...Checking It Twice

Ok, so we are officially on the home stretch to the Holidays (Que frantic screaming)! 20 days until the big day and lets face it, most of us have gifts to dole out before then. Never fear! StyleMaki is here! Below we have suggested some ideas for some of the most important people on your lists.

For the 'rents~

Has Empty-Nest-Syndrome convinced yours to move to the golf course or new home? Or maybe you took more with you than you originally thought on the way out the door? Fill the void on their walls with large antique letters (your initial maybe, to remind them of you). If you are feeling especially artsy you can stop by your local craft store and pick up a paper mache version to decorate with old photos, childhood artwork, magazine clippings, and words of love!

Have a tricky sister, brother-in-law, or friend who has it all and therefore don't know what to get them? Here are our top ideas that we love this year!

For the Boys~Are they the type to hit the hottest concert or game? Consider a ticket diary! Wanna up the ante? include a set of tickets in there to start the collection and treat them to a fun night out! Are they a traveler? Check out these Scratch Maps. Do you have a college kid or someone who just loves to tailgate on your list, try a set of corn hole boards or ladder golf!

For the Gals~
It has been the year for apple products, so chances are high that she has one or more of their products. We just love the accessories that Marc by Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade and Henri Bendel have to offer! Each of these designers have great giftables from makeup bags to IPhone covers and more. A fun idea we love is to fill the Marc by Marc Jacobs Nylon Pouch with gift sets from Sephora or Ulta! (And may we suggest Laura Mercier?) If you want something for the less trendy gals on your list, we love putting together a bath set... Bubble bath, a fun candle, an oil diffuser, a soothing face mask and don't forget to top it off with a bottle of wine and  unique glass!

For the Wild Cards~

Ding dong! Guess who's here... That person or couple you neglected to include on your list but are on your door step with a basket full of goodies! Don't worry, we've got you covered. Having a nice bottle of wine that you are willing to give away is always a safe bet (just make sure you have a stash of spare wine gift bags). Feeling a little more creative? We like the idea of a date night gift. A set of movie tickets and maybe a gift card to a trendy restaurant downtown that all of your friends have been dying to try, turning gift cards into a fun night out on the town! You can really get as creative as you want here; better safe than sorry!

The Best Gift to Give~
This is our cherry on the pie! This year, invite all of your friends over for a Holiday party at your house. Have everyone bring a plus one with them, and instead of spending money on a gift exchange, ask everyone to throw that money in a pot. Then, once everyone has had their eggnog, pick your favorite charity and give the gift of a donation! Tis' the season to give, and what better way than giving to the less fortunate. You can even make it super easy by picking up a credit card reader for your IPhone! That way there is no excuses AND you can transfer the donations immediately!

Be sure to get your Holiday shopping done early so that you can enjoy the time with family and friends this year! Happy Holidays from StyleMaki!

Making a List...

        With Black Friday sales as gone as your Thanksgiving leftovers, it's time to get down to business.... Christmas shopping that is!
        We all know that IF you even dared to do the mall thing this past Friday (which we did), you hiked back to your car thinking about what new outfit you are going to wear out for the weekend, not crossing names off your Christmas list. We also know that we have only about two more weeks of uninterrupted shopping before all the fun holiday happenings such as the zoo lights, Christmas parties (more to come on ugly christmas sweaters), and let's not forget the crazy relatives that will be in town longer than we'd like (Hello cousin Eddie!). No need to fear, you have a planner and a procrastinator here to help you from raiding the gas station gifts on your way to Grandma's!
        There are only a few necessary steps to be on your way to being crowned the gifting goddess this year. First things first, make your list! Prioritize from the top who you need to buy for so that you have a clear idea of how many people you will be shopping for. Second, you will need to know your budget. We've found that prioritizing your list of people to buy for is much easier when you have decided what you can really afford this season. Coming up with a ball-park amount of what you have to spend on each member of your list will make your shopping much more clear and focused. Once you've done this, we've found some tricks to make the most of the money you have to spend. Next to everyone on your list, make a couple of notes about important events or changes in their lives. This is something that can really help you make your gifts unique and personal. Another tip is to network! Find out what other people are getting this person; linking your gift with theirs is easy and fun, and will make your gift all the more useful! Still at a loss? Try thinking outside the box. Our first inspiration is at everyone's fingertips; the internet! We've both been surfing the web for some fun ideas to prepare ourselves for the real world. Try looking in not just the malls, but small boutiques that you wouldn't necessarily go into; you never know, you just might find that perfect gift you didn't even know you were looking for!
        Get your lists ready this week, and come back next week for our gift ideas! We'll cover gifts for all the key players in your life, including those who thought to buy for you that you may not have on your list!

Looking HOT When It's Cold

        Baby its cold outside... but there is no reason to shiver in the streets for a night out! Our quick fix? The fur vest! Not only is it one of our closet staples for this season, it is oh so versatile. Think this look is not for you? Think again. We have put together two very different looks, both casual and dressy that we are sure can find a home in any wardrobe.
        Are you the girl that is out doing some early Christmas shopping on a chilly day and maybe meeting up with some of your friends at a local pub for the night? Then this first look is right up your alley. What we love about this simple, nature inspired vest is that it's not too over-powering to mix and match with your colored cords or just your favorite pair of denim. A cute, relaxed tee in a neutral tone (which we've all got stashed away somewhere) is the bread and butter of this outfit. We've chosen our favorite wedge booties to pair with this look; however we are just as excited about cognac riding boots as an alternative. Top it off with simple gold bangles and some eclectic earrings to make this look all your own.
        First look not sultry enough to melt your icicles? This second look will do the trick! Meeting the girls for cocktails downtown, then seeing where the night takes you? This is the perfect ensemble to make everyone's jaw drop. We love the fullness of the fur collar with the cinched waist detail to give you the curves you want! Bold colored denim is spot on trend, especially the cobalt blue we've picked as our favorite (although your favorite color will work as well!). Edgy, just over the ankle boots give this outfit the tough-chic attitude it needs. We like the idea of a dressier, blousy top to layer under the vest. In this case: tighter is not always better; let your legs do the talking! Unique accessories, like the dagger ring and scalloped earrings, give this look enough edge to make any female feel powerful, yet sexy.
        Now, after a little of our inspiration, we challenge you to get out there and make this look as unique as you are. Have fun with it and make us proud!!

Who Wants Some StyleMaki?!

     Welcome to StyleMaki, a new venture for my fashion savvy friend, Natalie, and myself. To be honest with you, blogging is a new process for both of us, but one we are prepared to put the work into! As a quick introduction, my name is Tracie. Creating a source of all of my random thoughts has been a bit of an idea for awhile now, but I always thought that I had to wait to have enough ideas for an entire book... boy was I wrong! So I would like to give you an inside look at where the name StyleMaki  came from and what you should expect from us in the future!
     First, we want to offer all of you a go-to hot spot of all things hip and now. This may include some amazing clothing inspirations, kicks, and make up trends, but is also where we will chat about our most recent nights out on the town, cool events, and the swankiest of restaurants. We will be helping you with editing your closets, finding new ways to display your most beautiful possessions, and even giving you some new pointers on how to make the opposite sex  pay attention to you while the TV is still on! And no, these aren't the same things you are going to find on the magazine shelves... we want to read those things for you and edit it into something us real world girls can make use of! Lets face it, not all of us have the luxury to be over 5'8" and a size 2! We are real women with real lives and the fashions that work for those lucky few, just might not work for us. This is why once a month we plan to get out there to the stores, try them all on, have a few photo montage moments, and then share with you the good, bad, and the absolutely hideous! We will be looking for unique finds, and pointing you in their direction. You will even get a few tips on hosting a successful dinner party... what every fashionable lady should be able to do! Basically, we will be here for all of the most necessary advice for life, it isn't called a lifeSTYLE for nothin'!
     Which brings me to our name! Natalie and I  love our sushi nights out where we can grab a window seat and just people watch. We are intrigued by how people carry themselves and what assumptions others make by their appearances. We are inspired by the unique perspective each person takes to put an outfit together. Sushi is trendy, bold, worldly, artistic, sophisticated, adventurous, glam, and sometimes even spicy! What better inspiration for our blog! So we brainstormed and thought of the different sushi styles... there is sashimi and nigiri, but finally, there is the maki! It comes in all shapes and sizes, has so many options for ingredients, and each sushi chef has his own spin on it. It couldn't be more perfect! So maki it is! We will help you find the right style for you, give you more than just the basics to to create your own unique look and even help you find the perfect venues to show off your StyleMaki!