Tomgirl Style

from here

Since the great closet reorganization, I've been really trying to hone in on what clothes I need and what clothes I'll really wear.  I've been immersing myself in style blogs and tumblrs and pinterest, trying to pinpoint what I like.  I've been building a rational list of closet holes (black blazer, casual but crisp everyday button downs) and trying to only shop for things that are well-made, perfectly fitting and classic.  (no more old navy clearance rack impulse purchases!)

from here

I've dubbed my new style inspiration "tom-girl' because I want my closet to be clean, classic-lined menswear, but with a kicky girly twist.  I think the trick is cute girl hair, casual makeup, sweet shoes, and an ever-ready swipe of bright lipstick, to keep it from feeling too, uh, manly.

Zuppa Toscana Knockoff

Saturday's dinner plans got cancelled due to a suspected case of strep throat and a death in the family, so we stayed in instead and convalesced.  You want to make a sore throat feel better?  My advice for you is spicy sausagey soup, like this Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana knockoff.   We used masses of spinach and beef broth and half & half and I added carrots, turned out really delicious.   Like most soups, a really adaptable recipe and usually better the next day.

Nerves

My boyfriend and I are doing a triple date here saturday, and I'm having nerves about it.  There's nothing to be scared of, but I'm racking my closet for the perfect outfit, hoping the food isn't too fancy, that conversations go smoothly....Does anyone else get like this?  It's my anti-social/scaredy-cat impulses fighting my fight or flight responses.  I've never been to this restaruant, but it's in this great neighborhood full of a couple of my favorite places, (like this, this, and this) and we walked by once while there was a wine tasting happening.  It seems so very adult and grown-uppy!  (which is clearly so not my thing.....ha!) 

Belated: The Pinkest, Friendliest Christmas Tree Ever

 

Here's the seriously belated "Look how cute my christmas tree is," post.  If you look close, there's wee felt owls and mushrooms.  Except for the ones that the cat got and laid forlornly under the tree for a while.   (also pictured: weird mauve/pink/maroon sofa arm.  Someday this girl will own furniture of a determinate and coordinate-able color.)

I'm Going to Throw Away All My Other Eyeshadows.

No joke, I'm considering throwing out all of my other eyeshadows.  Just purchased the new maybelline 24 hour color tattoo cream eyeshadow in tough as taupe after reading reviews online and fell hard for it.  I don't know anyone that needs 24hour eyeshadow...but I'll wear mine through a ten hour workday without it budging.  It doesn't rub off, smear, cry or get rain/snowed off.....I seriously want every single color.  I just finger paint it on in the morning, add more if I want, being careful to smudge out the edges and bam!  Done all day.  Love it.

Checking In

Today was one of those super-satisfying days off where I started without a plan and ended up with three washed, dried, folded and put away loads of laundry, a giant closet/dresser purge and then by-color reorganization, and some reading, cooking and lovely other day-off tidbits thrown in. (also: closet organized by color may have just changed my life.  You can see everything-including the ridiculous amount of black clothing you own-and find a specific item in a flash.  It makes your closet look so tidy and stylish!) 

While I was in the middle of my closet purge, I realized I had a couple pairs of abandoned, not-favorite jeans that look great on my sexy backside, but have weird hems.  Two pairs got skinnified today using this basic tutorial from  homeade ginger, and I may just turn all my stubby bootcut jeans into skinny jeans a pair at a time now.  Such a difference!

Perpetual Journal

I love new years.  I love fresh starts and blank pages and beginnings.  I never really set big, overriding new years resolutions because I'm constantly starting and working on little goals.  (Sleep more.  Go to yoga three times a week.  Save ten percent of every paycheck.  )  This year, however, I have one big goal (entirely eliminate my little debt) which I've been saying for years, but this is the first time I've been consistently employed in ages (and I just got a raise!)  And I have one little goal, which is to journal a little more.

I quite like the idea of this Line a Day journal, but then I fell way in love with this perpetual journal seen on Design Sponge.  I'm in the process of making one of my own, but wanted mine to be  in a closed off box, because I would more than certainly spill all 365+ cards in that at least once.  So i'm making cute little cards and hunting for the perfect box for it. (I kinda want it to be a vintage recipe card box!)  It's so much more manageable to write a little capsule of your day down than trying to always make time for a whole written out entry in a traditional journal, and I really love the idea of scanning back to what I was doing on that day in the following years.