Happy new year! Like I did at the end of 2020, I wanted to take some time and think about my purchases, gifted items, and makes this year. I definitely spent and acquired a bit more than the prior year, especially as social calendars filled up again in late spring into summer.
Clothing & Accessories
Hits
- Louis Vuitton Empreinte Multi-Pochette:
- My most expensive purchase of the year, but one that I wore a ton during spring and summer. Even if the multi-bag trend goes away, I like that this can be worn as a regular shoulder bag or crossbody. It gives it much more staying power than a typical trendy style.
- Polene Beri (formerly Numero Onze):
- This is by far the most unique design I’ve seen as of late, and I love that it not only looks good, but is also quite functional. I can’t wait for spring to arrive so I bring it back out.
- Mejuri Eternity Ring:
- I discovered Boucheron fine jewelry this year, and love the look of their Quatre line. Naturally, I went browsing for dupes and saw that Mejuri had a similar simple 14k gold ring at a fraction of the price. I’ve worn mine every day and it has held up very well.
- Everlane Half-Zip Felted Sweater (c/o):
- I admit – I was a little hesitant with the half zip sweater trend. However, working from home has made this a staple. Love how easy it is to throw on & off, and the wool is very thick and cozy.
- Aritzia Melina Faux Suede Pants:
- I purchased these on Poshmark, after seeing the vegan leather versions pop up on influencers & TikTok. I’m glad I searched secondhand first, as this retired faux suede version wasn’t on my radar and I love it even more. It is a bit long, so I hemmed it by ~4” – thankfully, the material was also very easy to work with.
- Veja V-10 Sneakers:
- As outlined in my Air Force 1 alternatives post, I was looking for something a bit more streamlined. These fit the bill, and I was able to snag them secondhand as well.
- Kith Suede Baseball Cap (similar):
- I purchased this at the Kith store in LA, where we staycationed for a month. We walked around quite a bit and I’ve since taken up neighborhood walks as a morning routine. Love that this provides a little more sun protection without being overly sporty, the suede is nice and subtle.
Misses
- Sevilla Smith Seyma Sandals
- I love all of Faye’s styles and releases. And in particular, this custom colorway I ordered with the gold brushstroke. Unfortunately, this style runs loose – great for normal & wide feet, but not for my narrow ones.
- Cloth & Paper Leather Agenda Cover
- I purchased this in an effort to protect the cloth cover of my bullet journal (a practice that I will be continuing into 2022!). Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the right size, so I couldn’t fit the journal into the sleeve appropriately. Because it wasn’t functional in the way I had hoped, I ended up re-homing it on Mercari.
- Various Aritzia sale tops
- I hadn’t purchased from Aritzia in several years – they are very trendy and nearly fast-fashion adjacent I’d say. However, I really got into the crop top (on me: short torso fitting top) styles this year, and ended up buying several pieces. Including sale items, which are final sale – a few didn’t work out and I had to re-home them at a bit of a loss.
- Chloe Lauren Lace Sneakers
- These are the most beautiful sneakers ever. And they are the most uncomfortable sneakers ever. While the lace is very pretty, the interior seams are rough and will press down on any and all pressure points like bunions, which I currently have.
- Nike Air Force 1 Sneakers:
- I wanted to love these! They are very lightweight and comfortable, and I can see why they are so popular. Unfortunately, the sizing just didn’t work out – my usual 7.5 was too large, and 7 was too small. I ended up losing ~$10 on these as I purchased them secondhand, and sold for a slight loss when including fees & shipping.
Home & Beauty
Hits
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Green Correcting SPF 30 Cream:
- My skin gets red easily and has some residual acne scarring from before. Love that this provides SPF protection and redness neutralization all in one. Very happy to have discovered this through a Sephora sample!
- Blinds.com Woven Wood Blinds:
- I love how versatile these blinds are with the movable liner, and wish more brands offered them.
- LED Floor Lamp from Amazon:
- Yes, this is a very random item – but it is fantastic. My WFH office room has no ceiling lights and gets very dark, especially during these shorter winter days. To avoid looking like a ghost on Zoom, I began searching for extra bright floor lamps and landed on this one from a no name brand. I place it in a corner tilting straight up, and it does an amazing job lighting up a 12’ x 12’ room.
Also, most of the hits from last year’s list are still going strong. I loved how quick and easy it was to set up our artificial Christmas tree, and am looking forward to keeping it up through February :)
Misses
- Like last year, no major misses from what I can remember. I don’t usually buy a lot in these two categories, especially since I tend to stick with my few tried & true items for beauty.
Made
Hits
- Elizabeth Suzann-inspired Pants:
- I made two pairs from lightweight wool purchased during Elizabeth Suzann’s remnant fabric sale. These still were not cheap by any means (they cost about $100 in fabric per pair), but I love ES wool and and have been wearing these quite a bit this winter.
- Shirred Nap Dress:
- Such a comfortable and easy sew, I can’t wait to wear this flowy linen dress once it gets warmer.
- Modern Christmas Quilt:
- I started much earlier this year on my Christmas quilt with Art Gallery Fabric’s winter fabric collection and a modern flying geese quilt pattern from a magazine I’d picked up last year (old school!).
- Stampmaking Workshop:
- Our company holiday celebration was a stampmaking workshop hosted by Jenny Lemons. It was so fun and relaxing, and I used my abstract tree stamp on so many holiday cards and tags.
Misses & Learnings
- I don’t think I had any major misses this year. Overall, I made fewer items since I went on quite the sewing spree in 2020 (which was also reflected in my lower spending on materials, about 90% less). Additionally, I took my last learning to heart from last year’s reflection and didn’t push myself to make something just for the sake of it, especially if I wasn’t feeling the “sew-jo”.
Stash Progress
Year over year, I’ve increased stash utilization across all three categories! Even with a few additions to the quilt & clothing fabric categories.
Although – I didn’t finish a single knitting project this year 💀 I’m almost done with a pair of socks, that second sock gets me every time! I sold a few skeins on Ravelry, so despite not finishing a project I was still able to increase utilization by reducing my stash count.
Overall, not a bad year!
