Helloooooo Twenty-Twelve!

New Year's Day. Even Matt's sculptures wear party hats around here. 

Hats wore worn, champagne was drunk and kisses kissed at midnight. Then a lovely New Year's Day spent at the Legion of Honor, admiring the colors and beauty of Pissarro's paintings and later watching the light change on San Francisco Bay at dusk. And then bam! Here we are already a few days into the new year and back at work. But I'm still basking in the contemplative glow and thinking about all the possibilities of this year and how I would like to shape and style my 2012.  

There's a bunch of stuff that I usually have on my list of resolutions like study Spanish, exercise more and drink less...but I'm not feeling excitement about those. And there are two things I learned in 2011(thanks to my D.O.T. sisters) it's the radiating power of focusing on one thing and that a good dare gets me motivated.

So, for 2012 I'm DARING myself to focus on STYLE! 
My plan:

1. Better lounge wear! As much as I like to dress up, when I get home from work I can't wait to change into something comfy. My version of this has devolved into complete schlub wear. The Urban Dictionary defines schlub as unkempt in appearance either due to lack of effort or lack of awareness. Yikes! Sadly, after work I'm in the terrible habit of pulling on my "Lick" sweatpants and a black T shirt. 

Funny, I know. "Lick" refers to my stepdaughter's high school,
Lick-Wilmerding (local historical reference). She graduated in 2005,
I've been wearing these way too long.

2. Consciously seek style inspiration from all sources; people, magazines, movies, art, books, online, museums, everything.


3. Take an inventory of my closet and make a shopping list. Maybe even seek the advice of a professional stylist. (I'd like to write about that.)


4. More color! I rely on black a lot. 

5. Clothing maintenance. Four months ago I spent a pretty penny on two pairs of Theory pants. Perfect for work. But they are still hanging in the closet because they are about a foot too long - gotta get them to the tailor. Plus some vintage items I would love to wear but they need repair. And renewed attention to detail like making sure my shoes are always polished.

6. Custom made clothes. For years I've thought about bringing a photo or pattern and fabric to a tailor and asking them to make an outfit for me. This is the year to try it.

Maybe a "Chanel" suit for Spring 2012?

Twenty-Twelve has a nice crisp alliteration. I like that and the fresh start.