Holiday Style with Junk in the Trunk

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What happens when you combine sequins, three girls and the holidays? This...

It's a party when the Junk in the Trunk girls are around. Coley (above middle) and Lindsey (above right) started a vintage flee marketing in Arizona a couple of years ago called Junk in the Trunk, and it has grown into one of the biggest vintage markets in the southwest. They recently have ventured into apparel design, and created the most comfortable and stylish tank and pullover with the saying, "This is my party dress."

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I love the humor and whimsy of it, and they asked me to help them style theirs for their holiday promotions. I obviously said yes because I am a big fan! I wear my tank to the gym. I sleep in it. I wear it with jeans (like Coley is below). I also love to dress it up with a tulle skirt like Lindsey is above. You can get yours here.

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The off-the-shoulder pull-over is perfect for any occasion as well. I'm loving the pullover trend this fall. You can find it all over Pinterest with flouncy skirt or distressed pants. I paired mine with a fair isle knit skirt from H&M and a knit beanie. (Get yours here).

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While on the shoot we got to pretend that this amazing home renovated by My Rafter House was ours. How much do you want to cozy up to that fireplace, especially when it's complete with a festive banner by The Banner Shoppe. Um...Yes, please!

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After this fun photo shoot for JITT's new apparel I had a blast rockin' out the coolest up-do I've ever had thanks to Jenny Strebe of The Confessions of a Hairstylist. She does these amazing, pin-worth hair tutorials. This is one I think I can actually replicate. Go check out her site for more inspiration.

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Photos by Sarah Gray Portraits

Holiday Style On the Go

This post is in collaboration with Drybar.

The holidays are a busy time of year. Essentially, your normal life is put into hyperdrive with family photos, parties, shopping, cooking and traveling being added into the mix. If you have a 9am to 5pm job there really isn't a lot of time to change for those happy hour cocktail parties or Christmas parties let alone time to plan what to wear, shower and re-do your hair. I've partnered with Drybar to show you that you don't have to worry about your hair or outfit this year. Within an hour you can look amazing and get pampered at the same time.

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Here are some simple steps to Holiday Style on the Go:

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1| Choose a work outfit that you can either dress up (i.e. switch out the top or switch out the bottom) or that incorporates holiday colors and can be altered with accessories. I have two examples for you:

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A. Dress up your basics - I started with a simple black pencil skirt and a button up shirt. All that I need to change with this outfit is my top and shoes.

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B. Style your holiday color - I started with a basic, organic cotton red dress from Synergy Clothing. I simply just need to take off my blazer and belt, change my shoes and add some sparkling earrings.

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2| Make your appointment with Drybar. Just hop online, choose your location and then choose your appointment time. They even have an app you can download so that you can do it all from you phone.

3| Head over to Drybar and get pampered! When you walk in they greet you with a beverage of your choice, some snacks, fashion magazines and they are always playing awesome movies. I watched Four Christmases and Elf while I was there. THE BEST!

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4| Choose your hair style from their Drybar menu. They are all named after fun cocktail drinks. I asked my mixologist (a.k.a. hairstylist) if I could create my own cocktail. I would call it a mix between the Mai Tai and Cosmo Tai.

5| Relax and enjoy the hour of bliss.

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6| Change into your holiday outfit.

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Outfit A - Changed my top and shoes. Added red lipstick.

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Outfit B - Removed my belt and blazer. Changed my shoes. Added some earrings and red lipstick.

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7| If you need a gift for the party, grab a gift card or some of their amazing styling products.

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8| Go party, and get ready for a lot of compliments!

Photos by Sarah Bel Portraits.

For more holiday style inspiration, check out my holiday style guide with Ebay. 

Black & Tulle Skirt

Sometimes you just have to put on a big, fluffy skirt and twirl. I promise it'll make you feel so pretty.

I adore this pale peach tulle skirt from Lulu*s. I have already worn it playing dress up with Elle (seriously), and I have worn it out with a basic black turtleneck. This one from Adea is perfect because it resembles a dance leotard and creates the look of a ballerina without coming across as a Halloween costume.

You could easily dress this skirt down with a chambray shirt or a crisp white button down. Ballet flats instead of heels would also be a smart choice if you don't want to look fancy.

You would think that wearing a tight top and a girly skirt wouldn't be the most comfortable outfit, but on the contrary, it's one of the easiest, most comfortable and elegant outfits I own! I think I might be wearing this outfit for the holidays. What do you think?

Photos by Michelle Herrick

Get the look: Skirt, top, shoes

Boho Chic with Faux Fur

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I've been on the hunt for a fabulous faux fur vest for years, and I've finally found one. This gray "Kya fur vest" from Tart Collections was just what I was looking for. It looks and feels expensive, and it's affordable. Cha-ching! The color creates enough contrast against my hair ensuring I don't look like a lion when I wear it. I love that this vest stops past the natural waist but doesn't cover my bottom; thus elongating my body and not letting me lose my shape completely.

Of course, this vest looks great with a simple long-sleeve top like this one above from Adea and jeans, but why not embrace the 70's bohemian chic fall trend and punch up the style with a maxi dress, maxi skirt or long gaucho pants? Top your outfit off with a great carpet bag like this one from Anthropologie.

carpetbag

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If that's too wild for you, try wearing your faux fur vest with a long-sleeve shift dress such as this one from ZARA. The slight pattern on the dress resembles a paisley pattern you would have seen in the 70's, but the modern color palette and pairing with black booties keeps the outfit current.

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What do you think of this boho chic fall trend? Do you dig it? Will you be buying a faux fur vest?

Photos by Michelle Herrick

*The post was sponsored by Tart Collections and Adea Everyday Luxury.*

My Go-To Outfit

*This article is in partnership with Ebay and Alixandra Collections*

This outfit is my go-to standard - blazer, t-shirt, jeans and a necklace. You can't go wrong with this combination. No woman can! You can express your personality with pattern, color, accessories and adjust the silhouette of the jacket to accommodate your shape. The pattern that I added into the mix is stripes.

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I don't think I'll ever get sick of stripes. It's the one print that I have a lot of in my closet, and I love how it breaks up the monotony of wearing solid colors. The stripes on this Lulu*s blazer (currently sold out) are especially great because they aren't too bold. The soft gray and white color mute the pattern keeping this jacket appropriate for a casual Friday at the office. (If you could use more tips on how to wear stripes well, check out this article I wrote for Ebay).

Boyfriend blazers work well for me because I'm very tall and lanky. I have long legs, and the length of this jacket gives the appearance of a longer torso. The shoulder pads also give me a wider frame, which helps me avoid looking like a string bean all of the time. If you wanted to disguise your hips this would also be a great shape to wear.

If there weren't enough reasons already for me to love this jacket, it's machine washable! Because it's cotton and unstructured, I don't have to worry about dry cleaning it. Wahoo!

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I've mentioned before that I'm not much of an accessory person. I'll maybe wear one piece a jewelry a day, but sometimes I don't wear anything at all. This Gauge bubble letter necklace is a new favorite of mine that I haven't taken off since I got it from Alixandra Collections. I chose an 'E' for my last name and for Elle. It would be the perfect gift for a friend!

Photography by Michelle Herrick