Happy Belated Christmas, One and All!

I think this was one of the best Christmases I've had in awhile. And I think this is because there seemed to be less focus on the gifts, which I know sounds stupid and cliche, but it's true. This year money has been a bit tight in our family, since my sister went back to school and I...well, I've actually always been dirt poor. Being a shopaholic/online shopping addict/compulsively lazy bum will do that to you. There were fewer gifts under the tree, which left us with more time to spend with one another eating waffles and actually talking to one another.

And I feel like even though we each didn't get that much stuff, each of the items had more thought behind it which infused it with extra special-ness. Kinda like these picture frame ornaments i made for each of my family members way back when I had zero money and an unhealthy affection for crafts and DIY projects (I think I was like 5...and unfortunately, nothing has changed. I still have no cash and a strange fascination with art projects). I made these really wonky little paper frames that looked like trash but took me hours to make. Nobody in their right minds would have been excited to get these frames, but my parents oohed and ahhed over them because they came from me, their daughter.

And as I've gotten older, I've come to value more my family and friends and the experiences we share. Life is short, like scary short, and I really want to live a life of no, or at least very few, regrets. I don't think I will ever regret having spent too much time with my family, or having been too nice to my parents, or having had too much fun with my sister, so it was really great having a chance to spend some quality time with the people I love the most.

Now enough sentimentality and back to the materialistic me. Instead of getting myself the Minnetonka moccasin boots (which I still love, btw) for doing well on the LSAT, I bought some Laura Mercier makeup instead because I needed some new foundation. This is really unfortunate because now I'm hooked. And it's really expensive. I got their powder foundation, which offers really nice light coverage when you apply it dry and crazy full coverage when you apply it wet. Unfortunately, the shade I got is a teensy tiny bit too light for my skin tone (the next shade up was a tad too dark), so if I apply the foundation wet I end up looking like Edward Cullen's not-that-good-looking, considerably-less-invincible cousin. Which is not a bad look, it's just not me. Plus, I'm more of a Team Jacob girl myself, but really can you blame me?

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Ahem, anyway, instead of getting myself a full priced item from J. Crew or Anthropologie for getting in all of my applications early, I decided to let myself spend $10 for every application I sent in before Nov 15 and $10 for every acceptance I got. And then I went crazy at J. Crew!! (Extra 30% off sale items? Hells yeah!) I think the purchase I am most over the moon about is the Holland Cardigan




I've been wearing it with pretty much everything and it's super duper warm and the best part? It's on sale for $34.99 (in the gray...I got it in muslin, which is $10 more expensive). I know it seems a bit plain, but it goes with seriously everything and I need more practical and wearable pieces like it. Normally I'm all into glitter and sequins and rainbows and whatever, but I've realized lately that I can't wear half of the things in my closet on a regular basis. Like, I was so excited about getting the J Crew sequined shawl collar cardigan last winter (the beauty pictured below)but I've worn it once since I got it (and that one time was to show it off to my roommates in the comfort of our dinky little apartment)...and then moths ate a hole in it and I was horribly upset/in mourning for two days.



So now I'm in a practical piece buying phase. And since I'm going to be a lawyer someday, I should probably start buying things that will allow me to dress the part. But this newfound practicality/rationality does not stop me from coveting this gorgeous Kate Spade skirt


Seriously, how cute is that? Very Emma Pillsbury...and kinda Elle Woods-ish too (if it were in pink) which totally makes it lawyer-y! Unfortunately, I cannot purchase it unless I get into about 28 more law schools...damn.