If we are being honest here, I am not a big television fan. Mostly because once I start, I can’t stop. I tend to get sucked in from the very beginning. I am talking season one, episode one of just about every show that I watch. Hence why I try to cut back on starting any new shows. I haven’t put a blog post up in a week and a big reason why is because of my newest Netflix obsession. Productivity has gone out the window, just when all of these 2017 New Year’s Resolutions should have started taking effect. I’m thinking 2018 will be my year.
I gave a good portion of my life last year to Grey’s Anatomy and I’m pretty sure a little bit of my heart too. While I am taking a head count, I’d like to add sleep and tears to that list. Let’s just say it took a very big toll on me and I was somewhat of an emotional wreck after it ended. I couldn’t bring myself to start a new series for months. Dramatic much?
I have heard from multiple friends and family members some shows that I HAVE to watch so I am listing my top 5 that I plan on watching this year below. I know, I know some of you watched these years ago but I am finally down to see what all of the hype is about!
1) Shameless
2) Stranger Things
3) Orange is the New Black
4) Gilmore Girls
5) Friday Night Lights
If there are some that didn’t make my list but you think they should be, please send them my way! I’ll take all of the unproductivity that I can take 🙂
Before 2016 ended, I made a point to say a quick prayer to the fashion Gods that bell sleeves would find their way into 2017 because they are just too fun of a trend to go out of style anytime soon. I found this bell sleeve top at the outlet mall a few weeks back and despite having 2,537,945 other bell sleeves tops in my closet (as seen here, and here), those obnoxiously big sleeves seemed 100% necessary to add to my growing collection. More on which trends I’ll be bringing into the New Year with me on Friday but today I wanted to get a little personal with you all. New year, same semi-emotional me.
Maybe it’s a combination of the insane amount of Hallmark movies paired with having too much time on my hands over the holidays, but over the past couple of weeks I have suddenly become a very emotional person. Thinking and feeling intense thoughts that I have no idea where they came from. I know it is because this time of year is when everyone reflects on the past year and starts making changes for the next one, but I have NEVER been that person.
I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. Mostly because I tried that whole “I’m gonna get fit and go to the gym everyday” resolution along with the rest of America a few years back. Well let me just tell you that I was going strong for like a full 15 days or so and then on the 16th day I decided I didn’t want to go to the gym. So once I broke that New Year’s resolution it was like an “o well, I tried” attitude and I gave up all together instead of giving myself a day off and then starting fresh the next day.
The issue with New Year’s Resolutions is that we feel like they can only be put into action one time a year. I’m all for new beginnings and goal-setting but this should be a constant cycle. They should also be attainable goals. They should be goals that give you a day off. And they should most certainly be goals that push you to be a better version of you.
So since my feelings decided to suddenly go all haywire and decide they want to be heard in 2017, I thought the best way would be to write them all down and turn them into goals.
Be more intentional: For some reason that I can’t explain I just don’t seem to care about a lot anymore. I have become selfish and because of that it has caused me not to think about almost anything or anyone besides myself and my daily routine. Pretty sad right? I want to get better about doing each task with purpose and truly thinking about others and their feelings in the process.
Complain less: My sister brought this to my attention and it’s something I genuinely want to work on. Even though I don’t recognize it as complaining, it’s more like venting to me, either way I want to try to be more positive this year. The first step in doing so, is to knix the negativity. So even when I know I am going to have to stay up late doing a blog post, work stinks, or there is blog drama in the bloggersphere, I want to work on stopping the conversation before it even starts and instead change the direction to something different.
Give off positive vibes: Just like we should treat others the way we want to be treated, this is also true in our outward emotions. I want people to think of me as a positive and fun person to be around but lately I really don’t think that I have been. This year has been all about the hustle but what is it that good for if all it has done is make me a more negative person? I am extremely grateful for this life and I want to portray that. I want to attract people that will make me a better and happier person and the only way to attract that type of person is if you give off the same vibe.
Be open to change: Say yes to more and don’t be afraid of new people and new opportunities. I used to think that I liked change but the older that I get, the more I see this could not be farther from the truth. This year I want to do more things that scare me and make me feel alive. I want to do get out of my everyday routine and find more ways to invest my time. Lastly, I want to find happiness in every aspect of my life and the first step starts with change. It’s not going to be easy but I know it’s the only way.
Add depth: For someone that used to be so eager to learn and soak up any new adventure, I have fallen a long way. I’m not sure if it is lack of inspiration or what but I have got to get back in the saddle! I couldn’t even tell you the last book that I read and most times I’d rather throw a tantrum than to simply Google something. How sad is that? Our generation is so absorbed with social media and things that don’t matter that we miss out on so much. There are so many ways to challenge our minds and I am vowing to be better in 2017 about reading more, (I just ordered this book and this one), get outside more, research more, travel more, and overall do more to expand my mind.
I definitely have more on my list but for the sake of sounding like I absolutely hate my life (because I most certainly do not!), I will refrain and save those for a less depressing blog post! In all seriousness, I am so thankful for everything that 2016 brought me and this little blog of mine. While I have big goals for the blog, and I’ll be sure to share those with you guys soon, I think it is important to take time and focus on my well being for obvious reasons and I hope you do the same in 2017.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Do any of my 2017 goals hit home for you? What were some of your personal goals?
New Year’s Eve is the one night a year that it’s socially acceptable to wear sequins from head to toe, in my book at least and most years I take FULL advantage of this occasion. If you are headed to a party, these party pants (which are actually leggings) are such a fun and comfortable option. Don’t worry I took them for a test run and they are dance proof so busting a dance move or two in these bad boys won’t be an issue!
While sequins are a fun and festive New Year’s tradition, I know that they aren’t for everyone. So if you want to ditch the sequins and still get dressed up for the occasion, there are plenty of ways to do so! I’ve styled 4 different outfit choices below that will add a little bit of sparkle for the big night. I’d love to hear your favorite out of the bunch!
CLICK AN IMAGE TO SHOP THE ITEM DIRECTLY, OR USE THE LINKS BELOW!
I am keeping it short and sweet today on account that I am battling a cold and this Benadryl is going to make me start dozing off. So if you see a few grammatical errors or something that doesn’t make any sense, I chalk it up to the drugs 😉
ChicwIsh is a brand that I have talked about multiple times on the blog, but in case you are new around here or have yet to hear about them, Chicwish is an online boutique with some of the cutest, on trend pieces! Almost all of my recent event wear has come from them. They are currently running their end of the year sale so on top of everything being 15% off, you get to take an additional 20% off with code NYE20! Both my top and skirt are from there and with the discounted pricing, each one is only $36! I am wearing a size extra small in the skirt and it is pretty darn skimpy so if you are in between sizes I would suggest sizing up. If skimpy is what you are going for this New Year’s Eve (hey, no judgement here!), than you know what to do!
I love the lace-up detail of the skirt and since I was already going trend crazy with the skirt, another bell sleeve top seemed like the perfect combo. If you have checked my blog or Instagram lately than you know that I’ve been wearing bell sleeves like they are going out of style. So much so I still have a few more to share with you guys! I actually picked up a bell sleeve dress today and had to rationalize with myself for a good 10 minutes why I did NOT need yet another bell sleeve piece of clothing.
If you have yet to decide what you are wearing for New Year’s Eve, there is still time to snag something and have it here by the big day if you order today! I’ve rounded up a few of my other favorite looks from Chicwish below and have an entire page of outfit inspiration here as well.
*I just want to mention that this post is NOT sponsored in any way. I rave about Chicwish all of the time so I wanted to highlight some of their great pieces for the New Year!*
I have been dying to show you guys this look for months now and New Years Eve inspiration seemed like the perfect time to do so! My love for jumpsuits runs VERY deep. If you search “jumpsuit” on the blog’s sidebar you will find several different posts sharing my love for them and why they are perfect for just about every single event. If you are looking for just a few reasons why they are hands down my favorite piece of clothing, check out this post here.
I first wore this jumpsuit for my first night at New York Fashion Week. I felt exactly like Carrie Bradshaw and after receiving several compliments on my look, I felt accomplished for deciding to wear such a bold, chic look. We tend to want to stick to what we know. And more often than not, play it extremely safe. I dare you this New Years to make a statement! Ring in the New Year with a new you, or at least a new and exciting outfit 😉 I’ve rounded up a few of the best for this special night (all under $100) below!
