black friday deals

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by loved ones. I definitely had my share of turkey and pie! And if Thursday is for eating, then Friday is for shopping (and walking off the second third helpings of chocolate cream pie).

If you are planning to indulge in a little Black Friday shopping, here's some deals that are not to be missed:

Julep: Along with some awesome Blake Friday specials, you can get a nail polish* for $1 with the code ONE. Deal ends Sunday 11/30. (*Favorites are: Eliana, Jillian, Lupita, and Roc Solid)

In Small Doses Set

World Market: For gifts and home decor, check out World Market's Black Friday Buy 1 Get 1 Deals for monogrammed items, throw pillows, mugs, toys, ornaments, and soaps to name a few!

Monogram Mugs

Nordstrom: Tons of markdowns for Men's, Women's, and Children's clothing, shoes, accessories, and gifts! Plus, Nordstrom always ships free (no minimum) so if you don't want to leave the comfort of your home or change out of those flannel PJ's, your Christmas shopping is only a click away!

Old Navy: Up to 50% off online and 50% off in store! Use code GRAVY for an extra 15% off your online purchase.

Target: Too many deals to list! However, you're sure to find the perfect gifts for just about anyone in your life--from the gourmet cook to the techie dad.

KitchenAid Classic 4.5 Qt Stand Mixer

Ulta: So many awesome deals on beauty products, like these fun rainbow curling irons and these mini nail polish sets.

This is of course only the tip of the metaphorical Black Friday iceberg of deals. Feel free to share any of your favorite deals in the comments below or on Twitter (Tweet me: @cakeforbrunch)! Happy shopping xo.

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holiday gift guide // for the hostess

Hey friends! Today's gift guide is dedicated to those that love entertaining, cooking, and hosting.

cookbook 1 // cookbook 2 // tumbler // vase // truffle oil // cocktail napkins // tray // marble cutting board // initial necklace // moscow mule mug

Any party-thrower would love to receive a darling serving tray or these adorable (and cheeky) cocktail napkins. Need something simple to bring to a friend's holiday dinner party as a small thank-you? This gold polka dot coffee tumbler--paired with a gift card--would be an easy and thoughtful gift! xo.

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holiday gift guide // for her

The first gift guide up is for the ladies in your life!  This year it's all about patterns and textures, from polka dots and plaid to glitter and sequins. Moms, sisters, and bffs will love these luxurious pajamas and stay warm in a cozy, plaid vest. Happy shopping! xo.

scarf // pj's // candle // necklace // slippers // teacup // earrings // vest // wallet // hat // printer

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Christmas playlist

Oh, how I love Christmas music! I started building a huge playlist on Spotify last year and continued adding to it this year. So many new holiday albums dropped in 2014 so I made sure to add those to the mix. I picked 20 favorites from my 500+ song Christmas playlist that are perfect to listen to while baking cookies making messes in the kitchen, cyber Monday shopping, and driving to work! Many are new but I sprinkled in a few older ones that I just can't get enough of. Happy listening! xo.

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weekend, first snow, and hot cocoa

Brrr... Hello, Winter!

We got our first "snow" here in North Texas last night. A light dusting, but snow nonetheless. I get so excited when it starts to get wintery outside! The hubs and I cozied up by the fire and watched football and Walking Dead. It's the best way to fight those Sunday blues.

This weekend, we went down to our college stomping grounds in hopes to watch our Aggies BTHO Mizzou (didn't happen...) and see my family. Although traveling always makes the weekend seem to fly by, we had fun seeing friends, tailgating, and watching the game in a local bar to escape the cold/rain.

I'm now fully in holiday mode and have shamelessly begun to listen to my mega Christmas playlist on Spotify (500+ songs!) and plan out my 3 Thanksgivings next week. More details on those to come! I'm also about to start my Christmas shopping. I fully intended to start much earlier to avoid the procrastination and subsequent stress that comes due to being busy with work and school this time of year; however, that did not end up happening. Oh well! I will happily join the masses of other holiday shoppers and enjoy my most favorite time of year. I'll be sharing some gift guides in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for those!

Until then, why not try out this recipe (via How Sweet It Is) for a delicious, creamy white chocolate hot cocoa made with Lindt truffles. Say what?? I have been on a hot chocolate kick lately but am now dying to try this white chocolate version:

xo

image 1 source

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weekend scenes

Friday

Delicious meal with friends at Paco & John, a cozy Mexican-French restaurant in the Near Southside district. Hubs got enchiladas and I got pork. Excellent!

We had to follow dinner with ice cream from Melt. The Blushing Pear flavor is not to be missed!

Saturday

Weekend routine: A&H donuts + homemade latte.

A few of our friends came up from Houston for the TCU-Kansas State game over the weekend. The hubs and I had a great time at our first TCU game! We definitely plan to go to more often.

Sunday

Woke up and had coffee by the fire before heading to our favorite brunch spot--Pour House --with our friends before they left town!

Hubs and I went home for football (and nap time for me) and managed to squeeze in a run for our half-marathon training. We have skipped our "long runs" the past couple of weeks so I was not exactly looking forward to it. The cool, breezy weather and sunset helped make the run much more enjoyable, though. Only a few weeks until the big race!

Hope you had a great weekend! xo.

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friday faves // Gap friends & family sale picks

It's Fri-YAY and that means... I'm talking about my favorite things from this week!

I am loving so many things at Gap lately. When I opened my inbox Thursday morning to see that the Gap Friends & Family Sale had begun, I was so excited! If you have a Gap/Banana/Old Navy card, just show the e-mail at the check out in stores or use the code FFSALE online to get 40% off your entire purchase. I bought some black legging jeans I've had my eye on for months as well as a cute button-down top and some leather slip-on sneaks (finally!), but I've rounded up some more adorable items that I think would be perfect to wear during the holidays!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

ALSO, don't forget-- The GAP CASH program is going on now through November 23. This most definitely guarantees I will be doing some major Christmas shopping at Gap very soon!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy shopping! xo.

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monday must-have // jogger pants under $50

I have finally gotten a pair of jogger pants and I'm already in love with them! This Mossimo pair is $15 at Target this week, so go check them out before they are gone!   I found a few other adorable options--all under $50! It's the perfect price point if you are hesitant to try out this trend and don't want to shell out tons of moolah.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

And here's some inspiration for how to wear your joggers. I love the idea of pairing them with slip-on sneaks for casual weekend errands or heels for a cool date night look! Joggers are so versatile and look great with basic tees, blazers, and denim jackets, too:

What do you think of the jogger pant trend? xo.

image sources: 1 // 2 // 3

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