in which what's in a trend?

Trends are funny. Last year at this time, babushka/matryoshka dolls were everywhere and people were swooning over them left and right. And then? Silence. Whatever, I still think they're adorable.

(dress/scarf: thrifted; tights: hue; hat: h&m; necklace: forever 21; shoes: payless)

Someone should keep track of all of the trends we experience throughout the years. It can be pretty obvious based on blog archives and the like, but who has time to scroll back through? Maybe I'll start. A trend journal, or something :) I just think it's amusing how crazed people get about the smallest things (babushkas and buntings, moustaches and owls, bicycles and peter pan collars... the list goes on and on and on and on and on...).

Today it's really snowing (the snowfall seems to be on a biweekly dump schedule, like recycling pick-up or something). I'm looking forward to going home and snuggling on the couch with a big bowl of delicious soup (potato/onion/kale/celery), which my wonderful boyfriend made yesterday, and the last few chapters of my book.

We're almost to the weekend!

in which i was never promised a rose garden

I love this dress. It's a little bit retro, a little bit rock-a-billy, a little bit mod. Or something. Anyway, I enjoy it.

(dress: forever 21 via plato's closet; tights: hue; shoes: seychelles)

I'm going through a phase. I go through phases a lot, which is why I haven't quite figured out what to do with my life. I fluctuate between wanting to embrace my country mouse spirit, and then a month goes by and I feel the stirrings of my city mouse self again. I've been feeling very uninspired by office work, very disconnected from myself as I sit on my ass and stare straight into a pixelated world that doesn't much matter to me for eight hours a day. I want to get out in the world and DO something. Maybe it's just cabin fever. If that's so, I'm in trouble, because it's only January and the winter has just begun.

I go through these periods where I want to live on a farm. I want something simple and raw and down to earth (literally). I want to wake up early and feed animals that will then feed me, later on (eggs and milk and cheese). I want to drink hot tea in the afternoon and do crossword puzzles, or read, and then go out and get my hands dirty turning the soil or picking vegetables for dinner. I want my work to be a true reflection of myself. I always fought against that feeling before, telling myself that I could work to live (and telling others, in my preaching way)--that those 40-hour weeks, in their routine no frills/no surprises way, could be freeing. That health insurance and free weekends were worth all the numbness and boredom of the workweek.

I'm not sure I believe it anymore.

This week, I want to milk goats. Even in the cold. I want to invest in things like warm boots and thick, puffy coats instead of pretty dresses and ludicrously high heels. Next week, who knows? There are just so many things I could do, and none of them seem quite perfect. Not perfect enough to drop everything for, anyway.

in which i like bright colors and a bouffant

Since last week was basically an extension of the holidays for me, I declared yesterday the true start of the new year. I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the things I want/need to accomplish each day/week/month of 2012, but hopefully it will all fall into place as I get back into my routine.

(dress: forever 21 via plato's closet; sweater: h&m; tights: kohl's; shoes: seychelles; necklace: diy)

I've definitely entered hibernation/survival mode, where all I want to do is hunker down with some leftover Christmas candy (I have wayyyy too much) and be lazy.

Anyway, there is nothing like bright color and a bouffant to bring me out of hibernation mode--for a few hours, at least.

over the weekend: cape ann

Since this was K's first weekend back on the east coast and we weren't able to spend the holidays together this year, we decided that a little weekend getaway was in order. We have always loved exploring little seaside towns, so K did a little research and we were off to Rockport, MA!

We arrived at our hotel (Rockport Inn and Suites) pretty late on Friday night, so we just picked up a quick dinner and drank champagne in the hotel room. The next morning we got up bright and early (for us) and explored historic Rockport village. It was a gloriously beautiful day for January--50 sunshine-y degrees!

When we had seen all that Rockport had to offer, we headed into Gloucester for more wandering and lunch at Destino's!

We spent what seemed like (and very well might have been) hours searching for the Annisquam Lighthouse, which turned out to be a major disappointment because it was in a residential area and the locals were not very keen on sharing their historic sights. I went on a bit of a rant about entitled rich people. But seriously--I just wanted to look at it!

We had a delicious dinner at Giuseppe's that night--fettucine alfredo and lasagne (which was unbelievable massive) accompanied by smooth Tuscan red table wine--and headed back to the hotel for more champagne, chocolates, and a soak in the hot tub.

The next morning, after breakfast and coffee at Brothers Brew in Rockport (his: Norwegian coffee bread, hers: egg&cheese sandwich), we drove down to wander the grounds of Hammond Castle. Unfortunately, it was closed for the winter (like most of the Cape Ann area), but we definitely intend to go back in the spring/summer to check out the museum and to look around inside.

It was much colder yesterday than it had been on Saturday, and overcast, and we had pretty much exhausted everything there was to do in the Rockport/Gloucester area, so we headed home. We took the back way and ended up in Newburyport, which we thought was so fabulous that we stopped to wander around a bit more:

Finally, we made our way back home, where we made nachos and freaked ourselves out with a few episodes of The Walking Dead (and now I'm hooked--who'd have thought?).

happy new year!

Ohhh, New Year's Eve... you are fun. I convinced my friends (and mom!) to get all gussied up for the occasion, even though the party was only at a country house down the road. A girl's gotta get her dress on once and a while, and if you can't go out in glittery heels on NYE, when can you?

I bought this dress months ago at H&M, and though I wasn't entirely sure where I would wear it, I immediately thought of NYE (of course). It's actually more of an orangey-red than the pink that my camera seemed to want to call it. The glittery heels were a happy accident--spotted in the window of Payless (=cheap!) while Christmas shopping. But enough about me--doesn't my mom look amazing?? That dress/coat combination belonged to my grandmother and she looks so classy! You basically can't beat those faux-fur cuffs.

All-in-all, a good night was had by all. I dropped the (basket)ball at midnight, and that's when the party really started. My mom busted out the limbo pole (/broomstick) and we all got down and rowdy before finally heading home around 2 (yes, I limboed in those heels, and no, I do not have photographic evidence, which is probably for the best). We spent New Year's Day eating a scrumptious brunch (I don't think I was quite ready for a mimosa...), playing music, reading the journal (my dad keeps a journal of all of our adventures throughout the year and it's become tradition to read aloud on New Year's Day, while drinking hot cider from the "wassail cup"), and then going to see the late showing of "My Week With Marilyn" at the Savoy (which my brother called "horrifying").

So far, 2012 is okay in my book. Now I just need K to come home... (Wednesday!)
I'm looking forward to a whole new year of adventures, and to sharing them (and my outfits) with you here!

Merry New Year, everyone! :)