the holidays are over...now what?

well the holidays came and went. happy new year. now what? oh, i'll tell you...spring wardrobe planning! don't think just because my credit cards are shredded, i can't plan for my upcoming purchases. i get a lot of style inspiration from magazines, and while the january issues seem slim compared to most months, let me tell you, they're jam packed with spring style inspiration!

so far, my favorite spring trend is nude colored everything! dresses, shoes, sweaters--you name it, i want it. i'm not a heels person, but i'm obsessed with every pair nude heels i have seen. you always read that nude/beige shoes make your legs look neverending, blah, blah, but i just like the color. i've always been drawn to the beige/nude/khaki color family and good thing for me, it's one of the hottest looks for spring. i'm all over these shoes:

type z "trista"--

and nine west's "emmanuel"--

and i love te cesan by zoe lee's "petal pump"--

I think a lot of people think that these colors will wash them out, but really, give them a shot. with the right makeup, a little bronzer and lipcolor...most people can find a nude shade that works for them. i've seen so many dresses, sweaters and blouses that i'm obsessed with, but here's a few that stood out for me:

i can spend hours looking up clothes online. i find comfort in knowing i'm not the only one that spends a good fraction of her life clothes hunting online. i got a text from my friend alicia the other day saying she was up til 6am online shopping! it's addictive i tell ya. my cousin lorri and i send each other long-winded emails listing all the things we want, and reasons why we should have them. it's hilarious. i've wanted that hayden and harnett (for target) clutch that's been plastered all over the magazines recently. the one with the chick and the umbrella. let me see if i can find it. k, here it is:

anyway, i had it marked on my planner for a month, december 28th, the day the clutch hit the shelves at target. stores open at 8am. i was at my local target by 8:10 (on a sunday mind you) clutch in cart. i felt like a crazy person speeding to the store sans coffee at that point, hair all knotty and unbrushed, new christmas loungewear on...for that clutch i've been eyeing up for what seemed like an eternity. where was i going with this? oh yeah, my cousin was supposed to meet me at target to get a clutch too, but she couldn't find that target and went to a different target only to learn that that target didn't put the collection out yet. she called me in a state of panic. i could hear the frustration in her early morning groggy voice when she said that the non-understanding staff told her she could come back later and see if they put them out yet. i told her i grabbed both of the clutches at my target; one for me and one for her (apparently there are only two of these clutches per target store) and that seemed to numb her pain, but i knew it would resurface when she saw the minor flaw in the clutch (a nick on the fake leather--front and center). she drove down to meet me, saw the flaw, decided she could live without the clutch, went back to the hayden harnett collection and found a different bag she liked more anyway. point of this story is i'm not the only one who will go out of her way for an article of clothing or an accessory. i used to feel like i was. my cousin is the same way. hmm, maybe it's in our blood. all i know is that i felt better when i got that text from alicia telling me she stayed up all night shopping.

spring wardrobe planning is that little ray of light for me in these dark, cold months of january and february. i literally make a book of everything i want and need, complete with pictures, comparison prices, outfit possibilities, etc...it gets me through the long wisconsin winter. i'm sure it seems silly to some, but for me, it's my saving grace during this wretched frigid snowy icy ugly period.

you'll notice that i'm not ending with a knock it off, and i apologize. somehow i lost that tiny card thing in the camera that had all my pictures on it and now i have none. i will re-shoot some pictures this week and post a couple knock it offs to make up for not having one this time. check back soon!