Monday, January 30, 2012

$135 for a T-Shirt?!

Hi again, dear readers.

I don't have anything really exciting to report on, yet I've been incredibly busy.

One of the things that have kept me busy is dealing with my new (skinnier) body. Of course, with a new body comes new clothes. Hardly any of my clothes fit anymore. Sounds great, right? Yes and no. I do appreciate my new bod, but I'm trying really hard to save money, so now's not the best time to splurge on clothes, like I did in the past.

I decided to give it a go this past weekend. I hit up my local malls, but when I didn't find anything, decided to head to Robertson Blvd. to check out Nanette Lepore, Sky, Kitson, etc. I was hoping some fall sale items would be available. They were, but I realize that in LA, the size 0s and 2s usually end up flying off the shelves, so I ended up buying nothing. I also checked out James Perse, the perfect brand to fit the laid-back Cali lifestyle. I found this great T-shirt that I couldn't wait to try on (pic is from jamesperse.com). Then I looked at the price tag-$135. No way...I was hoping to get a pair of jeans and a T-shirt for that much. Have I really been out of the shopping game for so long that I'm the only one who feels this can't be normal?! Yikes...let me know what y'all think.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Hello, 2012!

Finally...I'm back! For the last month, I've been trying to post several times, only to find that my entries never went through. I'd have these posts all written out, then when I'd hit "Publish Post", nothing would happen. Oh, well, no use dwelling on that now.
Anyway, Happy 2012, everybody! I have good feelings about leap years. 2008 was a pretty good year for me, and I believe that 2012 will be even better.
I meant to do this on 1/1, but couldn't (read the first paragraph for the explanation), so I'm doing it now. Here are 3 lists that reflect what happened to me in 2011 and what I anticipate will happen in 2012. In honor of the "11" number and the fact that there are "3" lists and that I turned "33" in 2011, each of the lists has 11 items (I can't help it--I'm a numbers junkie!).
Things I (Hope to Have) Left Behind in 2011:
1) worrying about work-related matters outside work hours
2) being overweight
3) worrying about finding Mr. Right
4) willing people to be different than they really are
5) taking rude people's rude comments too personally
6) foolish spending on clothes/shoes/accessories I don't wear/use
7) not getting enough sleep
8) feeling "old" about being in my 30s
9) not exercising enough
10) unnecessary drama
11) focusing on what's wrong in my life
Things I Take From 2011 into 2012:
1) being in good shape
2) wearing all the fabulous shoes and dresses I bought in 2011
3) the thrill of traveling
4) my end-of-year bonus!
5) my renewed zest for dance classes
6) my renewed sense of domesticity
7) taking pride in my job, but realizing that a balance is important
8) memories of the time I spent with my family and friends
9) pride in tackling a huge portion of my student loan debt
10) realizing the importance of staying in touch with old friends
11) a newfound appreciation of champagne
Things I Look Forward to in 2012:
1) drinking more champagne!
2) joining Facebook to stay in touch with friends? (yeah, right...but I will stay in touch)
3) losing a few more pounds
4) a trip to NYC
5) a trip to the Middle East
6) saving more money for future dreams
7) a higher sense of self-esteem
8) more home-cooked meals
9) more time with family
10) becoming a better professional
11) trying a new hairstyle
Remember that entry from November when I was on a search for the perfect party dress from Rebecca Taylor? I found it a couple of weeks later! I leave you all with this photo of me in the dress, which I picked up on sale through the Saks e-commerce site. I'd been searching for it forever and nearly shelled out $400+ for it at full price, but couldn't even do that cuz I couldn't find it in my size. And that's because, after all my efforts and sacrifices, I can finally wear a size 2 again! Here's the dress, paired with a purchase from my East Coast adventure, my Christian Louboutin batik python No Prives:
Also, I wish to welcome my 4 new followers. I'd name you each individually, but for some reason, I can't see your names when I click on my followers page. Anyway, you know who you are, and I say hi to you and "Happy 2012" to all my readers!