I am trying to bring out my festive looks to wear before I have to leave for California for ten days, and will have a finite number of items to work with.

I had been trying to wear jeans a little less, and I failed, as you can see below. My winter pants options are kind of lacking, even though that section of my closet is full enough. I've needed some ease through the belly due to bloating in the past few days, and my jeans tend to offer more of that than slacks or skirt/dress plus tights. Some of my other pants need hemming, and it's expensive here so I'm trying to space out the alterations I need.

1. I love this kimono from last year, but am struggling to find a way to wear it that's not just over a column of dark. Maybe that's okay, though.

It's not meant to be a workhorse piece, but something to wear a few times a winter.

2-4. Blouse with a kind of Christmas color scheme. I'm including detail here so you can see. I also have this look with the green sweater I chose thrown over it. Worn with Doc Martens mostly because I hadn't tested them with my current back problems yet. (They do okay).

5. My festive plaid scarf and red KS bag.

6. My new red Anthro sweater and jeans. My new Born booties are there too, but you can't tell.

7-8. Today, with a velvet top, and my gold sneakers. I also have a black cardigan for when the office gets too cold. The sneakers are YELLOWING (see additional photo including Christmas socks). I used a magic eraser and also a sneaker cleaner, and have had no luck brightening them. I'll still wear them, but this makes me hesitate to replace them as I planned to do in the New Year, since they're still on Amazon.

9. Weekend look with the read sweater and J Crew button fly jeans.

10. Bonus - not Christmas festive per se, but lots of color and stripes! Knitwear has gotten SO FUN of late.