There's a lot of love going around this time of year, but there's something to be said for the timely need of the necessary evil that is tough love. You know what I mean.. Come December, I'm in dire need of someone that will wield a fist of iron and tell me the tenth 'just one more' sugar cookie is the last one, that looking at the calendar six times a day won't make time go any faster towards Christmas, that maybe a dozen holiday mugs are quite enough and we don't really need the snowman, the polar bear AND the reindeer to drink coffee from.. Ohh, the list goes on and on. K sure does have his work cut out for him, but it was exactly one such day last week when I decided I was going to step up and give myself some tough love. Read as: look my toughest self so no-one will guess that my true intentions of going out are to replenish my cider supply. Oh well, I tried. ;)

So off I went to Walmart in this outfit- my edgy-meets-polished take on winter weekend dressing. Layering in the same color can be boring and tricky, unless you use the key to winter chic- texture play- to your advantage. I love how easy this Hutch gingham self print shirt is to layer over.. Even the most basic black coat sets off nicely against it, but I chose to go an extra step and piled on not only a faux-leather jacket for textural variety, but also shoulder robed on a tailored leopard block print coat over it to mix in an extra print as well. Of course, whether it's this look or any other, a red lip + top knot is a fail-safe recipe to class the most casual of outfits up.. what do you think? :)