I'm Back

It's been one month and 3 days since I last posted to my blog. Truth be told, November ended up being an incredibly eventful month -- eventful in a good way. First, I finally received my results from that big, scary exam that stole my summer and led me to re-evaluate my personal life and my priorities (which, as it turned out, also ended up being a good thing). And I passed! I really wasn't sure that I did, and when I learned that I had passed, well, I was as happy as I've ever been.

Second, I turned 27 in November, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I still don't feel like an adult, which is just fine by me. I don't plan to feel like an adult until I absolutely have to, and that time has yet to come.

Third, Thanksgiving was at my house this year! That's right, my mother, father, and brother descended upon my Manhattan apartment for Thanksgiving weekend. I prepared dinner (that's right, I cooked -- maybe I am an adult?) while my parents and brother helped me execute some of the decorating ideas I had put on hold while awaiting the results of that scary exam -- the walls in my living room were drenched with a milky "greige" paint (Ralph Lauren's "Forde Abbey" in eggshell -- a color that I picked out with the assistance of Domino magazine), and the Crate & Barrel "true media console" that I ordered nearly two months ago was finally assembled. And while my apartment is far from finished, it looks much better than it did before, and I finally feel like I'm in a place where I can take my time looking for inspiration and pulling the whole look together.

November was not such a hot month for the economy, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have a job and to know where my next paycheck/meal/necessity is coming from -- it seems that the news on the economy gets worse and worse every day. On an entirely trivial note, it's been really interesting to see how the economic crisis has been affecting the "how to" coverage of fashion and design blogs and magazines -- how to find holiday gifts for under $25 (0r $50, or $100), how to build a new wardrobe with the clothes you already have in your closet, how to throw a holiday party for 8 for under $100. I think that I'm going to start stockpiling this information -- doing more for less is a great skill to have, both in good times and in bad...