Hey friends, back again with some links that have been hogging my attention and thoughts for the past month or so.

In the new year I want to learn more about something I already love: coffee. I want to learn how to actually make it and remedy my current reputation for having no clue how to even measure a proper amount of coffee for a drip coffee machine, and remove my Keurig, and Nespresso machine crutch. I hope to learn how to use a traditional espresso machine, a stove top percolator, and maybe how to cold brew too. Partly I also just want to learn more about the tradition itself, and all the types out there so I can fully appreciate good coffee. Step one: Try to sample this gradient of coffee choices in Baltimore.

Even thought I am doing a capsule wardrobe (based on the Project 333 version) for winter (and hopefully this whole year), there are still some clothing items and accessories I still enjoy fantasize about. Namely, this tencel trench coat, these fringe gold earrings, grey jeans and over the knee boots in general; this candle, this candle, and this candle; a new cute strappy date shoe like this one (didn’t say affordable), more from this brand I newly learned about via an Uptown Cheapskate find, another fun graphic shirt like this one from a favorite local Baltimore brand; and a new pair of sweats because I only own one pair anyway, and I want new pajamas. When I stare at these items I know I should be spending my time in more productive ways like blogging or filling out job applications (I want to move to a new state). But, it happens. Maybe now that I have put them here, I can stop thinking about them!

Back to the capsule wardrobe thing. I spent a lot of time (like, arguably all of 2015) psyching myself up into making the decision to do one. One post that I kept coming back to was this one. But, balance that with articles like this one that also helped inspire me to own less because I feel like I want and appreciate better things, and by having a capsule wardrobe I can achieve both the goal of appreciating evening I own, but also being able to afford the pieces I want by wasting less of my purchasing power on items I don’t end up wearing.

Some miscellaneous things: I also recently read my first issue of Architectural Digest via Guy Got Glitter’s family, and am how in love with this totally out of my price range sideboard. If I never buy a new sideboard again, would it be a justifiable purchase? Do I even need to justify it anyway? Probably not. I also love the idea of these DIY light fixtures, the vibe of this outfit, this blogger in general, the idea of this local beauty brand (I haven’t tried anything yet), and this newer blog by a jewelry designer I don’t own any pieces from yet but that I would love to own in the future.

What have you been recently stuck on?

So, some things:

• Words can not express my love of the Youtube Channel LightbyCoco. So sweet, so real, so relatable. I won’t be going as “light” as her but any means, but I like the perspective it gives all her videos. Like this 1 year of empties video? This girl gets me. That’s the kind of video I want to make.
• I bought my cat a spaceship, enough said.
• I have rekindled my love of Bloglovin because I bought myself an ipad. Tweet me your ipad app recommendations please!
• I am going to try out a new sushi & pho restaurant with an old friend for lunch and am pretty pumped about it.
• I am obsessed with Property Brothers on Netflix.
• I got a new L’Oreal Consumer Testing item to do yesterday, and it’s funner than other one’s I’ve done in the past.
• Someone talk me out of buying these Stuart Weitzman boots. Tell me how I probably should buy the marble coffee table, or am actual bedframe for my bed first!

What have you been up to lately?