December 30, 2011

2011

proved to be the year of changes.


  • I graduated college early and decided I owed myself a masters degree. After reaching the half way point in my masters, I'm extremely tired but still hanging in.
  • I moved in with my boyfriend after three years. We started the year in a townhouse in a crummy neighborhood and upgraded half way through to the apartment of my dreams in the city of my dreams. The view is ridiculous and we live right across from a french bakery and a dog park but are somehow right downtown- could it get any better? I think not. Once I put up the gallery wall we got for Christmas, I'll make sure to post pictures.
  • I started my job last January. While everyday is not fun or easy, my job has taught me what I'm capable of and exposed me to my ability to learn outside of an academic setting. I can honestly say that my job makes me proud of myself which makes the bad days easier and the good days amazing.
  • I found the world of blogging. After reading through others blogs for months, I finally got up the courage to start my own in November and have had so much fun. You meet so many people that share you're interests and everyone is just so geniune and sweet.


After reflecting on 2011, I've decided that I want to stop and enjoy myself in 2012. I'm still going to be busy achieving things and working (Type-A personality) but I want to enjoy what I've accomplished and be happy with that I have now. I find myself always looking to the next thing and not appreciating the now. So, with that said, you will get no resolutions out of me- simply these hopes for 2012:


Goodbye 2011, it's been fun. Let's see if 2012 can do better.


{All pictures via my Pinterest}

December 29, 2011

On The Hunt

for a pair of cute booties. I know I'm a little late to this trend but I've finally come around. I was a bit hesitant at first because I thought they might make my legs look a little short but have overcome that fear. Not sure of their timelessness, I've decided to start with a less expensive pair and see how I like them. Which is your favorite? Any not on this list that you love?

December 28, 2011

My Loot

Just in case you were wondering what Santa (aka, mother, father, boyfriend, etc.) brought for me this year, I thought I'd share...



Gallery Wall {via Pinterest} - This was the "big" present from my parents to my boyfriend and I this year and I can't be more thrilled. While I can't claim I was suprised, it will most likely be the present I enjoy most often. I actually put this together with my mom the day after Thanksgiving, picking out pictures, frames, and matting, and it was a ton of fun doing together. The other shoppers  must have thought we were crazy with our picks spread across the floor but it is already a treasured memory.

Hunter Boots- My amazing mother, God bless her, ordered these from Nordstroms weeks before Christmas only to find out when she opened the package that they were the shorter versions. This is after I ordered these in October from Piperlime to open the package to a strangely colored mauve colored pair. Needless to say, the correct pair is now on their way but it hasn't been easy tracking these puppies down!

J.Crew Flats- My ability to dress like I'm French, which I'm  not but wish I was, just increased substantially. You'll find me eating Croissants and wearin a striped boatneck tee much more now.

J.Crew Schoolboy Blazer- At first I wasn't sure about the cut when I tried this on but was willing to give it a shot after falling for it's navy color and brass buttons. Sure enough, with the right blouse, it's perfect.

Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking- Can't wait to bake from this. I have to say, while I love to cook, I love to bake more than anything. Professional pastry chef I soon may be.

Kate Spade iPhone Case- I'm just going to come out with it: I have a cracked iPhone. Everytime I think about spending the money to fix it something comes up- mainly clothes, sparkly baubles, you know how it goes. So when I found this under the tree this year, I was inspired to have a nice, cute phone again. I had long forgotten about my phone's ability to be a cute accessory and not just a utilitarian necessity.

iPad- I have to admit, when these first came out a few years back, I didn't see their appeal. After playing with mine for a few days now, I'm incredibly mad at myself for holding out for so long.

Tory Burch iPad Case {Sold Out}- If I dress myself in animal print, it is only suiting that my iPad be dressed in it as well.

Canon 60D- This isn't mine, I have to be honest. I bought it for my boyfriend for Christmas/birthday and I plan on stealing it for this blog often. Hold tight, you might just get a first ever outfit post this week.

And of course, I can't forget to mention the wonderful experiences I was given. Typically I don't go to the theatre or shows but after watching Cavalia and Cinderella this year, I might just change that.

Did Santa treat you all well? What was your favorite gift under the tree?

December 27, 2011

NYE 2012

Can you believe it? Christmas has gone and past. While normally I can't help but feel a bit blue after the most wonderful day of the year is over, this year I have my sights set on New Years Eve. There is something about the fun dresses, champagne, and new beginnings that is keeping my spirits up this year.

Since I decided to wear the Halston dress I'd purchased for New Year's last night to see Cinderella, the musical, and out to dinner, I've found myself in the market for a NYE dress once again. While there are amazing finds all over the Internet, I decided to look at the Shopbop sale because they're one of the only sites still offerning free two day shipping (for us procrastinators out there) and who doesn't like a great deal. With that said, which is your favorite? Do you have any fun plans in place?

December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas!


Wishing you and your family a Christmas full of:


Laughter


Love


Yummy Treats

Snow


Family

{Via my Pinterest}

I'm going to take the weekend off from blogging but will be back on Monday with all kinds of updates and stories. See you then!

December 21, 2011

My Closet is Incomplete

Without one of these...


{All pictures via my Pinterest}

I don't care that a short skirt isn't appropriate for the middle of winter. I'll wear tights. I don't care that I have no place to wear it. I'll make one. I need a voluminous skirt, ASAP. This Topshop one in particular...


{Topshop, $60}

A little emerald green just in time for the Holidays.

December 20, 2011

I would do anything

to go to New York this time of year.






{all pictures via my Pinterest}


10 Best Beauty Products


I think there is something so alluring about perfume. It is the only beauty product that lingers behind you in the air and on the things you touch. With that said, I think that one should spend a significant amount of time picking the right perfume for them. I was recently introduced to Jo Malone fragrances, late to the game, I know, but am in love. My two favorites are Wild Bluebell and Orange Blossom. It just so happens that Wild Bluebell is what Kate Middleton had the Westminster Abbey filled with when she got married and she was wearing Orange Blossom that day as well. Since she is the modern Jackie O. in my mind, you can't go wrong with these two. 

You might know this product better in it's navy blue tin form, the rose flavor, but I happen to prefer its strawberry counterpart a little bit better. It imparts the perfect amount of light pink tint to my lips, tastes amazing, and I don't need to worry about the color melting down my face. Need I say more?

It's a fact, I have oily skin. While I've been told that my oily skin is a blessing because I'll wrinkle less, I have a hard time believing it is a blessing at this stage of my life. With that said, I've searched high and low for a moisturizer that actually moisturizes my sensitive skin, but doesn't leave me looking like an oil slick. This one does the job perfectly and is fragrance free so I don't have to smell it all day. Love it, and I promise, it is worth every penny of its steep price tag (not to mention it lasts FOREVER).

I actually just bought this a few weeks ago but I'm more than impressed in that short amount of time. When you roll it over your under-eye skin, it leaves an antioxidant serum/moisturizer so you don't actually have to touch or tug on your delicate under-eye skin which is a big plus in my book. It also has caffeine in it so it has helped enormously with my morning puffy eye problem.

Pure and simple, this is the best blush out there, no matter if it is in its cream or powder form. I prefer to wear this universally flattering color in the powder form so it stays put on my oily skin but I've heard great things about it in cream form as well.

As I mention above, I have oily skin and that also translates to oily eye lids, resulting in creased eye shadow. Buy this stuff, it lasts forever and I haven't had a crease yet, even during a workout! Side note, this product is great for evening out the color tone of your eye lid so I recommend applying it even if you're not doing eye shadow that day.

Hands down my favorite red nail polish. The orange red is universally flattering and is it bad that Essie is my favorite polish because I love their packaging so much? Oh, and their great colors.

 As someone with thick, waist-length hair... aka a horse tail, I need all the help I can get. While a good portion of that helps come from giving myself a good blowout, a significant portion of that help comes from this wonder product. It smells delicious, leaves my hair shiny without looking greasy, and doesn't weigh down curls. If you're wondering why I get the light version, it is slightly less heavy than the regular and doesn't change the color of blonde hair. Yes, up until a few weeks ago, I was blonde all my life (ssshhhh don't tell!).

As mentioned above, my problem hair needs lots of help. I'm a big believer in the idea that styling can only get you so far with our hair and that good shampoo and conditioner are an essential expense. Ladies, go right now and check if your shampoo has sulfates in it.. if it does, you're washing your hair with the equivalent of dish soap and washing your expensive color down the drain. If you don't want to spend a fortune on sulfate-free shampoo, try Loreal. They have a great less expensive line. Anyways, back to  what the Pureology set I use. First off, this is vegan, all natural, and sulfate-free. But the best part is that this stuff works, amazingly, on all types of hair, including my own horse tail and my mom's thin, fine hair.

I've blogged about my love for my Mia before, but just in case you missed it, I wanted to praise it once again. Ladies, save up, do what you need to to buy one of these. They will change your skin for the better. I promise. Besides the obvious exfoliating powers of the Mia, I think people fail to realize that using a Mia allows your skincare products to be absorbed more deeply. While I have noticed my skin to be cleaner and smoother, I've also noticed I've need to use less moisturizer and antioxidant serum because the product is not being absorbed by my dead skin cells.  If you get one Christmas gift for yourself this year, let this be it.