add some holiday cheer to your cosmetics bag with a few of the red and green items featured above.

1. Rimmel London Eyeliner, $3.19
2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in “Certainly Red”, $8
3. Deborah Lippman Glitter Nail Color in “Ruby Red Slippers”, $18
4. Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Gentle Cleanser, $39
5. Pre de Provence Red Currant Soap, $8
6. NARS Nail Polish in “Zulu”, $17
7. butter London Nail Polish in “Come to Bed Red”, $14
8. Ole Henriksen Fresh Lips, $15
9. Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain, $30
10. Lola Cosmetics High Shine Lip Gloss, $18
11. Sephora Collection Lush Flush Lip & Cheek Stain, $12
12. The Body Shop Green Apple Bath & Shower Gel, $6

The holiday greeting card industry is still huge and you’d have to be blind (or not read any blogs) to notice that snail mail cards are having somewhat of a comeback among an age group that typically sends evites and tries to communicate as much as possible through Facebook, Twitter and text.

Why is that? Is it because our generation receives almost nothing but bad news (bills, advertisements) through snail mail? Do we wish that we could open our box and find a genuine message from a friend instead of an itemized bank statement? Whatever the case may be, there is a resurgence among a younger generation to send holiday cards—and not just any holiday cards! These are customized, beautiful, typographically stunning holiday cards.

But for the cash-strapped or the bad of handwriting or the eco-conscious, there IS another option besides spending $50 (or more) on stamps and over $100 on cards that people will simply throw away after a cursory glance. (Depressing, isn’t it?) 

That option is to email your holiday cards. Before you come after me with pitchforks for violating such a sacred tradition, please note that even Emily Post’s people agree that emailing holiday cards is a viable alternative.

About two weeks ago, I had my hand poised over the check-out button on a popular greeting card website and I was moments away from purchasing our paper greeting cards when I realized that I thought it was such a waste. A waste of my time (hand-writing all of those envelopes and cards), a waste of my money (on postage and on the $1.50/per card) and a waste of resources (I try to conserve paper elsewhere, why not in this case?).

So, I looked for alternatives. I was concerned that emailing holiday greetings was a major faux pas (see: Emily Post; it’s not) or that it wouldn’t have the same paper-in-hand appeal that a real greeting card has. That still may be the case, but I think the pros of emailing outweigh the cons. For example, do you have home addresses for everyone you’d like to send a holiday card to? Probably not. In my case, I have more email addresses than I do mailing addresses. Also, a large percentage of my family lives in Canada and it’s much easier to send something via email than snail mail to them.

If you’d like to take the plunge with me this year and venture into the world of online holiday cards, here are the best options I’ve found. (And most are free!)

Red Stamp (for iPhone/iPad) - FREE

PurpleTrail - Print or Send Online

cocodot - Print or Send Online Free

Paperless Post - Send Online, Track Clicks (Prices Vary)

Will you be sending holiday cards this year? What do you think of sending cards via email?

A few shots from the last few days! Today I’m planning to eat more leftovers and do laundry. Glamorous!

How was Black Friday? Did you get anything good?

Hunting for stocking stuffers is one of the best parts of holiday shopping, I think. I love finding inexpensive goodies! Stocking stuffer-type gifts are also great for people you feel compelled to buy a gift for, but don’t want to break the bank on—coworkers, casual friends/acquaintances, etc.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s gift guide installments! I’ll keep posting answers to your specific questions about gifts over the next several weeks as well, so keep an eye out for those.

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1. Fred Flare Candy Cane Eco Cup, $15
2. Leather Kindle Case, $80
3. DL & Co Naughty and Nice Journal, $40
4. Merona Polka Dot Clutch, $13
5. Anthropologie Mason Jar Snow Globes, from $25
6. Old Navy Zigzag Sweaterknit Mittens, $12.94
7. Smith’s Rosebud Salve, $6
8. Thomas Paul Laptop Sleeve, $56
9. Jonathan Adler 2012 Planner, $24
10. ModCloth Portable Patisserie Ring, $16
11. Bath & Body Works Wallflowers Home Fragrance Starter, $8.50
12. e.l.f. Cosmetics Essential Little Black Beauty Book, $5
13. Rebecca Minkoff Pyramid Ear Buds, $48
14. J.Crew Glitter iPhone Case, $25
15. Belkin Kindle Fire Case, $30
16. Echo Touch Side Bow Gloves, $32
17. Charlotte Russe Leopard Trapper Hat, $14.50
18. Urban Outfitters Nesting Owl Measuring Cup Set, $24

See the rest of the 2011 Holiday Gift Guides here.

I realize it’s a little ridiculous for me to be posting about holiday shopping anxiety when I’ve been blatantly shoving gift guides at you for the past week, but there’s something I’ve got to get off my chest.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed that I tend to get fairly anxious or stressed around the holidays—something that I don’t think is too uncommon. Whether it’s splitting up our time with our families or trying to round up Christmas presents, I always feel some degree of stress and anxiety coupled with consumer pressure to buy, buy, BUY. Honestly, there is nothing that disgusts me more than the IDEA of Black Friday—let alone the execution of the event. It’s abhorrent. It’s ridiculous. It’s people lining up to buying TVs at 10 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Yet, despite the fact that I hate the entire idea of the whole thing, there is certainly some part of me that is susceptible to this massive shopping competition that holiday shopping has turned into. It’s not just Black Friday. There are a million sales to keep track of, stores to check off a list, “flash sales” that are happening. It’s a total cluster and I hate the fact that I even feel the little bit of compulsion I do to get out in the thick of it to try and score 45% off a sweater I didn’t even need.

On the other hand, with every passing holiday, the reason that I celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas becomes more and more apparent—and totally separate from the commercialism that is threatening to engulf more and more of the last two to three months of our calendar years. This is not to say that I don’t buy presents for friends and family—I do. But, I’m trying to stick to a little plan that I’ve tentatively entitled Jackie’s Holiday Sanity Plan.

• S - Spend time with loved ones and friends and value that above all else.
• A - Avoid anxiety about which family gets more or less of our time around the holidays. We can never please everyone perfectly, so we need to make plans that make sense for us and let everything else fall into place accordingly.
• N - Never, ever “seriously” shop on Black Friday or engage in a holiday shopping competition. After a leisurely breakfast, if we want to go wander through the remnants of Target’s bargain bins, so be it. But shopping before 5 am, 6 am—hell, 10 am—is just asking for panic attacks and misery.
• I - Indulge myself in ways that don’t revolve around shopping. I like watching marathons of our favorite holiday movies with favorite snacks or driving around the neighborhood and looking at Christmas decorations.
• T - Try to remember that gift giving should be about doing something thoughtful, not what is expected or what is popular.
• Y - You are the only one that determines whether or not you have a fulfilling holiday season. You can choose to give in to the stress and competitiveness, or choose to ignore it as best you can. This is incredibly hard for me to do. I want everything to be perfect…and I don’t even have a child yet! Imagine me next year. But, I’m going to try…and trying is half the battle, right?

So, as we enter one of the most crazy, over-hyped and over-wrought weeks of the year, join me in my attempt to keep a level head and a (mostly) closed wallet until we’ve had a successful close to Thanksgiving. There’s plenty of goods to go around and plenty of shopping time left. This week is all about the two “Fs” for me: family and food. Friday doesn’t even factor in.

How are you coping with holiday anxiety so far?

This was one of my favorite gift guides to create. I hope you enjoy it too!

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1. Red Flower Icelandic Moonflower Candle, $34
2. Kate Spade Ticker Tape Plates, $50
3. West Elm Deco Sequin Pillow, $34
4. Letters Lubell Recipe Card Set, $12
5. Seletti Candelabra, $58
6. Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney, $35
7. Patch NYC Stag Candle, $32
8. Z Gallerie Bling Tealight Lamps, $40
9. Urban Outfitters Zigzag Printed Rug, $39 
10. Sur La Table Vintage Glasses, $8 each 
11. Jonathan Adler Serving Platter, $68
12. Anthropologie Curious Deciduous Salad Plates, $16
13. SusyJack Pencil Cup, $9.50
14. Nordstrom Faux Fur Throw, $98
15. Williams-Sonoma Stag Mugs, $40 for set of 4
16. CB2 Bowl, $30
17. The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman, $30

See the rest of the 2011 Holiday Gift Guides here.

The gifts below would be perfect for a sister, mom, friend or any other female you may have to purchase a present for. Don’t forget to add a few things to your own wish list too. :)

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1. Melody Ehsani Ring, $50
2. ban.do Gift Bow Hair Clip, $35
3. Forever21 Knit Gloves with Fur Trim, $10.80
4. ModCloth Tote, $50
5. Tom Binns “Sexy” Pendant, $79
6. American Eagle Fair Isle Sweater, $69.50
7. Urban Outfitters Critter Slippers, $16 each
8. H&M Envelope Clutch, $24
9. Topshop Glam COURT Shoes, $92
10. Juicy Couture Pave Bow Studs, $48
11. Roots Chalet Mukluk, $40
12. Old Navy Faux Fur Vest, $26.50
13. Forever21 Leopard Hat, $8.90
14. Forever21 Interlocking Metal Cuff, $7.80
15. Graham Leather Studded Triple Wrap Bracelet, $55
16. Kate Spade Bow Scarf, $95
17. Target Double-Breasted Wool Coat with Removable Hood, $60
18. Together Again Canvas Tote, $65

See the rest of the 2011 Holiday Gift Guides here.