Hey everyone! I hope the New Year is treating you well!
Despite a few ups and downs that have already taken place in my life, I'm still feeling pretty pumped for this year. I've avoided setting myself any lofty aims. If there's one thing I've learnt over the years, it's that some things can't be planned for, and even with hard work and the best intentions, life isn't always going to go the way you want it to. I think it's both more positive and productive to have a loose idea of what you would like to achieve in terms of emotional fulfillment, rather than setting yourself a list of strict, specific goals.
When we have lots of things to do, it can be very overwhelming getting started, especially if you suffer with anxiety. One thing that helps me is having an organiser!
This is mine! It's from Paperchase. This will be my second year using it, though for my 2016 refill I decided to graduate from plain white paper to this super cute floral design, which is a pleasure to see every time I have to write something on it. Writing things down helps me to organise my thoughts, and it means I don't forget or miss anything important. I know this sort of thing doesn't work for everyone, though, so you have to figure out what helps you stay on top of things and motivated.
I got the idea of having a personal organiser from my time spent in education. Throughout school, we were given free homework diaries, which were essentially spiral bound organisers. I bought myself my own when I got to university, and found that they were useful for any life scenario, not just assignments and essay deadlines. Plus, generally speaking, nice stationery makes me weak at the knees.
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January, of course, means that it's time for egl's annual wardrobe theme. I love how active the comm becomes each time, even if it only lasts for a month. I find looking at other people's wardrobes both soothing and inspiring.
It has been a very busy month for me thus far, so I haven't had much chance to look at other people's posts as much as I would like to. But today is Saturday. It's my day off. I have no social plans. Now is the perfect time for me to settle down with a cup of my favourite loose leaf tea and really give all the posts I've missed my full attention!
I love this mug! It's another cute Paperchase item (as you can probably tell, I'm a longtime fan of that shop). Butterfly designs never fail to make me happy, plus it holds two cups of tea in it, which is most convenient.
I'm always envious of people who are able to make their wardrobe posts so crisp and clear, with creative setups and gloriously perfect natural lighting. I've yet to make this happen for myself, but hopefully my own post is decent enough!
When I compare my wardrobe to other people's, I notice that it's pretty small! The thing is, I never feel particularly limited by it, and when I wasn't working full time, I still managed to be a daily lolita with my collection. I think the fact I've put so much focus on making it as cohesive as possible has meant that coordinating is very easy for me. Sure, you will have seen me in all my pieces many times before, but probably never coordinated in the same way! I'm very happy with my wardrobe, and I know my 16-year-old self would be mesmerised if she could see where I've ended up now!
Going forward, I would like to add more old school pieces into my wardrobe, as I think it's a style that suits me well, and the pieces are usually understated enough to be worn more or less anywhere. On the flip side to this, I would also like to buy some of the sweet prints that were in vogue when I was just getting into lolita-- all those mid to late noughties prints that almost seem old school in their own right given how much the fashion has changed since then. I would also like to get some new shoes, and stray away from sticking to those Bodyline tea party style shoes all the time. Overall, though, I'm pretty content, and it's a great feeling.
What do you do to get yourself motivated for the year ahead? Have you/will you make a wardrobe post? Do let me know in the comments! See you next time, and thanks for reading ❤
