Graphic prints and polka dots.

I've always found mixing patterns to be a challenge. There are some people that are just so naturally good at it, and I honestly don't know how they manage - whenever I attempt to mix paisley with stripes, or stripes with plaid, or what-have-you, I feel like I just end up clashing.

But one of my (many) New Year's resolutions is to venture more outside of my sartorial comfort zone this year, and this is one goal I am absolutely determined to keep. One thing I've learned about trying out fashion trends you're intimidated by is to start off slowly...so that's exactly what I did.

Channeling Mad Men...Shift dress and leopard cardigan.

I'm so excited for the holidays! There's something about seeing the lights twinkling on every streets and the pine trees for sale on every corner that makes me so happy - and oh, all the yummy Christmas-themed drinks for sale!  

But even though it is almost Christmas, the weather doesn't feel like it! Today was almost 60 degrees; I think this has even been recorded as one of the warmest Decembers recorded in history. I'm loving it, and definitely taking advantage of it to wear out some of my dresses sans tights for as long as I can.

Cobalt blue and H&M coat review!

Happy Cyber Monday and belated Thanksgiving, everyone! Did you buy anything during this sale-heavy weekend? I definitely did - maybe a few too many things, but that's when a good return policy comes in handy, right? 

Please forgive me for the crazy range in my photo quality! My mother just "gifted" me with her old Nikon Coolpix DSLR, and I'm still not quite comfortable with all the options...in other words, I have no clue what I'm doing yet! But nevertheless, I'm very excited to have such a quality camera - I can't stop playing around with it. Does anyone have any tips or websites they can direct me to on how to take and edit pictures with a DSLR? I'd be forever grateful!

One of my favorite colors of the season is the cobalt blue that's been everywhere. Unfortunately, I think it's a little too bright for my workplace - or maybe I'm just personally not daring enough to try it! The only piece I think I would even chance at the office is this lovely Ann Taylor ponte skirt (see on Extra Petite, Really Petite and Petite Little Girl), but unfortunately I wasn't able to snag it in my size when it went on sale. 

Boucle skirt and sky-high pumps.

This post has been a long time in coming, so please excuse the mishmash of topics! Life has been very hectic lately, so I haven't had a chance to write about a lot of petite fashion-related things that are on my mind...

Such as a more comprehensive review of the H&M items that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, for which I finally got around to taking proper photos and measurements. I'm actually obsessed with this boucle skirt, both because of the quality (it's fully lined, and the material is nice and thick - perfect for winter!) and the pretty color. Since it isn't a solid red, but instead has flecks of other colors such as green and blue, it's so very easy to match with. It goes great with neutrals, but also works with brighter hues!

Reviews...H&M

So I popped over to H&M today, and was really impressed with some of the items they have out right now! I wanted to buy so many more than I actually ended up purchasing, but isn't that always the case?

Originally, I headed in to check out this tie-collar cardigan that I had seen (and loved!) on Really Petite's blog. Coincidentally, I was also on the hunt for the wool mini-skirt she's wearing too - I need more skirts that aren't black and camel, and the grey option is so cute! But unfortunately, I didn't find either of these items. I knew I should've jumped on that skirt when I saw it a week or so ago...oh well. Luckily, I did manage to find a few items that I loved - and some real bargains, too.

In particular, I wanted to highlight this wool-blend skirt - the photo is from my Blackberry (I really need to start carrying around my digital camera when I go shopping) so the colors are a little off. In person, it's a beautiful rust and grey wool blend. The reason I'm so excited about this skirt in particular is because it fits so small. Seriously, it's like I had it tailored for my pocket-sized frame!

Teal and orange.

I've had this outfit floating around in my head for ages - inspired by the color trends for autumn (teal! orange! so much love!). But life has just been very busy lately, since I was caught up in a flurry of birthday celebrations, long hours at work and, most happily, moving preparations. Everything is finally slowing down again, though, as I'm now settled into my new apartment and have a lot more free time.

But enough about my life - boring, yawn, I know! 

Neutral hues and red shoes.

Just because summer's come to an end doesn't mean one of my favorite summer trends has -- colorblocking is definitely still on point, and that makes me oh so happy. This past weekend, sunshine-filled as it was, seemed like a perfect day to don an outfit that recalled summer, but with an added layer or two to protect against that autumn bite!