#OOTD: Jumping Into The New Year (Feat. SheIn + Ann Taylor)

Hey babes, happy new year! Though 2017 literally just ended yesterday, I already am beginning to feel like 2018 is going to be a much better year, and quite possibly the fresh start I think we all have been needing. As I mentioned in my 2017 recap post, I think we can all agree that 2017 was a rough year, however, now that we have a fresh start (I mean, it is a new year and a new week after all!) I'm personally stepping into the new year with an even more positive attitude, along with making some of my own positive changes (which I may or may not write about later on in the year). And I don't know about you guys, but I definitely feel like I rang in the new year on a great note and am most definitely starting 2018 off on the right foot!

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I have to say, though my New Year's Eve wasn't anything incredibly fancy, it was honestly everything I wanted. I was home among my family and dearest friends (Except Nic, who is now in Canada with his fiance, but him and Ben were most certainly with us in spirit!), and though it was not a formal affair like our Christmas holiday parties tend to be, I decided to dress up a bit. Why? Because though dressing up was not required, I decided I wanted to be my "best" self going into this new year, so I chose to wear one of my favorite pieces in my closet, which happens to be this black caped jumpsuit from my longtime sponsor, SheIn.

Love & Layers

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Even though I didn't spend my New Year's Eve at Pittsburgh's first night celebration, and I din't travel to watch the ball drop in New York City, I was still thrilled because honestly, this is the first year I have actually been home for New Year's Eve in six years! Yeah, I know, that's a really long time. However, though in New Year's past I enjoyed being away and what I was doing to celebrate them,  I have to say I was a bit homesick. Not only because I was away from home, and I know I will not settle in my hometown after I receive my doctorate, "home" for me will always be here, simply because this is where my family is. So, even though my father teased me the entire night because I insisted on wearing stilettos to sit around in the dining room, drinking scotch, and later champagne, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. And that is why this New Year's was so perfect for me.

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Though I am sure you all don't mind hearing a bit about my New Year's Eve, I know most, if not all of you are here to check out how I styled my New Year's look, so let's jump into it (pun totally intended)! To start off, though I initially wanted to wear this jumper on its own, it is sleeveless and for those of you who don't live in the snow belt or haven't watched the weather channel, sleeveless was not cutting it for Pittsburgh's weather, not even indoors. So, determined to wear the one piece in my closet that I have grown to feel my most fabulous in, I decided to layer it with this lovely "perfect shirt" blouse from my other sponsor, Ann Taylor. By doing this, I was able to stay warm and keep looking chic and polished.

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The jumpsuit itself fits incredibly well, with and without the blouse. However, without the blouse, it has more of a sexy and sophisticated feel and would be a great alternative to wear to a black tie affair (but for more traditional options, check out  this dress.) But with the blouse, this jumpsuit transforms into a casual chic piece, and is perfect for work or play! Aside from its versatility, I also love this jumpsuit because of its cape. Though I love jumpsuits and rompers in general, this one is unique due to this attribute, and I feel it adds a great amount of elegance to the piece, and I just honestly feel bad-ass while wearing it. The blouse, from Ann Taylor, is also a great piece due to the fact you can style it with just about anything and it is comfortable to wear. The final main piece to this ensemble, is my Kate Spade heels, which though they are sky high, they are actually very comfortable. 

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Though I wasn't out of the house much, I still wanted to accessorize this look. So, to complete the outfit, I chose to pair it with my Jenny Bird "Frida Collar" and my cobalt blue Kendra Scott earrings. And for the short time I was out (a.k.a. to do this shoot and grab some bubbly!) I paired this lovely look with my favorite Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses. 

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And lastly, to complete my New Year's look, I chose to do something a little more flashy with my makeup. Though I used my normal bareMinerals products and City Minis palette, I decided to mix it up with the palette and do a smoky eye look by using some of the darker colors. I also switched up my normally neutral lipstick and went with NARS, bold, semi matte, Bette, which I received for Christmas this year.

One Last Look

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How did everyone else spend their New Year's Eve? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have an awesome New Year's Eve outfit you would just love to show off? I'd love to see it, so feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later dolls, and I wish you the happiest new year, let's make sure 2018 rocks!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

2017: Recap, Reflection, and What's To Come

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I cannot believe that the new year is only four days away! And though 2017 hasn't been the best year ever, considering it has definitely hit some ultimate lows, it has also had some great highs too. From the #MeToo movement empowering women to Prince Harry proposing to Meghan Markle, 2017 really did have some positive points minus the cloud of negativity overshadowing it. So, hopefully, 2018 will end this cycle of negativity and will continue the positive aspects of 2017, which I think we'd all agree that we need. (Not to mention, the new year starts on a Monday, so what better time to rejuvenate and make positive changes?!)

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As many of my long time readers know, 2017 has not been an easy year for me either. Early this year, someone I cared for, and still care for, deeply, ended our romantic relationship, and though we are now still friends, the breakup was not easy on either of us. And as a result of this I took a hiatus from blogging to just do me for much of the first half of the year. However, after spending sometime traveling and practicing a great amount of self-love along with positive thinking, I came back to the blogging game and my blog is now stronger than ever and is continuing to grow rapidly (more on this in the "what's to come" section of this post)! So, much like the year 2017, I myself have had some low points, but I feel the high points have surpassed them, so I just wanted to take a moment to recap my "Best Nine" of 2017, and share what I have planned for the new year.

Lovely In Lace (Feat. StyleWe)

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My top ranking post this year was actually this little number from StyleWe, who has now been one of my sponsors for over a year now, and I actually have some more upcoming collaborations with them next year. Which thrills me because I'm sure you know from my past posts that I absolutely adore their clothing. 

Autumn Hues (Feat. StyleWe) 

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Speaking of StyleWe, my next top ranking post was actually of this fabulous dress from them as well! As you can see, I'm sure it was a favorite due to its lush color and assmetrical cut.

Summer Vacation Style Guide 2017

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My next follower favorite was actually my style guide when I showed off my vacation packing list for my trip to New Orleans this summer. 

Partnership With Sally Hansen

Next up, if you follow me on Instagram I'm sure you saw my post about my exciting collaboration with Sally Hansen and you got to see my awesome manicure featuring their new InstaDry nail polish.

Elegance Underneath (Feat. PPZ Lingerie)

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My fifth highest ranking post was actually my partnership with PPZ, which featured this gorgeous set of lingerie plus a kick-ass body positive message.

Style Steals & Holiday Deals 

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Much like every year, my holiday steals and deals posts are always a hit! So I wasn't surprised to see that this flat lay made the list.

Warm & Fuzzy (Feat. SheIn + Rocksbox)

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My next ranking post, featuring two of my longtime sponsors SheIn and Rocksbox, took the seventh spot in my Best Nine. And I have to say that though these two sponsors have been with me since the very beginning, I'm still thrilled to continue to work and partner with both of these wonderful companies.

Holiday Gift Guide

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Much like my holiday steals posts, gift guides have also always taken a top spot and the year 2017 is no different! Aside from featuring some new sponsors.

Let's Get Knit Started (Feat. StyleWe)

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Last but not least, my final photo in my Best Nine is yet again, another lovely dress from StyleWe.

What's To Come for Stark Raving Chic in 2018

Even though 2017 had a few ups and downs, I have to say after looking back at all my achievements (along with some non-blog related ones such as going back to college and getting a 4.1 GPA after my hard work this semester), 2017 actually wasn't all that bad of a year and I am so happy with how far my blog has come and am looking forward to it continuing to grow. So, what's next?

Well, starting next year, now that I am more acclimated to being back in the grind of college, I plan on going back to posting once a week opposed to biweekly because I missed writing (and all of you) tons! So, going into the new year and next semester I am working on managing my time better and have re-broken out my trusty editorial calendar to keep me better organized. And speaking of blogging and staying organized, due to the high demand for more blogging tips posts, I will also be trying to do more tutorial style/blogging for beginners posts along with my typical style posts.

And lastly, along with adding more insight about how to blog successfully and keeping organized, I also have a bunch of exciting new material that I will be sharing with you all within the next year. These things will be ranging from some awesome new collaborations, along with some more lifestyle/travel posts, and to top it off, you know there might even be a giveaway (or two!!).  And of course, I will be continuing to work with my favorite sponsors, so you'll be seeing new material from them too!

Needless to say I am so stoked for 2018 and am looking forward to what's to come. But I would also like to take a moment to thank all of my followers, readers, and loved ones, because without you guys I wouldn't be the success that I am today. So thank you all, and I wish you the happiest new year!

What are you guys excited for in 2018? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. And be sure to follow me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic to stay updated on all my latest posts. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

#BLOGMAS: Holiday Party Style Guide 2017

Wow, I cannot believe that there are only three more days until Christmas! Is it just me or has this holiday season just flown right by? However, with Christmas coming up quick, for those of us who celebrate it, means that there are many Christmas Eve and Christmas parties in the upcoming days as well, and if you're anything like me you might be trying to plan the best outfits for this year's Yuletide events. So in order to help you (and myself) brainstorm, I've decided to put together this holiday party style guide, which I am sure will have a little something for everyone as well as every occasion.

Greensleeves

This first look if perfect for a holiday cocktail hour with your girlfriends. Due to this green, lace dress' fun hemline and short cut, it's sure to be a show stopper at all those trendy Christmas pop-up bars and shops I'm sure you'll be hitting up. And of course you need some shimmery accessories to accompany this playful look, so try pairing it with these gorgeous earrings and fun faux pearl studded bag. Then, to complete this look, you can try something a little unconventional and pair it with these fun over the knee boots! (So this way you'll be rocking one of the hottest trends this winter and you'll keep your legs warm.)

Items Left to Right: Green Lace Dress, Gold & Bronze Earrings, Faux Pearl Studded Purse, Over The Knee Black Boots.

Rudolph Reds

This next outfit is a great choice for your office Christmas party. The reason this dress is a great choice is for this occasion because it is not overly formal and is comfortable for wear around the office, but also because it is super chic and easy to glam up a bit. To add some shimmer to this fabulous number, I paired it with a layer necklace along with a gorgeous gold and berry bracelet, along with this pretty envelope clutch. Then to top off this outfit, I chose to pair it with these nude, lace up stilettos.

Items Left to Right: Red/Orange Bell Sleeve Dress (Love this dress? See how I styled it here!), Layered Necklace, Gold and Berry Bracelet, Black Glitter Clutch, Lace Up Nude Stilettos.

Starry Night

The next look is for a more formal occasion, and features this beautiful star studded evening dress. Due to this dress' elegant nature, I chose to keep its accessories simple with a gorgeous rose gold pendant necklace and simple evening bag. But to up the wow factor, though this dress is gorgeous enough on its own, I chose to wrap up this formal look with these show stopping, diamond strap heels.

Items Left to Right: Black Star Mesh Evening Dress, Rose Gold Pendant Necklace, Black Evening Clutch, Diamond Ankle Strap Heels.

Blue Christmas

For those of you who want to put a twist on the classic holiday colors, I also always am a fan of the color blue for Christmas simply because it is so underrated this time of year. So, for the outfit I chose to style this pretty blue and silver lace dress. (Doesn't the lace remind you of frost? Which is totally perfect for this time of year.) The reason I chose this dress is because it is super versatile, meaning you can wear it to just about any type of holiday party without it being inappropriate. To style this piece, I chose some gorgeous drop earrings, a beautiful crystal clutch, and to complete this look I chose some faux pearl accented, glitter pumps.

Items Left to RightBlue & Silver Lace Dress, Silver Drop Earrings, Crystal ClutchFaux Pearl Accented Glitter Pumps.

Naughty or Nice

This next pretty holiday look is perfect for your more semi-formal occasions with friends and family. Much like the first outfit in this guide, this two piece dress would make for a perfect cocktail outfit while out with your girls, or even just for a casual holiday brunch with your family. To accessorize this pretty two piece, I chose to pair it with a gorgeous delicate choker, a fun fringe cuff, and a plain but chic evening clutch. And to add some extra shimmer to this outfit, I decided it would look best with some diamond accented heels. 

Items Left to Right: Red Two Piece Dress, Delicate Gold Choker, Gold Fringe Cuff, Red Evening Clutch, Red Diamond Accented Heels.

Silver & Gold

This last look is one of the more traditional variety. For this outfit I chose to go with this classic silver dress, which would be perfect for those of us who have traditional family Christmas parties to attend. The reason I went with this silver dress is simply because its just so pretty and its classic cut would be flattering on anybody. To style this gorgeous classic, I chose some pretty chandelier earrings, a nifty clutch, and some pretty, bedazzled pumps. 

Items Left to Right: Silver Dress, Chandelier Earrings, Silver Clutch, Bedazzled Pumps

What are you wearing to your holiday parties this year? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet about it at @StarkRavingChic! Wanna show off your favorite holiday party outfit? I'd love to see it! So feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!