Hello Wonda

I'm finally wearing the shoes I'd been obsessing over for the last six months today.
I first saw these oxfords in the July 2010 issue of Lucky Magazine and wanted to buy them that instant.
They weren't available at that time (of course) and I emailed people at Lucky and at G by Guess who both lied to me about when the shoes would actually be available.
I was so frustrated at the end of it that I didn't want to buy them on principal, even though I still really, really wanted them.
So thanks Santa.

wonda 1wonda 2

Today I'm embracing the preppy side of the oxfords. I've never owned a pair before, and I love that they are a bit different from the average oxford, with the cut-outs and studs.

Hello Wonda

The Rundown
Dress TJMaxx - Blazer Gap - Oxfords G by Guess - Broach Thrifted - Earrings Thrifted

prep

Only 35 more days before sunrise occurs before my alarm goes off. I'm counting.
To See The Sunrise

Winter light

Taking photographs directly in front of the setting sun is one of my favorite things to do. I love the bright light and the potential for a bit of rim light and lens flare.
Of course, when you are taking photos without anyone behind the camera, there is a bit of trial and error involved in the process.

Sometimes you get photos like this:
too little

Or sometimes you get photos like this:
too much

But hopefully, if you keep adjusting, you find the perfect spot.

sun at my back
(I swear I still have hands, it was just really cold and these sleeves were conveniently long.)
a bit of flare

I love it when you get just the right amount of lens flare. (But I hate that green reflection, what gives Hoya lens filter?)

burst

The Rundown
Coat Christmas Gift (I would guess Kohls) Boots Steve Madden - Skirt Item - Fur Collar Thrifted - Earrings Kohls - Tights Kohls 

furry rim light

Time to start again

Happy New Year everyone!
I can't help but to always marvel at the idea that another year is gone, and try to think about what it meant, and how I'm going to remember it for the rest of my life. 2010 will always be the year I went to Italy, and got to spend an extra week because of the volcano in Iceland. It will be the year I got a DSLR started to take more photos, the year my little blog stopped being so little! Last January I didn't even have 100 followers, and now I have 400?! All I can say is, wow, and thank you so much for reading!

Of course I've been thinking about what my resolutions will be for this year, and while I've got some personal ones, I've also got some specific blog/fashion related ones which I will share.
  • Preform a closet purge. A real, brutally honest purge. In August I was feeling overwhelmed by my closet and my shopaholic habits, so I set up a blog shop and gave myself a monthly budget. But it isn't enough; I need to clean out my closet, and I don't want to.
  • Spend less time getting dressed. Deciding what to wear shouldn't be an all day affair. I'm not sure how will force myself to be more decisive, but I need to. 
  • Try to limit impulse purchases. I can't say I've gotten off to the best start - yesterday I saw tweet from American Eagle about free shipping and 20% off and I went and bought a pair of PJ pants. They have sailboats, and I couldn't help myself. I still wish I could have gotten that sailboat cardigan from Talbots!
  • Respond to comments promptly. My usual habit is to wait until I've got 50 and then try to do them all in one night. It never works, and there is a back log of about 400. So now when I get a comment, I will try to visit you shortly after.
  • Take better photos. Are you getting bored of my driveway? Because I am. True, I like the light there the best, but outfit photos in the same spot every day aren't very interesting. I want to be getting more creative.
  • Get out in the world. The saying "All dressed up with no where to go" applies to me 99% of the time. I'm tired of 'wasting' all my good outfits. This will inevitably be the hardest resolution for me to keep, but maybe putting it out there will force me to try harder.
I wish you all the best of luck in keeping all your resolutions this year!

Winter red meets spring floral

Here is the wood pile and all the melting snow. So much more interesting than the driveway, neh? I can't complain about being freezing today, it's been a 'warm' 49° and rainy. I hate to see all the pretty snow go away.

This bag is new. It's Big Buddha (they make vegan bags, if that is something you look for) and they are always adorable and very functional, meaning they have tons of pockets. I love bags with compartments! This was on clearance at TJMaxx for $25 and I had a gift card, so I'm calling it free.

I'm beginning to feel like I'm not doing the No Repeats Challenge justice for two reasons: these boots and these leggings.
This is my fifth time with them both on since I started the challenge, and I'd done it many times before the challenge started as well. And my defense is weak, it's simply that these leggings are so comfortable and my other black boots are suede.
According to the challenge rules, shoes and accessories don't count, but I still feel like they are becoming redundant. (Especially if you took a look at my tight collection!)

Winter red meets spring floral
The Rundown
Sweater Gap - Skirt TJMaxx - Hat Avon - Boots Migliorini - Bag Big Buddha - Leggings TJMaxx
the rings
Rings (left to right)
Lia Sophia and Kohls
Winter red meets spring floral