Baby, It’s Cold Outside

The first fall of snow is not only an event; it is a magical event.  You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment, then where is it to be found? – J.B. Priestley

Growing up in Georgia, I never experienced a real winter until I attended college in Nashville. Even then, I had no idea that I would someday endure months of cold and snow in Chicago and New York City, making Nashville’s winter seem mild. For me, winter was spending a few days in Ohio each Christmas. We also vacationed in Utah for a week or so each January. In both instances, we would bundle up, brave the chilliness and then return to home to our winter of weather in the 40s and 50s.

all bundled up with snowballs to throw!

That’s not to say that I haven’t always loved buying winter clothes – and I certainly stocked up during my time spent in the endless snow globe that is the Windy City. There’s nothing like wrapping a chunky knit sweater around you (like this See by Chloe V Back Striped Sweater) and cozying up by the fire, good book  and glass of wine in hand.  This season, my favorite options for keeping warm are Fair Isle sweaters, which Kate Hudson models below (source). I already have one picked out to keep me warm during our New Year’s weekend in Telluride.

Of course, as a southern girl who is not necessarily accustomed to chilly days, my go-to solution for dressing in the wintertime is layering.  Yesterday, for instance, I wore a sweater dress and leggings with an open cardigan from J. Crew and Ugg boots.  Before I ventured outside, I threw on my new favorite coat and a scarf. My layering proved well worth it: Santa delivered a white Christmas in Georgia!

love this watermelon and camel sweater, courtesy of shopbop.com

layers, layers, layers!

you can't help but stay warm in a fair isle sweater

My ability to dress cold temperatures will surely be put to the test when I spend the next two weeks in Colorado. As if packing for the week of Christmas (including our annual trip to Ohio) wasn’t enough, I also had to throw in enough clothes to keep me warm until mid-January. Here’s to chunky knits, Fair Isle sweaters and lots of layers!