Hello hello and happy new year! I hope you are all enjoying your time with your loved ones and entered 2017 feeling better than ever.

As we are officially in January, I thought it would be nice to reflect on my year and then talk a bit about my look for this post. If I could describe 2016 in one word, I think it would be "rollercoaster". There were ups and downs but overall, it was a really good year.  Here are my personal reflections:


1) Letting go:

One of the first hard lessons I learned this year, was that letting go is not always a bad thing. Admittedly, it is something hard to do but if you recognize that something or someone is toxic for you and isn't contributing to your growth or happiness, then it's time to distance yourself. Negative vibes can bring you down, so it's important to take that step back and realize when you're around the wrong type of energy.


2) Me, myself and I:

2016 was definitely the year of  "me". I learned how to make time for myself, practice self-love, self-care and surround myself with positive people. Little by little, I realized that it was okay to be selfish and isolate myself sometimes. Of course, I was still very social, but I had " me days", which I think made me even happier and more comfortable with myself.


3) Accept what I can't change:

Like everyone else, I went through experiences, both good and bad. However, I came to realize that everything happens for a reason and that overthinking or trying to fix every little issue isn't always the way to go. I stopped stressing myself as I understood that there are things I won't be able to change. And that's ok.

4) Making different types of friends:

As I said earlier in the post, I met some great people this year, whether they be my friends or my friends in the fashion industry. I remember watching a talk by my aunt and one thing that clicked to me in her video was when she said how important it is to have a variety of friends. Having friends with different passions, backgrounds and mindsets definitely made my 2016 that much better. I have learned so many things from all of them and I'm grateful as they all contributed to my personal growth.

5) Fashion:

My interest in fashion began in 2015 but I think this time was where I realized I really, really like it. My style has definitely become a tool for me to express myself creatively; this was a year where I stepped out of my comfort zone and experimented with all types of clothing and accessories. I can't tell you how many hours I spent in the day reading fashion articles, making style boards or watching runway shows on my computer haha.

And so, for this year's last post, I found it fitting to choose black and white as those were the two colors I wore the most this in 2016. This outfit was more on the elegant and chic spectrum; I wore a lace black top with an open back,  and paired it with wide-legged palazzo pants and black pumps.

My favorite part of the look would definitely have to be my emerald and gold earrings. Out of every accessory I own, this pair is the most unique to me. The best thing about them is that I found them while thrifting at a store in downtown Toronto. It was always hard to find a look to accessorize them with, so imagine how happy I was when I noticed that it would look good with this particular outfit!



To stay within the minimalistic and simple theme, the photographer and I shot behind a beautiful building on my university's campus. It was really quiet that day, so we had the whole location to ourselves. Of course, it was freezing but I had to endure to get the good shots haha. Here are more pictures of the look below:






2016 was an amazing year. I am grateful for everything it has taught me, the opportunities it brought me, and the relationships I strengthened(old friends) and developed(new friends). I also want to thank you guys for keeping up with my blog for yet another year.

I am confident that 2017 will be equally as great. In terms of my resolutions(we always need those haha), I hope to keep growing as a person and work even harder towards achieving my dreams.


With love,

Penda


Outfit details:

Top: Urban Outfitters

Pants: Missguided

Shoes: Zara

Earrings: Thrifted

Get the look!

Top:

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=40463549&category=SEARCH+RESULTS

Pants:

https://www.missguided.eu/pleated-wide-leg-trousers-white

Shoes:

http://www.zara.com/us/en/sale/woman/shoes/leather/embossed-leather-high-heel-shoes-c792117p3610306.html

Earrings:

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi