The first few days of the New Year have been grey and cold here in the desert, so I’m doing the best I can to dress warm and bright. It’s a funny thing, really, but it’s not until the sun isn’t shining that I realize how much it affects my mood — whether I like to admit or not, I’m a child of the desert and not having the sun shine during the day is rough! Even with the PNW in my blood (my mom is from WA and my grandma was born in Canada), my desert roots are thick and it’s tough to go too long without the sun — good thing we’re going to Portland in two weeks so I can test my theory even further, haha. All jokes aside, though, the wintery weather has been nice — gives me an excuse to pull out my sweaters, scarves and hats before the temps rise again.

With the New Year still so fresh, Scott and I have been taking things slow — opting for evenings in organizing our space (two words — junk drawers!), dessert runs to Whole Foods and mapping out our anniversary trip to Portland. I’m a tad bit worried that we’ll be f-f-freezing while we’re there, so I’m doing a little shopping (window shopping mostly) for wool socks, gloves and a raincoat for myself — if you have any suggestions for any of these items, please send them my way! This girl does not want to be cold during our trip!

While I’ve been mulling over a few thoughts for this ‘ol blog of mine in 2017 (fashion, personal, home, health, etc.), I’ve also been reading a ton of amazing blog posts that have been popping up the last few days. If you’re in need of good read — Style Bee’s 2016 Close Mission Conclusion was quite fun to read, I really loved Un-Fancy’s Year in Review (loved her thoughts on what she learned about her style this year) and truthfully — everything my pal Nicole over at Writes Like A Girl has written lately has really struck a chord with me. All amazing ladies who I’m really excited to follow along more with in 2017!

Vince Camuto Hat (similar!)                                                                                           
Asos Ripple Stich Sweater 
Leather Watch c/o Fossil
Madewell High-Rise Skinny Jeans                                                                                                       Madewell Crossbody Bag (similar!)                                                                                                        Madewell Leather Boots (similar!)

Now it’s your turn, are there any blog posts or new-to-you blogs that you’ve just been loving lately? How has the beginning of your 2017 been?

-Chelsea xo