With events like Santacon and ugly Christmas sweater parties, the holiday season has become like one big theme party.

I’m so in favor of that.

And thanks to retailers wanting to cash in on the trend, I’ve seen a handful of “ugly” (but actually cute) Christmas sweaters in stores this season.

I love any and every opportunity to be festive around the holidays, so I couldn’t help myself from grabbing this adorable Snoopy Christmas sweater I saw in the window of Wet Seal a few weeks ago.

The whole look:

sweater - Wet Seal
jeans - Urban Outfitters
boots - Express
scarf - H&M
necklace - Speakable

{photos by Sam Ruby}

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Did you go to any ugly Christmas sweater parties this year?

A few weeks ago I went to a fun blogger brunch at the Ben Amun showroom here in NYC. They spoiled the other bloggers and I with delicious coffee, drinks, and a Chobani bar.

But the highlight of the brunch was obviously the stunning jewelry. I’ve been familiar with Ben Amun for about a year now as my best friend Jessi has been doing their social media, and I’m just such a huge fan of their pieces. I love just about any and all statement jewelry, and Ben Amun makes some of the best I’ve seen.

I was even once able to go in the back and see where they actually make the jewelry, and it was so incredible. Each piece is custom made and assembled by hand. So much detail and attention goes into each and every piece.

As part of the event, we were able to make our own custom Ben Amun jewelry. I was like a kid in a candy store, to say the least.

We got to choose from a few different designs, but I went with the City Scapes Skyscraper necklace. I got to pick out all of the gems and detailing of my necklace, and a few weeks later my custom necklace arrived in the mail. It was a very welcome early Christmas present, to say the least!

Thanks so much to Ben Amun! I can’t wait to wear my new necklace over the holidays

Please note I was not compensated for this post other than by receiving the necklace. All opinions herein are my own.

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What’s your favorite type of jewelry to wear? Do you prefer statement or minimal/simple pieces?

And just like that, it’s freezing outside.

I can’t say I hate it, though, because I love the chance to throw on leggings, boots, a cute sweater and call it a day.

This season I’ve really been loving vests, so I was especially excited when my friend (and designer) Kristine started making these Cashmere Wool Wrap Vests. How cute is this?

I love the style but also functionality of the wrap vests. One size fits all, and they can be worn three ways (open, belted, or pinned). There are also two different styles - a camel one and another plaid print.

(The vests are selling for $350 in stores, but Kristine is offering a special holiday sale right now for $80 each. Check them out here.)

The whole look:

wrap vest - K. Banasik
leggings - H&M
shirt - Target
booties - Dolce Vita
gold bar necklace - Speakable
key necklace - Giving Keys
watch - Nixon (men’s Re-Run)
bracelets - Sisco Berluti
rings - Forever 21

{photos by Sam Ruby}

This look is brought to you by two things I never thought I’d wear.

1) a co-ord set
2) a tight crop top

Let’s start with the co-ord. I’ve been a huge fan of this look for a while, but my short stature always kept me away from it. Too much print is usually way overwhelming my measly 5’3″ self. But when I saw this black and white dogtooth print, I thought it might be a good one to experiment with.

And then there’s the crop top. I actually do wear crop tops here and there in the warmer seasons, but I usually stick to a more loose/flowy one. Tight crop tops are much less forgiving, for obvious reasons. I love it with this set, though, and it doesn’t feel too showy because I have the “safety” of the big faux fur coat over it.

The best part? This whole look (minus the jewelry) is definitely #TrendyNotSpendy! Almost every piece is from Boohoo.com, which I’m such a huge fan of. They have so many great clothes at reasonable prices.

The whole look:

coat - Boohoo.com
skirt/top co-ord - Boohoo.com
boots - Boohoo.com
purse - Dolce Vita Handbags
tights - H&M
necklace - Ben Amun
bracelet - Ben Amun

{photos by Sam Ruby}

Are you a fan of co-ords? What about crop tops?