Sorry for the late post today, lovely readers.  Travis’ birthday was yesterday, and that combined with the craziness of the holidays has me moving a little slower today… but I hope you all had a super fantastic Christmas!

Travis and I got to dress up for Christmas Eve, and because of our tight, we’re-paying-for-a-wedding budget, I was not into spending money on a new dress.  So I decided to make a new dress out of one that I already owned.

The original dress had baggy, 3/4 length sleeves and fell wide enough from my body that it needed some sort of belt.  I rarely wore it because the combination of baggy sleeves and baggy body was a little overwhelming.  (Similar to the one below.)

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So, I cut off the sleeves to mellow it out a bit, and instead of using a regular belt, I came up with an idea that I am super in love with…

I put a cute headband around my waist!  I totally failed at getting a full-body shot of myself in this outfit, but this one will give you the idea.

The headband was $3.80 from Forever 21 (get it here) and the dress was handed down to me by a friend, so overall, this was a very inexpensive transformation.

What do you think of my modified dress?  Have you ever used unlikely accessories for reasons other than what they’re intended for?  Did you get to dress up for Christmas?

In case you didn’t know, Christmas is in five days.  And if you’re like me and haven’t purchased all of your gifts, it’s time to get into gear!  Whether you’re into D.I.Y. or you want to pick something up, here are a few last minute gift ideas to throw together this week…

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A cozy cocoa basket.

D.I.Y.: Make or buy some high quality marshmallows, wrap up some cocoa, and find a cute mug to pair with it.  Finish it off with a candy cane or some cinnamon sticks!

To buy: Get a pre-made cocoa set on Etsy for $15.

Something knitted. My general rule is that you should never knit a gift for someone who doesn’t knit— knitting takes a long time, and you want the recipient to appreciate it!  But if you’re a good knitter, it won’t take long to bust out a quick scarf.  And if you pick plush yarn, it’s sure to be a hit!

D.I.Y.: Go to knitting on the net for patterns and ideas.

To buy: Everyone is selling cute knitwear this time of year, but I’m especially loving the affordable selection at Forever 21.

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Music. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t enjoy some new tunes for Christmas…

D.I.Y.: Make a good old fashioned mix-tape (well, mix-CD) through your itunes and design a fun album cover with photos of you and the recipient.

To buy: If you know someone really well, go ahead and buy them that new Weird Al CD you know they’ve been eyeing.  Otherwise, pick up a gift card for your local record store and pop it in a cute card.

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Jewelry. A great gift for someone you know well… please don’t give jewelry to just anyone.

D.I.Y.: If you’re already pretty crafty, making  jewelry can be relatively easy and fun.  Many towns have a local bead shop, so look for yours online and get beading!  (Many of these bead shops have classes that can help if you need it!)

To buy: H&M has great jewelry if you’re on a budget, and for those looking to spend a little more, Anthropologie has some awesome choices as well.

Do you have any last minute gifts to get this year?  Do any of these items fit the bill?  Got any other last minute gift ideas to share?  Tell me about it in the comments!

Yesterday, we discussed some cute holiday hairstyles.  Today, let’s find the dresses to go with them!

Travel back in time with this stunning velvet number from Mod Cloth.

This sequined frock would be perfect for New Years!  Get it at Ruche.

Keep it cute and casual in this look by Wren for Target.

Spice it up with a little black dress from Banana Republic.

Or jump on the nude dress bandwagon with this banded piece from Macy’s.

Travis and I are pretty sure that we won’t be having flower girls in our wedding— at least not in the traditional sense— but we will be including children in our ceremony.  Some people have warned us that having kids in the ceremony can cause all kinds of problems, but we love the way that children enhance family gatherings, and we are very close to the kids in our life.

With this in mind, I’ve been peeking around at “flower girl” outfits for fun… check out this cuteness!

J.Crew has gorgeous wedding wear, flower girls included.

I love the rosettes on this dress from Janie and Jack.

Confession: I am mildly addicted to tutus.  And I love the idea of little girls walking down the aisle in them!

And how sweet is this linen and lace number?

Would you (or did you) include kids in your wedding ceremony?  Who would you choose?  And what would they wear?  Tell me what you think in the comments!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a super conventional bride.  There are many traditional elements to our wedding, but Travis and I aren’t attached to hosting a super formal affair.  As gorgeous as traditional weddings are (seriously, I think they’re beautiful), it just doesn’t feel like “us”.

This philosophy trickles down to every aspect of wedding planning, and it’s come up most recently in the form of bridesmaid dresses.  The thing is, I don’t want bridesmaid dresses to come within a ten mile radius of our ceremony.

Okay, I know that’s a bit harsh.  But like I said, we don’t want our wedding to be too “wedding-y”.  So I’ve been looking for alternative outfit choices for my girls, and I think I may have finally come up with the perfect solution: bridesmaids in skirts!

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When I pitched this idea to my ladies, they were less than thrilled.  But after further discussion, I think I have them convinced.  Assuming you find the right skirt, this look can still be just as classy and dressy as a bridesmaid dress, but it allows for a little more freedom of expression on the part of the wedding party.  If all of the bridesmaids wear the same skirt with a different top (in a coordinating color), they’ll look cohesive while still being a little individual.

What do you think of putting bridesmaids in skirts instead of dresses?  Do you prefer a more traditional look?  If you were a bridesmaid, would you be happy to assert a little of your own style?  Have you seen this done at a real wedding?  Tell me about it in the comments!

P.S.- Have a great Thanksgiving and a relaxing long weekend!  Travis and I are in Salt Lake City visiting family, so this will be my last post for the week.  But join me here on Monday for some pretty Holiday inspiration!  xo