Hello my loyal blogger fam, I hope you are all doing well and had a wonderful weekend. My good friend Caterina got married on Saturday and we celebrated in style. She was an absolutely beautiful bride and it was great to see so much love in the room. I can’t believe it is already December, where has 2018 gone?
But on a positive note, the first week of December means exciting things here on the blog because the 2018 edition of my #HolidayDoubleSlay has officially begun! This is the third year we have done this project and I am so excited to see it continue to grow and evolve year after year. I always want to keep the content I create fun and fresh so I hope you love what we did this year. I definitely have a few surprises in store for you too. I am not going to give them away right now, but tell me if you notice anything different!
To kick the week off we are featuring one of my go to brands – Catherines . This post was sponsored by Catherines but all opinions (as always) are my own. A special thank you to Catherines for partnering with us on this project.
I am also proud to announce that back for another year, is one of my besties and fellow blogger boo, Stefanie of the blog, SassyPlusBlog. For those of you who are new to the blog since last year, Stefanie has been part of this project since the beginning and helped me brainstorm the original concept that you see today. 
Stefanie is one of those people you can’t help but love. She is a hard working small boutique owner, she is always willing to lend a helping hand, she is passionate about what she does and the plus community and she believes in the importance of showing diverse bodies in advertising and imagery so that all women have the opportunity to feel represented.
Since Stef and I are both women in our 40s, we can relate on many levels as we grew up in the same generation and have gone through some similar experiences. And we both have a strong work ethic. At the same time, she is one of my biggest champions and supporters and she knows when to give me some tough love and when I might just need to be heard no matter how emotional or irrational I may be in the moment. Overall, I could give you so many reasons why I love her to pieces but let’s just say when you find close friends like this you make sure to keep them close. Stef doesn’t spend much time in front of the camera these days but because she loves me she does it so thanks boo!
We decided this year that we wanted to feature looks that were versatile and made up of pieces that could be worn throughout the year on their own or with other pieces from our wardrobe but that could also be pulled together to create a cozy and festive holiday look.
Here is a sneak peek of Stef’s look, doesn’t she look fabulous? I love the way she combined these pieces and for the full details and more pics you will have to head over and read her blog post here.
For my look I wanted to do something I have never featured in the #HolidayDoubleSlay and that is pants! When I think of my holiday style, pants are definitely not something that comes to mind. After all, I am a dress or skirt girl through and through. But I realize that there are many of you out there that prefer pants and I wanted to give you some style inspiration because pants don’t have to be boring. I also realized that a practical look that you could wear to the office and transition to a festive night out would probably be something that many of you are looking for. In the past my work holiday parties have always been on a weekend and a more dressier affair but this year at my new Firm we are having an afternoon luncheon celebration and that is what inspired me to create this look.
With my favourite colour being purple, there was no way I could not choose this top when it showed up on my screen. It has a gorgeous array of different variations of purple in it with a glimmering silver sheen that gives it all the sparkle a girl could ask for. I love that this shirt because is festive but also practical. It is made of a light weight crinkle fabric that has stretch and is fully lined except for the sleeves. The sheer three-quarter length sleeves provide you with the coverage you may want or need (for the office) but still shows a little bit of skin.
The flutter sleeves are not over the top but add some flare and the asymmetrical cuff is very flattering. And a V-neck is my favourite neckline and this one is perfect for the office because it doesn’t show too much skin. I am wearing a 3x in this top and I found for a 30/32 that it ran a little small, I would have preferred a little more room in the hips.
Now let’s talk about these pants because I am completely obsessed with them. They are from the Curvy Collection, a special collection of soft, stretchy pieces that celebrate your curves, and they are also available in petites. I love pieces that are made to accentuate my curves but are still comfortable and stylish and these pants are it. I typically wear mostly pants during the winter months and these will be on high rotation this year. They are made from a soft knit fabric with a hint of spandex so they maintain their shape. They are a pull on style but with the fold over elastic waist with ruching you wouldn’t know it. And this adds a sophisticated and waist accentuating detail to an otherwise regular black pant. 
I do find that in general Catherines pants run small on me unless they are specifically made for my curvier pear shape. So keeping that in mind I always size up. In this case I got a 4x because I wanted the pants to drape nicely and wanted ample room in the thighs. The 4x fits me perfectly and the waist isn’t too big because of the design so I am overall very pleased. If you are an apple shape or don’t carry a lot of weight in your thighs then you should be ok with your normal size. 
For this look I also decided to add some layers because I get hot so easily, I like to be able to take a layer off or add a layer if I need to. When I am going out during the holidays to parties and events I also try to keep things light as I am typically only hopping in and out of the car. Since the top didn’t have long sleeves I decided to add a simple cardigan that also has ¾ sleeves in a matching shade of purple. It has a burnout stripe pattern so it is also lightweight and perfect for layering. I got the 4x in this piece as well as I always like my cardigans to have ample room in them. This one has a split hem which I love because that is the perfect design for sitting. This is a great staple for your wardrobe and comes in a variety of colours perfect for winter. 
Finally I decided to incorporate a fun piece of outerwear into my look with this gorgeous purple floral ruana wrap. I love a wrap because they are easy to throw on, not too warm and are an easy way to complete an outfit. This particular one has a floral print which is my fave and carries over the bright rich purple from the top. If you want create some shape with your look, simply add one of your favourite belts over the wrap and you will look instantly snatched at the waist. This wrap is a one size fits all and it is a true plus size fit so we can all wear it – yeah!
It wouldn’t be a look created by me if it doesn’t have some fabulous accessories now would it? This time I decided to stick to a simple colour palette and play off of the purple and add some silver. These black flats with the little bit of rhinestone detail are the perfect festive flat. I love that Catherines carries wide width shoes with great support and affordable price points. I am wearing an 8 ½ W in these shoes and they fit perfectly. They also come in a beautiful shade of burgundy. For some sparkle I added this clutch and earrings from my personal collection and these bracelets that are also from Catherines. I loved the mixture of beads in them and the fact that they are wide wrist friendly.
Overall, this look is simple yet polished and perfect for any upcoming holiday party on your calendar. To get the most bang for your buck, you can change out the accessories to give it a less festive feel and wear it well into the winter months. And you want to know the best part? Most of these pieces are currently on sale for 50% off so they are a total steal (shopping links are below)!
This brings the first instalment of the 2018 #HolidayDoubleSlay to an end. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, I love hearing from you guys!
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images and bringing my vision for this year’s project to life.
Special thanks to Petula of Image Makeup Artistry for the amazing make up look.
Special thanks to Christina of Makeup by Christina for the amazing hair style.
Shop Lisa’s Look:
Ruana by CATHERINES | Glitter Top by CATHERINES | Cardigan by CATHERINES | Pants by CATHERINES | Shoes by CATHERINES | Bracelets by CATHERINES |
Shop Stef’s Look:
Ruana by CATHERINES | Peplum Top by CATHERINES | Leggings by CATHERINES | Boots by CATHERINES | Earrings by CATHERINES | Bracelet by CATHERINES |
