Happy Monday!
I’m having a love/hate relationship with this day for a few reasons.
- It’s warming back up in Florida and I miss the really cold weather, but the kids will go back to spending all their time outside playing and we can open the doors and windows again…and I love that.
- The kids are still home from school for the 78th week of Christmas vacation. Okay, so it’s the first day of their third week home, and they go back to school on Wednesday, but there’s been a lot of child-togetherness the past few weeks, and they’re tired of one another. We’re tired of them being tired of one another.
But, otherwise, my mood is a good one. It was such a nice weekend. I spent Friday night in my office working on a few upcoming collaboration details with some amazing companies and I cannot wait to share the deets with everyone, and then I shut it down and we had family movie night.
Saturday the kids wanted Cheesecake Factory, so we spent a fun family day in Tampa eating, shopping, and behaving. The kids were complimented by numerous people and staff in the restaurant for their excellent behavior, and the best one was from the people in the booth behind us who had no idea there were four kids sitting at the table right behind them. Literally the best compliment you can have as a parent. #doingsomethingright
The past few weeks have been fun, but I am so ready to get back to our regularly scheduled programming, even though I miss the holiday season already. September 1 – December 25 has my heart, and the rest of the year is like a waiting period for that time to start again (maybe that’s a little dramatic since it’s not like we don’t have fun the rest of the year…I just reallllllly love those four months in a kind of obsessive manner).
Christmas was good in the Raiford household – if ridiculously overdone according to my sweet husband (can’t stop, won’t stop, sorry not sorry…you knew what you were getting when you married me, darlin’). My husband is the best gift-giver. He is always so thoughtful in choosing things that he knows I need or want even if I don’t know I need or want them, and he’s also quite good at ordering the things I know I want in my life (it’s like he can read my mind…or the screenshots I send him of exact item names in the exact size and color perfect for me, but who’s counting?).
I’m sharing my three favorite new must-haves – you know I love the basics – two from my husband, and one I ordered myself. They’re (mostly) classics, and two of the three are on major sale right now!
{Shoes: Manolo Blahnik (old, similar here) | Jeans: 7Fam | Top: Old similar here | Scarf: Gift from my mother-in-law similar here | Handbag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM | Sunglasses: RayBan | Computer Bag: Kate Spade }
These released hem 7 For All Mankind Jeans are my new favorite ever – first, they’re ankle jeans (though that only means they’re perfect actual jeans length on my 5’3 frame) and they’re so, so, so soft. I love them. They were one of the amazing gifts under the tree from my husband this Christmas, and they are on major sale!
{Jeans: 7FAM | Top: Dreamers by Debut Cowl Neck Sweater (sold out, similar here) | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Sunglasses: YSL (old similar here) | Handbag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM | Earrings: SugarFix by BaubleBar }
I’ve been eyeing these Manolos for a while now, but I already have two pair of black pumps that I’ve been loving on for approximately a decade. A gorgeous pair of snakeskin Jimmy Choos I got on major sale before I even had kids, and a pair of patent leather Louboutins I love. But I don’t have a pair of suede pumps, and I really wanted them. Manolo’s BB pumps are my favorite of all time, and I was excited on Christmas morning to find them under the tree!
I am such a sucker for classic heels in black and nude, and I’m always going to invest in a pair that last forever. Trust me when I say these last!
{Tory Burch Blossom Ballet Flats}
Who doesn’t love a good pair of ballet flats? In Florida, these are kind of our winter shoes. We put away the flip flops and sandals a few weeks out of the year in favor of ballet flats that cover our toes and keep us warm in the chilly mid-60 degree winter weather.
Okay, so it’s been in the 30s here the past week and I love it, but we all know that’s not actually normal winter weather. 60s is about right. Anyway, I saw these during the Tory Burch 30% off sale – and I still hadn’t used my $50 gift card from TB that expired the last day of the year. I ended up ordering these from the Tory Burch website, and I paid $67. They were already on sale, plus they were 30% off, and I had my TB gift card TB is so amazing to send every year. It was a major win.
What amazing buys did you score this holiday season on sale or not?
Tiffany Raiford 