Annual Proclamation of "New Year, New Me"

In less than 48 hours the dawn of a new era will shine upon us. 2014 will fade and recede into the darkness, along with all of our experiences of friendship, love, heartbreak, and adventure. At the cusp of this change comes a brief stillness filled with reflection. Where have I been? Where am I going? Who have I become? We create New Years Resolutions in attempt to reconfigure elements in our lives. We pull clean slates onto our laps and promise to draw new memories with people we consider close to us, and even with others that we have yet to meet.. One thing is clear: we all consider the new year as an opportunity to grow. As a realist, I do not expect to completely evolve into the type of person I emulate within a year. Of course it'd be awesome if I could become a city-slicker with chai lattes glued to my palms 24/7, Louboutins in every shape and color, and a perfect church attendance on Sundays. However, I know this cannot happen in a mere 365 days. So here is my list of reasonable goals for the oncoming calendar year! Not really looking forward to becoming a full-fledged functioning adult, but I am elated to see how this new stage of life unfolds. 

• Get a serious full-time job in Washington, D.C. 
• Attend Tomorrowland in Belgium 
• Attend Glastonbury Festival in England
• Go on an adventure with my boyfriend- aka exotic vacation
• Partake in another mission trip that is longer than a week
• Join a local Bible study 
• Run my dad's Army 10-Miler 
• Fill my fashion design sketchbook 
• Create at least one full collection/ at least 12 outfits
• Buy a Chanel purse with my own earnings!
• Donate more often to charities 
• Offer my help to NGO's or volunteer to work with the Wounded Warrior Project 
• Maybe get a puppy, if my circumstances allow it 
• Pray more than once a day/ have a more open dialogue with God
• Stress less 

I hope everyone has plans for celebrating the arrival of the new year! Whether you are nestling in at home with your family, getting dolled up and going to a house party, or taking an excursion to the clubs, I hope you all have a fantastic evening filled with nothing but smiles and laughter. Here's a toast to 2014, a year that brought me closer to God, and 2015, which will (fingers crossed) be another year of progress! 

New Years- Dreams & Reality

New Years- Dreams & Reality by heidikoko featuring long sleeve dresses

I know Christmas hasn't even come around yet and now I'm posting about New Years Eve.. but the time to order dresses for your night of celebration is now! You want to make sure your sparkly new outfits arrive in time! On the left is my dream ensemble and the right is the more realistic option. Two words of suggestion- go for a long sleeved dress (those are my favorite) because they are more winter appropriate and slimming (for your arms, at least). Secondly, black or nude tights are a MUST! Don't be that girl running around bare legged outside of the club.  

Sass bide long sleeve dress
sassandbide.com

For Love Lemons long sleeve dress
bonadrag.com

Christian Dior jacket
vestiairecollective.com

Topshop pink coat
topshop.com

SELECTED black pantyhose
$12 - selected.com

Yves Saint Laurent black cowboy boots
ysl.com

BCBGeneration high heel shoes
bcbgeneration.com

Pre-owned Céline Envelope Luggage
therealreal.com

Ted Baker bow purse
tedbaker.com

Chanel vintage earrings
truefacet.com

Michael Kors collar choker
shop.harpersbazaar.com

C Wonder leather glove
cwonder.com

Asos belt
asos.com

More Holiday Spirit!

I'm trying to fit in more Christmas posts before the actual holiday because once it's gone, it's gone! I'll have to focus on the New Year as a theme after Thursday. I wanted to share more easy decoration ideas for your home. This mistletoe is the perfect small addition to a room (& apparently a good excuse as to why someone should kiss you). This was found in Michael's with my boyfriend for only $6!

 I made some paper ornaments (DIY link posted at the bottom) and added glitter to the front edge, as well as some curled ribbon at the top. 

Here they are hung up!

For being made of construction paper, cheap plastic ribbon, and craft glitter, these turned out pretty nice! 

And here's another poinsettia I made the other night! I realized that these look so beautiful that they could even be mounted in a formation on the wall as a decoration.

DIY for paper ornaments: 

http://www.curbly.com/users/chrisjob/posts/9452-how-to-make-modern-paper-ornaments 

Last Minute Shopping

Last Minute Shopping by heidikoko 

I've had a Polyvore account for over four years now. The site used to be my chosen distraction during class time, for purses and shoes are much more stimulating to my mind than verbose professors. (That's a partial lie, I really did enjoy my education because my educators were world class scholars with awesome research under their belts.) Regardless of my previous relationship with Polyvore, I'm back now and I figured it'd be awesome to share with everyone my outfit inspirations. I love that you can incorporate couture pieces, as well as high street brands, and conceptualize a look without spending a dime. It's a simple way to test whether or not something matches stylistically/ color-wise/ etc; without having to try anything on. Essentially it's a sophisticated version of paper dolls. Here's an outfit I put together that coordinates with the recent return to bitter weather. 

Closed alpaca wool sweater
$365 - mytheresa.com

Long belted coat
$1,400 - margarethowell.co.uk

One Teaspoon blue jeans
dailylook.com

Coye Nokes heel boots
bluefly.com

MARC BY MARC JACOBS white handbag
barneys.com

John Pearl chunky necklace
boticca.com

Burberry scarve
burberry.com

Christmas Present Toppers DIY

I am about 80% done with my Christmas shopping. My next step is wrapping all of my goodies up and making them look beautiful. Today I spent some quality time crafting and creating cute little knicknacks as present toppers. This DIY isn't a product of my mind, rather it's a fun project I pulled from the internet. I'll provide the sources below as well as the pdf link for the gift tags!

This is a finished product from my craft- a poinsetta for presents instead of a bow! Admittedly it took some time and patience, but altogether creating it was simple. 

I found these printable gift tags and made myself a few sheets because they were far too adorable. To the right are my petal stencils and a measurement for the base. If you zoom up close enough you can see the measurements. Cut out the shapes and use them to trace the petals unto cardstock, construction paper, or even a pretty wrapping paper.

I decided to use wrapping paper. On its own it would be rather flimsy so applied glue to the inside and folded it in half. This allowed for it to be more sturdy and double sided. Here is a photo of how I traced the pieces out. The center circles are of a heavier stock paper. 

I used fun patterned scissors and a hole punch to put the finishing touches to the print out tags!

Here are some of my finished products! I think my packages might be too pretty that people won't want to rip them open ^.^ When I finish decorating one of my presents I'll post a picture of it with all of the toppings for you to see!

Site for the tags:

http://studio.heylook.fi/freebies/handmadetags.pdf

Site for the DIY directions:

http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-1-diy-paper.html

A Divine Detour

This post won't revolve around my typical subjects of fashion, food, and foolery. I'm not sure how many people actually take the time to read this blog, or if opening up about personal matters is a great idea ~*!#^ this isn't Tumblr ^#!*~ , but I do know that if I can encourage just one person then writing this message is worth it.
I've always considered myself a religious person, I've always believed in a loving God, and I've always trusted life would be worth enduring any amount of pain. That doesn't mean I haven't faced adversity and found myself completely weakened by the throes of everyday life. I recently opened up Pandora's box and allowed myself to succumb to habits I have fought so hard to overcome since 2010. Unlike last time though, I had undergone a complete transformation from Christ. When I took time off from college I attended a Discipleship Training Program with a church near my home. This experience allowed me to grow closer to God, especially after my rather unspectacular downfall. Some of the greatest things I became aware of included how unfailing God's love is, how strong His forgiveness is, and how glorious His plans for us are.
Being separated from a healthy spiritual environment (like a church) leaves space for drifting. I attended DTS back in 2012. Although everything I learned during my journey still resides in my heart it's a lot harder to put it into practice. When I am faced with some of my most difficult trials I become discouraged and unnerved. I've been stuck in this funk for a couple months now and I have days that are seemingly complacent and others that are miserable. I was able to see my parents this weekend and they were such a blessing (as they always are); they helped me redirect my energies towards Him. If you're in a pickle never hesitate to ask for help. I've been praying more often and doing that alone has helped me lighten the burden and stress on my shoulders. Another great thing you can do to enhance your relationship with Jesus is listen to worship music. YouTube has some spectacular playlists available that allow you to listen to over three hours of uninterrupted praises from Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, and For King & Country.  I find that my blood runs less thick and my thoughts more coherently if I'm listening to worship music. It puts me in such an inspired mood.
So when the going gets rough, or if the whole world seems to be working against you, do not forget that God is on your side. He wants you to succeed and be happy. Your happiness is His happiness. He has amazing plans for every single one of us and they are much brighter than what we could imagine for ourselves. Trust in Him!

Lushly Lavish

This post features two very grand subjects: baths and board (board is actually a synonym for food which, strangely, I was unaware of). 

Sushi platter which was grade A.. My rolls are the ones with an abundance of avocados, obviously. 

Boyfriend & I cooked up some yummy pesto pasta featuring mozzarella, zuchini, spinach, and chicken.

Another delicious dinner I cooked for him! It was a simple pot pie with perhaps the most tender chicken of all time.

My man also financed a mini lush haul for me. The two bath bombs smelled incredible- the shooting star one (blue sphere) was reminiscent of sweet tarts and turned the water a dark indigo hue tinged with glitter whereas the dinosaur egg (cream colored sphere) was a refreshing lemon citrus scent with confetti flecks of bright colors. Both bombs made my skin indescribably soft. The pink cone is a bubble bar (not actually a bar though?) called candy mountain which had a sweet smell. It made some long-lasting fun bubbles in the tub! Lastly, the item that looks like a soap bar with a flower on it was a massage bar. IT WAS PHENOMENAL. It literally melted onto your skin and had a lovely smell and feel when you rubbed it in. I would recommend this 100% to anyone who likes massages in the comfort of their home. All of this amounted to about $30, which is a bit much for items with a short life, but Lush carries quality products that are all-natural, vegan, and cruelty free. You get what you pay for. 

This is a photo I captured of the shooting star bath bomb fizzing in the water. Look how gorgeous the bath looks! It was awesome to see the pink swirl into the dark bathwater because it recreated a small nebula. If you've never tried a bath bomb before this is a great starter one because there's no possibility of being disappointed.

Winter Wardrobe Essentials!

Let me just start with this: I LOVE WINTER FASHION. There are many more combinations that can be made with layering and cold weather accessories. Also, nothing is comfier than bundling up in a chunky knit sweater, knee socks, calf boots, and a fur muffler. Here I include items that are timeless for a winter wardrobe as well as pieces particular to winter 2014/15 trends. I would put suggested colors for each article but I'm pretty sure I'd recommend them all to be black.. and I know not everyone is as apt to dress as a sophisticated goth as I am.

Stay warm!

• Wool peacoat or cocoon coat
• Mid-length trench coat
• Leather motorcycle or aviator jacket
• Fancy blazer with 'school uniform' type emblem
• Oversized chunky knit sweater
• Long button-less cardigan with pockets
• Long-sleeved turtlenecks
• Over-sized flannel button-ups
• Long-sleeved rompers with deep necks
• Ribbed riding pants
• Black washed high-waisted denim w/ rips at knee
• Leather shorts 
• Skirt made of knit sweater material
• Thick knee-length plaid skirt
• Tulle midi-length skirt
• Fleece-lined leggings
• Black tights in opaque, semi-sheer, and sheer, as well patterned ones (ex. floral)
• Knee socks and patterned ankle socks
• Lace-up knee-high boots
• Chelsea boots
• Platformed bootie heels
• Leather Vans slip-ons 
• Leather gloves
• Floppy wool hat
• Silver toned chunky statement necklace, short-chained
• Wide scarves that can double as shawls  
• Fluffy fur stole

Hungry for the Holidays

One of my favorite aspects of the holiday season is the increase of treats available. The increased amount of cookies, cakes, and sugary warm beverages is reason enough to smile and be jolly. Who doesn't love a great holiday themed dessert? Did you know that 2 out of 3 Americans will gain 6 pounds between Halloween and New Years? It's really not that surprising considering all of the winter holidays revolve around food. It's shocking that I've evaded that statistic and haven't put on that much weight from all of the yummies I've devoured each year (maybe 2 lbs. versus the 6 lb. national average). My sweet tooth persuaded me to begin Christmas baking super early. The weekend before Thanksgiving my boyfriend and I made decorative sugar cookies with a variety of sprinkles, colored icings, and cookie cutter shapes. 

This is me & the boy decorating the cookies. They were so tasty!!!! 

We also made red velvet brownies from a Duncan Hines mix. It came with a cream cheese icing to drizzle over the top which made for extra delicious gooey brownies :)

I packed him a little care package to take home with him. This adorable holiday themed box came from Michael's and was about $7. The first layer was sugar cookies with a pumpkin muffin that had a cream cheese filling, the second layer was the red velvet brownies, and the bottom layer was chunky chocolate chip cookies!

I also dropped by the grocery store today and made a little 'pick your own' 6 pack of beer with seasonal flavors. There's only 5 pictured because the 6th was a regular Stella (which is my favorite beer by the way). I figured each time I drank one I could do a little review! So below is my commentary on Blue Moon's seasonal brew.

You'll have to excuse my lack of expertise when it comes to the vernacular of beer and beer tasting. I'm not much of a connoisseur in regards to the drink.. I only started consuming the stuff a few years back because I much preferred the taste of fruity mixed drinks. Once I started drinking craft beers it was like a whole new world was exposed to me. I'm much more brave nowadays to test out a new brew. Anyhow, tonight I tried out Blue Moon's Mountain Abbey Ale, part of their seasonal collection. The description is as follows- "This copper-colored ale is crafted with roasted malts, Belgian sugar and a touch of wheat for a rich caramel flavor and a smooth toffee finish." My initial impression was indifference (more like an audible 'meh'). You can definitely pick up the sweet hints of toffee and caramel which are two flavors I typically enjoy. I don't know how I felt about the overall taste, though. It reminded my roommate and I a lot of a dark liquor.. like a bourbon or something. Although the drink was chilled, it had a warm undertone in taste. The more I sipped on it the more I enjoyed it. I think it took time for me to get accustomed to the heavier flavor since Blue Moons are typically light wheat beers. I give it a 6.5 out of 10. Not sure I'd purchase a six pack of it, but I wouldn't turn it down if someone offered me one!

I'll post reviews of the drinks as I consume them! If you know of any yummy holiday ales let me know. I love trying new flavors!   

Favorite Winter Trends & Fashion Forecasts

I would say that winter has struck out in full force, but the reality is global warming has ruined the weather's annual progression to frigidity in December. Just the other day it was in the 60's and people were wandering about campus in shorts and without jackets. Nevertheless, winter wear is taking its spotlight in these [mildly] colder months. Whenever I'm turning my wardrobe over for the new season I scour the internet for the latest and greatest. I also peel my eyes for anything that might be a fashionable egg that has yet to hatch- as in I try and spot elements that might trend later on. Here I've conglomerated several different pieces with varying stylistic details. I'll link each item so you can check them out for yourself!

Note: A vast majority of these items are exorbitant in price. Similar styles can easily be found on NastyGal, H&M, or Urban Outfitters for much cheaper! However, I am a firm believer that it is well worth it to invest in quality wardrobe staples- i.e. a solid leather aviator jacket from Burberry will keep you looking classy and stylish for a lifetime.

#1: Fur. Fur everywhere, on everything, in all its glorious fluffiness.

Mongolian Mix Biker Jacket by Topshop- $675

Oversize Shearling Aviator Jacket by Burberry Brit- $2,995

Or, if you only want an accent of fur, a stole is the perfect add-on to any thick knit sweater or plain wool jacket. It instantly dresses up any ensemble. 

Adrienne Landau Fox Fur Button Stole, Blush $2,495

First fashion forecast (although they've been around forever, I think they'll be seen much more frequently in the next few months/ even winter 2015-16): Fur pillbox hats

Faux-Fur Pillbox Hat by Helen Moore $98

#2: Tortoiseshell Accessories- I feel like the color combo is so fun and flirty. It's a more interesting take on brown tones and would look awesome accompanied with gold accent jewelry. In my head I see someone wearing a deep chocolate brown fur coat and tortoise shell sunglasses with a clean bun and it's so glamorous. 

Kate Spade New York Acetate Cat's-Eye Sunglasses $138

Tory Burch 2012 Fall Runway Bag- I have no idea where you can buy this, and I know it's from seasons back, but it's still just as visually stunning with it's detailed lucite flowers and lucite chain. 

Black Pythonprint Calf Hair Shoulder Bag by Tory Burch

Again, I'm not 100% on where you can get this but I wanted to share it regardless because of how fabulous it is.

#3: Oversized 3/4 Bell Sleeves. They have been all over the Dolce & Gabbana runway for the past few seasons and I think they look magnificent in lace. To me they're reminiscent of fancy medieval gowns when in deep hued jewel tones. 

Lace Tunic by Dolce & Gabbana $948

Lace Blouse w/ Camisole by Dolce & Gabbana $1,148

Little Embroidered Animals Flared Dress by Dolce & Gabbana $2,998

This is from Mulberry's Fall 2013 Collection during LFW. I adore the mix of wool, plaids, and a high neck with the billowing sleeves.

Lace Blouse by H&M $34.95

This design is basically taken straight off of the D&G runway but it's being sold at an affordable price (which I appreciate). 

Carrie Pleated Dress by Nasty Gal $57.80 

#4: Pearl Accenting. We've been bombarded with metal accents with studs, rhinestones, gem encrusting, and now I think we're turning to a softer more feminine look with pearl details. I wholly embrace this because it's more of a Chanel look, which I am ever so fond of. I suppose this can be my second fashion forecast.

Jeffrey Campbell Lorelei Leather Heel $101.50

Lanette Pearl Blazer by Nasty Gal $78

Vivienne Velvet Dress by Nasty Gal $66.30

Pearling Out Bustier by Nasty Gal $68

ASOS Faux Pearl Headband $18.95

Alright, that's it! Hope you enjoyed looking at this post and that it provided you with some fashion inspiration. I'm thinking about making a post about winter wardrobe essentials. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing that! It probably won't feature as many pictures and will be in a list format (sorry if you had to scroll a lot!).