Dressing Up in Holiday Glee (plus a special offer)

I love the laid-back atmosphere of our little beach town. There are few, if any, reasons to get dressed up (or get dressed at all, lets be real) on any given day here in Santa Cruz. The dress code is surfer-chic; On any given day we can all be found sporting our flip-flops and hoodies, cruising around with Theo on the beach or walking along West Cliff. It’s a coastal state of mind, and we all appreciate it, along with the peaceful atmosphere that ocean and collective attitude brings.

The truth is though, I miss getting “dressed up” to go to dinner, musical performance or Broadway show even with the kids. On any given week, there would be an event of some kind happening that I’d bring the kids to and we’d all put on nice clothes and head out into the city. There’s definitely a mental shift that happens when getting even a little dressed up, and I definitely think it’s a good thing to jog that side of our brains and attitude once in a while. Jack and Beau rarely wear slacks and sweaters, so when a few came from Jacadi Paris for them, I fired up my camera to capture the moment because it will be fleeting, and it will be divine. We have several events planned for our trip to New York City that will require sweaters and pants for the boys, blouses, skirts and dresses for the girls. I’m nearly giddy thinking about it.

On Jack: J Sweater, pants, shirt, vest, hat. On Zoe: Dress, hat. On Beau: Sweater, pants, shirt, vest, hat. On Evvie: Dress, onesie, hat.

Jacadi Paris is a brand that I go to when I need something extraordinarily lovely for all of my children. Their pieces are beautifully made with exquisite fabrics and stitching, perfect for weddings, baptisms, holiday events or simply going out to dinner or, say, visiting Santa Claus at Macy’s on 34th Street. Their classic styles of crisp white collared dress shirts paired with soft corduroy, and gorgeous Liberty print blouses with pleated skirts make for the most timeless photographs, the kinds that get made into holiday cards or framed photos on the grandparent’s mantle. Some of my favorite moments of the kids wearing their holiday clothes are blown up and plastered on my walls.

I know what wearing pretty dresses and proper outfits does for my own psyche, and how much fun it is to get to play dress up every so often. Zoe and I share the appreciation for fancy things, and we definitely make the most of it any opportunity we have (she doesn’t need a reason most of the time). While we love living in a very relaxed beach town, I crave the formality of city life. I will have these moments from New York City in my heart forever, but also in photographs to print, frame and cherish as well.

VIP Sale for Momma’s Gone City Readers: Jacadi Paris is offering my readers the opportunity to shop the sale early from November 26th through 27th with a VIP 35% discount with the VIP promo code GTSVIP14.

Jacadi Paris’s “Give Thanks Sale” with 30% off select styles, shoes and accessories will be running from November 28th through December 2nd. Does not include the new collection, holiday collection or home.

Thank you to Jacadi Paris for sponsoring this post, and thank you for reading.