12 Days of Chloe + Isabel

Hi Friends,

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Gifting season is here. If you looking for a great piece of jewelry to give to any special woman in your life (mom, sister, friend), please consider Chloe + Isabel.

Chloe + Isabel has the season’s hottest trends along with timeless, hand-crafted pieces.  All of our jewelry

• Is hand-crafted, nickel-free, hypo-allergenic and lead safe
• Includes surgical steel posts on earrings, 2” extenders on necklaces, and signature S+I closures.
• Includes a lifetime replacement guarantee and a 30-day money back guarantee

Visit the boutique online at www.sherriacotton.chloeandisabel.com

If you have any questions about any of the pieces, feel free to shoot me an email at lookacute@gmail.com

Best,
Sherria Cotton

Sample Pieces from Chloe + Isabel

 

 

The Procrastinator’s Guide: Holiday Gifts for Your BFF

by Acute Editors

What do you get your BFF? You’ve never had to DTR this partnership. Show him/her how much you’ve appreciated the iconic partnership that all classic buddy comedy films are made of.

The We-Might-As-Well-Be-Roomies BFF

If you’re over your BFF’s apartment more than your own, and you’re always treated to a home-cooked meal, give the gift that keeps on giving. Fifty Shades of Chicken is a hilarious culinary take on its almost-namesake novel that had readers sipping on ice water. This cookbook turns the heat on in the kitchen and is sure to get used over and over again.

The We-Have-Our-Own-Theme-Song Bestie

Rihanna’s “Unapologetic” tour kicks off in 2013.

If you and your bestie can’t get ready for a night out on the town without turning the volume up on your fave dance track, then concert tickets are the way to go. Though the main entertainment will surely be onstage, the memories you’ll have will last years longer.

The Hipster in Denial

We all have that friend — the one who loves to hate hipsters, but takes an hour to get the I-just-got-out-of-bed look exactly right. They make everything themselves and Instagram it in the Earlybird filter. An at-home beer making kit says, “I know you’re a hipster, and it’s cool with me.”

The DIY Diva

Regular salon visits can start to add up. Save your bestie some coin and time with an at-home gel mani kit. She won’t have to open another gift with a chipped mani ever again.

Dressing for the Office Holiday Party

by A*cute Editors

Finding the perfect dress for an Office Holiday Party can be a bit tricky. You want something that is festive and cute, but doesn’t scream “take me to the nightclub now!” According to the Management Study Guide, “Party at the office does not mean one has the liberty to wear revealing clothes.” Wearing a dress that shows too much cleavage or a skirt that shows your underwear is not impressive. Although the party may be an after-work function, you will be surrounded by co-workers and more importantly, supervisors. While they may not treat you as if you are on-the-clock, supervisors are constantly overseeing employee grooming and behavior. Remember, you don’t have to go on an entire shopping spree to find an appropriate outfit for the office holiday party. Mix festive colored blouses that may be hiding in your closet (i.e., silver, red, gold) and match them with a knee-length black skirt. Fun jewelry can give flair to any outfit. At A*cute, we LOVE dresses! Below are a few inspirational holiday office party dresses. What are you planning to wear to your office party? Comments Welcomed 🙂

Office holiday party by sc8571a featuring a zipper dress

Preen lbd dress
boutique1.com

Azzaro sheer mini dress
$1,835 – avenue32.com

Ted Baker zipper dress
tedbaker-london.com

Giuseppe Zanotti peep toe heels
stylebop.com

Christian louboutin shoes
christianlouboutin.com

Kelsi Dagger red shoes
fashion.ebay.com

The Procrastinator’s Guide: Holiday Gifts for Your Parents

by Acute Editors

Now that you’re old enough to know who Santa really is, make sure to say thank you for all of the years he/she checked the list and put something under the tree for you whether you were naughty or nice.

The Homebody

Pressed for time? In four minutes, you can get your mom and/or dad the gift that keeps on giving — a Netflix gift certificate. This gift is built for multiple budgets and whenever they watch their favorite show or movie, they’ll think of you.

The Fitness/Nutrition Junkie

The juicing craze is not going anywhere. A juicer is perfect for the parent that does their best to keep the body they had in high school. More importantly, it shows that you care about the giftee’s health, an excellent message to send to someone who always made sure you ate all your fruits and veggies.

The Chef

If your parents host barbecues and other gatherings as much as mine do, mail-order steaks are perfect. Save them a trip to the butcher to get select cuts of meat and order right from your laptop.

The Overtimer

Let’s be honest, raising you wasn’t easy. Give the gift of relaxation and recovery with a trip to the spa.

What to bring to a Holiday Party

by Acute Editors

December is approaching fast and you know what that means, Holiday Time! From the office holiday party,  planning your own shindig to figuring out your New Year’s Eve plans, we bet that your December calender is probably already booked with fun festivities. If you are planning to attend a holiday party this season, be sure to contribute. Below are a few suggestions on how you can show the host your appreciation for planning a fabulous night.

1) Bottle of Wine/Champagne – Even if you are accustomed to drinking $5 beers at the local bar after work, try to be a bit more upscale with it comes to bringing an alcoholic beverage to the home of the party host. Show that you have class and style buy purchasing a nice, yet inexpensive wine. You can find great tasting wines at the local liquor store. Opt for a Cavit White Wine or ask the store owner about a Cabernet Sauvignon. Champagnes can be a little more expensive than wine. But that doesn’t mean that you have to buy a $100 bottle of Moet & Chandon.  Most party goers won’t object to a bottle of Korbel or Veuve Clicquot.

2) Homemade Dish – Bringing a homemade dessert will show that you took the time and patience to prepare for the party. But if you’re no Paula Dean in the kitchen, don’t worry. You can purchase the Betty Crocker cake mix from your local grocery store and bake a cake or small cupcakes! If you don’t want to bake at all, you can purchase “ready-made” bake goods. Trader Joe’s has the BEST dessert aisle and best of all, some of their products look homemade once you remove it from the wrapping.

3) D.J. Skills – If your funds are limited this season, try offering your artistic skills. Do you have skills on the turntables (or iTunes)? Are you great at capturing the moment through film? Do you want to test out your bartending skills from the class you took this summer? Ask the host if you can contribute in your own funky way 🙂

Lookbook: Ainsley Holiday 2012

by Jackie

Things are slowly starting to heat up, but New York-based designer Ainsley sent over their sparkly looks from their Holiday 2012 collection. Love the mix of textures and the use of gold in this collection. Here are some of the looks that inspired me most:

The Lost Generation:

Visualize an imaginary dinner party thrown by two icons: Josephine Baker and Frida Kahlo. What opulence of texture would Frieda want to wear if she were alive today? What sexy sheers would Josephine want to shimmy in for Holiday 2012? The result is modern Parisian glamour mixed with a playful, artistic spirit.

What I Wore | Office Holiday Party

My office holiday party is this afternoon, so I decided to get a little dolled up for the occasion. Instead of picking something red or green from my closet, I opted for a bright orange  dress with pretty detailing at the waist from the H&M Conscious Collection.

Dress: H&M Conscious Collection | Michael Kors tortoise-inspired bracelet watch | Leather and gold cuff bracelet from DC's Downtown Holiday Market