The best purchases I made in 2017

1. Tory Burch Brooke Metallic Bootie. These upgrade any outfit. You can find them here
2. Glossier You fragrance.  I've been stopped several times by people asking what i'm wearing. You can find it here
3. Sam Edelman studded jacket. This adds a bit of edge to any outfit and I got it for next to nothing. Find it  here
4. Hanes Get Cozy Pullover ComfortFlex Fit® Wirefree Bra.  I have a large chest and never thought I could find a bralette that offered the girls support.  I was thrilled to find this bra.  It made me feel like everyone else and part of the group and it's so comfortable. I wear this bra to sleep and I plan to stock up with more this year.  Find it here
5. Max Mara Ingrid sunglasses.  I  almost never wear sunglasses even though I have several pairs.  Some slide down my nose and some leave indents on the bridge of my nose, but these are perfect and definitely make a statement, so I'm hoping I get into the routine of wearing them daily. You can find them here  and here 
6. My first Chanel  (can't find it on the Chanel site but this is similar)
7. My first pair of Gucci shoes.  The Princetown mules already went up by $80 or so in price since I bought them. Yikes.  You can find them  here
8. Loeffler Randall Coco velvet sandals. It's hard to find a comfortable heel that packs a punch.  These are head turners. Take it from a shortie like me, Loeffler Randall makes the most comfortable heels. They are on sale here
9. J Crew's cropped velvet jumpsuit.  I never thought I could wear a spaghetti strap velvet jumpsuit.  I thought the velvet would add bulk to my already puffy in spots body, and I always need to wear a bra. I was officially excluded from the world of thin strap jumpsuits. Once I realized I could wear a turtleneck, tee or button down under it,  I wasn't excluded anymore. The lesson here is to keep an open mind and try on everything. 

2018 the year of no resolutions

I'm not a fan of New Year's or resolutions.  I never make resolutions because I have enough responsibilities, regrets and pressures in my life, thank you very much.  New Year's is a sad day for me.  I always think about all the mistakes I made that year and, more importantly, my parents.  When you have elderly parents, you think about the time you have left every new year.  At least I do.  Sorry to bring the celebratory feelings to a screeching halt, but I want to be real. I also think I get a bit bummed because my birthday is on January 7.  So, come New Year's Eve, I already feel older. I'm also broke from Christmas (so is everyone else), so I can't go crazy for my bday and I'm effing cold. Every year, my birthday is ruined by the weather.  It's either the coldest day in history or there is a blizzard, and I have to cancel my plans. On a positive note, I checked the forecast and it's not supposed to snow on my birthday.  It will be 20 degrees, but no blizzard.

Anyway, back to resolutions. 2017 was terrible.  It was terrible for the country and it wasn't a great year for my family either, so I'm trying to keep focused on how negative it was because it helps me to be positive and feel better about the future.  A clean slate, right?

Anyway, this year instead of thinking about resolutions, I figured I would put a few things out in the universe that I want to work on this year.  The wording is everything. It says less pressure to me, which is what I'm going for here. So, here are two issues I want to work on in 2018: 

• Stop comparing myself to others. This is a big one. I need to focus less on what others have achieved and focus more on myself and how I can get better at the task(s).  
• Focus on the positive.  Stop honing in on what I wasn't able to accomplish and more on what I was able to achieve. Once I know what I need to work on, don't be afraid to ask for help to get better.
• Based on my age, not being married or having kids, I feel invisible at times. In my opinion, society focuses on the young, the married and mothers.  I need to realize I matter. I need to reach out to people that love me and do things that make me happy. I've gotten a lot better in this department by doing both. I started the blog as a way to deal with these feelings.  It gives me a purpose.