Things I Learned in 2015

1. Just go with the flow - it's so much easier to just cruise through life and not have to plan everything out. For instance, I don't have to know my major right away, or have things planned out everyday. I used to fill up my planner with so many lists of tasks to complete & this year my planner has looked more spacious than usual. I learned that I don't always have to be busy doing something, but that it's okay to relax and sit back.

2. It's okay to ask questions because people are always happy to help - 2015 was the year I landed my first job ever (during the summer). I had two different jobs in retail at two different department stores (though the same company) and there have been some moments where I felt as if I was asking too many questions. But I learned that people are always happy to help you or answer any questions you may have.

3. A lot happens in a year and you will change - when reflecting on 2015 I realize that I am definitely not the same person I was on January 1, 2015. I've matured, become more confident, and am continuously learning and growing.

4. Decluttering your space/things can help you live more meaningfully - There is a lot of truth to this. I never was one who would buy lots of clothes or other material possessions, but I would sometimes think I need this or I need that. I recognized that the fewer material possessions I have the happier I would be since I would not feel weighed down by the items I owned. I currently am going through the process of cleaning my room and decluttering my space since I believe a clearer space equals a clearer mind.

5. People come and go - sometimes people grow apart but that's okay. Everyone is on their own journey doing their own thing, and figuring themselves out.

6. Things will not always go as planned - but everything is going to be alright.

7. There is no need to spend a lot on a prom dress - There is a lot of hype surrounding prom actually, but it's always fun to dress up and feel like a princess.

8. Creating a capsule wardrobe is a challenge - because essentially what I end up choosing will be what I wear for three months.

9. While taking public transportation is convenient, you still need a car sometimes - especially when you want to go hiking!

10. There is more to your clothes than you think - while I love fashion I didn't really consider the people who make my clothes. There is a story behind your clothes, and researching into the garment industry has made me more aware of the world. Since then I have been more conscious of my purchases and have avoided fast fashion.

11. You learn a lot from people by hearing their story.

12. "No matter how you feel get up, dress up, show up and never give up." Keep going 'cause you got this!

Capsule Wardrobe | Winter 2015/2016

Today I have compiled photos of my capsule wardrobe consisting of clothes that I intend to wear for the next three months. I may swap out a few clothes throughout that time though, but still plan to keep my total number of clothes around 37 items. I may even decide to remove some items from my capsule wardrobe. Overall, 32 clothing pieces are pictured here even though there are 37 pieces in my capsule wardrobe. There is a black coat, a blue/navy blue raincoat, 2 other button ups that I left in my dorm, and a pair of bootcut jeans in a medium wash.  The coats and jeans look like any other coats and jeans, so no one's missing out. Hope you enjoy this post!

 

A-line grid print and gray skirts

 

2 pairs of black pants & 2 pairs of dark wash jeans

Christmas is Almost Here!

As of right now at 11:50 pm there are ten minutes left until Christmas Day. I am so excited for Christmas and can't wait to see the smiles on family member's faces when they open their presents. I am excited to see what I will receive for Christmas as well since I didn't have anything on my wishlist. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays as it's such a festive time of year. There are beautiful Christmas trees, Christmas lights, delicious hot chocolate, gingerbread, and everyone is in a jolly mood. I also love deciding what to get people for Christmas. In all honesty, I think I'm pretty good at finding gifts for people! I make sure to find a gift the person will like and appreciate, and use as well. However, one of my most favorite things about Christmas time is the music. Christmas music is lovely. And more importantly, I love Christmas because I am able to spend quality time with loved ones. It's a time to spread love, joy, and kindness. Merry Christmas!

Creating a Capsule Wardrobe + What I Learned

Truth be told I do not wear a lot of the clothing that sits in my closet. In fact I have quite a few favorite items that I keep going back to and wearing. Many times I feel as if my closet is cluttered, and so I made an effort to clean out my closet. I don't have a ton of clothes or anything, but I have quite a few clothes I've had for years and my style has for sure changed since I was in middle school. I have since rearranged my closet and am so glad at how it turned out. I've divided my clothes into 7 categories: coats, spring/summer tops, fall/winter tops, dresses/skirts, basics and items that can be worn in any season, jackets, and bottoms. I plan to go through another phase of cleaning out my closet since it's organized and easier to go through. All the items I decide I don't want anymore are always donated and given away instead of tossed into a trash can. After this I will create a capsule wardrobe from my organized closet.

I didn't hear about capsule wardrobes until a teacher of mine mentioned how she has a capsule wardrobe. Typically a capsule wardrobe contains 33-37 pieces (I wonder why that is the magic number) and does not include work out clothes, pajamas, undergarments, business/special occasion dress and I believe coats. But for my capsule wardrobe I will include coats since I only wear a few anyways. I'm thinking that I want to create my capsule wardrobe with less than 37 pieces though.

With a capsule wardrobe you have a limited choice of what to wear, and ultimately you end up saving time when it comes to getting dressed. Also, I've heard that capsule wardrobes can help save your creativity for other things besides choosing what to wear. I for one love style and fashion, but it always feels great when you can find a great outfit in a short time without making numerous outfit changes.

_________________________________

Here are a few things I learned from creating a capsule wardrobe/cleaning out my wardrobe:

1) Neutral colors are essential: pairing clothes together will be effortless.

2) Capsule wardrobes don't have to be only neutral colors. Have fun! Include some color because life is too short to not wear color.

3) Deciding on what to wear for an entire season is kind of difficult. It took me over an hour to make decisions.

4) Focusing on the clothes you already have makes shopping easier. If you find you're missing some key clothing pieces you'd like to have whether that be a pair of boots or a simple cardigan - you now know what to shop for.

5) Stuff definitely accumulates through the years.

6) There are lots of capsule wardrobe videos on YouTube anyone can use as a guide. Some of my favorites are by:

Vivianna Does Makeup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL8B0I-Gybc 
Erin McDevitt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v2Wdo9srjs
Alli Cherry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHagxFaslm0  
Meilin Hyde: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faihxNBREB4
Light by Coco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koe7hhFUAEQ

7) Decluttering my closet has only made me appreciate/like the clothes I have even more.

8) Sometimes I think "Why did I even buy this?"

9) I still fit clothes from middle school...I really haven't grown that much.

________________________________

I am excited to begin my capsule wardrobe journey and I'll try to document my outfits over the next few months. I'll have photos of my capsule wardrobe in the next blog post coming soon.

Yours truly,

Soli

Ambiversion and the Myers Briggs Personality Types

I never really considered myself an extrovert. I wasn't very outgoing, and I was never really the most social person especially when it came to being around lots of people. I always thought of myself as an introvert because I was more reserved and quiet. I learned more about introversion and extroversion from a youth career camp I attended in the summer of 2014, and learned about the misconceptions surrounding each end of this introversion-extroversion spectrum. People usually think of extroverts as being very social and outgoing - I thought so too, but extroverts just tend to get their energy from their surroundings - their outward environment. Whereas introverts tend to become energized from inward reflection and their own thoughts, and need to recharge by being alone especially after being surrounding by so many people for long periods of time.

I firmly believed I was introvert. I usually gained energy from my own thoughts, from being by myself, and by reflecting on life. Even my Myers Briggs Personality Type was an INTJ - introversion, intuition, thinking, and judgement. I guess you could say my brain never stopped (and it still doesn't) - I was always thinking about the littlest things, about life, about the future, about the possibilities of things, about the book I just finished reading, about my classes, about how fascinating communication or psychology or whatever I was learning about was, etc. I was very detail oriented, methodical, and had a plan for everything. Perhaps that is why INTJs are called "The Architects."

However, now I am not so sure I am as introverted as I used to be. I recently took a Myers Briggs personality assessment from 16personalities.com sometime in July. My result (to my surprise) was ENFP. What? Extrovert, intuition, feeling, percieving? Well, yes of course according to my assessment. Afterwards, I read the description of ENFP and I could really understand it. I am positive and energetic, I can be quite random at times, and I'm quite imaginative. I also read the INTJ description, and I could relate to many of the things said as well - I'm independent, open-minded, and a jack of all trades (I guess). I did notice though that I am not as picky about details as I used to be, I tend to go with the flow more often now, and I am not as strongly INTJ as I was. I also took the assessment again, and INFP was my result. But I would say that I mostly relate to the ENFP and INTJ personalities.

I have to admit that I felt like I didn't belong somewhere when I got these different results. But now I realize that it's perfectly fine to get different results because I'm sure that every person can relate to and has similarities with each personality type, regardless of their dominant personality type(s). The thing is, people change. They mature, learn, evolve, and grow as life happens. I guess my dominant personality of INTJ shifted to ENFP to INFP, and it will probably change again.

Also, I'm neither an introvert or extrovert - I am both. Remember, introversion and extroversion are on a sort of scale with each at the ends, and ambiversion in the middle. I would say I am equally introverted and extroverted, but sometimes I may lean slightly more towards one side depending on my mood, situation, and overall current state. No one is ever exclusively on one end of the scale because of the fact that we are all both introverted and extroverted. These labels can sometimes confine us, but I would say ambiversion does not; it is acknowledged that you are part of both worlds.

I find personality, psychology, and anything similar to these topics to be very interesting. I am always trying to better understand myself, and learn more about who I am. Knowing myself helps me better understand the world around me because I learn more about how I perceive it.

As always thank you for reading!

Yours truly,

Soli