My New Year's Eve

Last night, something glorious happened. Something I've been waiting on for quite a while. My brand new MacBook Pro arrived!

This photo was taken before I went out and bought a pretty magenta cover to protect it from scratches and such. I'd show you a picture of it with the case but it's easier to just Google the case I bought...

There! Although it looks slightly more pinkish in real life.

Anywhooo. I'm quite excited about that. Also, today is my first day off work since Christmas! Danny and I were going to go see a matinee of Black Swan but decided to take the dogs for a walk instead since it's 50 degrees out today. Weird, since there was a foot of snow less than a week ago. Anyways, we went to a pretty lake nearby.

I asked Danny to snap some outfit-ish photos but they're not very detailed. I wish you could see my lovely Christmas boots! They were a gift from my parents (as was the red cardigan). I am quite smitten with both pieces and will probably be wearing the heck out of them until spring arrives.

Then we headed to Starbucks and sat outside with the pups.

And now I'm going to attempt to clean up this ridiculously messy apartment and then get ready to go see Black Swan this evening.

As for New Year's...I don't have any exciting plans. I actually have to work early in the morning so I might not even stay up to watch the ball drop. (I'm just TOO exciting, right?!) But if I do, rest assured I'll be watching Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper. They are two of my favorite people in the whole world. Seriously. I hope they have a New Year's show for the rest of forever. So funny. Oh, but you know what 2011 means? New planner!

Yes, in a world of endless technology I still rely on/love my paper planner. And 2011's has cute colorful owls on it. Another great Christmas gift from my parents. Hope you all have a fun New Year's!

P.S. Hey, Mac users...any tips/advice regarding my latest purchase? This is my very first Mac so I'm learning lots! Any app recommendations or tips on how to do things that are done differently on a PC would be appreciated. Thanks!

It's official.

I miss blogging.

And I think I want to start again.

But I want it to be different this time. I think I'll try to post...maybe once a week. And it'll be less about outfits and more just about me and documenting my life/thoughts/etc. I've had a fancy camera since summer and I'm giddy over a brand new computer that's making its way through the mail to me...and it seems silly to me to have these things and not use them for blogging. And I really miss the blogging community. And I miss having a blog as a sort of digital scrapbook/journal.

I really don't like or make New Year's resolutions. I think it's kind of silly. You can and should change your life/behavior/whatever whenever you feel like it. But the timing is right, so whatever. I guess getting back to blogging regularly is my resolution.

So, I guess I'll start by catching you up on what I've been up to for the past few months.

In late summer I went to Charleston with my parents...

I visited the ocean...

Smoked my first cigar with my Dad (and no, neither of us are drunk in this photo)...

I stood on some steps...

And ate the best meal ever. Salmon on grits with cheese sauce on top. I've had this meal about four times...it alone is worth the three hour drive to Charleston. Yum.

After that, I went to the fair...

And ate greasy fair food.

I transferred to a different college...

And went exploring for pretty places there.

Meanwhile, the puppies grew...

And grew...

And grew...

And they saw their first snow...

Milton and I visited my parents for Christmas...

My Dad made beignets for breakfast...

And then it snowed...

And it snowed some more...

How were your holidays?

Fall Wishlist

Ah, the lovely weeks between summer and fall. Isn't this the best time of year? The weather is so perfect. This time of year (and every seasonal transition actually...) always makes me want to shop for things for the upcoming season. For fall I really want some new cardigans and sweaters and some OTK socks. And some riding boots! (Though I'm yet to find any within my budget.)

Fall Wishlist by wardrobewhimsy featuring frye boots

-60% Lyndie cardigan ecru, 639 DKK

Bestie Cardigan in Cherry, $50

J. Crew Katelyn Ruffle Cardigan, $78

【ELLE SHOP】イリアンローヴ｜オポッサム　ホールガーメントカーディガン　　｜ファッション通販 エル・ショップ, 22,050 JPY

Womens's NEW ARRIVALS - sweaters - Twin-Button Cardigan - Madewell1937, $68

MERINO ROLL SLEEVE PULLOVER, 95 GBP

Leopard Over the Knee Sock, $14

Nordstrom Over the Knee Socks, $12

Ribbed Modal Over-the-Knee Sock, $13

FRYE Women's Elizabeth Criss Cross Boot, $648

Corso Como Women's San Jose Riding Boot, $214

Dior Amazone Flat Boot, $1,090

RALPH LAUREN SERANA BROWN LEATHER 1823902, 384 GBP

Cole Haan Women's Air Oleanna Riding Boot, $448

On blogging (or a lack thereof).

It's no secret that blogging is currently my last priority. As much as I hate to say that and miss being a part of the blogging world on a daily basis, I'm really enjoying my life and the other priorities I'm focusing on. I just transferred to a new school to study Fashion and Interior Merchandising, a move I've been looking forward to and anticipating for almost a year. Now that I'm finally there and in my classes, I'm really loving it. For the first time, I really actively enjoy school. It challenges me and interests me - and I doubt that most people ever get to feel that way. Maybe the newness will wear off and school will just be school again, but right now it's my number one priority and I'm really enjoying it. I'm also working during school for the first time since I've started college, so balancing my time is difficult right now and frequent blogging just isn't possible for me. I don't plan on shutting down my blog because I still plan on posting sporadically and I still try to read and comment on your blogs occasionally. Thanks to everyone who cares enough to read this. I promise to still post every once in a while. And if you just want to keep up with me (sans outfits) I tweet quite often.

P.S. Can I just say that I'm insanely jealous of/excited for those of you who are going to NYFW?! I can't wait to read all your posts and live vicariously through you. I really REALLY want to try and go next time and hopefully meet lots of you. Have fun, ladies!

Edit: I don't mean to imply that I don't enjoy or care about blogging anymore. I really miss blogging and the sense of the community that I felt communicating with so many of you on a regular basis. I simply mean to say that I'm at a point in my life where it has to be put on hold for a while. As of now, I plan to blog indefinitely; I'm sure many times in my life will be similar to this, but I hope that I will be able to blog frequently for much of my life as well.

DesignerApparel.com Ring Giveaway! -- CLOSED

DesignerApparel.com has offered to do a great giveaway for my readers! You should check out their website, it's a shopping search engine that carries lots of different brands and designers like Nic and Zoe, Eileen Fisher and Betsey Johnson.

They're offering to giveaway this beautiful ring to one of my readers!


To enter, just leave a comment with your name and an e-mail address if I can't get in touch with you through your blog. This contest will close at midnight on Monday 8/2. Only one entry per person.

Shabby Apple Dress Review

The lovely folks at the online shop Shabby Apple recently sent me this adorable dress for review!

Hat - thrifted; Necklace - Forever 21; Sandals - Urban Outfitters

I had so much fun styling it - I love the stripes and the little pockets. My only complaint about this dress would be that it's a bit longer than I'd like. I pinned it up for these photos and I will probably hem it. Otherwise - perfect! I love the sleeves too, they'll make for an easy transition to fall. Thanks, Shabby Apple!

On a day off

Sometimes blogging is tough because I get my pictures edited and resized and uploaded and then realize I have no idea what to type. Today I guess I'll tell you a quick little anecdote about this shirt. The closest Forever 21 is about an hour away from me in Johnson City, Tennessee and I went there for the first time recently (I usually just go to the one in Charlotte because there are actually other things to do there). But, oh my goodness - biggest Forever 21 ever! I was really surprised. It was bigger than the Forever 21 I went to in Atlanta! Anyways, I saw this shirt hanging on the rack. It was the last one and I thought it was so pretty, so I was really bummed when I saw that it was a size large. But then I picked up the shirt and figured it was supposed to have a loose, flowy fit anyways so I might as well try it on. And ta-da! I love it. And that's all I have to say today. I'm off to take the puppies on a walk.

Hat - Charlotte Russe; Cami, top - Forever 21; Skirt, sandals - Urban Outfitters

Overdue Thank Yous

Some lovely folks have sent me products for review and it's taken me way too long to mention them and say thanks!

LuShae Jewelry sent me these lovely earrings for review. Their jewelry is definitely very high quality and I've gotten lots of compliments on these!

I also want to say thanks to CSN stores for sending me lots of toys for the puppies. They love them! And I'm glad they have something to chew on that isn't my shoes.

By the lake

I was running late for a hair appointment and threw this on before rushing out the door. So...not too exciting, but good enough for errand running and hair trims. I was glad I had time to stop by the lake to take some photos. I'm still getting used to my new camera, but it's so fun to shoot with!

Necklace - Forever 21; Pocket-tee - Old Navy; Shorts - American Eagle; Shoes - Yellowbox

Shooting at this lake always reminds me of Rebecca of The Clothes Horse and the lovely photos she takes by the water. I definitely had her in mind as inspiration when making that gif! Hers are always so adorable.

One day, one accessory, three outfits.

Did you think I forgot about this blog? Not quite. I moved. So, all my clothes were in boxes...and then I had no internet...and then I was busy unpacking (which I still haven't really finished). Anyways, I thought I'd try to make a creative comeback and post something a little different - three outfits I wore during the span of one day.

Headband - Forever 21; Dress - Ross (don't remember the brand...); Sandals - J. Crew

Dress - J. Crew ($8 at that awesome sale I told you about); Sandals - Nine West

Shirt - J. Crew ($4....also from the awesome sale); Shorts - American Eagle; Sandals - Nine West

I wore the first outfit for a quick lunch date with my boyfriend, the second for a baby shower with my mom and the third for a party in the evening. I didn't realize until after I loaded these that my color palette was the same all day...that wasn't intentional. I guess this flower just makes me want to wear navy and cognac accessories?

P.S. That mysterious figure lurking in these photos is Milton, of course.

Glamour Feature! (And more photos with my new camera.)

I'm so excited to be featured on Glamour.com again! (Check out my first feature here.) This time they were kind enough to include three of my photos in the slideshow! I love that Glamour features looks from bloggers. Some of my favorite bloggers are featured as well - Keiko Lynn, Sterling Style, Blue Collar Catwalk and Kansas Couture - check it out!

You'd think that with a brand new camera I'd have outfits to post, but actually my new camera is too heavy for my tripod. And I'm super busy right now (as usual) - I'm probably moving this weekend! So, for now here's some more of the photos I've taken with my new camera. Outfits to come post-tripod-buying and post-moving.