Mommy, are you Santa?

I always remember as a child wishing I could get a ride on Santa's sleigh.  I envied the characters in the holiday movies, that showed the children sitting in the sleigh, flying over houses, and gliding over clouds,  It was all so dreamy, and since I knew it was far-fetched that I would get a personal sleigh ride with Santa, I looked forward to the gifts that he would leave by the tree on Christmas.  

I remember that I believed in Santa until my sister ruined it for me.  She assumed that I didn't believe in Santa anymore, and was talking to my other older sister in front of me about how our mother was waiting for my little brother to go to sleep, so she could put the gifts under the tree.  I remember feeling crushed, but I had to pretend like I was in the know, so I just stayed quiet about this new heart-wrenching piece of information.  I thought to myself, "No Santa??!!...ughhhhh."  I was pretty bummed, but I quickly saw how cute my mother was for not taking any of the credit and making us believe it was this magical character who delivered our gifts.   

All that to say, my mother was the real Santa, a woman who turned our basement into a food pantry for the less fortunate.  The church I grew up in, wanted to ensure that local low-income families had access to enough food, so my mother decided to lead this effort.  I remember she had to collect large amounts of foods from local food centers, and then in our basements, we would help her fill baskets with milk, fruits, veggies, rice, canned goods, beans, and treats. 

This is only one example of the many charitable things that she did, and I'm lucky to have had her as a mother.  I consistently witnessed a woman who was thoughtful, loving, and represented the ultimate giver. 

She is my favorite version of Santa.

Switching topics to this velvety number!  My navy blue velvet outfit is a perfect holiday look, and I love how it looks different than most holiday outfits.  I love to look different from most of the people in a room, and I think this look absolutely does that.   

The blazer and the pants are extremely comfy, to the point that they feel like sleepwear.  The shoes are so pretty, that they serve as the perfect holiday shoe to wear with a number of outfits.  

Happy Monday and have fun dressing up for the holidays!!!!

Click on the links below for more details on this outfit.