Last Year's Resolutions

Every year, I make New Years resolutions. And every year I tend to break them. But last year was different. I sat down last December and wrote down 7 goals for the year. And I must say, I was actually rather successful. There is something powerful about actually writing something down; it forces you to commit. Of my 7 goals, two stand out in particular. Number 2:Start a blog and Number 6: Get an internship. It may have taken me until June to finally get up the courage to start Best Foot Forward, but I'm so glad I did. It's still a small blog, but I never imagined I would have this many people reading what I have to say or looking to see what I'm wearing. I feel truly blessed to be part of the blogging community. 2010 was a major year of personal growth for me, and I think both of these resolutions were a big part of that. Interning in New York City was an amazing, amazing opportunity and taught me a lot about myself and where I want to go in life. Last year at this time, I had no idea I would get such an awesome opportunity. Here's to hoping 2011 holds just as many great surprises and success!

NYC, Summer 2010

Handmade By Yours Truly

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 slouchy top, J.Crew outlet long cardigan, Gap Always Skinny jeans, Aldo boots, Handmade necklace (by yours truly)

The past few days, I've been gravitating towards looser, more comfortable clothing. I think its partially because of post-holiday pudge and partially because I like to be comfy while running around doing all the things I want to finish before I head back to school. I wore this yesterday for a day of working on necklaces for my Etsy shop (coming in 2011!) and for dinner with some girlfriends from high school. It was only a small portion of our big group, but it was really nice to catch up with everyone who was there. I purposely chose an outfit that could showcase my new necklace. On Monday, I found these beads at JoAnn Fabrics, and I fell in love. I used to make a lot of beaded jewelry, but it's an expensive hobby. But these beads were on sale, so I gave in and bought them. I really like how it turned out, and you can look forward to seeing more necklaces like this one in my Etsy shop. Here is a little sneak peek of what else I've been working on for the shop:

I had so much fun at JoAnn's picking out different color combinations of fabric and buttons. I love black and white things, so a black and white necklace was a given. I'm excited to launch my shop in the next week or two, and I hope you are too! Stay tuned for Best Foot Forward's first Etsy giveaway :)

A Very Merry J.Crew Christmas

What I'm wearing: J.Crew button-shoulder sweater, J.Crew outlet circle scarf, J.Crew outlet jeans, J.Crew flats, Pink Box earrings, Forever 21 skinny belt

Those of you who have been reading Best Foot Forward for awhile have probably figured out I'm a bit of a J.Crew fanatic. So imagine my glee when I discovered on Christmas morning that majority of my presents were from there! Some I had helped pick out, but others were surprises, like my gorgeous bracelet! I had told my mom I liked it way back in November, but I hadn't expected that she would actually buy it. Because of my abundance of J.Crew presents, I ended up in head-to-toe J.Crew in the outfit above, which I wore for Christmas day with my mom's side of the family and my boyfriend's family. The sweater and scarf are both new, and I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing this scarf all the time. I love it! What was your favorite gift this year?

[some of my J.Crew spoils!]

Day 30- The Grand Finale

What I'm wearing: Gap outlet turtleneck, J.Crew wool mini, Target tights, Target ankle booties, Forever 21 necklace, Forever 21 skinny belt

This is my 30th outfit and what I wore for Christmas Eve. I wore this for Christmas Eve mass and my dad's side family Christmas. I've had this outfit planned out since before the challenge even started because I knew I would want to dress up a little for Christmas Eve (I always do) and made sure to include these items for that reason. Honestly, this outfit is the main reason the turtleneck was even picked as one of my 30 items. I really like how it turned out, especially when I added my favorite Forever 21 necklace. So I finally made it; I'm finished with my second 30 for 30! It took me longer than most, but it was a lot of fun and much more successful than my first time. I'll be putting together a recap within the next few days. The best part of being finished? My shopping ban ended just in time for post-Christmas sales. Yesterday, my Mom and I hit the mall at 7:30 AM. I walked away with hunter green and maroon Hue tights which I have been wanting for forever and were on sale for $7 each, a Calvin Klein winter coat 50% off, a pair of gym shoes for $30 for work, and two calendar which were both 50% off. I think I may have done even better bargain shopping than I did on Black Friday. Nothing beats a good sale!

Day 29- A Holiday Celebration

What I'm wearing: Loft sweater, J.Crew dress, Gap tee, Gap tights, Kelly and Katie flats via DSW, Forever 21 belt

I hope everyone had a very merry and relaxing Christmas! I was absolutely spoiled this year with great presents, lots of food, and abundant time with family. I'll be putting together a Christmas post soon, but first I want to finish up my 30 for 30! I'm officially done but am a little behind on posting. This outfit was what I wore for my little holiday celebration with the boyfriend. We exchanged gifts (I got The Fashion File by Janie Bryant and a DIAMOND bracelet! Like I said, I was TOTALLY spoiled!!) and then planned to make a gingerbread/Rice Krispie house. Then we decided to be lazy and just made peanut butter cookies instead and hung around with my family and played board games. I'd be lying if I told you I wore this outfit the whole time though; eventually the tights started to bug me, so I took off the dress and put on jeans. I also realize after looking at these pictures that my tights were on completely crooked...oops. I guess next time I'll know to be a little more careful when I'm wearing ribbed tights where you can see the lines. Well its officially nap time; I've been up since 6:30 catching the good post-Christmas sales at the mall! Yay for my shopping ban being over!

Day 28- J.Crew Copycat

What I'm wearing: Gap blazer, Forever 21 sweatshirt, Nine West boots, Forever 21 necklaces

Although I'm not wearing anything from there, this look is straight out of a J.Crew catalog. I cut a similar image out of one of their catalogs about a year or two ago of a girl wearing a sweatshirt, navy blazer, and a tangle of gold necklaces. I had been wanting to recreate it for a long time, but I didn't have a thin sweatshirt that would look right with a blazer. I picked up this one at Forever 21 right before the 30 for 30 challenge began. Unfortunately, the original catalog cutout is on my bulletin board in Columbus (shown here), so I can't share it with you, but I think I did a pretty good job of copycatting. I would have liked to have worn my tan boots instead of the cognac ones, but I'll have to try that after the challenge is over. I wore this outfit for dinner and game night with my aunts and girl cousins. Since I go to school out of town and one of my cousins just moved to Florida, I don't get to see them very often, which made the night even more special and fun.

Day 26 & 27- Comfy Chic

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 slouchy tee, Gap Always Skinny jeans, J.Crew flats, Vintage earrings, Forever 21 necklace, Forever 21 ring

I can't believe how soon Christmas is! My goal was to be done with the 30 for 30 by then, so I took some pictures of outfits I wore but never had a chance to photograph. I wore this earlier in the quarter for a study day when I wanted to be comfortable but stylish. I'm kind of in love with this slouchy top; it was one of my purchases from the huge Forever 21 in Times Square over the summer. It's baggy, yet shows the perfect amount of collarbone to look feminine. Jazz it up with some silver accessories, and you have a low-key, cute study outfit.

What I'm wearing: Gap tee, Gifted scarf, Gap Always Skinny jeans, J.Crew flats, Vintage earrings, Tiffany's bracelet (gifted)

I wore this outfit yesterday for just hanging around the house. I've been steadily getting ready for the holidays, wrapping presents and listening to the NSYNC Holiday Pandora station (it's the best!). This outfit was perfect for a day around the house, getting things finished. I'm kind of sad Christmas is so soon, because that means I'm running out of time to watch silly Christmas movies and listen to holiday music. It's always a little bit of a bummer when Christmas is over. Luckily, I still have three days left to use up my holiday cheer, which will include making Rice Krispie houses with the boyfriend tonight and forcing him to watch Christmas movies with me. How are you planning to use up the rest of your holiday spirit?