My daily goal is 3,000 Fuel Points. On this day, I happened to torch it.

I wear it everyday, mixed in with costume jewelry as well as the real stuff.

In Vogue’s September issue, Chloe Malle writes about the Fuelband as fashion’s hottest accessory.

When I see others sporting one, there’s a tacit understanding that we’re part of the same fitness-tracking tribe.

Wearable tech also includes smart socks, sensor tattoos, heart rate rings. The list goes on.

And then, of course, there’s Google Glass. I wasn’t one of the early adopters  (a.k.a. Glass Explorers) who got a chance to plunk down $1,500 for the beta.

Rise of the Cyborgs? Google co-founder Sergey Brin. (Photo via cnet.com)

Similar to the way Alice’s Looking Glass transported her to a strange alternative world, what you see through Google Glass will be amazing—directions, news headlines, stock quotes to name a few of the endless possibilities in a new augmented reality. I’ll let everyone else get all frantic and huffy about the safety and privacy implications.

What’s really important is if Glass will become stylish enough for mainstream fashionistas like me. There are rumors that Google is partnering with Warby Parker to design hipper frames. And a recent New York Times article described how Google’s all-female Glass product team is working to make it a coveted accessory.

For now, I can’t help but still think of them like this:

From the classic ’80s movie “Sixteen Candles.”

Or this:

Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Geordi LaForge.

And here’s how I imagine they feel on your face:

Cliff wearing some kind of x-ray vision contraption in “Sixteen Candles.”

I’m pretty sure the Googlers will succeed in delivering an elegant version for the mass market. However, there’s one big psychological barrier that makes me hesitate to jump on the bandwagon: my self-image is so closely tied to the black Versace frames I’ve been wearing since 2006. My previous eyeglasses were Prada that had a rose-colored metallic bar across the top and rimless lenses. (I scoured my files for a photo but, alas, couldn’t find one!) While working as a marketing manager at an architecture firm, a male colleague mentioned that my glasses were very “granny.” OMG!! Really?! I thought they were avant-garde! Was I offended? Slightly. But looking in the mirror one day, I had to agree. If only I could get some of the quirky cool associated with architects and designers to rub off on me.

Daniel Libeskind. In 2003, he won the competition to be the master plan architect for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. (Photo via daniel-libeskind.com)

Pritzker Prize winner Kazuyo Sejima of the Japanese firm SANAA. (Photo via vimeo.com)

Interior Design magazine editor-in-chief Cindy Allen. (Photo via interiordesign.net)

Inspired, I hightailed it to LensCrafters where I found the perfect replacement. More than just a product to correct near-sightedness, my new spectacles changed how I saw the world, and how the world saw me.

Bespectacled me in 2008. (Photograph by Jessica Marcotte.)

With my mom at her birthday dinner in July 2011.

With Andrew in June 2013.

Selfie in 2011. I did stray once. Wanting a change for New Year’s, I bought a light-colored pair of Burberrys. I still have them but they just weren’t the same.

On the few occasions when I wear contacts, do I appear measurably different?

Andrew took this photo of me in September 2007, about two months after we first met. (Not a hint of make-up either. Man, was I brave.)

A rare instance of attending a snazzy party.

Heading out for a run last year. (Notice the chunky Garmin Forerunner on my wrist. I hadn’t gotten a Fuelband yet.)

Certain accessories become a seamless part of you—whether it’s your signature red lipstick, humongous specs, or sleek pedometer. They form your personal brand and make a statement, strong or subtle. If Google Glass can enhance my vision while projecting my geek-chic best, they may be worth a closer look.

So what’s my verdict on 2012?

Well, it was a mix of Good and Bad, which I realize is how life usually goes. Although I’m a positive person by nature (one of those glass-half-full types), my year was kind of a doozy. Yes, things could have been a lot worse. A whole lot worse. But overall, it could have been a lot better too.

First, here’s the bona fide Good!

• We bought our first house and made it a home. It was worth all the packing and moving our stuff, and even worth the longer commute.

I still love our 1,580 square feet of coziness.

• My trip to San Francisco in June. Sure it was for work, and I only had one free day to play, but I am grateful for the opportunity. It was amazingly refreshing to get out of DC.

Public art installation near Union Square. I left a piece of my heart in San Francisco. (Who doesn’t love that city?)

• I joined Twitter (@jenrocksfashion) which has led me to feel connected to the world in a new way.
• I became more active in my college alumni association, speaking on panels, meeting current students and offering career advice. It’s a way for me to give back as well as be inspired and humbled by the next generation. They are dynamos!

Now for the Bad–with my efforts to put a positive spin on it in brackets:

• Andrew had to have back surgery (a laminectomy).  [We have good insurance and live in a world-class city with excellent hospitals. Seven months later, his sciatic pain has subsided substantially. So I should probably file this under the Good category!]
• Our health insurance currently costs a hefty arm and a leg (so to speak). [We're grateful for the coverage.]
• Mid-life crisis. (I’m gonna be purposely vague on this one but let’s just say it involves job insecurity, job loss, shaken confidence, soul searching. Having been unemployed for a full year after grad school, I have firsthand knowledge of the crushing feelings of helplessness and despair. If you haven’t been through it, you really have no idea.) [What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.]

We’re all works in progress, and sometimes progress is tough going.

• Mind-numbingly expensive and ongoing dental work, much of which requires high out-of-pocket outlay. [With a little help from our families, it will be OK.]
• Living on one non-profit salary for months. [At least it was one instead of none. And I have become a budgeting and spreadsheet ninja, tracking where every dollar goes.]

And lastly, here’s the Upcoming. These are just a few things off the top of my head that I’m looking forward to in 2013 (because anticipating the Good is actually beneficial to your health).

• Mortgage-interest tax deduction: for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I may finally see a tax refund come April 15th! Hallelujah!
• My office is relocating to a gleaming new building in March. (It’s actually a combo of new construction and adaptive reuse of the C&P Telephone Company warehouse.) I can’t wait to bust out of our crappy, dark, depressing digs.
• A vacation: I’m not exactly sure where, when or how, but this girl needs an extended trip to somewhere far away and a temporary reprieve from taking “stay-cations.” (My excuse? New scenery and new experiences help strengthen the brain.)

After a 15-year absence, maybe I’ll see you again.

Final thoughts:

I’m never going to be a happy-go-lucky free spirit susceptible to flights of fancy (except when my J.Crew catalog arrives), but in 2013 I want to feel less like a frantic hamster on a perpetual wheel trying to hold everything together. It’s gonna be a challenge since several of the big-ticket Bad items having to do with health and personal finance will linger. How to achieve a more Zen (or Jen?) state is something to figure out (or maybe the saner strategy is just to embrace the suck). Because as my mentor once told me, “Making resolutions without a plan is a doomed endeavor.” People need concrete steps to get from Point A to Point B. It doesn’t suddenly happen by wishing or hoping, which is one reason why I consciously didn’t use the words “hopefully” or “try” in this post. (Those are inconsequential, wishy-washy terms like “nice.”)

One tip: I read the book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and in Business” cover-to-cover during my six-hour flight from California. It’s a riveting examination of how and why habits form, and how to alter them–which may come in handy in trying to stick to New Year’s resolutions.

Here’s to a better and brighter 2013!

And most importantly, time to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my stuff. (THANK YOU!)

This past year, I wrote a whole lot more about house-related purchases than fashion-related ones (a side effect of being a first-time homeowner). I also saw art exhibitions (Gaultier at the DeYoung Museum and Ai Weiwei at the Hirshhorn were especially enjoyable), daydreamed about a beach vacation, captured the angst and elation of gift wrapping, and got wistful (as usual) about the month of May.

So without further ado, I humbly and proudly offer you my ten best posts of 2012 (in no particular order):

El Camo Reyle

Connecting luxury make-up brands, artist Anselm Reyle, camouflage and tree bark.

Anselm Reyle for Dior eye shadow.

The Closet Dream

This one holds a lot of sentimental value since it was my first post after we moved into our new home.

Double-wide dream closet. (Not quite as good as a huge walk-in but I’ve got no complaints!)

Double-Take Tuesday: Ed Furlong and a (Female) Model

I like this post for three reasons:

1) I decided to launch the Double-Take weekly feature in October. (Yay!)

2) It’s not often that I successfully come up with male and female look-alikes.

3) After finally joining the Twittersphere this year, I was thrilled when model Henriett Barabás retweeted this post.

Hungarian fashion model Henriett Barabás.

The Fall Buys

Returning to my roots: a reminder that I had originally started this blog to talk about fashion and dispense some practical advice.

J.Crew pleated crepe skirt in one of my favorite colors.

Gettin’ Toasty

My grand discovery this year: affordable, reusable and playful wall decals. (My only regret is not having known about these while renting.)

A tasty trompe l’oeil in our dining room.

Fall N’ Objects

Seeing patterns between domestic objects and the Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collections.

A look featuring a paisley print from the Etro 2012 RTW Collection.

Barnes-storm

A lovely day in August at the newly-unveiled Barnes Foundation Museum with my mom.

A museum unlike any other.

Cinderella in Running Shoes

My dream of running in Nikes comes true at last.

Style on the run.

Two of a Kind: Alaïa and Asawa

Masters of design and construction during my trip to San Francisco.

Sublime dresses in a subdued palette by Azzedine Alaïa.

Deck the Halls

I happily spent a good chunk of time doing research and crafting this piece. While the skateboard was the epitome of an impulse buy (and it’s currently selling at a 50% discount), non, je ne regrette rien.

10 Crosby Derek Lam skateboard for the Target/Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Some of my other favorite lists from around the Web:

Vogue: Fashion’s “It” Girls of 2012

Harper’s Bazaar: Best Fashion Ads of 2012

T Magazine: The Best in Women’s Fashion and Beauty

Apartment Therapy: Great Ideas from 2012 for Living Well on a Budget

Fast Company: Favorite Products of 2012

NPR Music’s All Songs Considered: The Year in Music 2012

From my archive: Personal Bests in 2011.

So as the December 1st launch date of the Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection was approaching, I didn’t pay too much attention. After all, I had responsibly been packing my lunches for weeks and deleting tempting emails from J.Crew. But last Saturday, I happened to be online around 9:30 am. One thing led to another and before you could say “fiscal cliff,” I found myself feverishly scrolling through the affordable designer products on target.com. And what did I end up adding to my cart?

Bull’s-eyes and exclamation points: the logo of the Target by Neiman Marcus designer collaboration.

Something completely useless and unnecessary. Something that when I laid eyes on it, I had to have.

A skateboard. Designed by Derek Lam.

Don’t ask me why. Or, actually, I can answer that question! You see, in my mind, skateboarding–along with surfing and hip-hop–has long been the epitome of effortless and untouchable cool. I’ve secretly coveted brands like Supreme and Stussy that feel hopelessly out of my league.

The other reason is that ever since I saw the Novogratz design duo on HGTV use skis as wall decoration in renovating Tony Hawk’s vacation house, I’ve always wanted a skateboard as a piece of art.

My inspiration: skis as design element chez Tony Hawk.

Rationalizations aside, here’s my board!

7-ply Canadian Maple Pro concave deck. Grip tape branded with 10 Crosby Derek Lam.

I’m debating how to hang the skateboard, perhaps suspended like a mobile from our townhouse ceiling since the underside of the deck is colorful:

The geometric design of the deck’s underbelly.

The heat-treated aluminum trucks and premium polyurethane wheels. (I had to learn some of the lingo.)

The wheels and bearings.

The skateboard currently lives under my beloved yellow cb2 console table in our main hallway. I kind of like it there.

Honestly? I love my impulse buy. For $99 plus tax and free shipping, it makes me smile! Now excuse me while I pack some more PB&J sandwiches for the coming week.  In the meantime, check out these infinitely more artistic skateboard creations.

Haroshi recycles old skateboards for his sculptures. He “carves stacks of old…decks, cuts them into wooden mosaics [and] then assembles the mosaics…in which the exposed layers reveal various patterns.”

“Dunk 2010.”

And this Eames-esque chair is pretty rad.

Eight secondhand decks screwed into a metal frame with neoprene sprayed on top.

Images via apartment therapy, haroshi and flavorwire.

*Update on Dec. 18, 2012: I came across an article in the Washington Post about a related phenomenon called “gift conversion.”

*Update on July 19, 2013: Check out the latest MoMA PS1 pavilion made from a “weaving pattern of skateboard cut-offs.”

So here’s my pitiful starting point, as you can see from this photo when we first moved in seven months ago:

Scarce pinnings.

Over the summer, I had added a few more clippings but it still needed a makeover.

The Pre-Pinning Plan

I went through a stack of magazines, several pages of which I had dog-eared earlier. After reviewing what had initially caught my eye, I culled it down to these six pages and arranged them on our dining room table.

Tearsheets as eye candy.

You’ll notice a palette of teal and white (the same colors from my “The Fall Buys” post) plus bright orangey-red. Clockwise from top left: Neiman Marcus ad for a pair of devastating Charlotte Olympia velvet platform pumps with pleated ankle collars; sublime winter white dress from Valentino; Karlie Kloss wearing a swingy orange wig and Frank-Gehry-esque (as described by Vogue) Lanvin dress; ad in Dwell magazine for a design conference; Natalia Vodianova in a Stella McCartney sporty, graphic minidress along with shapes that remind me of these Anton Ginzburg stickers at the Cooper-Hewitt; ad from Interior Design for sleek Scavolini kitchens.

Pinning is the Easy Part

With my selections in hand, I headed downstairs and just dove in:

The cork is now covered!

The collage took me less than five minutes to execute. I interspersed the magazine finds with a few personal items: a birthday card from a dear friend and watercolor by her toddler son (future collector’s item); a postcard of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (I’ve never been) from my best friend; a picture of Shalom Harlow from the Gaultier exhibition; a sticker from the San Franpsycho store.

This visual feast will nurture my creative spirit through the next few weeks, or maybe months–or until another wave of motivation hits me.

J.Crew pleated poly crepe skirt ($128). I love the color and silhouette but wish the fabric was wool or silk crepe. I refuse to pay for polyester. Ever.

10 Crosby Derek Lam flouncy skirt. A lot to love here: silk georgette, made in USA, vibrant but wearable print, flattering A-line silhouette, side pockets. Price is still a stretch at $335.

I actually prefer the back.

Carven high-waisted, wool blend skirt. So much practicality (its pockets, length, color, fabric, detailing), except its price ($420).

Magaschoni embellished cropped cardigan ($350). OK, I know that white is not easy to keep clean or maintain. Still, it’s yummy cashmere with a cropped length and subtle but special beading. Wonder if it will go on sale…

McQ Alexander McQueen pin-shoulder wool sweater. I don’t know why I find white knits so appealing right now. This version features a hint of punk rock with the oversized safety pins. (It also makes me think of Elizabeth Hurley circa 1994 in that infamous Versace dress.) Hmm, $305. Or I could get a backsplash for my kitchen.

Anyi Lu “Melanie” bootie. The “greige” color? Heaven. Very versatile. Made in Italy. I may have to try these on. $465. Yikes.

J.Crew Excursion quilted down vest. Color? Warm bisque. I’d be channeling the outdoorsy parka trend, but would only get a few months’ use out of it. $110 is doable.

Marchesa. Total fantasy piece. I have no idea how much this costs. The gold-silvery brocade is opulent. It’s short but demure. (And is that an homage to Wonder Woman with the eagle/falcon design on the bodice?)

There you have it–my relatively down-to-earth fall fashion picks.  And I’m usually not that into the color blue for my wardrobe but as luck would have it, Pantone just announced its top 10 colors for Spring 2013.  What tops the list?  Monaco Blue and Dusk Blue.

Images via style.com, jcrew.com, neimanmarcus.com, barneys.com, nordstrom.com.

* I realize this could work better as a Pinterest board but geez, I don’t know if I can handle committing to yet another social media platform.

Update on Sept. 20, 2012: I headed to J.Crew after a rewarding day at work and bought the Excursion vest in navy. (The warm bisque color wasn’t all that flattering on me.) The store was having a spot sale so I got it for 25% off. It’s warm with a streamlined silhouette and just the right amount of puffiness. Perfect for October days to come!

Related posts you might like:

• Flashback to the Fall 2011 Collections.
• Swooning over shoe designer Anyi Lu.
• The dilemma of wearing white.
• My love of skirts.
• My love of sweaters.

In retrospect, I think we could have stretched our budget and squeezed in a mini sun-and-sand getaway, but that would have pushed our comfort zone. So until next summer, memories of past beach escapes will have to sustain me. Here are three of my favorites:

Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, 2009.

Love Beach in the Bahamas, 2007.

Beach near Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, 2006.

What’s that old saying? Life’s a beach…and then you die?

P.S. I picked up this gorgeous postcard while in San Francisco. For them, life’s a wave.

Just my style: bold color and simple design.

Older posts about the beach:

Hawaii Brav-O

Beachy Keen

Awash in Color

So during my recent trip to San Francisco, I stopped by the Saks Fifth Avenue store on Union Square. And there, swaying lightly near the second floor landing, were a handful of pristine Alaïa dresses. Major swoon—over their beauty as well as their four-figure price tags.

Exquisite cut and construction. And the fabric is substantial enough to hug you in all the right ways.

Soft muted perfection by the “King of Cling.”

The quiet gracefulness of the stretch knit dresses reminded me of these crocheted wire sculptures at the de Young Museum a few days later. Renowned Japanese-American artist and native Californian Ruth Asawa created the pieces from iron, copper, and brass wire. She considers them “three-dimensional drawings.” I love how the shadows that each sculpture projects onto the walls become an integral part of the experience.

Untitled works, ca. 1960-1969, copper and brass wire.

Untitled, 1955–1959, galvanized steel and copper wire.

Both Alaïa and Asawa are masters of strength and delicacy. (That’s a powerful combination in a personality too.) A girl can still dream…

Saks Fifth Avenue | 384 Post Street | San Francisco, CA  94108 | 415.986.4300 | saksfifthavenue.com

Ms. Asawa’s work is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

de Young Museum | Golden Gate Park | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive | San Francisco, CA 94118 | 415.750.3600 | deyoung.famsf.org

Update on Aug. 18, 2013: Ruth Asawa died on August 6, 2013 at the age of 87. Her obituary in the New York Times details her extraordinary, inspirational life.

Update on Oct. 30, 2013: Check out Azzedine Alaïa’s new boutique in Paris.

For a little escapism from the surreal weekend that was—as well as from our current sweltering heat wave—here’s my final post about the Gaultier exhibition in San Francisco where the temperatures stayed in the low 70s with no humidity. (Yes, it feels like a distant dream now.) These are the looks that captured my imagination the most.

As a big fan of knitwear, I liked Jean Paul Gaultier’s version of a cozy sweater:

Women’s Ensemble. Russia collection, haute couture fall/winter 1997-1998. Knit wool dress; tulle underskirt; Mongolian lamb hat.

Detail of dress hem and tulle underskirt.

Pearly Buttons as Pinstripes:

The seaming with buttons was exquisite, like little scalloped rows.

Trail of buttons down the back of stockings.

There was a timeless elegance to this ensemble.

Camo Whammy (reminded me of this previous post):

“Dubar” gown with camouflage motif. Romantic India collection, haute couture spring/summer 2000. Ruffled tulle. Worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.

Flight of Fancy:

“La Mariée” wedding gown. The Hussars collection, haute couture fall/winter 2002-2003. Silk faille skirt with metal bodice and shoulder jewelry; headdress and train of silk and feathers.

Same gown worn by model Maggie Rizer. Photographed by Craig McDean for Vogue, October 2002.

“La Mariée” was breathtaking up close. It was the showstopper.

P.S.  I bought the poster version of the Craig McDean photo to hang in our bedroom.

“The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” runs through August 19, 2012.

de Young Museum | Golden Gate Park | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive | San Francisco, CA 94118 | 415.750.3600 | deyoung.famsf.org

For a list of other fashion-focused exhibitions happening around the world this year, check out this Fashionista link.

Around Christmastime, I did a recap of my favorite posts of 2011. These are my favorite three since January:

El Camo Reyle

Making a visual connection between Dior eye shadow…and tree bark.

Loving Frank

Welcoming Frank Gehry into our basement.

The Art of the Gift

Cultivating a pretty present.

So, what have I learned during this past year?

• To trust my gut.  Always.
• To be open to creative inspiration, and be a keen observer–whether I’m walking down a city block or eating at a restaurant.
• To write when I can and not stress about it.  Having a full-time day job (which sometimes spills over into evening and weekend hours) means that blogging is not my main priority.  And that’s more than OK.
• That coming up with clever titles and photo captions requires a surprising amount of brain power.
• That the process of brainstorming an idea, fleshing it out, and then clicking “publish” provides me with a sense of elation and joy.
• That not even hackers, who brought down my site twice, could deter me.

Lastly, I’ve learned what famed American graphic designer Milton Glaser was talking about in Jonah Lehrer’s eye-opening book Imagine. He said, “[Creativity] is about taking an idea in your head, and transforming that idea into something real.  And that’s always going to be a long and difficult process.  If you’re doing it right, it’s going to feel like work.”

It’s true: crafting each post takes a lot of effort.  I experiment with different sentence structures and rearrange the order of photos.  I mull over words.  And I revise and edit some more.  But I love it so it’s not really work, is it?

Here’s to kicking off my sophomore year in the blogosphere!