After musings about changes my wardrobe has undergone (here) and how I shopped my needs (here), I would like to round up my year on YLF.

The statements below captured my attention from the moment I had read them and they are highlights of this year for me. What makes them so memorable and ultimately powerful is that without even trying they are now ingrained in my way of thinking, bringing more joy and fun in the game of dressing and expressing my personal style.

~~~ Honorary non-YLF mention...
Amongst the blogs I follow is Advanced Style which, with Angie's own advocacy that style has no age limits, raised my own awareness of just how inspiring the silver-haired generation is. One post and its title in particular spoke to me.

• Elegance Is Always in Style.

For me this is as true as simply and elegantly it's been said.
(The post can be found here).

~~~ And now back home...
#3...
When Angie speaks, we listen. One forum conversation made her speak her mind so... ahem... quite loudly:

• PLEASE WEAR THE HECK OUT OF YOUR FAB CLOTHES! Too many people forget to wear their treasures and focus on the hunt.

Caps locks are Angie's. Enough said.
(The forum conversation can be found here).

~~~ #2...
After leaving her old job our brave and beautiful UWP Rae summed up her thoughts in a brilliant thread. What particularly stood out was:

• Personality comes through in less pieces than I'd thought...sometimes the only "twist" in my outfit ...was enough for me to feel like "me".
  

Thank you Rae for saying it aloud and continuously demonstrating that. Style is ultimately about being yourself.
(Rae's thread can be found here.)

~~~ #1...
The Golden Girl of this community had shared her epiphanies in the heartwarming Veteran post and although every single word she wrote struck a cord with me, one sentence was the ultimate highlight. It spontaneously resurfaced in my mind a few weeks ago when I started searching for a new pair of jeans in the new market and faced with sometimes perplexing sizing system. Instead of feeling disheartened or grumpy because of the initial, but familiar lack of success, I could just move on. Best of all, I smile(*) every time I remember these words, for they make me feel connected to everyone who shares their wisdom and insights here:

• KNOW YOUR SIZE AND SAY IT OVER AND OVER: I WEAR A SIZE----- AND IT DOESN'T MEAN A THING

Like a quiet voice in my head... You are not the size you wear. You wear the size. It's just the number. It is not YOU.
Thank you Sona! I am so grateful you wrote them!
(Sona's thread can be revisited here.)

In the end, while these are only a handful of moments amongst daily doses of thrill, inspiration and joy, I chose them (or they chose themselves) because they reflect my own circumstances and current leg of style journey. They made 2012. on YLF particularly memorable. Thank you all. And now, bring on 2013.

(*) P.S.
You can all bet I smile *a lot* when I shop