New Year’s Eve in Florida is like Livin’ la Vida Loca. Where else can you party outside this time of year?

Whether you’re watching fireworks at Channelside or lighting sparklers in a friend’s backyard, enjoying the great outdoors in style requires more creativity than sequinned tank tops and cleavage.

There’s no sense in spending much on winter wear when you live in a tropical paradise. So to pull your closet staples into a party-worthy outfit, look to pieces that can keep adding sparkle to your wardrobe all year.

For starters, you’ll want a lightweight jacket. If you don’t like the one in your closet, check out the light wool belted coat that I picked up in cream for $55.65 at Old Navy. The cinched waist plays up every figure, no matter how many layers are piled underneath.

Every girl also needs fluffy, funky scarf, especially handy to lasso that someone special for a midnight kiss. I swooned over a feather-weight gold and red weave for $59 at the Mermaid’s Slipper, an artist boutique on 19th Street in Ybor City.

For a final touch, I looked to a vintage-inspired brooch to put my signature on a basic jacket. I snagged a starburst pin in super trendy purple, with just the right touch of glitter, on sale for $14 at JCPenney.

Jacket + pin + scarf = a snug and stylish countdown to 2009.

-- Deal Diva Letitia