New Beginnings

I cannot believe it's the last day of 2014 already. It seems like it just began yesterday. Like most people right now, I'm freaking out a little bit about the resolutions that I committed to and gave up on the morning of January 2nd. If you're in the same boat, just remember that you don't have to wait until New Years to reinvent yourself or to make some changes. You can do that anytime you want to!

Now that that talk is over, here's a little New Year's Eve party look I put together. 

This dress sits in my closet most of the year, but today it was begging me to wear it. It's an oldie but a goodie from American Eagle. My favorite part about this dress is probably the back. I've always been attracted to low-back dresses, and the zipper isn't a bad touch either. 

Since my hair is short, I have very limited styling options. Today I decided to put it up, and attempted a look I've seen on Pinterest about a dozen times. To duplicate it, all you have to do is create three messy buns. If you have hair like mine, the messy part will take care of itself. 

For Christmas I got the Naked 2 eyeshadow palette and some new tinted lip balm, and I've been using them both ever since. I think I'm addicted to them.

As a sneak preview for my winter clothing haul post, I decided to throw on my new booties from Urban Outfitters. They're definitely my new favorites. 

Finally, I would like to leave you with something that's become a little New Years tradition. If you've read my about me page, you already know that I'm obsessed with Zooey Deschanel. You should know that that also includes her music. Here she is singing What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? with her also amazing (500) Days of Summer (please watch immediately, it's been my favorite forever) co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's pure magic. Enjoy!

Hoping everyone has a fantastic New Years. Whether you have a resolution or not, new beginnings are still pretty exciting, aren't they?

A Not-So-Wintery Wonderland

I finally got a professional camera, thanks to my wonderful parents who bought it for me for Christmas. No more poor-quality cell phone pictures for this girl! Today I got to try it outside with my lovely friend from Modern Mademoiselle. Check out her blog if you haven't already! You won't regret it. This girl certainly has a passion for fashion.

Sarah has always been my go-to model. She's crazy photogenic (as you can see) and has been my friend for as long as I can remember. I've known her so long that I seriously can't even remember when we met.

Fortunately, there's a very scenic trail right by my house that is perfect for picture-taking. It looks beautiful during pretty much every season. Even this in-between type season we're experiencing right now. I mean, come on. Where's the snow?? 

Though my Christmas turned out to be a green one, I hope everyone else had an amazing and snow-filled season! And even if it wasn't snow-filled, I hope it was at least filled with family and friends. I know mine was!

(P.S. - to make up for my lack of blog posts this month, a winter clothing haul post is coming soon. So stay tuned!)

Welcome Back, Sun

I stole my mother's cardigan. And I love it. Apparently other people do, too, because I got quite a few compliments on my ensemble today. But that's not the only thing that made today wonderful.

The sun came back today after a solid two weeks with clouds, snow, and rain. Tonight was the first time in a while that I've actually been able to see the sunset. Oh, how I've missed it. I better savor it, though, since there's supposed to be a little bit of freezing rain this weekend…and more snow next week. Yuck. 

Oh, well. That's the north for ya.

Happy Friday, peeps!

Outfit Details:

Cardigan: Ann Taylor

Blouse: Forever 21

Skirt: Forever 21

Booties: H&M

Snow Days Are the Best Days

Looks like the majority of the people at my school were right. Today was a wonderfully-timed snow day, the first one of the school year. The day off was much needed. 

When you are given the opportunity to spend a whole day in your comfy cozy house, you have to take advantage of it. My way of taking advantage of it included making myself some waffles for breakfast. I usually don't have time to eat breakfast before school, so you can bet that I savored it. And like any other sane person would do when trapped indoors in the middle of a practical blizzard…

…I made hot cocoa, stayed in my comfy clothes, got into bed, and watched How I Met Your Mother. It was a well-spent day, indeed. Stay warm and safe, folks. It's bad out there!

New Season, New Shoes

I have only recently brought these shoes into my life, and I am already in love with them. 

So in love with them, in fact, that I was even willing to stand in the eighteen degree snowstorm-like weather to take a picture of them. You can't tell, but I was shaking so badly in this last picture that I thought I was going to fall over. It's so nasty outside that everybody says we might have a snow day at my school tomorrow. People have been saying that ever since the snow started, though. I hope everyone is actually right this time. I could use the extra sleep, and cuddling up with a blanket and hot cocoa sounds heavenly. Oh well. If not tomorrow, hopefully it will happen soon. Hoping everybody had an easy Monday without too much trouble from the cruddy weather!

Outfit Details:

Scarf: American Eagle Outfitters (old)

Shirt: Forever 21 (also old)

Jeans: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: (my crowning glory) H&M

Stuck on Summertime, but Stuck with Wintertime

(A cold, snow-covered selfie is always necessary.)

Living in the north comes with some drawbacks. One of those drawbacks would probably be how brutal and long the winters are. This year, I guess winter is going to be a little bit longer than usual since it recently visited us this week. 

(My dog, graciously photobombing me.)

I've never really had that big of an issue with winter. Yes, the cold season is extra cold up north, but I've been living with it my whole life. However, this year, I've found that the cold is a little bit harder to deal with than usual. This summer was an awesome one for many reasons, and I can't seem to force myself to deal with the fact that it's really over. 

On the brighter side, snow is just as pretty - if not prettier - than the green world in summertime. So for now, that is all I'm going to focus on.

                            

                   

…And playing in the snow with my dog. What a majestic creature. Happy Saturday, everybody!

Outfit Details:

Scarf - from a random shop in a little town

Coat - American Eagle Outfitters

Hat - Boden (old)

White Sweater - Forever 21

Grey Sweater - J. Crew

Pink Pants - Loft

Jeans - Urban Outfitters

Boots - L.L. Bean

Playlist of the Week

This week, I was in a rather salty mood. That being said, one newly discovered song managed to save me from my school-day sadness.

Not only is their album cover pretty awesome, but "High" by Young Rising Sons is probably one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a while. It's also a pretty great reminder that "without a low, there ain't a high-igh-igh-igh-igh." That is definitely something I needed a reminder of this week. If you're in the mood to dance, give this song a listen. 

Also playing on repeat this week:

1. "All of My Days" by Alexi Murdoch

2. "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift (no shame)

3. "Afterlife" by Ingrid Michaelson

4. "Consequence of Sound" by Regina Spektor

5. "King and Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men (favorite song and band of all-time)

6. "Many Beginnings" by Joe Gil

These songs can be found on iTunes, excluding "Many Beginnings," which can be found here, and "Consequence of Sound," which can be found here. If anybody is out there reading this that wants to share their own favorites, leave a comment below so I can give them a listening. I always love finding new music! I hope everyone's weekend is a good one filled with good music and good company.