Looking Back on my 2012 via Photos

As 2012 comes to a close within these next few hours, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the good that came out of this taboo year. Taboo I say because here in the United States, where I live, the world was supposed to end twice according to various theories! If you are reading this, I think it's safe to say it indeed did not end, in fact it did quite the opposite for me.  2012 was filled with so many great memories, baby showers, births, weddings, engagements, friends, family, even some not so good things like friends breakups, family health issues, natural disasters, violent tragedies and so on. It is safe to say that 2012 had so much in store--things that would make us cry, love, laugh and most importantly remember who we are and why we are exactly where we are in our lives at this moment.

Here are some of the things that I remember in 2012 that were positive in my life:

1. Boyfriends sister had a wonderful baby shower and gave birth to an amazing little boy, RJ.
2. Went to see Jersey Boys on Broadway for Valentines Day--I LOVE oldies so this was perfect gift ;)
3. My Boyfriend graduated his work training! Boy that was a rough 6 months :(
4. Went to Puerto Rico with two of my very best friends and my honey.
5. Met Kandee Johnson at IMATS
6. Cut down Christmas Tree with my boyfriend to keep our tradition alive :)
7. Hiked through the Bushkill Falls with my best friend as we took a mental voyage with nature lol
8. Kayaked 6 miles and had my arms feel like they were on fire because of it hahaha
9. Reunited with my Portuguese grandparents after almost 10 years of not seeing them!
10. Finished my first semester back at school with a 3.9 GPA! yay!
11. Made my first fondant cake ever for my friends birthday!
12. Went to the Philadelphia Zoo with the mister and although I've been going here my whole life, this time was extra special for some reason :)
13. Went to over 5 NHL Hockey Playoff games--This was my first time ever getting into hockey!
14. Threw my boyfriend a surprise 25th birthday party successfully :)
15. Saw my sister and my cousin off to two different proms--they're getting so old--wahhh!

There were many other firsts and celebrations and new things that came to me this year, but if I were to take the time to share every single one, I would be here forever haha

Here are some photos of the above mentioned things:

I hope that next year I can look back on this post and see how much has changed from 2012 in just a year. I suggest that maybe some of you start to do this, it's a wonderful way to keep some of the positive from each year we are blessed to have.

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013. 

Until next year,

xox

Fashion Trend Predictions Spring 2012

I did a similar post to this last year and it is still to this very day my most read post ever! I decided to do it again this year :) How I do my research for this is re watch all of the runway shows that you can still find posted on many fashion magazine websites, I also go through various high end and more moderately priced store websites and see what their new collections consist of, I blend those together, pick a few out and present them here to you guys! Granted, this post would be entirely too long if I posted on each and every single trend prediction, I chose 4 or 5 that I could show you real life examples of :) Enjoy!

1. Pastels:  When I look at the collage I made above, I think of every color that was ever in my Easter basket as a kid, and that's actually absolutely right! haha Pastels are predicted to be huge this Spring season, and without a doubt I definitely agree.  These colors remind me of Spring anyway so I would probably purchase these colors without even knowing that I am sticking within some "trend". They're easy on the eyes, and remind me of the colors of the beautiful flowers that we see so many of during this season :) Something about pastels (although could definitely be worn by men as well!) adds the perfect touch of femininity to your ensemble.

 2. Hi Low Hemlines: These are often spotted on Selena Gomez on the runway, they have almost become a signature look for her! I really like these, although at first I felt that if I rocked this style, it would look like I couldn't decide whether I was hot or cold haha Fear not, however, this style can be worn not just in skirts, but in dresses and shirts as well! The whole crop top from last Spring and Summer has come back, I never really got into it because I am not one to let my midriff show, but layered as seen above with the purple shirt, you can definitely pull it off and still look classy :)

3. Citrus Colors (Orange and Yellow): Tangerine was a huge color on the runway this season and I do see a few stores stocking up on this coveted color, but not as many as I would have thought! I personally LOVE citrus colors (and I love these fruits too haha) I'm not too sure I would wear a whole array of citrus together for an outfit, but a little pop here and there is sure to scream Spring, in a good way! Check back to my color wheel post, which I will link below, to see exactly how to wear these colors without going too overboard and hey, if you are confident wearing these colors all together, do it, remember confidence is key in fashion!

 

4. Color Blocking: This seems to be a recurring trend each Spring season.  I wrote on this same exact trend last Spring as well. I definitely like it in moderation.  Something about it reminds me of those 50's girl Halloween costumes that everyone wears when they cant find another costume lol I do, however, really like it how it is worn in the skirt picture above, with a solid top to "line break" so to speak.  The orange and purple dress to the left  is a perfect blend of both warm and cool colors, I love! 

5. Peplum: This is yet another Trend that has repeated itself from last season as well.  This is a classic look, so I feel that it may "always" be in style.  Very reminiscent of something you see worn in those old Hollywood movies :) This is perhaps my favorite trend, it is definitely hard to find the right Peplum piece though being that I am a rather petite woman.  The waistlines never seem to line up with mine and then I end up having my Peplum waistline down toward my bottom instead, not very flattering! lol I am still on the lookout for the perfect Peplum piece because I love how elegant you can make this trend look.

There you have it, the 5 fashion Spring fashion trend predictions that I found to be pretty consistent in my research!

Here is the link to my Fashion Color Wheel post: http://alyseap.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-2011-fashion-trends-fashion.html

Fashionably Yours,

xox