Spring in My Step

I almost titled this post LBD with a side of frog legs, but I didn't want to box myself into only talking about my outfit.

Outfit: Dress- NY&Co. similar at Old Navy; Scarf and tights- H&M; Shoes- Target

I've got a lot of spring in my step these days, and it's not just from finding the perfect shade of emerald tights to match my emerald ballet flats purchased on super clearance at Target ($6ish in stores, y'all!). After a few weeks of being extremely busy, and anxious, the stress cloud I was sitting in has dissipated. I start a new job in less than two weeks!

I've been unhappy at my current job for quite a while. I don't want to divulge a whole lot of detail because I pride myself on keeping my professional life separate from my personal life/ blog life. Long story short, I decided to start looking back in September, but after being told I was overqualified for a job I thought for sure I had landed back in October I was feeling really discouraged. Recruitment is a major part of my job, but I had forgotten how stressful it is to be on the other side of things!

When job searching patience is definitely a virtue. Lots of carefully crafted cover-letters a few less than stellar phone interviews, and some heart break finally led to a job that is the perfect next step in building my career in nonprofit human resources/ administration.

The best part? I'll be able to walk to work! I'll get one and a half to two hours of my day back. That means more time for blogging, going to the gym, snuggling with my cat, or whatever.

...Oh, and more money for shopping!

Fuzzy

I would have liked to celebrate my blogversary with a fancy new camera, but that wasn't in the budget. Instead, I treated myself to a new tripod that is small enough to fit in my purse. I had high hopes that I'd be able to rig it up in my office and take some indoor outfit pictures. My office has great natural lighting, but not a lot of space so the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

They kind of remind me of the early days of taking blog pictures in my bedroom.

Outfit: Sweater- H&M similar from Old Navy; Skirt- Target; tights?; Boots- Me Too; Necklace - thrifted 

In my defense it has been beyond frigid in Boston this week. The thought of taking off my coat (and hat, gloves, scarf, legwarmers, two pairs of socks...) for pictures is just too much to bear. Taking fuzzy pictures in a fuzzy sweater will just have to do for now.

Blog Birthday, Blog Future

Image via

My blog is a year old! It was officially a year ago on Saturday that I published my first post, but better to celebrate late than never. 177 posts later, here's a look back at some of my favorite moments from my first year of blogging. 

1. I wore a really cute sundress and vented about street harassment. 

2. I took some pictures in a bikini while on my Connecticut vacation. 

3. I shared my five reasons for being a feminist.

4. I shared my secrets for dealing with chub rub. (and I realize now that I never posted part two of that series)

5. I threw caution to the wind and broke all the rules. 

You're probably noticing a trend here. All of my favorite posts are focused around body image or feminist issues. Anyone who knows me "in real life" would not be surprised to hear that, but I'm not sure that I've represented myself the best in the blog world. I've been feeling a little disenchanted with blogging lately. For one, I've been incredibly busy. I also haven't really felt like taking pictures of myself and talking about my clothes all the time. I love clothes but I hate feeling like I don't have the freedom to write about other things. 

So I'm going to mix things up a little on here, and I hope you'll stick with me. I'm definitely not doing away with outfit posts or wish lists, but I anticipate a little more feminism and a lot more personality. 

What would you like to see from Hips and Hangers in my second year of blogging? 

Winter Wonderland

It snowed almost every day while I was in Ohio. My mom and sister live in the basement apartment of my Aunt and Uncle's house. The house is in the middle of the woods on a back country road. The snow makes it difficult to get in and out of the driveway, so there were a few days where we were literally snowed in. The snow may be a bitch to drive in, but it's beautiful!

Shop the Outfit: Sweater- H&M similar; Leggings- Marshalls; Boots- Madden Girl similar; 

Hat and belt-H&M

These photos were taken after our first little snow storm. A few days later there were about 8 inches more snow on the ground. 

Family Pictures 2012

I'm back from vacation! Okay, okay I've technically been back since Sunday night around 1 a.m., but after 10 days without my guy and my cat I didn't feel like spending the last two days of my time off blogging.

I had a great time in Ohio visiting my family. I hate squeezing a year's worth of quality family time into 10 days, but despite snow storms, illness, and demanding work schedules we made the best of it. The best part of the trip? Getting our family pictures taken for the first time in over a decade.

My mom has had a really rough few years, so I wanted to do something special for her this Christmas. The last professional photos we had done together were so long ago that my sister was in elementary school, my mom was still married, and I still thought wearing white eye-shadow and black eyeliner was cool.

I found a Living Social coupon for Studio Polaris in Columbus and made an appointment with them. We had a fantastic experience and got a great deal on the photos. Our photographer, Kasha, was super friendly and helpful. She even rushed the order so the photos could be printed before I left the state. If you're in the Columbus, OH area, I'd definitely recommend Studio Polaris. This is my favorite photo from the bunch:

Me, Mom, Sierra

Don't I have a beautiful mother and sister? Yes, that's my mom in the middle. I know a bunch of you thought she was my sister in the pajama picture from my last post. (She appreciates that, by the way!) These three photos turned out great as well:

I can't wait to use my Marshall's/ TJMaxx giftcard to buy picture frames!


* I was not compensated in anyway for this post. I just really enjoyed the experience! All photos by Studio Polaris.