Last September after I went to the zoo with my best friend and her daughter I upgraded my ticket to an annual pass for Christian and I! We've always talked about getting a pass for this zoo because it's close to home and the perfect place for a morning walk on the weekends. We went the weekend after New Years to get some steps and fresh air. 

I put some comfortable arch support inserts from PowerStep in my favorite Winter boots. I have walked miles and miles in these boots and the inserts really help make it painless. They fit in so man of my shoes so it's nice to be able to move them to whatever pair I'm waring for the day. To make them even cozier (and warmer) I added some fur FlatSocks! 

We spent a couple hours walking around the Beardsley Zoo and saw some of our favorite animals! The American Red and Mexican wolves were enjoying a snack so they were super active and we spent a lot of time with the adorable Red Pandas! I also finally got a good view of the Brazilian Ocelot, it's always been napping out of view when I'm there. It may have been cold but the zoo does have a few indoor areas so we could warm back up while still enjoying the animals. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Megan | Closet Fashionista (@_simplymegs_)

Sweater: Mīere the Label women's cotton knit sweater in terracotta

Jeans: J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral (Gilt Groupe)

Boots: Vintage Snowland Moccasin Ankle Boots (from Grandma - their first appearance)

Bag:  Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red classic calfskin

Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop   

Scarf: Madewell Houndstooth Patchwork Scarf

Ombre Hat: Disney World

Here's a peek at my shoe insole stack!

Technically I wore this the day after Valentine's Day, but we were celebrating so I wore my trusty red Everlane sweater and brand new crimson red Loewe mini puzzle bag! It's such a fun burst of color and I've been enjoying wearing it with everything. That's one of my favorite parts of having something new, wearing the heck out of it for weeks!

This is the original puzzle bag and not the new "edge" version. I definitely prefer this 2018 version, it feels so much cooler. The Edge doesn't look as much like a puzzle because the pieces are sewn on top of one another. I really love the spacing in between the "pieces" on this version, feels more luxurious, detailed and more handcrafted versus just another mass produced bag. I found this post that explains the differences between them. 

I've also been wearing this coat non-stop, probably need to rotate in some of my older ones! I would have worn my red Burberry coat this day but I already had a lot of red going on so I skipped it. After looking at the pictures I realized I should have worn my faux fur leopard coat! Oh well.

For our Valentine's celebration we headed up to Old Mistick Village for lunch and a walk around before heading back home just before the weekend snow storm began. We finally ate at Amalfi which has been on my list for over a year now. It was delicious! We got 2 appetizers and then each got one of their house-made pastas. I'm not usually a pasta person at restaurants but when they're handmade in-house it's hard to resist! Makes me feel like I'm back in Italy.

Sweater: Everlane "The Wool-Cashmere Square Crew" in Crimson

Jeans: Current/Elliott 'The Ankle Skinny' (The Outnet)

Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)

Bag: Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red classic calfskin (bought in Japan!)

Boots: Eighteen 68 'Megan' (Gilt) 

Ombre Beanie/Winter Hat: Disney World

Here's a look at our day and what we had to eat:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Megan | Closet Fashionista (@_simplymegs_)

And just like that, it's the end of January. This was a weird month for me because the first 10 days I was dealing with some issues with our house while also finishing preparations for our 2 week trip to Japan. From the 11th through the 24th we were in Japan and then it was back to work for the final week of the month.

I did make my first purchase of 2025, and it's a good one! I knew I wanted to try and find a secondhand designer bag in Japan since the exchange rate is amazing right now and they are very strict with counterfeit items so I knew whatever I found would be authentic. I would have loved to grab one of the many Birkin bags I saw, but they were still very expensive. I came close to a few Chanel bags in various colors and a Dior Saddle Bag but in the end I found a 2018 Mini Loewe Puzzle bag in a lovely red color! A puzzle bag was on my short list of things to find. At the beginning of the trip I had seen a few, but none in exciting colors (I didn't want tan or black or cream.) There was a nice light blue but it was a Nano size which I don't believe they make anymore.

I bought a shirt and a sweatshirt at Tokyo Disney as well, but since I won't really wear them outside of Disney I don't count them in my wardrobe, ha ha.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. Nothing yet

Basics:

1. Nothing yet
   

Shoes:

1. None

Handbags:

1. *NEW!* Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red classic calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
   

Accessories:

1. None
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None
   

Gifted from Brands:

• None
  

Spent in January: $895

Spent in 2025: $895

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $895