A Number (Thirtyish)

April at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

This month marks my half-birthday, which maybe isn't a big 'thing' but I remember using it in college as an excuse to party. This year, it marks a six-month countdown to turning 30. I remember being 25, living in Washington DC and going to drinks after work for someone's birthday. It was their 30th and they asked me if I wasn't anxious about turning 30. I shrugged and said something like, "Nah, I don't see a reason to be... plus that's a long way off." Welp, those five years have come and (are almost) gone!

A lot's changed for me since then. Some changes were big milestones (grad school, moving cross-country, new job, marriage) but I'm sure there are many more changes that have been subtle and slow-burning. So when I turn 30 it may not feel like much of a change from today, but compared to 25 (and especially to 20!) it's huge.

I still don't see a reason to be anxious, but I do find myself more reflective on aging recently:

Life Lately

Fable, San Francisco

I went to brunch with my husband and a friend and my husband kept commenting that the restaurant patio reminded him of being in another country. I love traveling but don't have any set plans coming up, so hearing this made me smile. I love feeling like I'm on vacation when I'm actually right at home. The above photo is what he was looking at. The food was really good, too.

Not much to write about today but these are some interesting articles I've read lately:

• A happy ending for a female exec getting support to advance her career
• Put a good spin on your life - it's healthy
• How the Apple watch got made
• The danger of faux oppression

Not-so-impulsive Buys

For the past couple years, I've been paring down the contents of my closet, donating all the things I just don't wear anymore, and usually buying only classic basic elements to round out my wardrobe. A few things factored into this endeavor: I started a new job (w/quite a commute) and wanted to make getting dressed easy despite not being a morning person; I moved across the country, got married, and began sharing an apartment (& closet!) with my husband; and I just didn't want to keep adding to the fast fashion industry. It's not like shopping ever put me in debt, but the Pareto principle definitely applied to my wardrobe, so I also realized I didn't need to spend money on additional items beyond the kinds I wear most often. I had started viewing shopping as more of a hobby and not a necessity, and there are other things I'd rather spend my free time on.

I've been trying to practice a little more simplicity and minimalism rather than impulsively buying the trendy stuff at fast fashion spots. I am definitely inspired by sustainable brands (like Amour Vert's awesome basics) but also I can be more 'sustainable' by refraining from buying cheap things made to fall apart. I keep a running list of items I want/need on an app on my phone and a Pinterest board of wardrobe workhorses. These mechanisms remind me to consider my purchases in the full context of my closet, and choose things I can wear for a long time. 

I am still a design-loving consumer for sure. I'll flip through magazines and check out Remodelista and WhoWhatWear and random blogs. (Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a nerdy joke about going to a museum to see an exhibit of a chair, and my husband & I burst out laughing because we both knew I'd totally do that.) I've just tried to be more mindful of my personal style versus fashion trends... I'm no "minimalist pixie dream girl" but I can read about trendy items and still feel alright wearing an old sweater and simple jewelry out in public.

I've noticed, over the last couple of years, that I make fewer impulse buys and I'm pretty happy about that (so is my closet). But this winter I tried putting myself on an outright shopping fast for two months and almost got through it. For over a month I didn't even go into a store. However, I would still browse e-commerce sites, basically for sport, fully aware I wasn't going to put anything in the shopping cart.

At the end of March, just four days shy of hitting my two-month mark, I ordered a pair of shoes. This week, I ordered another. Both pairs (suede d'orsay flats, and black ankle boots) are ones I've wanted for a year or so (I have older versions of each), and they could match nearly every outfit I wear. I ordered them now because I found out the exact ones I've wanted were on sale via some fashion blogs, and they were still available in my size. I thought I might feel guilty for not making it the full two months, but then I realized these weren't impulse buys per se and I'm glad I could pull the trigger on items that my closet has been waiting for.