in which this is my main squeeze

Coat #2!  This is the coat I wear pretty much every day.  It's not terribly warm, but it cuts the chill, and I think the fit is pretty flattering because of the cinched waist (even if the woman at the post office thought I was pregnant because it poofed out so much).  Also, it goes with everything.

(coat: sears; hat: vintage; gloves: jcpenney; jeans: pacsun; boots: seychelles; scarf: thrifted)

I tried to get up at 7 am this morning and it just wasn't happening.  I really want to be an early bird, but why does it have to be so dark and cold in those morning hours?  I go through phases.  Like that magical time when I somehow managed to get up out of bed and go running four mornings a week (whaaaat?), or when I wrote a page in my journal every day immediately after waking (that exercise also slowed to a full stop...).  I just can't bring myself to leave the comfort of my covers if in doing so I still have to turn on a light.  I even went to bed rather early last night because I was exhausted from my workout video--ha!

Anyway, this week feels so busy already.  It's like we let everything slide over the holidays and we've been stocking up (hence the trip to Costco--we had run out of pretty much every pantry item) and cleaning house (for some reason the sink is never completely empty of dishes) for the new year.  I would like to get more regular workout and cleaning schedules back on track, but it's hard when I can't even seem to get back to a clean slate!  I must say, however, the prospect of all the open-ended weekends in the month ahead is really exciting.  No commitments!

in which i commence coat week (and outfits of 2013)

I'm back!  First outfit post of the new year, woo-hoo!

(coat: nordstrom; ear muffs: urban outfitters; dress: modcloth; skirt/scarf: thrifted; shoes: seychelles)

 My plan this week is create outfits around my various winter coats.  As the snow starts to fall and temperatures begin to drop, I inevitably scour the rails of women's coats at department stores across town, looking for new outerwear.  Winter in Vermont is not pretty (well, it is literally pretty, but not in any other way), and pretty much any outfit is guaranteed to be covered up with a coat for the duration of any outing.  Which means that I need to have enough coats to keep outfits interesting.  This year I really wanted to buy a camel-colored toggle coat with a fur-lined hood, but luckily for me the store didn't have my exact size and in the end it was a pass (I'm trying to save money!!).  This yellow coat, on the other hand, was purchased back when I was living in Oregon (in 2007).  I rarely wear it because it's so bright.

Lately I've been having a bit of a sartorial crisis when it comes to colors.  I have a lot of bright clothes, but I'm currently drawn to more muted tones--navys, blacks, tans, browns--with a swoosh of red lipstick.  I'm not sure how to reconcile my current tastes with my closet, and so I end up rewearing old favorites again and again. Something about this outfit, however, feels just right.  It's sort of a winter-ized version of this rainy-day getup, which was one of my favorite outfits from the past year.  I guess part of my struggle with color is that it can feel a bit too youthful and saccharine (or even circus-y) if it is overdone.  And I'm trying to be a grown-up now. (Hence, the ear-muffs.  Ha!  Just kidding.  But I love them.)

I had a great weekend, spent mostly just reconnecting with K and running around town a bit.  He took the GRE on Friday so we celebrated that night with nachos and cocktails.  The next morning we ran some errands, stopped at the Montpelier library book sale, saw Hyde Park on Hudson at the Savoy, had coffee and did a crossword at Capitol Grounds, and met up with friends at Julio's (and later the Three Penny Tap) that night for drinks and goodbyes (to my friend Sarah, who just flew back to Portland).  It was a full (but fun!) day.  Yesterday I read for most of the day and then we stopped at Costco and spent the evening watching Weeds.  I always like having Sundays to just relax and unwind before another work week slaps me hard in the face on Monday morning.  Tonight I'm planning to hit the grocery store and the gym and make chili before the premiere of the Bachelor tonight!  Yay!

o holga!

I briefly considered doing outfit photos today, but then I checked the weather and saw that it was -6 degrees.  Not happening.  I think my rule is probably going to be that if it's below 10 degrees I'm not blogging.  Anyway, I had this roll of Holga film from the summertime kicking around, so I thought I'd post it today in memory of happier (read: warmer) days.

also...

...because if you haven't seen this yet, you're missing out.

2013: happy new year!

I have a marvelous New Year's :)  K planned a surprise getaway to Albany, New York, and booked a room (the inn equivalent of a penthouse, on the top floor) at this amaaaaaaaaaaazing "Mansion Row" inn called the Morgan State House.  As soon as we reached the top of the stairs and I looked through the French doors to see the spacious room with that incredible skylight, I was in heaven.

We arrived around 3 PM, and spent the first few hours of our stay relaxing, sipping champagne, and reading up on the history of the inn.  I was even more enchanted by the room after learning that the house had been owned by Alice Morgan Wright, a renowned sculptor and activist who spent time in prison for her participation in the women's suffragist movement in the early 1900s, and was an active advocate for women's rights until the mid-1940s, when she switched her focus to animal rights.  We spent the night in what once was her art studio. Pretty. Awesome.  Around six, I got gussied up and K took pictures of my outfit.

Seriously, I love this dress SO MUCH.  I found it for two dollars at the Bargain Boutique and it fit PERFECTLY.  It is homemade brocade.  I've been saving it for months because I knew it would be perfect for NYE, and now I plan to wear it all the time! :)  We left the room only briefly to enjoy a delicious meal at the Jewel of India, conveniently located right around the corner (so my bare legs didn't take much of a beating).  It's become something of a tradition for K and I to have Indian on NYE (when he's around). OMG so good, I want it again right now.

After dinner we headed back to the room to indulge in chocolate and champagne (and whiskey and coke for K), take advantage of that awesome tub, and watch House Hunters and catch the end of Taylor Swift's unfortunate performance before the ball dropped in Times Square.  The next morning we had breakfast at the only diner that was open in town and headed back to Vermont, where we had milkshakes for dinner.  Our holiday season is always pretty party-heavy, so it's nice to be able to get away from it all and spend that last night of the year exploring a new place with K. I had such a great time, and if the 'eve was any indication, I'm in for a pretty spectacular year, with a pretty spectacular fellow by my side :)

2012 was a good year, but I just KNOW that 2013 is going to be GREAT!

this year in photos: 2012