I guess my love for the black & white trend has carried over to the new year! I’ve actually had this Lulu*s vest for about a year and never found the right occasion to wear it. Until now. Lulu*s has a contest going on right now and is giving away a trip to NYC during New York Fashion Week! The winner & her bestie will not only win travel & hotel accommodations but will be VIP guests for the Lulu’s Style Studio party, $1000 Lulu*s shopping spree, $500 in NYX Cosmetics and a luxury spa day at the Lush Cosmetics Spa in NYC! All you have to do to enter to win is share your NYFW-inspired outfit on Instagram and follow & tag @lulus and share why you and your bestie deserve to win. Make sure to hashtag your photos with #LULUSstylestudio. This is the look I submitted for my entry! I’ve been dying to get back to NYC, and going during NYFW would be a dream come true! Wish me luck!

BTW, this is NOT a sponsored post, I just thought I would share in case you would like to enter yourself! Make sure to visit Lulu*s IG feed for full contest rules/requirements.

Outfit Details:
Lulu*s Draped Vest (similar)
DVF Dress
Dolce Vita OTK Cinco Boots
Target Felt Hat
Custom Designed Bag c/o Wink & Winn
Sunglasses c/o SunglassWarehouse.com
Ancora Ring c/o Geoffrey Scott
Nail Polish is “Pat on the Black” by Sally Hansen

SHOP MORE LULU’S FAVORITES BELOW:

*linking up with Shanna Said So and The Pleated Poppy.

ORIGINAL POSTS: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

I wasn’t going to post today because I am still on vacation mode with eep being out of school and my husband off for the holiday. But I started this post months ago and never hit publish. So since the black & white trend was one of my favorites for 2014, I decided to go ahead and share it today! Everyone has black & white in their closet making it one of the easiest trends to wear. I personally love to mix classic and bohemian elements for an effortless laid-back California look.

SHOP MORE BLACK & WHITE FAVORITES:

I can’t believe this month marks FOUR years for The Stylish Housewife blog. FOUR YEARS. When I started this blog, I had no idea what a commitment I was making. But I also had no idea how much I would enjoy it. What started as a way to motivate me to get out of my pj’s each day as a new stay at home mom, has grown into so much more. I am so thankful for the opportunities that have come my way over the past four years. And thank you guys for keeping me motivated & inspired to keep going. These are a few of my personal favorite looks/moments from 2014. Wishing you a HAPPY & HEALTHY new year.

1. All Black Everything: Black never goes out of style and the “all black everything” look was one of my favorites this year.

2. St Barths Clutch & Crochet: I fell in love with this clutch the instant I saw it. It was the perfect summer accessory!

3. You Can’t Fake Fashion: I bought this bag in 2012 and it’s one of my favorites. I liked this outfit because it just looks effortless yet put together.

4. Black & White: My favorite color combo this year. It’s a classic!

5. OC Style Report Feature: This was one of my all-time favorite blog moments. The girls from OC Style Report came over and glammed me up for the day!

6. Jumpsuit Fever: 2014 was definitely the year of the jumpsuit for me.

P.S. I’m happy to report that my dad is home from the hospital and on the road to recovery! Cheers to 2015!

” ’tis the season to show yourself extra love with beauty products that soften, condition and protect against the elements. For days spent on the couch by the fireplace, our December GLOSSYBOX features cozy leave-on formulas that only get better with time. “

If you’re not familiar with GLOSSYBOX, it is a monthly beauty subscription box service that delivers five deluxe sized (many times full-size) beauty/hair samples for only $21/month. Here is what I got in my December box:

1. Rituals Cosmetics Miracle Scrub in Ginseng & Ginkgo Biloba: Talk about heaven scent! From the Dutch beauty brand, centered on turning daily routines into meaningful moments, comes this delectable hand scrub which combines the energizing properties of ginseng with nourishing ginkgo biloba for the softest hands possible. My thoughts: It must have something to do with the fact that I’m not getting any younger because OH.EM.GEE my hands are dry. Like drier than ever. Even my husband commented the other day that my hands looked ancient. I am not a huge fan of lotion so I apply right out of the shower and that’s it for the day. My husband on the other hand re-applies like every half hour. So my point is…I was super excited to try this. It is a great exfoliant and moisturizer in one. It does leave your hands a little shiny (sort of like aquaphor) but absorbs nicely after about 15 minutes.

2. Nuxe Masque Crème Fraîche® de Beauté: A source of well-being and immediate freshness, this moisturizing mask with plant milks and white blossom provides intensive moisture for even the driest of skin. A rescue treatment, it provides intensive relief, instantly soothing skin discomfort. Hydrates and soothes for 24 hours, leaving skin radiant. My thoughts: I got about 10 different anti-aging products for Christmas so I haven’t had a chance to try this yet but I am familiar with (and like) Nuxe products so will definitely give it a try!

3. TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe Leave In Conditioner: For the perfect pre-styling foundation, protect and prime strands with the TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe Prep Leave In Conditioner. Ideal for all-day nourishment and hydration, this salon-inspired formula helps tame frizz and improve manageability for seamless styling. Controls frizz and protects against humidity for advanced all-day manageability. Spread a walnut sized amount evenly through damp hair before styling to help banish frizz. My thoughts: I love TONI & GUY hair products and this one is no exception. This is a little heavier than my usual leave-in conditioner so I’ve just been using it on my ends.

4. Bellápierre Cosmetics Mineral Lipstick in Burlesque: Bellápierre Mineral Lipsticks have been formulated with natural waxes, mineral pigments, iron oxides and antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. Their smooth, silky, 100% natural formula delivers long-lasting color. Mineral Lipsticks are NOT tested on animals and do NOT contain animal products, lead, lanolin, parabens, or other harmful ingredients. My thoughts: This is a gorgeous berry red color. Really flattering on. And super moisturizing. So yeah, a keeper.

5. Ciaté London Mini Paint Pot in “All Aglow”: Ciaté use a combination of professional and lovingly chosen high performance formulas. Our beautiful and sophisticated packaging encourages an incredibly artistic and effortless nail painting experience. The bottle has been ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in your hand for maximum control. With a dense 250 bristle flat brush, you are guaranteed a flawless even finish. The formula is long lasting and dense with amazingly pigmented glitter, whilst formulated to be easy to apply. My thoughts: The description says this  polish has gold and RED glitter/flakes in it, but I must be color blind because mine is gold and copper/bronze. Maybe the red flakes changed color but I do not see red in my polish at all. Other than that, I am a fan of  Ciaté polishes!

Disclaimer: I received this box gratis for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own. To learn more about GLOSSYBOX, click the image below.

It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve gotten dressed up. My wardrobe the last few weeks has consisted of pj’s, cozy cardigans & jeans and back to pj’s. My son and I (and now my mom) are all trying to get over the world’s longest cold. One day we feel great and the next it feels like we are right back at square one. On Christmas day, we had a gas leak scare which ended up with us having to call 911 and have the local fire department come and put out our wood burning fire while we waited (for hours) for the gas company to come check everything out. It ended up being a nice day after all but the following day my dad ended up in the hospital with double pulmonary embolism. As of now he is still in the hospital but we are hoping he will be released today. So needless to say, it’s been a stressful week to say the least. I hate being a negative nelly here on the blog…but such is life. Hoping to report back on Wednesday with some good news!

P.S. I also meant to report back on my hair extensions. Tomorrow marks three weeks and I have to say I am finally getting used to them. I’m not gonna lie, they do require a little more work…as in you kind of HAVE to style your hair. But I can also see how they can become addicting. I am going to try and keep them for at least three months and then knowing me, I’ll probably just whack my hair off anyway! =)

P.S.S. Happy belated birthday to my mom. I didn’t post on her actual birthday which was over the weekend as well so just a little shout out today. I love you!

Outfit Details:
Jcrew Factory Blouse
Current/Elliott Stiletto Jeans
Knot Sisters “Hey Sailor” Fringe Cardigan via Swirl Boutique
Jeffrey Campbell Vinton Mules
Forever 21 Crossbody Bag
Madewell Necklace