Style Resolutions Revisited: Erin from Apt 34

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and New Year.

I am planning to take it easy at Tea for Joy this month, but I have some great interviews lined up. I mentioned before Christmas that we would revisit last year's Style Resolutions. I've seen most of the responses and they are great, so I am sure you will enjoy them. I'm impressed that some people have achieved their resolutions, but also quite relieved that others haven't - and there have been lots of big life changes in the last 12 months! I'm also intrigued to see how their resolutions have changed for 2010 (if at all.)

The first participant in Style Resolutions Revisited is Erin, from Apartment 34.

These were her resolutions last year:

Interior design/renovating:

Simplify, streamline, add only warmth and treasured things.
Invest in more original art.

Change of the mood of rooms by changing accessories (a much smaller investment).

Try an offbeat paint color (like black).
Get rid of all carpeting!

Gifts/Wrapping: Give more and wrap better!

Shopping: Do as little of it as absolutely necessary and when possible buy things handmade, or made by people I know and if you're going to spend some $$, put in an investment piece that you'll love for years to come.

And here's how she did...thanks Erin for taking part, 2010 is definitely going to be your year! If you haven't seen them already, make sure you take a look at Erin's engagement photos.

Wow, an entire year has flown by and what a year it has been! So much has changed in my small little world, from moving into a home with someone else, to getting engaged (!), to now planning a wedding and a whole new life. When Lynne reminded me of my 2009 style resolutions I wondered, sheepishly, if I'd even accomplished a single one!

While I did manage to acquire a bit more original art (all done by friends) and took truckloads of things to Goodwill there is still a lot more purging to take place. We still have carpet and I'm dying to refresh with some new furniture this year. Pillows just didn't take it to the level I'd like. I won't be finished until our house looks more like this:

(image from NY mag spring 2007.)

I did a lot of good gift giving and some excellent wrapping in 2009 and when a wedding fast approaching (we hit the 4-month mark on Christmas eve) I'll be doing a lot more in 2010! I love to mix things up and do something understated and inspired like this:

(by Grey Likes Weddings.)

or out of the box, like this!

(wrap by Darling Clementine.)

As for shopping in the new year, all thought will be towards our wedding for the first half of the year. For me that means flowers, flowers and more flowers. It's something I hope to carry over into my style throughout 2010. Fresh flowers make every day a little more special.

(via here.)

My primary theme for style resolutions this year will focus on embracing new beginnings while staying both timeless and classic. No matter how you reinvent yourself, it never goes out of style.

(via everything fabulous.)

To read Erin's full interview from last year, click here. And don't forget to visit Apartment 34 for glamorous inspiration (and if you want to follow along with the wedding preparations!)