TBMD

As 2016 comes to a close, I find myself struggling with my end-of-year post that has become a tradition. Blogging has taking a backseat this year, and so I haven't been as conscientious about jotting down outfit and purchase tidbits throughout the year. It's now New Year's Eve and I'm sitting here having a hard time organizing my thoughts. Gonna give it my best shot though, so here we go:

- My favorite casual outfits from this past year are:

- The line between my work and casual outfits have become more and more blurred as I've taken liberties with my interpretation of "business casual." For favorite work outfits, I couldn't just pick four, so here are my top 5:

- Clothing-wise, my favorite purchases this year has be items that were in heavy rotation and worn repeatedly (multiple times a week even): a white midi skirt, a baby blue peplum top, and a navy turtleneck sweater tunic (sold here - extra 60% off).

My favorite accessory purchase is a boxy black crossbody bag that came with 2 straps (canvas, leather) by Saint Laurent (sold at SL / Nordstrom / Barney's / Saks). My friend Y actually purchased this bag in the early part of the year when we were abroad in Europe. I loved it on her then and immediately put it on my short-list when I was considering options with a canvas strap. This bag is different from my usual with an obvious logo monogram front and center... but can I gush about how much I love the canvas strap (for the third time)?

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who still visits my blog, whether daily or once in a blue moon. All your comments, constructive criticisms, and support mean so much. Cheers to a continuation of blogging fun and excitement in 2017!

Happy new year! Because self-reflections have become a yearly tradition, I'd rather be a couple days late than to skip a year ;) So a look back on 2015...

- My favorite purchases this year (because I couldn't pick just one) are the Chelsea28 white pleated wide leg pants and the Manolo Blahnik gray BB suede pumps. Both are classic pieces that I can see myself wearing until I'm old and gray. My biggest impulse buy this year are black sneakers. I wore them a few times before the excitement faded and regret settled in. Sigh. I really should've slept on this purchase more. I spent 8% of my salary on clothing/accessories/beauty this year. The number is lower than last year but higher than the years before that.

- 2015 is the year of color obsessions. I had multiple white items on my wishlist and can happily say I've crossed them all off: white button up shirt, white blazer, and white trousers. These purchases were not surprises as I've always had a soft spot for how clean white looks. What threw me for a loop was how crazy I became for rose gold jewelry, so much so that I wanted to wear a watch again for the first time in 15+ years!

- My top 5 favorite casual outfits of the year are:

- The biggest change in my personal life this year has to be switching jobs. I've pretty much settled into a routine now and working in a legit office building (with elevators!) is no longer a novelty ;) I started out adhering to the business casual dress code fairly closely. Now that I no longer feel like "the new person," both my mindset and outfits have relaxed somewhat.

- ...which brings me to my top 5 favorite work outfits of the year:

- The second biggest life adjustment this year is: I'm now a smartphone owner! You'd think I would be more active on social media now that I'm connected 24/7, right?! Nope, I've actually regressed in my social media usage. Pre-smartphone, I would think to myself, "Hey I'm doing something interesting, I should document and share!" Now that I have a smartphone at my disposal, it's like, "Ehh, too lazy to document. I'll do it next time." And "next time" becomes "next time", haha. I feel like I say this every year, but I'll do my best to overshare -- it's not an easy habit to learn ;)

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone who visits my blog. All your comments, support, and constructive criticisms mean so much to me. I know I've been writing less text with my posts, but hopefully will continue to still update on a regular basis. Cheers to 2016!

As another year winds down, so comes the time for another self-reflection. I've enjoyed re-reading 2013's with a mixture of surprise (completely forgot I had made a resolution) and laughter.

- If 2013 was the year of shoes, 2014 is the year of outerwear. Excluding blazers and vests, I pretty much doubled my stash in one year. I counted 7 (!) new ones this year: dark red anorak, sage green swing trench, pink trench cape, plaid short trench, green military jacket, lilac moto leather jacket, and gray toggled coat. Craziness. Only two (toggled coat and trench cape) were really on my wishlist; the rest were victims of window shopping -- but how pretty the victims were! I'm going to sheepishly admit that I may not be done yet as I have my eyes on a dark red puffer jacket.

- My favorite purchase this year is a tossup between the RED Valentino wildflower dress [left] and the Stella McCartney trench cape [center]. I relied on a combination of effort and luck to buy both, so I'm sure that played a role in how dear both items are to me. The surprise purchase of the year (in the best way possible!) is the J.Crew Downing brown tote [right]. It was a semi-impulse buy, one that I'm chuckling at now because I actually thought I didn't need a brown colored bag in my life. Welp, that mentality lasted about five months. The neutral color is great, the casual style fits me perfectly. How wrong was I?!

- Speaking of bags, a few new purchases this year upped my tally to 14. A few year ago, I randomly decided that 8 is the magic number for me to be happy and feel like I can cover all types of social situations. One new purchase would mean one old bag will have to go. The thing with these arbitrary rules is that I'd like to think I have the discipline to carry them out... but I really don't, lol. Should I just do away with this "rule"? Be flexible because one of these days I will be able to jump over the sentimental hurdle and donate a bunch? My New Year's resolution for the upcoming year will be to iron this out.

- My top 5 favorite outfits of the year are: [from L -> R] one / two / three / four / five

- I spent 13% of my salary on clothing/accessories/beauty this year. The percentage is much higher than in past years because a huge chunk was spent on a new Chanel reissue. The purchase was planned months in advance, so the hit on my budget didn't come as a surprise. I'm telling myself that this is my last Chanel ever -- so if my eyes start wandering, help keep me in check!

- Going back to New Year's resolutions real quick... apparently I had forgotten that this year's was to be better at oversharing on social media. If I were to evaluate myself, I'd say my activity on Facebook has remained steady, Twitter has taken a nosedive, and Instagram has seen a huge growth, but this blog is still my main source of online presence. Thank you for following via one (or more) of these different mediums!

- I've been experimenting with eliminating accompanying text on blog posts when I simply have nothing to say. I still put in the same (or more) effort to take and edit photos though... just words are harder to come by at times. So rather than bore y'all with the same ol' "Have a great day!", I'll let outfit photos speak for themselves. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have strong opinions one way or the other.

- For the second year in a row, I made the trek out to SF to spend time with blogging friends. It was another too-short trip, but we managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Yosemite and still had time to eat our way around the city (thank you SPG for recapping!) My streak will increase to three in 2015 (time to consider making the move out west?!) because DH and I are stopping by SF on our way to visit Asia! Cannot.contain.my.excitement.

On a final note (I know I sound like a broken record each year), a big THANK YOU to everyone who peruses my blog. All your support, comments, and critiques mean so much. I'm coming up on my 6 year blogiversary next month (holy moly) and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that I may have started out blogging for myself, but the people aspect (reader interaction, friendships formed) is what makes this hobby worthwhile. Cheers to more fun and excitement in 2015! Have a happy new year!

As 2013 comes to an end, it's time for my yearly self-reflection.

On shopping:

- One recurring theme I noticed was "upgrading" several items in my closet due to various reasons, ie: finding a better alternative, wear and tear, etc. Items include a chambray shirt, white pants, green military jacket, long wool coat, white skirt, cowlneck sweater, and a fleece jacket. Another pattern I noticed is one I try to avoid, buying duplicates. I now own two cowlneck sweaters, two Saint James striped tees, and two Express Editor pants.

- On the usual shopping side, 2013 is the year of shoes. Oh boy. From high maintenance shoes with straps to wobbly 4" heels to shoes in a rainbow of colors, my shoe closet has seen an almost complete overhaul. When it came to heels, I almost exclusively bought pointed toe pumps. For flats, this is the year that I ventured away from ballet flats to loafers.

- My best (aka practical) purchase this year is the ubiquitous Longchamp Le Pliage tote. The style is the perfect black bag replacement for my RM MAM. My favorite purchase this year is the By Malene Birger Callinga dress that I'm still head over heels for to this day. I just need to find (or make up?) more occasions to wear it. I've been pretty good about avoiding spontaneous purchases, so I can't think of anything I regret buying. However, I do wish I had given certain items more thought before getting them tailored, like the faux-leather dress that was only a bit baggy.

- Overall, I spent 6% of my gross salary on clothing/accessories/beauty this year. The number is on par with last year, but I have a feeling it'll be completely shot next year (more on that later).

On the blogging front:

- I'm still terrible at keeping my social media accounts up-to-date. I've gotten into the groove of updating Facebook whenever there's a new blog post. I'm pretty good at replying on Twitter, but generally don't have anything to share. Same goes for Instagram, but I place the blame more so on a lack of a smartphone. My New Year's resolution will be to do a better job at oversharing. The standard is set so low that it shouldn't be too hard, right?

- The funniest keyword search award goes to: turning my bf into a stud. To the person who ended up visiting my Valentino Rockstud shoes post instead, I'm sorry I couldn't help you (or your bf) out. I had a good chuckle though, so thank you for making my day!

- My top 5 favorite outfits of the year are: [from L -> R] one / two / three / four / five

- I don't feel like I jumped on the trend bandwagon very often this year. Harem pants, geometric prints, skorts, and metallic heels are some that come to mind that I didn't feel the urge to try. However, I'm did find myself playing catchup to faux leather pants, studded heels (1-2 years late?), and the Lanvin x H&M collab (3 years late!)

- I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with several blogging friends I've made through this hobby of mine. It was only for a short weekend, but in one of my favorite cities (SF!) Great food, great company... what more could you ask for?

- Taking photos in RAW then editing in Adobe Lightroom has completely opened my eyes, but I fear, made me become even lazier as a photographer. Lightroom is amazing and I'm barely scratching the surface with what it can do (pretty much just color correct my photos). Now that I know things like washed out photos or dark lighting can be fixed in the post-editing process, I haven't been playing around with the camera's settings as much to get the ideal shot. Just a few quick snaps because I know photos can be tweaked in Lightroom later.

On the personal side of things:

- The company I work for recently changed its leave policy. So now instead of cashing out any extra hours above the cap (which I loved doing), anything over would mean I'm working for free. Technically I should experience a better work-life balance next year? The jury's still out because I really enjoyed those nice bonuses. This segues nicely to...

- Traveling. I enjoy traveling, but really am so lazy when it comes to planning. This past year I found myself going on short trips, most with a purpose, but I was able to enjoy downtime on the side. My company's new leave policy may just be the push I need to get off my lazy butt and go on an extended vacation next year. Japan is on the table as DH has never been (and probably so tired of how I go on and on about how wonderful it is). Also, I promised a friend I'd visit sometime during her two-year stay there. Oh yeah, my love for all things green tea helps too. I'm generally more of a city/sight-seeing type of traveler, but on my bucket list is to one day stay in a hut over the water on the beach. Any non-swimmers who can put my DH's mind at ease? Because he doesn't trust me to save him if he drowns in his sleep, lol. I actually did some initial research (gasp) and only saw this amenity offered at the French Polynesian islands (Caribbean would be much closer to us). The trip that is most likely going to become a reality is one to Europe. And it's all due to a conversation I had with my SIL about Chanel. Apparently there are other crazy girls we know who are interested in a trip across the ocean because Chanel bags are cheaper in Paris. Off the hook on planning + never been to Europe + potential new bag = killing three birds with one stone. Now I just have to seriously figure out if I want to replace my classic flap with a reissue.

Lastly...

Thank you for visiting and reading this little blog of mine. I've valued each and every one of your support, comments, and critiques. I've always told myself that I'll continue blogging as long as it remains a fun hobby, so I'm excited to see what 2014 brings. Stay safe and have a happy new year! Cheers!

As 2012 comes to a close, so does the third year that I've been blogging. I say this all the time, but it's amazing how fast time flies, especially when you're having fun.

From a blogging standpoint...

- I crossed off multiple items from my (ever-growing) "classics" wishlist: tweed jacket, black riding boots, red cross-body bag, and navy peacoat. I also tried my hand at a few trends, including camo and maxi dress. Jury's still out on the former, but I'm really loving the versatility of the latter.

- My biggest impulse buy (and the one that I regret the most) is the J.Crew Tillary tote. I used it a few times before getting bored, so I promptly turned around and sold it to a new home. My most expensive purchase is the Chanel camellia WOC (surprise surprise, yet another bag). My favorite purchase of the year is the Tory Burch Nadine riding boots. Overall, I spent 6% of my pre-tax income on clothes/accessories/beauty this year.

- My top 5 favorite outfits of the year are: [from L -> R] one / two / three / four / five

- The awkward-photography-moment-of-the-year award goes to the day I was taking photos by the side of a dead-end road (or so I thought). As the self-timer was counting down, I noticed a car round the corner from the supposed dead-end to head towards me. I picked up my tripod to give the car room to pass, then noticed that I was looking at a police car. Thoughts that immediately popped into my head were, Oh crap! I hope I don't get ticketed for parking illegally or something of that nature. Hmm, would it do me any good to walk over and casually stand in front of my license plate to hide it from his view? LOL. Nah, that'd be too obvious. So I just stood there, staring at the cop while he stared right back as he drove past.

- I had a wonderful time meeting Yvonne and Elle when they visited my area on separate occasions. What were the chances they both loved and wanted to eat Korean food?

On a more personal level...

- DH and I became homeowners for the first time. My advice: DON'T DO IT unless you're prepared to deal with the time and cost it takes to maintain a home. We bought one that's less than ten years old, but we've already had to deal with a broken garbage disposal and dishwasher (we think the two are related), a squeaky step (drives me crazy!), and a leak on the roof of a bay window caused by Hurricane Sandy. All three of which we still haven't gotten around to completely fixing. For us, the mortgage interest tax deduction is pretty much canceled out by property taxes and maintenance costs. So not worth it if that's your primary reason to buy.

- We also celebrated our 10 year anniversary by tying the knot. Does that mean I have to start over with the yearly count? Or can I simply continue? At least I still only have one date to remember.

- I was lucky to have the opportunity to travel to Asia and San Francisco/Napa this past year. I'm hoping Europe is in the plans for next year. Fingers crossed.

Lastly...

I want to thank each and every one of you for visiting my little corner on the web. Whether it's critiquing my outfit choices, putting up with my attempts at humor, sharing personal experiences, or engaging in conversation, I have truly enjoyed it all.

Please stay safe and have a happy holidays!