Polka Dots + Feathers

It's hard to believe 2013 is almost over.  What a whirlwind of a year!  I'm excited for what 2014 has to offer.  My biggest goal would probably be to build up the audience of this blog.  This is my first time blogging and it's been a lot of fun so far (all 3 posts of it, haha).  My other main goal is to become more of a morning person.  Many of you know that I am a night owl and it is hard for me to get up in the mornings.  I hope to change that in 2014.  Have any of you come up with goals or resolutions for 2014 yet?

I dubbed the look below my birthday outfit.  I wore it for a couple birthday outings this past month.  It was by chance that I paired the skirt and sweater together when I was trying them on at the store, and surprise ~ I liked the combo even though I'm not sure I would have put them together otherwise.

Of course I had to throw in a silly pic. :)  Normally I would be wearing my highest heels, but unfortunately an injury is preventing me from wearing heels for another 3 months.  I'm short, so I almost always wear heels and owned hardly any flats ~ thank goodness for cheap flats at Target!  I had to stock up when I found out I couldn't wear heels for 6 months.  I also had to get over my issues of feeling even shorter all the time and have come to appreciate flats, and perhaps will add them into the rotation more once I'm fully recovered.

I am still trying to decide what I will wear for New Year's Eve tomorrow night.  I'm sure it will include lots of sequins and sparkles though!  Follow me on Instagram ~ I will post photos from New Year's Eve there!

What I'm Wearing
Sweater ~ Ann Taylor (no longer available online), similar option 1, similar option 2
Skirt ~ Ann Taylor
Shoes ~ WHBM (on sale now!)
Clutch ~ The Limited (old), love this option, and this one!
Earrings ~ Henri Bendel (budget friendly option here and here)
Necklace ~ The Limited (sold out online), similar style

Holiday Sparkles

Hello!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is enjoying the holiday season.  I love wearing things that sparkle, and it's especially fun during the holidays!  I feel like it adds a little something extra to help your outfit feel more festive.

Enjoy the last few days of 2013!  I'm looking forward to celebrating the new year!

What I'm Wearing
Top ~ WHBM (similar with long sleeves)
Belt ~ WHBM
Jeans ~ The Limited
Coat ~ Bebe (old), similar option here and this one is so cute
Shoes ~ Michael Kors (old), similar, another option
Purse ~ Henri Bendel (sold out online), similar
Bracelets ~ Stella & Dot (1 and 2)

The Beginning

Hello and welcome to my blog, Erika's Style Diary!

I never in a million years thought that I would be starting my very own personal style blog. Back in the day I was not what you would call fashionable. I had cute style, sure, but that style basically consisted of a top + pants + cute shoes + earrings and maybe a necklace. In other words, I had no idea how to layer and didn't own a single cardigan! I would always look at items as individual separates instead of complements to the entire outfit. As a result, I had almost no staples, as every top had to look awesome as a stand alone for me to buy it. It seems so funny to me now that my thought process is completely different.

I guess you could say I was a late bloomer when it came to fashion. I was a tomboy for most of my life, loving to play sports above anything else. Shoes were the only thing that I was picky about ~ they had to have some element of interest for me to buy them. Basic black shoe? No thank you. (Now I know better!) It wasn't until the last few years that I started to realize my outfits were very boring (thank you Pinterest!). Honestly, Pinterest is where I found the world of fashion blogs and awesome style. I would see a cute outfit and would try to copy it with my wardrobe. That meant I had to start buying basics, like a white t-shirt, for example.

After a while I was starting to put together my own combinations of clothes and have steadily built up my collection of basics to choose from while coming up with fun outfits. It's funny, because I've always been known as the girl with the cute shoes. Now I'm recognized for my entire look instead of just my shoes. In fact, friends began to suggest that I start a blog of my own. I thought it could be fun to document how my style has come together and how it will continue to change as my fashion sense evolves over time.

So this is the result ~ my style diary. I hope you enjoy and I can help inspire you as I have been inspired by my favorite fashion blogs!