Closet Of Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful New Year's Eve and you're ready to make 2011 better than 2010. I know I am. (Doesn't that top most everyone's to do list at the beginning of each year?)

Anyway, I don't usually make resolutions because A) I have very little will power and B) I hate to fail at anything, especially a goal that I set for myself. For example, as some of you may know, I used to smoke and thankfully I have given up that habit, but for several years I promised myself that I would quit when the new year arrived and for several years, I failed miserably. And I mean MISERABLY!

Photo from gearfuse.com
Well, not this badly, but I'd be fine for about the first 3 hours after waking up on January 1st, but then I would hide in bathrooms, garages wherever I could to sneak a smoke, not wanting to admit that I had been beaten by a Camel when I had so proudly (and drunkenly) proclaimed the night before that I would be quitting. Yes, it's been over 5 years since my last, and I don't plan on picking one up anytime soon, but I have to say I miss it. I really don't mind a manly fragrance mixed with a little tobacco and maybe tend to breath in a little more deeply than normal when encountering a cloud of this combination...

But I digress. This year I have set some goals for myself and I really intend to follow through. The first, which I know is on many lists, is to up my physical fitness. Fortunately I got what I wanted for Christmas...

Photo from amazon.com
Yup. I too will get to dance along with a simulated Michael in the privacy of my own home. I've already tried it and I can tell you not only will it leave me with some great moves but also a firmer butt. Super fun, but super hard! On one of the trailers it shows a group of people at a house party playing along, but I've decided that maybe this isn't a good idea with a drinking crowd...I have visions of broken limbs, heart attacks and possibly a smashed TV...

I've also decided that I need to keep track of my money a little bit better. So not only will I be keeping and recording my receipts on a daily basis, but I'll be cutting back on my shopping as well. (This might be harder than quitting the cigs!) Although I made sure to do it right and during the last shopping hours of 2010 purchased a great Ella Moss top...

Sneak peak of the tribal print....Outfit post to come. What can I say? I had a little Christmas money and it was on sale. (And oh yeah, I scored a great skirt the day before this.) One extra item I'd love to to add to my closet is a new pair of flats (I can't believe I just admitted to flats...) but that's really all that's left on my list. This means I'll have to be a little more creative and finally take care of all the alterations that have been sitting in my closet for the past year. I'm hoping to save enough money to take a proper vacation this year...

All right, 2 resolutions is enough for me. I don't want to set myself up for complete failure.
Anyone have any tips on how to pass that 50% off sale sign that happens to be shouting at me every time I walk by Ann Taylor Loft?

J.

Christmas Is Over, Back To Work

Every year the holiday stress gets to me and this year was no exception! From babysitting my sick nephew to a broken water heater and holiday dance recital, well, I guess these are the things that keep life interesting. (Insert sarcasm here.) Anyway, I did have some lovely holidays and here are a few photos for sharing...

Mmmmm! My favorite part of the holidays! All the sweets!

And beverages! Pomegranite and champagne!

Santa left me some goodies in a Christian LaCriox stocking this year.

Coconut cake is a Christmas tradition in my boyfriend's family. Thankfully we got to take home some leftovers!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

J.

New Additions to my Closet- Blogger Clothing Swap

Love love love a good old fashioned clothing swap! Not only is it an opportunity to clean out my closet but it's also a chance to add something new (new to me anyway,) without having to pay for it! Anyway, here are a few of the items I scored...

I told myself that I really needed to get more pattern into my life and this adorable strapless dress will certainly do the trick. It's fitted through the waist and gets fuller on the bottom and I may have to hem it a few inches but other than that it's a perfect fit! Normally I would save a print like this for summer, but I'm dieing to wear it now. Being in Texas, you never know when that random 80 degree day will show up in November...

So, I probably don't need another small bag but this Loeffler Randall for Target clutch was so pretty! It was the first item I grabbed and the previous owner had never used it! I'm crazy for the woven texture and gold lining!

This is actually a romper...so cute! It had not been grabbed at the end of the swap and I was convinced by my friend Andrea, the swap host and the romper's last owner, that I should take it. This is again a bit out of my style range but I couldn't resist! I'm thinking of pairing it up with tights, a cardigan and maybe some cute flats to make it winter worthy.

I got a few more items but had to remind myself that I really didn't have room in my closet to replace all the items I'd gotten rid of!
J.

Mixing it up in my Closet-Television Inspiration

This morning I watched and became obsessed with the show, Man Shops Globe on the Sundance channel. It chronicles Keith Johnson as he hunts the world for incredible, one of a kind home decor...can you say dream job?!? Anyway, one episode follows him through Turkey where he finds a textile designer/seamstress who creates, by mixing and matching antique rugs and other textured fabrics, the most beautiful pillows for him...

(Photo from www.sundancechannel.com)
The results were incredible!!! It also had me wanting to do a little mixing and matching myself. So after a little digging, I unearthed 2 pieces I rarely wear out of my closet. The first was a dress with the most lovely sort of leafy Greek pattern in silver and black...

I actually love this dress but worn by itself, it really comes across as more of a party dress due to the shine of the fabric and slight bubble hem. The second item was a top that someone once had called a "popcorn" shirt because of the texture...

I have never worn this shirt! It too has a shiny sheen and I have never been successful in pairing it with anything. In fact, I have probably put it in and pulled it out of the Goodwill pile at least three times!

But with the dress (as a skirt,) it pulled off the textural, eclectic look that I had been going for. The suede of the boots toned down the shine and kept me warm. (It has finally been cool enough to pull them out.)

My look wasn't near as colorful as the amazing kilim rugs on the show, but the mix was certainly on par...minus the goat hair he was intent on using...although I did consider an ostrich feather necklace... (With an up do, it's still not out of the question.)
J.

In My Closet-New Boots and a Memorable Shirt

I love a bargain! Especially when it comes in the form of footwear like these boots...

Talk about being at the right place at the right time! I found these little darlings for $10 at a local shop that was going out of business and I happened to be there on the very last day they were open. (Not that I was happy to see a boutique close, but it was because the owner was retiring, not due to the economy.) Soft cognac suede and military detail, how could I go wrong?

Normally I pair them with denim and usually a tee, and they look great with my thrifted olive shirt dress, but I wanted to dress them up without going with the full on military trend.

So I pulled out a shirt that I rarely wear. It's way more pattern than I usually cover myself in, but I always get tons of compliments on it. Hmm...maybe I don't wear it often because it seems as though it's so "memorable." As in "Oh, she's wearing that shirt...again..."

Anyway, it is really pretty and has great beading on it as well...

(Close up of the beading.)
Not that I don't want to be "memorable." I mean, who doesn't?

But now that I think about it, who hasn't purchased that special dress for a friend's wedding and then a few months later contemplate wearing it to another friend's wedding (or other special occasion,) but don't because you don't want to be caught in the same dress...am I the only one who thinks this way?
All this being said, it's not as if it doesn't ever get worn again, especially if your boyfriend is like mine...I could add a belt to a shirt and jeans (or said dress) that I've worn a million times and he'll ask me where/when I got that new outfit...
Yup.
J.

Forgotten In My Closet

I swear my closet is a treasure trove of surprises! As I was cleaning it out and doing the mandatory summer to winter swap, I came across this top that I had purchased this past summer at a 50% off sale...

I got it for something like $22 - or was it $12? Either way it was a bargain. While the oversized style isn't something I usually go for, the not quite olive color, super soft fabric and details made me fall for it. I had only worn it once and then it disappeared into the depths of that all too small space of a wardrobe.

(Back view.) I love the rusching down the back, it sort of becomes skeletal. To top it all off, it's so comfortable which, after a few weeks of crazy allergies, is exactly what I've been needing.

So what amazing finds have you lost and refound in your closet?
J.

Halloween Preparations

Hooray! Autumn is here! And along with cooler weather comes preparations for that all time favorite holiday, Halloween. So a Saturday of crafts with the family it was...

Anything that can potentially create a fun mess was pulled from the art box, paint, glue, fabric, glitter, you name it, we had it. (And thankfully it was not at my house...)

Who says a pumpkin has to be orange?

We made plenty of ghosts to hang from the trees...

My nephew's idea of a scary pumpkin. You can never have too many google eyes!

What Halloween preparations are you making?
J.