Wardrobe Simplification: The LBD

Yes, the Little Black Dress is a traditional fashion staple of sophistication and simplicity. It's the perfect dress that can easily transition from day to evening with a simple swap of accessories, simultaneously being a comfortable staple of a woman's wardrobe, yet an article that subtly draws attention to the sleek elegance of the physique underneath. It's the Holy Grail of the closet. It's....MAGICAL.

Confession: I don't have an LBD.

I don't really read mommy blogs, but I ran across this entry from "Where in the ME is Mommy?" that articulated some of the do's & don'ts of finding the perfect LBD. It's a great, quick read with fantastic picture examples.

Favorite Guideline: "If a dress creates the sort of drama that might leave you with an STD, it's the wrong LBD."

I personally haven't invested a lot of time in looking for the LBD, but I think I might start keeping my eyes open. I cleaned out my closet (again) this week, and I definitely have some gaps in the "simple, versatile, transitional" categories of clothes. And why wouldn't I want a magical dress?

Rockin' Resources for Resolutions

I'll be honest, I don't really make New Years Resolutions. There is one thing I try to do at the beginning of each year though: everyone gets a clean slate in my mind. In a way, it's a massive forgive-and-forget cleansing. Instead of holding on to things that people did & said that I took offense to, it's time for me to move on.

So I do recognize that the turn of a calendar can prompt thoughts on life, purpose, goals, and the ever-quickly-passing TIME. Here's a collection of resources I've found lately that can help out some of the most common New Years Resolutions.

Fitness- http://fitbottomedgirls.com. This website gives great reviews on fitness videos, nutrition (Nosh), & apparel/beauty/travel (Posh). Their philosophy is that fitness doesn't have to be hours on cardio machines at the gym, but instead it should be part of a fun, healthy lifestyle. Plus, they have an awesome tagline- "Keeping a lid on the junk in the trunk."

Finances- None of these are get-rich-quick schemes. Here are a few articles from TheStreet about being wise with money.

• 5 Everyday Things You Don't Need
• 5 Expensive Things You Shouldn't Buy
• 10 Reasons You Aren't Rich
• ***10 Commandments for Frugal Living***

Refreshing the Mind- I firmly believe that if more people worked on having fresh, positive minds, the world would be a better place. Let 2011 be the year you forgive someone, stop worrying about everything, get over a grudge, ignore an offense, let it go, or just relax.

• Clean Your Slate from the Everyday Minimalist
• Peace from Becoming Minimalist (it's a Christmas post, but applicable year-round)

Getting Things Done- Need some motivation to get projects done? New Nostalgia hosts an Anti-Procrastination link party on Tuesdays. It's a great way to see how others are combating procrastination & ideas for more projects (just in case your to-do wasn't long enough already...)

Quit Smoking- Check out the CDC article.

And read the article on the 10 Commandments for Frugal Living. It's quite good.

The Dress-Up Box

Growing up, my sister, our friends & I would play hours and hours of dress-up. We might have even made my brother join in on occasion. Lately going through my closet and dresser, I ran across several items that made me think, "A second-hand store wouldn't take this, it's still in fairly good condition, but it really belongs in a dress-up box." I don't have any kids to give these items to, but I do have a niece! Ok, she's seven months old, but she'll be playing dress-up with her friends before too long!

I haven't exactly collected a huge amount of items, mostly old jewelry and scarves, but over the next three years or so, I can probably put together a decent collection to jump-start a dress-up box (side note to my sister: I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that a load will be coming eventually!). I won't be buying any items, but simply adding pieces from my wardrobe (or friends who want to donate) that can be put to better use through playing house, recreating a wagon train or creating a mermaid city. Who knew the pilgrims had Hawaiian print blouses?