HOLIDAY PARTY STYLE

Two weeks ago I launched Merrick's Guide to the Holidays. I've been sharing DIY projects, party ideas, gifts guides, holiday style and more, each pertaining to a theme of the week. This week is Husband and Wife week, so I'll be sharing a few holiday ideas for both men and women throughout the week. But today let's talk about what to wear to a company holiday party. 

 OUTFIT DETAILS: RED LACE DRESS (more similar options below)  ||  BLACK HEELS  ||  SIMILAR CLUTCH  ||  LIPSTICK

*photos by rad and happy 

Every year my husband's work throws a holiday party, and it's always a little tricky getting dressed for this event. I often opt for a little black dress, since it's easy and classic, but this year I wanted to go for something a little more eye catching and festive -- how about a little red dress??

This one instantly caught my eye with it's gorgeous detail, and although it's non-maternity, I was able to squeeze my bump into it (although I'm already looking forward to wearing it sans-bump next year). 

It keeps selling out and being restocked, but I found a bunch of other gorgeous little red lace dress options that I rounded up in the widget below. They're all different price points so you can find one that fits your budget. I'm in love with this one that's a bit pricier, but I'm also loving this one that's only $34! This one and this one are both simple and chic, and perfect for dressing up with a statement necklace or some big glam earrings. 

Find all of my favorites in the widget below -- click each image for details!

Also, don't forget that The Modern Girl's Guide to Sewing is on sale this weekend! Today is the last day to snag yourself our online video sewing courses at 30% off. Use code BLACKFRIDAY. Hurry, hurry! 

LEFTOVERS FROM THE FOURTH

OUTFIT DETAILS: skirt: c/o Leanne Barlow | old shirt, similar here for under $15! | similar heels | watch | bracelet | clutch 

This weekend we celebrated the Fourth of July. Our city goes ALL out for the 4th, so of course we've hopped right on board over the last three years and try to make it a fun and festive celebration. 

My sister and her family came down on Friday night, so we spent the morning at huge parade, had a barbecue, lit off some fireworks (which they allowed this year, hooray!), made and ate a triple berry pie, and then finished off the day with a walk down to the beach to watch the fireworks they set off from the pier. Such a fun and happy day! 

And since I can't ever let a reason to extend holiday festivities go uncelebrated, I wore this red, white, and blue look to church yesterday. The perfect way to end a great weekend. Hope you all had a fun and safe Fourth!



Oh, and in case you missed the news, I announced on Friday that I started a YouTube channel! I have big plans for it and hope you'll hop over and subscribe so you're sure not to miss any of my videos as I post them. You can see my very first video right here. 

RAIDING MY SISTER'S CLOSET: 4 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A VALENTINE'S DAY OUTFIT

OUTFIT DETAILS: donna morgan dress worn as a top, c/o (similar here, on sale for under $40!) || j.crew skirt (similar here on sale!) || sole + luster heels, c/o || leopard bag borrowed from leanne barlow, similar here || accessory concierge bracelet, c/o 

The fun thing about holidays is that you can wear things that you wouldn't normally pair together. For example, I would never wear bright red and bright green together, but on Christmas, anything goes! The same is true for Valentine's Day, and it's time to bust out all the festive colors. Today for Raiding My Sister's Closet, we're talking about how to pair those festive colors together. 

Typically I would choose pink and red, but I felt like being a little different this Valentine's Day and going for purple and red. The color combination feels feminine, but bold, and I always love a good color block. 

Try these tips for putting together a perfectly pink Valentine's Day Outfit!

1. Play with different hues. Try pink and purple, pink and red, red and purple, pink and blush, etc. There are so many different combinations so pull out all the pinks, reds, and purples in your closet and create a unique combo! Remember, anything goes!

2. Go neutral everywhere else. I kept my shoes very neutral, but also feminine so they matched the feel of the outfit, but didn't compete with the boldness of the top and skirt. Also, keep your lips and jewelry toned down if your outfit is bold.

3. When in doubt, add black and white. If you're not sure what to wear for Valentine's day, go with black and white, and add a pop of pink or red with either your shoes, your lips, or your jewelry. Or try a black and white skirt with a pink sweater, or a black and white top with a pink skirt! 

4. Have fun! The holidays are the funnest time to get dressed, so go a little more bold than normal and have fun! 

 Now go check out Janssen and Landen's Valentine's Day outfits, and if you use one of these tips for creating your Valentine's Day outfit, tag me on instagram so I can see (@merricksart)!

LOVE KNOT (AND A GIVEAWAY!)

lulu*s dress, c/o

sheinside jacket

bcbg heels via dsw

 lulu*s clutch, c/o

urban outfitters sunglasses

accessory concierge cuff, c/o

LEILA jewelry love knot necklace, c/o

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I've professed my love for delicate gold jewelry here a million times, and honestly I love it all. But every once in a while there's a piece that makes me stop and instantly fall in love, and this love knot necklace made me do just that -- it's so simple, but simultaneously special and stunning. It's not just a pretty necklace, it's interesting and meaningful, and I love that. It's like a tiny statement necklace! And so many pieces from LEILA jewelry are like that -- they're simple and minimalist designs, but they're special and unique. I think you'll love them just as much as I do. 

So I'm excited to team up with them today and give away $75 to their shop for one lucky winner -- Merry Christmas to you! 

Enter with the rafflecopter widget below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 FESTIVE OUTFITS FOR ALL YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES

It's holiday party season, and with one party after another on our calendar, I have party attire on the brain! So I teamed up with Lulu*s today to create three festive outfits that you can wear to your parties, no matter what's the dress code!

First up, DRESSY. A little red dress is the perfect option since it's classic, but also so festive. Let the dress do the talking, so keep the rest of your outfit slightly lower key. I went with a simple black and white jacket, black glittery clutch, and nude heels (although when I wore this outfit to Philip's work party over the weekend, he picked out black stilettos for me instead, which also looked great). 

lulu*s dress, c/o

sheinside jacket

bcbg heels via dsw

 lulu*s clutch, c/o

urban outfitters sunglasses

accessory concierge cuff, c/o

leila jewelry love knot necklace, c/o

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Next up, FESTIVE. Or semi-casual. This is my favorite dress code because you can really do anything, and it gives you a chance to pull out your funnest holiday attire. For me, it's all about the sequins, baby! I toned my sequin pencil skirt with super casual pieces -- a striped tee, fringed ankle boots, and a pom-pom knit beanie. Can I wear this outfit every single day? 

boden tee, similar here and here

lulu*s skirt, c/o

steve madden ankle boots via lulu*s, c/o

pom-pom beanie via tjmaxx, c/o (similar here)

accessory concierge cuff, c/o

 lulu*s clutch, c/o

inpink double crossed ring, c/o

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And last, but not least, CASUAL. Even if the dress code is casual, I'm a firm believer you should still dress festively (and always overdress a little)! I paired a simple red and green outfit with this pretty green plaid blouse and my favorite holiday shoes, and then toned it all down with distressed denim. 

lulu*s blouse, c/o

dittos jeans, c/o

ann marino pumps via tjmaxx (last year), similar here

similar quilted crossbody bag

urban outfitters sunglasses

michael kors watch

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

Also, to go with my holiday outfits, I wore my clip in Luxy hair extensions to make my hair look full and fabulous! Use coupon code LUXYMERRICK for $5 your order of luxies!

So which one is your favorite? And what will you be wearing to your holiday parties??

OUTFIT TEXTURE MIXING WITH TOPSHOP

topshop jacket 

similar pullover here or here

similar blouse

similar jeans

topshop scarf

hinge ankle boots

quilted crossbody bag

If you've been a reader for a while, you probably know by now what a crazy print mixing lover I am -- it's one of my favorite elements to play around with in my outfits. But texture mixing is a close second! There's something about the combination of certain textures and colors and prints that just makes an outfit look complete, expensive, and effortlessly chic. This gorgeous boucle jacket from Nordstrom caught my eye in the store a few weeks ago and I had to bring it home with me. It's one of those layering pieces that is timeless, will go with everything, and is easy to dress up or down. It would look amazing with a festive A-line skirt or black jumpsuit and glam shoes for the holidays, but I dressed it down here with an oversized flannel scarf for a more everyday casual holiday look. The combination of boucle and flannel (with that gorgeous fringe), especially while one is neutral and the other is bold, creates such a visually interesting outfit.

TopShop in Nordstrom also has a ton of good holiday pieces if your holiday parties are right around the corner! Click the images in the widget below to see all my favorites!

this post is brought to you in partnership with Nordstrom