I tend to see a lot of New Year’s Eve outfit suggestions that are all over the top gowns.. but truth be told I’ve spent just as many years snuggled up on the couch or hanging with a few friends as I have at a fancy party. So I wanted to offer up a few suggestions – ranging from casual (but still festive) to dressy. I am definitely not ready for 2020.. but at least my wardrobe is.
See the full IGTV video try-on of each of these looks (along with plenty of champagne sipping and a few dance moves) here.
It’s almost funny to me now when I look back at my 2017 recap post that I thought it had been a somewhat trying year. I guess 2018 figured I still had a few more lessons to learn…
A lot of people choose one word/phrase mantras for their years instead of a list of resolutions. If I look back at 2017 I’d say my phrase was “treading water” – I didn’t really get where that I wanted to (in my career life or personal life) and if I look at that year really critically (as I’ve been known to do) it’s because I was so busy just keeping my head above water trying to balance work, blog, freelance, relationships that I didn’t have a chance to dig deeper and do the work that would have resulted in real changes.
If I look back at 2018 I’d say my phrase was “drowning”. Like a slow culmination, early into the start of this year – my life began to slowly break down. My company downsized and went through multiple rounds of lay-offs. My position was spared but seeing colleagues that had become friends pack their things was not easy nor was living with the fear that I could be next. I struggled with health – emotional, physical and financial. One of my closest relationships shattered in ways I hadn’t thought possible and left me unsure of how to move forward without it. I spent my birthday at my grandfather’s funeral for god sakes. For the first time in my adult life I felt really truly lost. There were a lot of days that just getting up and going to work felt unsurmountable. And a lot of nights that ended in tears.
As I look ahead to 2019 I’d like to think my word will be “swimming”. I’m not going to be arrogant enough to set a goal of where I’m swimming towards (although I’m hoping it’s a sunny little island called happiness) – but the point is that I’ll have my head above water and I won’t be doing the backstroke. 2018 taught me that I have zero control over a lot of factors in life, but it also reminded me that I have complete control of myself. In the second half of 2018 I joined a gym again. I started writing just for fun. I devoured books again the way I used to before I let my life get too busy for it. I posted less on my blog (turns out the world didn’t come to a screeching halt). I had the difficult conversations I’d been avoiding since 2017. I loosened my grip on the past and opened my arms (just a little) to embrace the unknown of the future. In the second half of 2018 I came to the realization that at the end of the day – even if my life turns out absolutely nothing like I had imagined – I’ll be able to keep going. I know how to swim.
While I hope that your year didn’t have quite as much heartache as mine did at times – I also hope that you were able to garner some valuable lessons from it regardless. One of my favorite quotes this time of year:
“There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston
I feel ready to write in a few of my own answers in 2019.
2016 – phew. I’m not afraid to admit, this year really tested me in a lot of ways. At 29 I think I often felt in a hurry to make things happen this year. And in the moment, that often felt challenging, daunting and altogether frustrating. It often felt like I didn’t have the time to make this blog what I wanted it to be. Didn’t have the money to take the extravagant vacations I saw everyone else on Instagram taking. That I was letting the stress of my job effect the happiness I felt outside of the office. You get the picture. Not to mention a week I spent in bed with a kidney infection (and another with a stomach flu), a week I spent crying over my dead laptop and if I added it all up weeks and weeks spent worrying about when I’d have it all figured out. Oh yeah, and then there were those 5 weddings I attended in 5 months time. Which are all of course teeny tiny issues compared to those that the world at large faced this past year. But the funny thing is?
As I sit here thinking back on the past year here is what comes to mind:
And just like that, Christmas has come and gone. I planned to check in here over the weekend, but instead ended up checking out from blog-land for a bit and just really enjoying time spent with family. Adam and I kicked off celebrations on Christmas Eve Eve which is our ‘meet-aversary’ .. meaning it’s been 6 years since the night we met. I wore this little red dress (now on sale!) for a fancy sushi dinner here in the city and our own present exchange before we headed home to Pennsylvania the next morning. We were lucky enough to be able to visit with all 5 of our grandparents before spending Christmas day with my parents, sister and brother in law and an extra special present this year.. our 11 month old niece!
We’re back in the city now, and setting our sights on ringing in the New Year. We still haven’t secured plans (this holiday feels like it sneaks up on me every year) but no matter what we’re doing I’ll definitely be wearing something festive like this silver slip dress and beaded bag.
While I still can’t quite believe that Christmas is this week, I’m having an even harder time believing that the end of 2015 is just around the corner! But before the year slips away, it’s time to pull out some sequins, dust off your dancing shoes and celebrate the last 365 days. Adam and I hid out in his family’s cabin last NYE but this year feels like one to go out and sip champagne with the rest of New York. Here, a few outfit ideas to get you in the mood. I’m loving this sequin shift(40% off right now!) with tassel earrings and embellished heels – or this cutout lace mini with metallic clutch and a pair of strappy heels.
