Girl From the North Country: new years

Happy New Years! I know I'm a little late. I took a much needed break from the pressures of blogging/social media in general, and can honestly say it was really rejuvenating. Going back home for the holidays definitely helped; I always feel more grounded when I'm able to spend a little time in Alaska. I feel like it reminds me of who I am, which helps me understand what I want, and I guess blogging is no exception.

My New Years resolutions list is a mile long -- But there are a few things that pertain to blogging that I thought I would share with you. The biggest resolution is to wear what I want. I feel like with so many blogs out there, it's easy to let your own tastes and aesthetic be swayed by what is working for others. It's my goal to stay more true to what I like, and what I would want to wear regardless of whether or not I'm going to share it with the world or not. When people trust themselves, it tends to create more meaningful and genuine content, and of course, that's the goal. Secondly, I really need to stop beating myself up if I don't feel like blogging my outfit. I feel like blogging is sort of like a form of self employment, and that can cause us to put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Part of my New Years resolutions for blogging is to put less pressure on success, and more positive pressure on simply creating a blog that I love and have fun with.

What are your New Years resolutions?

Veronica Chelsea Frye Boot | BP. Boucle Pullover | Sparkle & Fade Lace Dress (Similar Here) | KUT From the Kloth Denim Jacket

Hey everyone! Christmas break is just about over, and I'm finally back from Alaska. I'm feeling really refreshed. I love New Years. I know there's a lot of people who say, "why make a promise to change on New Years? Why not change what you don't like year round?" And I agree totally, but there's something about a new year that's so refreshing to me. It's like a brand new notebook, or hearing an album you've never heard by a band you already love. I have a lot of New Years resolutions this year, and so far I'm going really strongly with them. In case any of you are curious, a few of them are:
1. Create a budget and stick to it. It's hard to not spend all your money on clothes when you're in school for fashion, have a fashion blog, follow fashion blogs, and spend your free time on Pinterest. But it has to be done.
2. Eat healthier and excercize more. This isn't so much because of any body image issues as it is internal issues. I want to be a happier more fulfilled version of myself from now on, and sometimes that starts on the most basic level of eating right and exercising.
3. Write more often. I used to love writing, and it was such a great way for me to let out my feelings but I stopped a few years ago for absolutely no reason. I recently have had reasons to write again, including this blog, and I'm rediscovering my love for it.

4. Find more hobbies. I have a really huge problem with hobbies. The problem is, I have none. Besides shopping, which obviously contradicts the first resolution. I used to be a lot more creative than I am today, which really sucks. There's no excuse for it, and I'm holding myself to this one for sure.

5. My cousin Timmy requested one of my resolutions to be "Finish one Legend of Zelda game." So that's on here, because I love video games but haven't ever beaten a Zelda game. We'll see how this one goes.

As you can see, I've had a very busy last week dealing with all these amazing resolutions, and I'm not wavering on them yet!

As for today however, I was really excited to wear this outfit. My mom bought me these shoes because I haven't been able to shut up about them since I saw them in a Free People catalog months ago! I've also never really owned such a comfortable dress before. I love this maxi because it's cute enough to wear out but casual enough to stay in. I'm actually really proud of the way these photos came out. I was originally planning on going outside in one of my usual haunts to take outfit photos, but as soon as I got outside it started pouring rain and I was not happy. On my way back into the building though, I stopped my boyfriend with this crazy idea of taking photos in my building's laundry room. I wasn't expecting for them to turn out well, but I'm actually pretty proud of them! I think I'll start doing more inside photo shoots. I felt like I had so much more to work and play with!

What do you think of the way these photos turned out?

(Also, I am planning on doing a "What I Got for Christmas" video to show you all my most recent purchases and gifts received in the last month. I got some really cute stuff!)