The Beginnings

I'm now facing the fact that 2012 wasn't exactly the greatest year for me. Work was rough, I'm not super pleased with my appearance, I put on a few pounds, and didn't really get anywhere in terms of saving some money and paying some bills.  I'm not usually a person who sits back and lets life or her goals pass her by, however.  So, I have decided that 2013 is the year of change.  I know it's a quaint idea to have a January transformation, but you know what?  It doesn't matter--I have already started to make some changes, and they feel great!  I'm going to keep going in this direction and maybe, just maybe, there will be some of you who want to go a long for the ride.

This is my first blog, really my first foray into social media (check out the twitter (@thestyleyear), pinterest, and tumblr pages I just set up).  Please bear with me as I get my sea-legs wet.  There are a few things you should know about me.  There is no way around being somewhat self-gratifying as a blogger, but I really, REALLY, enjoy the things I'm going to be writing about, so it just makes sense if you know that they come from the heart and you know who I am.  I think my intro to you (the reader) would be easiest if I break it into categories and go from there. I'll tell you about me and some of the things I want to explore.

New York, Nov. 2012

Doing More with Less
This is really the heart and meat of The Style Year.  Like I mentioned, I am in the process of transformation; losing weight, paying off some bills, bettering my career and just plain simplifying.  I have so many clothes and accessories, more than one needs, for a whole year of different outfits.  So, as I go through the process of losing weight and trying to save money, the last thing I need to do is ADD to the crazy.  I hope to show easy and creative ways of using what I already have.

Obstacles and Changes
Last week I got one of the WORST haircuts of my life.  You can read my Yelp review here and it will tell you all you need to know. So, I'll be spending the next 6 months dealing with that.  More on this as I go.

We've all been here....

I mentioned I am in the process of losing weight.  I have been doing Weight Watchers online for the last couple of months and have lost about 20 pounds.  So far so good.  I really like this program, but I have another 30-40 pounds to go to make my personal goal.  I hope to do this over the course of 2013. I'm doing this because I want to be healthy.  I am tired of carrying extra weight on my bones, and I have some challenges that the average person doesn't (scoliosis based), so I don't want to hear a lot of crap about being fine the way I am.  I need to be thinner to be healthier.  So far, I'm doing great! This will, however, create some creative challenges in replacing critical pieces in my wardrobe on a budget.

I'm on a budget.  Part of this is a self-restricted budget, but I am considering it my personal challenge to be creative with what I have.  My goal is to restrict my spending to about $40/week, or $160 a month.  I'll post any new wardrobe or product additions as part of The Style Year.  I LOVE finding a deal and I think I'll love sharing them with you.

Tools
Throughout this experience there are some critical tools that are helping me along the way.  The first is my absolute favorite iPhone app: Stylebook  I make a lot of my outfits with this app and I'll be posting pictures with real items from my wardrobe.  I have been using another app, Gridlens, to arrange photos as well. 
But my absolute favorite place for inspiration is Pinterest.  You can see my pins here and I'll try to connect The Style Year as much as possible. 

Thank you for checking me out so far, and I look forward to a fantastic 2013.  I'll keep you posted and hopefully we can share together.