Year in Review

Happy New Years Eve everyone! Do you have any special plans for ringing in the new year? We're going to a bowl game this afternoon and will probably just celebrate a little at our hotel tonight while watching the ball drop on TV. :-)

In blog-land, I've really been enjoying everyone's lists of their favorite outfits, purchases, Anthro items, etc. of the year so I thought I'd do a quick post of my own and try to combine some of the categories all into one. So, here are five of my favorite outfits that contain some of my most worn closet staples and favorite Anthro pieces of the year (well, technically of the past six months since that's about how long I've been blogging). Thank you to everyone who has read my blog and commented over the last few months. I've made some great friends and reading blogs and working on my own has become a fun part of my daily life. I'm looking forward to continuing it in the new year!

Without further ado, here are my top 5:

#1


This first outfit is quintessentially me: fun (and comfy!) dress with cardigan, belt, tights, boots, and simple jewelry. The Southward Stop dress was definitely one of my favorite Anthro items of the year and I continue to be amazed at how versatile it really is. I love seeing all the different colors that other bloggers have worn it with. In this outfit, I've paired it with my favorite sweater ever. I adore this shade of purple and this LOFT cardigan is just so cozy that I want to wear it all the time. The Cylindrical Braid Belt has also become a regular staple in my closet and I have it in brown (shown here), black, and coral. I wear one of these belts at least two or three times a week. The Berry-Stitched Boots are also another of my favorite Anthro items and thanks to my sweet and generous mother, I was able to get them several months ago. I love wearing them with skirts & dresses as well as jeans & cords and they're so comfortable that they've already been on several of my travels as well (worn here in Chicago). Last, you can see my favorite necklace in this picture, which I wear often. It's a typewriter key (letter L for my last name) on a simple chain that I got this summer at Urban Outfitters.


#2


I love a simple dress with subtle details so the Jacqueline Dress is a favorite with its delicate lace trim on the top and pintucks along the hem. I've been wearing a lot more navy this year, which I think suits me better than black. This dress can be worn so many different ways with a variety of colors, belts, and cardigans. This turquoise cardi from Target is my go-to sweater, especially in the warmer months when I want to cover up my arms while wearing sleeveless sundresses. I have it in white and navy too but surprisingly the turquoise one has gotten the most wear!


#3


How could I not put this adorable dress on my favorites list?! I pined after this dress for months and lucked out when they still had one left in my size at my store. I love everything about it: pretty blue color, fun print, great fit (ok, except for the tight arms but I just leave them unbuttoned), comfortable & easy to throw on for school, errands, weekend adventures, and yes, even baseball games! I wore it here to a Rays game and although my husband teased me a little about wearing a dress and heels to a game, I was very comfortable and the blue was just the right color for our team. See, Anthro makes any event more fun! ;-)


#4


Another well-worn dress in my closet is this pretty purple jersey dress from LOFT. The ruffles on the top are the perfect little touch. Because of the material, this dress can be worn casually with minimal accessories or it can be dressed up when paired with fancier items. It also transitions well between seasons. I've worn it in the summer with sandals and here in this picture with tights & boots. It also makes a great travel outfit because it's stretchy and doesn't wrinkle. In fact, I wore this exact outfit for a day of sight-seeing in Chicago (under my trench coat) and didn't even have to change that night when we went to the theater. I love this long jersey cardigan from Anthro because it's a great charcoal color and it's a little different than what I usually wear. I belted it here with another of my favorite belts - the Snakebite belt - shown here in brown, but my grey one gets a lot of wear too!


#5


This green floral skirt is another surprisingly versatile piece from Anthro. I love the vibrant green color and the silhouette. In this outfit I pulled out some of the color from the flowers by adding my coral belt and kept it simple on top with a crisp white blouse. This year I've been experimenting more with jewelry and I've found that I love the way a long necklace can pull an outfit together sometimes. I was so excited to snag the Gilded Impatiens Necklace on sale when I was with Carol at the Anthro in San Diego! These Target sandals also got quite a workout this year, although I don't totally love them with this outfit. I'm looking forward to wearing them again when the weather turns warm again!


Well, those were my top picks! It was SO hard to choose just five! I've got to mention a few other items that I just couldn't live without: Pessinus Garden Necklace, Blooming Lattice Cardigan, Old Navy jean skirt, Looping Lanes Belt, jeans, and my grey Old Navy dress. I'm also looking forward to creating some new wardrobe staples with my yellow Field Skirt, Tria Sweater Skirt, and Hallowed Halls Oxfords. Look for those on next year's list! :-)

Happy New Year!!