Back to Black

Saturday, Day 4 of my Winter 30 for 30, and a photo shoot in the making (also known as having a husband that thinks it's funny to take candid photos before being ready)

I love my black jeans. They go with everything and have been a staple item in my wardrobe since I purchased them over a year ago. They saw a lot of action this weekend also - date night with Jesse and Super Bowl Sunday. Also, I have five days of my Winter 30 for 30 under my belt, just 25 more to go.

Day 5 - Oh the Cowboys aren't in the Super Bowl?

Also, the other night one of my friends asked me how my blog turned into a "fashion and cooking blog." This question made me think that it's probably a good time to revisit my list of 30 resolutions for 2012 so I can answer her question and make sure I am working towards meeting all of my goals for the year. After all, January is behind us and I only have 11 months to do everything on my list.

The short answer to why my blog has a fashion and cooking focus is that my top two goals are become a better cook and save more, spend less.

For as long as we have been together, Jesse has been the cook in our relationship. I was the baker. It seemed like a good split, and quite frankly, I thought I definitely had the better end of the deal. I continued to believe that until Jesse started a job late last year with somewhat erratic hours. I realized then that I couldn't survive on baked goods alone and I needed to either learn how to cook or I was going to be making the same microwaved meals everyday.

As for the "fashion" aspect to my blog, in addition to the bills I need to pay every month, I tend to spend a portion of what is left over on clothes, including clothing that doesn't always fit into my wardrobe well, or that I don't actually need but "love" and therefore buy without really thinking whether it is actually a smart purchase. With Jesse and I hoping to purchase a house of our own before we retire and other big life decisions down the road, save more, spend less has to be a top priority this year.

When I did my first 30 for 30 challenge this past fall, it definitely helped me save money, along with other things like becoming more creative with what I have hanging in my closet, purposefully shopping for clothes, and eliminating the clothes from my wardrobe I truly was never ever going to wear again.

I would like to tell you that after one 30 for 30 I am excellent at staying focused on buying only what I need and not spending very much on clothes, but that would be a lie. To keep me focused, I plan on carrying out a 30 for 30 challenge each season. The ABC style challenge and other challenges get at the same goal - come up with creative outfits using clothing I already own. They are also something I have never done before so that covers number 27 on my 30 for 2012 list.

In addition to cooking and saving more and spending less, through my blog, I have begun doing other things on my list. By taking a photo everyday and taking pictures of my outfits, I am slowly learning more about photography. With every post, I am writing more. Through my writing and photo a day, I truly experience and appreciate everything I have in my life. Keeping a blog has forced me to stay organized, and I have obviously already accomplished number 30 on the list, which is create a blog to organize everything on my list and stay focused on my goals.

I have a long way to go and lots of goals to meet, but I think with Messy Jess C. and all of you, I will accomplish them all.

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