llama medicine

LLAMA:

"Endurance, service, sacrifice. Hard work, responsibility, stubbornness. Llama people tend to be sociable, giving, and easygoing, but fully capable of standing up for themselves if crossed. Llama medicine can teach us to relax and trust in our own abilities to maneuver even the most difficult paths in life."

(source)

(sweater: bargain boutique; hat: h&m; jeans: pacsun; lace top: savers; chambray shirt: walmart; boots: seychelles)

In 2011, I resolve to be like a llama. The above description of the lovable beast of burden could easily be referencing my own personality, but it would seem that I could use a good dose of llama medicine: relax and trust in your own abilities!

I am the Mistress of Excuses. When I consider just taking a graduate class, I waffle about it because I'm too indecisive to choose just one thing I want to study. When I complain that I never get any exercise, I blame the fact that I can't afford to pay for a gym membership. When someone tells me that I should be on American Idol, I laugh it off and say that I don't want to corrupt my genuine love of music. When I decide to set aside some time every evening to work on my novel, I find myself lamenting the fact that staring at a screen all day leaves me dried up and uninspired. I always need more time, more resources, more money, more creative energy, more, more, more, more, more. While all of these excuses are completely valid, they stagnate me... so here's to llama medicine!

Also, this sweater is awesome and it was two dollars.
That is all.

i am matryoshka

For Christmas, I got K a book called Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier. I am a big fan of giving--and receiving--books as gifts--and because I am a voracious reader but I never know what I will be in the mood for when I finish one book and visit my bookshelf to select the next one, I like to have multiple unread options to choose from. Anyway, I got him the book and I feel like I've been channeling Siberian style lately--probably due to the vast wasteland of a landscape that is Vermont in the wintertime.

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

I've always loved the idea and artistry of Matryoshka dolls (see the original set above), so I am delighted that they have passed into the realm of the trendy (as so many other forms of folk art before them). I found this necklace for some ridiculously insignificant amount at Forever 21 this weekend and had to have it. I also purchased a black faux-fur hat much like this one, but when I found the grey version at H&M I returned the black right away (especially since this one fits my large head much more comfortably). I think I look a bit like a nesting doll in this getup, and it is as if the miniature Matryoshka around my neck is the nugget inside my outer layers.

new years eve 2010: for night

I had been lusting over this Modcloth dress for ages and I knew that it was destined to be mine for this very occasion. It was on sale, so as soon as Christmas had come and gone (I had put it on my "list" but ended up receiving something MUCH more amazing and entirely unexpected--a new laptop!) it was mine.

(dress: modcloth; hair bow/shoes: kohl's; necklace: uo; tights: gift)

When I first tried the dress on I wasn't 100% ecstatic about the fit, but as the night wore on (esp after an enormous Indian meal) I was glad that it wasn't skin-tight. K and I drove into downtown Portland and took a little stroll around the city before stopping at Tandoor for dinner.

The food was delicious (although the samosas were not the best I've ever had, you can't really go wrong), and the $3 rosé wine was the perfect complement (K had a Kingfisher). We ended up dropping quite a bit of dough, but it's only NYE once a year, right? After dinner we took another stroll to walk off some of the rice (the weather was AMAZING this weekend--almost 60 degrees during the day!) and headed back to the hotel (where we were greeted by chocolate chip cookies, bottled water, and classical music--the staff was incredibly attentive) to drink champagne in excess and watch the ball drop above (you guessed it) the roaring (gas) fireplace.

It was such a lovely, relaxing night in wonderful company, and the next day was a great start to the new year. We slept in, I hung out in the amaaaaaazing shower for far longer than necessary and emerged to find fresh brewed coffee (courtesy of my fellow) and a sweet little note, sipped said coffee in the sun and finally went out to breakfast at the first little diner we saw on the side of the road for some incredible omelets:

(HIS/HERS)

We drove down to Braintree for some spontaneous shopping, picked up some great new clothes, and finally headed home (from there things got a little dicey, but it didn't matter because we were having such a great time)!

All in all, a great start to what I hope will be the best year ever!

How did you spend your NYE?

new years eve 2010: for day

On the final day of 2010, K and I took a little trip :)

I wore a vintage mink hat (which I found hanging from my stocking on Christmas morning!) and my new blue swing coat. I felt very classy.

(coat: Sears; hat: vintage; scarf: Plato's Closet; leather gloves: Isotoner; shoes: Payless; tights: Vera Wang for Kohl's)

Our only plans for the 'Eve involved Indian food and bubbly by the fireplace, so we slept in as late as we wanted and hit the road around noontime. This was our first day trip in such a long time, and I was super excited!

Along the way, we stopped briefly at Kohl's so that I could find a pair of shoes to wear with my new dress. I decided on these royal blue beauties, and onward we went!

We arrived at our hotel, Inn by the Sea, just as the sun was setting over the water--a beautiful start to an equally lovely evening. We were greeted by an incredible view of the ocean (above), and s'mores on a stick (marshmallows dipped in chocolate and graham cracker):

We relaxed by the fireside in our luxurious hotel room...

...then got gussied up for some spicy food in downtown Portland!

TO BE CONTINUED