I generally love the beauty and festivity of the holidays, especially during the winter. I enjoyed this past holiday season for many reasons. I spent Thanksgiving indoors and under covers cuddling my husband. We decided against turkey dinner in favor of dry rub barbecue. No dinner hopping from one house to another, just the two of us and a slew of movies. Surprisingly no one protested or made a fuss. I guess it was to be expected, being newlyweds and all.  Christmas was also a treat because we opted for a Christmas Eve lunch at one of our favorite restaurants instead of a traditional pot luck dinner on Christmas day.

After lunch we took some time to explore center city Philadelphia and take a tour of Christmas Village, the city’s beautiful outdoor holiday market modeled after traditional Christmas markets in Germany. Over 80 booths comprise the village with everything from Belgian waffles and bratwurst to hand crafted ornaments and jewelry. This year I saw more diversity among the merchants including some African skin care lines. It was definitely a wonderful way to spend time with one another, begin new family traditions, and make pleasant memories with our 11 year old daughter.

While I had plenty of cider and cocoa to keep me warm I still opted for jeans instead of a dress. I used one of my favorite plaid blanket scarves as the focal point and just layered from there. I paired this red silk top with dark denim skinnies and my black riding boots. This blanket scarf is advertised as a two-way stole but I’m sure I can think additional ways to style this piece. This was the perfect outfit for a day of exploring. I like to think that it was a great introduction to a new season and that it set the tone for a beautiful 2018. How did you spend your holiday? Tell me in the comments below!

Scarf//Uniqlo , Blouse/Jeans//H&M , Boots//Clark’s