Gray Sweater + Gingham Collar

Happy New Year! My first post of 2017 is a short one, of course. Lately, I've been taking outfit photos more for Instagram than for blogging, but I can't quite bring myself to completely let go of this medium. I end up taking more photos than necessary on most occasions anyway, so it's nice to be able to dump them all in one spot so I don't feel like a total narcissist for taking so many.

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays! The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy, what with Christmas and my brother and his family coming into town from Illinois. It's been crazy in a good way, though, as it's been, well, joyous getting to spend so much time with loved ones. Jon and I had a bit of struggle trying to make time for both of our families, but it ended up working out great.

I also got loads of baking/cooking stuff, which I mean, definitely isn't the most important part of Christmas, but doesn't hurt. I'm still getting to used to the whole getting excited about bowls and pans rather than shoes and purses thing. It's strange growing up.

I did get excited about this sweater I just got though. I've been searching high and low for the right weight crew neck sweater that wasn't cheap looking or too expensive and I finally found this one on Amazon. It's so comfy and perfect for layering, and I never want to take it off.

Sweater: Meters/Bonwe via Amazon

Skirt: Buffalo Exchange

Gingham top: Thrifted

Boots: American Eagle

Faking It

Oops. I somehow accidentally let a week go by in between blog posts. I have to admit that it was partially due to laziness, but the sudden heavy rain didn't help when it came to taking outfit photos either. In all honesty, though, I was pretty excited about the weather. I've always loved the rain, and we've been experiencing a bit of a drought in California, so it was much needed. Plus, the drop in temperature made it possible to throw on tights for once and pretend like I live in a place with seasons. I can't lie; it wasn't exactly cold when I took these pictures, but I've decided to just go with a "fake it until you make it" attitude in terms of getting dressed. If I dress like it's cold enough for layers, then it will feel cold enough for layers...right? All of this isn't to say that I'm complaining at all. Trust me, I'm extremely happy to be having a California winter this year, but I'm selfish and entitled so of course I'm going to complain about the beautiful weather. I'm terrible that way.

As for what you missed in my life this past week, the most exciting thing to happen was that I got to take over Brea Mall's Instagram on Thursday as you might have seen. I was contacted by their social media department after they came across my blog, and I was given a $150 gift card to mall and three hours to Instagram my shopping experience. I basically grew up in that mall, so it was incredibly exciting for me, especially since I already did most of my Christmas shopping online and pretty much got to go on a mini shopping spree for myself. I can't wait to take outfit photos in everything. 

Quiet

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, but that's just because finals are upon us. I survived dead week (barely), and I now I just have to make through a couple of tests, a paper, and a presentation. Easy, right? I'm really not too worried about it since the work that was stressing me out was done last week. Even so, posts might still be a little scarce this week. On top of the work, it's my last week here before going back to California for a month, which means spending time with friends before some graduate and everyone else parts ways for four weeks. 

As for outfits, you really haven't been missing much. It's mostly just been throwing on scarves, dresses, and boots and staying warm. This chunky scarf is a new favorite of mine, and while I was worried about it overwhelming on my frame at first, I can't resist that color. More mauve, please. 

Tights weather and short skirts

We call this one "the double."

There are too many things that excite me about this post. The first is the obvious one: I'm wearing tights. It's since warmed up a bit, but when I checked the weather yesterday morning to see a high of 61 degrees and a low of 42 (or something along those lines), I went straight to my dresser to grab a pair of tights. 

Then, there's every other fall element about this outfit. I'm wearing my favorite motorcycle boots that I got from Target last year. I got to break out my cropped sweater. I layered. Needless to say, I was just in a good mood in general all day.

I'm a little torn on this skirt, however. On one hand, I absolutely adore it. It's a Jack by BB Dakota piece that I got with tags for dirt cheap on Ebay. It's actually one of two really exciting skirts I scored on Ebay last week, but I'm going to keep the other one a surprise until I put up the photos. I'll give you a hint: it's by a beloved designer. Back to this skirt, though: as much as I love the colorful floral print, it's slightly too short on me. It's not that it's inappropriate, especially with the tights, it's just unflattering. I still haven't decided, but I may end up selling it or putting it the swap group. (Swap group, you say? All you have to do is add me on Facebook (Elana Katz) and I'll add you to it! We really need more people to make it work.)

Besides the outfit itself, I'm also excited about these photos. When my friend Jennifer, a co-worker of mine at the paper, and I were discussing my blog, she offered to help me with photos. In addition to being wonderful in general, Jennifer is also a fantastic photographer. I'm still not sure she knows what she's getting herself into- I'm probably going to harass her to take my pictures as often as possible until she pretends to break her camera to get rid of me. I'm very pleasant to be around. Also, Jennifer is working on creating a blog of her own. Once she does, I'll expect each and every one of you to follow her. One of my many demanding requirements of being a reader of my blog.

Cropped sweater: ASOS

Skirt: Jack by BB Dakota, via ebay

Collared shirt: H&M, via consignment store

Tights: Target

Boots: Target

Ring: Jewelmint