Blinging in the New Year

As I'm wired from consuming too much of a stimulant following a night of imbibing a depressant (caffeine and ethanol, respectively), I figured that I should take a moment of wakefulness to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope that you had a great time celebrating and enjoyed a bit of respite afterwards.

I started 2009 with a few changes and tackled a few challenges, in addition to the usual year-opening commitment to living healthier, be more productive, and make more prudent choices. I spurred myself to do a few things that have long been on my to-do list. After months of not having time to visit the hair salon, I decided to try out a different haircut instead of playing it safe with what worked in the past. And after having amassed lots of fabric for projects that were planned but fizzled due to lack of time, I finally got around to making pillow cases for a couple of large cushions. It was a good sewing night tonight, since I finally got a better hang of adjusting the tension of the sewing machine and managed to gain a better understanding of how to make better button holes. I still need more fabric to make one more pillow case, but this is at least a good start. I certainly hope to improve my sewing skills this year, perhaps culminating in more sophisticated clothing projects.

As for my first outfit during the first normal business hours of 2009, I decided to take the plunge and work with a type of fabric that I wouldn't have chosen on my own under normal circumstances. When I shopped for Christmas gifts during J. Crew's online sale, I needed one more item to qualify for free shipping. I came across a gold lame shirt, which would have brought me just over the line to qualify for the shipping. Since it was on sale, and I saw potential as a layering piece worn open, I decided to buy it and see what I can really do with it. Since I wore a fairly standard party top for the New Year's Eve party, I decided to wear the shirt today to add a festive touch to a casual shopping/culinary sampling trip with a visiting friend. It's a very different kind of bling, and certainly not the easiest to work with, but I look forward to exploring more options.




[Outfit: Saint Grace hooded shirt, J. Crew gold lame shirt, Issac Mizrahi for Target cardigan, Marc by Marc Jacobs glittery bow ring, Goldsign jeans, Givenchy shoes, BCBG bag.]