His & Hers for the Holidays

Well, whether you like it or not, the holidays are in full swing. It seems like just yesterday it was Halloween and I was scrambling around to get our house in the spirit for that holiday. And just like that, I’m doing about the same for Christmas. Whoops. One day I’ll stop being such a procrastinator and have things together. Maybe. Anyone else seem to have this problem?!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Some items in these outfits were provided courtesy of (c/o) the brand and are marked as such. Thanks for all of your support!

To celebrate the holiday season, Dave and I spent most of our Saturday out shopping to fulfill wishes for names we pulled from a giving tree for a local charity. We started this tradition last year, where instead of shopping for each other, we shop for families in need. It’s way more fun to shop for presents for kids anyway, and often we find that if there’s something either of us wants or needs, we usually buy it for ourselves or each other. Plus, we hope it brings some relief to some parents out there, and smiles for their children.

Speaking of needs, while no one really “needs” a new watch, there was a particular watch that had captured Dave’s attention earlier this year. I dragged him into our local Fossil store when I received my Q Watch compliments of Fossil earlier this year to have the band adjusted. He honestly is not one for accessories (he’s even more minimal then I am in that department) so I paid attention. I do like to buy him things he’d enjoy from time to time just for fun, so I took note of the style to save away for later. If, like me, you have a significant other who is impossible to shop for, then take note! This watch is an excellent option for the discerning man in your life.

Shop His Outfit
Sweater: Express Honeycomb Cardigan // Jeans: Lucky Brand 410 // Shirt: RVCA // Shoes: Vans Atwood // Watch: Fossil Q Commuter, c/o

Fate stepped in when I had the opportunity to receive another complimentary watch from Fossil to share for the holidays, and I instantly knew which one to request! I may have had to spoil it a bit to make sure I was selecting the correct one, and I may or may not have decided to ask him to agree to a photo shoot to celebrate the holidays. ;) He’s quite often referred to as the Grinch around here and is never in the holiday spirit, no matter how much I try.

After much cajoling, the promise of brunch on me, and too many loops around Belltown to find a parking spot on a busy Saturday in Downtown Seattle, we set up shop to take photos only to have the clouds open up, and rain pours down all over. It must have been quite the sight to see us posing for photos while getting thoroughly drenched. But, if you’ve ever been crazy enough to try to shoot photos during the holidays in a public place, then you’ll know how hard it can be to find a quiet spot when the lighting is just right and so on. I wasn’t going to give up, and a little (or a lot) of rain wasn’t going to stop me. Fortunately, it didn’t ruin our hair or clothes, and we made the most of it… and then quickly ran into Local 360 for brunch the minute we got the shots we needed.

This time of year always makes me reminisce on the beginning of our relationship. As I write this, we are celebrating six years together. (And before you ask, no, we’re not married. It just feels like it, most days. ;)) If you don’t know the story of how we met already, you can read it right here. It’s cool; I’ll wait for you to read it and then come back.

But what I didn’t share in that post is how we started dating. Considering what my blog focuses a lot on (fashion and shopping), you might find it a little humorous. One night, our company was all going to head up to happy hour at Colin’s Pub, a couple of blocks from our old office. Neither of us can remember why exactly, but we think it may have been to celebrate one of our former co-worker’s time at our company and wish him well in his next venture.

Shop Her Outfit
Coat: H&M Faux Fur Jacket, c/o // Jumpsuit: Stitch Fix {similar under $50} // Crossbody: Fossil Campbell Patchwork, c/o // Watch: Fossil Q Accomplice, c/o // Shoes: Banana Republic Madison Pump {similar color under $100}

We arrived, and drinks were had, and a group of us got to talking about shopping. Mind you, I was one of two female employees at the time, so it was unusual for this topic to come about. One of my co-workers needed help shopping, as he hated it and never felt like he could find what he needed. I told him I’d be happy to help, and if he wanted, we could meet sometime around Thanksgiving to try to find the essentials he needed.

It just so happened that someone else in the group piped up and said he desperately needed the same thing. And that, my friends, was Dave. It just so happened he was able to meet up sooner, so a few days later we met up at Bellevue Square mall for some shopping. I’m not sure why, but I put a lot of extra effort into my appearance and worried about what I was going to wear. At this point, Dave was still just a co-worker, and I have no idea why I felt the need to be extra put together.

We spent a few hours shopping the mall and ended up doing most of the damage at the Lucky Store. Sometimes all it takes is to see someone in a new pair of jeans to realize maybe you like them a little bit more than just as a co-worker. ;)

He treated me to dinner, as a thank you for the help. We ended up talking over dinner for much, much longer than anticipated and while the night didn’t end with some romantic confession or anything, it made me realize how much I liked this guy, and I think it confirmed to Dave that he did like me too. A few weeks later, he officially asked me out on a date, and we both knew what the intentions were. We’ve been inseparable ever since, and only the occasional travel for work has set us apart.

So, if you think that dating someone from work is a bad idea, I won’t tell you that you’re wrong. However, it did end up working out for us. Several months later, Dave ended up taking a new job. It was sad not to have lunch every day and share some of the same experiences with my SO, but it also brought new challenges and perspectives as well.

I guess what I’m saying is, don’t discount someone just because of circumstances. I’d always heard that dating a co-worker was an awful idea, but when it happened to me, it didn’t seem very terrible. When I tell people about how we met, I’d say about 25% of the time they end up telling me that’s how they met their boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/partner too.

I hope you enjoyed a bit more of our relationship story, and now I’d love to hear about yours! How did you meet your SO? Do you have any relationship advice to share?