Hi everyone! I've been busy and mostly lurking, but I have been participating in SYC in my own way.

That said, I haven't stopped shopping completely, but it's been limited and the pace has slowed extremely. Vowing not to shop at all will backfire for me anyway, but I'm browsing much less and have few "needs."

-I bought new running shoes and underthings (which don't really count, of course!)

-A new nylon Minkoff backpack. My silver one is looking worse for wear so I've wanted it to split time with another color, and I stumbled across this red one when I went to return something.

-I'm also looking for a shorter warm jacket (sherpa) and have had two strikeouts. I have one more option from BR (no find yet), plus the aqua Angie-recommended sweater, on order. Like Angie, I've been looking for an aqua sweater for years.

-I did receive this Princess Leia tee as a belated Christmas gift, but will mostly wear it at home.

Anyway, here is what I've been wearing. Sadly, I didn't take a pic of one of my favorites, blue velvet skinny pants and a black turtleneck and cowboy-inspired boots, but I included the finds here to give an idea. Like the rest of the month so far, I've mixed more recent purchases (some from December) with older ones.

1. BR turtlebeck, Madewell jeans and Born combat boots

2. Madewell sweater, Democracy jeans and Frye booties (first and last are newer but were gifts)

3. 1.State blazer, BR ribbed top, AT jeans and red Chucks

4. J Crew fair isle, Madewell jeans and red Pikolinos

5. 1901 sweater, Madewell jeans and Blondos*

6. Madewell top and jeans, Born sneakers. Work on an unseaonsably warm day!

7. Boden sweater, Wit & Wisdom jeans and Frye booties

8. BR sweater, Loft cropped pants and green Gore-Tex Chucks (X-mas money purchase)

9. Hinge dress, Naturalizer booties.

10. Lucky brand sweater, Democracy jeans and fleece Chucks

11. Today. Br sweater, AT jeans and Born boots.

12. Bonus - my Christmas gift portrait of me and my cats has finally been framed and hung up. I love it with the frame I chose.

* I am having foot surgery soon, and wearing these was a mistake because of one of my toes has extensor lag (kind of droops). However, they haven't been comfortable even before my injury--no matter what I do, the foot slides forward so that the pointed toe pinches my toes, due to the height of the boot. I have tried stuffing the point with wool, and using something on the sole to stop the sliding. Is there anything else I can try to stop this slide forward, once I am recovered? Or do I either suck it up when I wear these, or call them a lost cause?