Happy Friday and Welcome Back, Penny Darlings!

What a week it’s been! We went out and did the photoshoot for most of these photos in literally 22 degree weather, with a windchill making under 10 degrees, and snapped the absolute EFF out of these photos as quickly as possible. So, God bless you Lauren for being the world’s biggest trooper out in the cold.

This is a Friday morning and a bit of a dreary one at that (or at least here in PA!). I decided to go a little light on Friday – so this is mostly just a lookbook!

But today, I wanted to show off mine and Preston’s holiday looks! We have everything from cutesy to fancy to classy!

And yes, I will include the actual (true) story of we got robbed doing the photoshoot for these photos.

 

For those who want a Pink Christmas Tree

Preston’s outfit is a combo of pink sweater from Men’s Wearhouse (we got it 65% off!), his red Stacy Adams shoes, and Jos A. Bank for everything else.

My outfit is a Lane Bryant pink tutu, pink gloves from Ross Dress for Less, pink Torrid bow flats, and the puppy sweater is from Catherine’s (but inspired by the darling Liz over at With Wonder & Whimsy)

And also featured in my brand new Kate Spade purse! It was an engagement gift from my oldest friend, Jesse, and her mom, Vicki – who have been friends of me and my mom since I was literally in the womb!

For those who are a little more playful

Preston rocked Christmas sweater from TJ Maxx, while I am clad in my Modcloth green velvet jumper, Avenue tassel loafers, a mock turtleneck from Walmart, of all places, and a blanket scarf from Target.

 

For the one who would order an old fashioned

I mixed my little red cardinal sweater from Dress Barn with my Modcloth red plaid Coach Tour dress, WeLoveColors forest green tights, and white pumps from Zappos.

Preston’s wearing a vintage Christmas sweater with his same jeans and red Stacy Adams shoes!

 

Okay, this is the part where we got robbed.

So, Preston & Lauren (our darling friend and photographer!) went to this bar located in a small and safe suburb. It’s on the corner across from a vintage store and a music shop. It’s not exactly a rough neighborhood. It was also broad daylight and we were in a pretty visible area.

However, when we got out of the car, this bar – The Gingerbread Man – is located on the corner with a small two lane alley on one side and the main road on the other. We parked in the alley. Again, well lit, public, visible.

It’s 22 freaking degrees out – so Preston gets out of the car with his coat on. I tell him he can’t wear his coat in the photos – so he has to take it off. Preston takes his coat off, puts it nearby Lauren on the curb, and comes back to shoot this look with me.

Well then we were having a tough time getting the right shot, so we went around the corner to the front of the building. Which is about 10 feet from where we were standing.

We snap a few photos, lots of cute posing, and we’re freezing.

….Then all of the sudden a car alarm goes off.

And we’re around the corner, but again only by a few feet, and I say out loud, ‘That sounds a LOT like MY car alarm.’ So Preston and Lauren were able to round the corner first and Preston starts yelling. So I immediately start panicking because he never yells.

Preston’s coat is gone, my car alarm is going off, and there’s no one around.

Preston’s coat….which had my car keys AND his car keys and a few bucks in cash, as well as some leather gloves that used to be my grandfather’s that Preston now wears.

So we all split up, Scooby Doo style and start running in different directions. Preston goes into the bar (which did have an alley entrance – hoping that someone just picked it up and turned it in). Lauren and I run to the parking lot behind the bar. She’s searching between cars and I’m looking into the dumpsters.

And I’m standing there trying to make a plan. ‘So first, we’ll all go into the bar, call my mom to get my AAA number (since my wallet is now locked in the car), get them to come unlock the door, so we can get Lauren’s keys and she can get to her next event -” and so on and so forth.

Then I have the thought, if my car alarm went off, whoever stole the keys – is within a 100 feet of the car, that’s how far my fob will work. So I yell to Lauren in this parking lot that they must be nearby.

And we’re all running and looking and Preston is in sheer panic inside the bar – so it’s just Lauren and I.

Then, two young (fifteen or so?) kids in gym shorts and the local high school hoodies (who had passed us in front of the bar) emerge from between two buildings holding both of our sets of car keys – both mine and Preston’s – but no coat, gloves, or cash.

And it was so funny, because I HEARD my keys. Specifically mine and I shouted that to Lauren and then magically this kid was there. He hands me the keys and says he found them on the sidewalk and he was about to take them to Subway to turn them in.

So I start saying, “These keys were zipped in a coat pocket. Where’s the coat? It’s 20 degrees out, the coat isn’t valuable, give us the coat back. You did not just find the keys on the ground.” and he swears up and down that he knows nothing about the coat.

So I am not about to scream in the face of a fifteen year old and call him a liar. We got the keys back which was going to be the scariest thing of all to replace. Like, if we left the car, whoever stole the keys could easily steal my car and most of my blog stuff (shoes, hats, purses, headbands, scarves) as well as Lauren’s camera bag, my wallet, etc.

Luckily, Preston keeps his wallet in his pants pocket or we would have been in way worse luck than the few bucks he had in his coat pocket.

But we’re resigned that the coat is gone, as well as the cash, and the gloves.

So we finish up shooting, all coming down from the group panic we all just had, and are about to get in the car when Preston says he’s going to just go look for his coat between the two buildings where those kids were.

And low and behold, the coat with the gloves still in it – but the cash gone was sitting on some stranger’s stoop.

So moral of the story – two punk kids stole our stuff but then ended up returning the keys, keeping the cash, and lying about the coat.

Definitely one of our more exciting days out shooting, that’s for sure.

I also had to call my mom last night to tell her I was going to publish this so she wouldn’t have a heart attack when she saw the title.

Our final look is for the fancy person in your life

This red Kiyonna dress, paired with my same tights and shoes, and Preston rocking a TOTAL hodgepodge of an outfit.

From Preston & me – I hope everyone has a safe, wonderful, & festive holiday!

 

 

*This post contains affiliate links but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

The next few weeks have some awesome stuff planned! Work out tips, how I decorated on Monday, office tour, winter pastels, a TJ Maxx haul, a Curvy Girl Gift Guide, some recipes, etc.

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!

I definitely want to do more His & Her fashion. Do you guys like seeing Preston more?

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Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby