Category Archives: DIY

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Explore, Fashion, Food, Fun, Handbags, Inspiration, Travel, Treats by

There was a time when this week meant something more than work deadlines, trying to get to the gym, the grocery store, getting my laundry done, and a car wash. Spring break always sounded so exotic to me. In part, because I would hear the plans of my peers for their week of unadulterated freedom that included short road trips or jet-setting to Cabo for some fun in the sun.

In college, spring break was always the first week in March, but we would also get a few extra days off around Easter. I went to school with a lot of wealthy students whose parents paid their way for everything. Spring break for me was looking forward to some time off from my classes, but I would still work and might drive home to Orange County to see my family for a few days. Unfortunately, I never could afford to do much more than that.

I remember the times I used to watch T.R.L. on  MTV during spring break wondering what that experience would be like – where you pack your bags, hang out at a gorgeous resort, and live in a bikini for a whole week. In retrospect, I might have hated consistently being around a bunch of drunk people and would have much rather been at home taking naps, working, and reading (as was my typical experience). Then again, had I been able to afford those cliché spring break beach getaways, I imagine it would’ve been a lot of sleeping, partying, flirting with cute guys from different schools, lounging, and laughing mixed in with lots of unnecessary drunken drama. I’ll suppose I’ll never be 21 again to find out.

What I am looking forward to is the day that I can actually take myself on an extended vacation to an exotic resort and sip margaritas all day minus the annoying drunk college students. The best part will be that I paid for it all on my own and, as such, it would be a much richer and well-deserved experience.

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Vacay inspired accessories. ||

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|| Banishing doubt.||

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|| Strawberries & cream crepes // recipe here. ||

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|| Corner nightstands. ||

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|| Prada arm candy. ||

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|| A little Easter bunny humor. ||

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|| How to decorate a cupcake by Stephanie Franz, pastry chef at my favorite cupcake shop – Cupcakes Couture. ||

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|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Breakfast, Brunch, DIY, Fashion, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Lunch, Shoes, Treats by

I‘m a firm believer in spring cleaning. Being that I’m very slightly O.C.D., I’m more the type to try (and sometimes fail) to keep up on this throughout the year because I absolutely, with a passion, hate (HATE) clutter. This season, I’m committed to really doing a hardcore spring cleaning cycle. I have clothes in my closet that I need to part with for your typical reasons. Jewelry in my jewelry box that I bought at Forever 21 years ago that now looks like it’s from Forever 21 (cheap). And of course, there’s a storage closet and old paperwork that could use a good sift through. I‘m by no means a pack rat. I‘ve even been told that for a grown woman I don’t have much stuff, which is how I prefer to keep it during my younger years. It means I can pick-up and move with the flow of life or to Europe at any time. Either way, we can all use a good purge. It not only feels amazing when you let go, but makes room for what the new season brings. One week until Spring!

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| How to rock the statement necklace. ||

|| Steve Madden Rise Wedges in mint. ||

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|| Ice Cream Lab // The new liquid nitrogen futuristic ice cream parlor opening this Friday in the 90210 // Read more here. ||

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|| Decadent tree houses. ||

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|| Gratitude. ||

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|| D.I.Y. – From picture frame to table tray // Read more here. ||

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|| Lavender maxi dresses. ||

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|| Peanut butter, strawberries, bananas and granola wrap // Healthy options on the go // Recipe here. ||

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D.I.Y. Glass Bead Necklace Repair

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fun by

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I have this great necklace that I bought several years ago that wasn’t at all expensive, but it was something that I universally loved because you could wear it with anything to instantly dress up a look. Until I broke it. I took it in for repair. Was bummed at the terrible job they did. It lasted for one wear. And broke again. It’s been sitting with my other functioning necklaces broken for at least 6 months and I’ve been on the search for that exact necklace ever since. Enough! Sometimes a girl has to take matters into her own hands, especially when said girl happens to dabble in jewelry making. A hobby of mine that I seriously need to get back into and with the success of giving new life to my necklace, I feel completely empowered to push myself to test my mad skills. 🙂

D.I.Y. // Glass Bead Necklace Repair

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{Tools: Crimp tubes, glass beads, silver coated wire, crimping pliers, cutters, bead stopper clip, and a bead board.}

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{Use the bead stopper to accurately place crimp tube and thread bead. Use crimp pliers to close the crimp tube shut above and below the bead. Repeat as necessary.}

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{Measure evenly spaced bead placement using a bead board for accuracy.}

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{Once you’re ready to add your clasp (I went with a toggle clasp because it’s what I had) create a loop, add a crimp tube to it and use your crimp pliers to close the crimp tube shut. Open the toggle clasp ring and secure inside the newly created loop on both ends of necklace.}

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{Finished toggle clasp.}

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{After completing this project using the materials I already had on hand, I’ll likely update my wire choice to something sturdier and darker (like the wire choice in the “before” picture above), but this will do for the time being!}

Homemade Pinkberry…Sort Of

Posted in DIY, Food, Fun, Treats by

I am a fan of frozen yogurt (and that’s an understatement). There was a period in time when I would go to Pinkberry most nights of the week telling myself I deserved it and after all, it’s only yogurt, right? Of course, we must always exercise moderation in our eating habits… and for the sake of our wallets. Then I got to thinking recently…

An average, medium-sized, frozen yogurt runs around $5.00 – give or take on your preferences and where you choose to get your brain freeze. I decided to take matters into my own hands and experiment in a less costly way to get my fro-yo fix. This is by no means a Martha Stewart-esque approach (I didn’t make the yogurt from scratch or anything) and it’s not at all rocket science to throw some toppings together, but if it inspires you to try creating your own versions of an indulgence at home, no matter how simple it may be, then I’ve done good.

D.I.Y. // Homemade Pinkberry…Sort Of 

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Ingredients: I couldn’t find the Pinkberry-ish Tart flavor that I was looking for at Whole Foods, so just went with this vanilla flavor from Stonyfield for my experiment. Add in some strawberries, chocolate chips, granola, or whatever your favorite toppings are. Voilà!

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|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Handbags, Inspiration, Treats by

We’re in the midst of the week of love! I know Valentine’s Day can be a bittersweet experience for many of us. Either you’re madly in love and totally buy into the tradition, single and fabulous, single and not very happy about it, attached but wonder where your relationship is going on this milestone day, or totally reject the idea that love should only be celebrated on holidays. I, for one, identify with the category that believes love should be a festive experience all year long. Sure, I don’t mind being treated extra special on Valentine’s Day, but would much rather prefer those flowers, to be taken out to a nice dinner, “I love you’s” or a thoughtful handwritten card to come at surprise random times just because it’s Monday or I’m having a rough day. Regardless of what your relationship status says on your Facebook timeline, know that there is always something to love, at any time of the year, for any reason. And if by chance you still can’t get over the fact that Valentine’s Day sucks after that sentiment, sit tight – it’ll all be over after tomorrow.

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

{Look at this face! Tell me you’re not smiling right now?}

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{Michael Kors // Hamilton Large North South Tote. W.A.N.T.}

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{The Fast 6 extended trailer and my brown eyes met recently and it was love at first sight. Yes, I’m proudly OBSESSED with the F&F series! Eye candy, how I wish I could really drive on the 405, witty dialogue, high octane action, stylized film-making, and Paul Walker? Umm…yes, please!}

{Soul.}

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{Perfume bottles as vases.}

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{D.I.Y. glitter mouse pads // How to = here.}

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{Words of wisdom.}

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{Mara Hoffman // Beaded Chiffon Dashiki Maxi Dress.}

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{Gold sparkle french tips.}

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{Skinny Chocolate Parfaits // recipe.}skinny-chocolate-parfait

Highlights: Wrapping up the Holidays

Posted in Accessories, Breakfast, DIY, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

Mid-way through January already…geesh! It’s been so much fun reminiscing about a very memorable holiday season with you! I’ll be wrapping up my winter adventures with a few fun extra highlights gathered during my Christmas vacation. Next week, I’m looking forward to officially wrapping up the entire 2012 calendar year with a look back at all my favorites in film, leading up to my top 10 personal favorite blog posts of the year! Enjoy the long weekend gang! Here are this week’s final highlights from the holidays:

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{My new earrings worn on New Year’s Eve. LOVE.}

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{New year, new way to make breakfast. While I’m no stranger to making breakfast on a Saturday morning, I have to say it was a nice change of pace on a Thursday morning over the long vacation to get up and try something new. Rather than scrambling plain eggs, I decided to punch things up and add some bacon and spinach and opted to make roasted potatoes and toast on the side. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to start a Thursday.}

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{Making my first cup of tea in my new tea kettle that I got as a Christmas gift. There’s something so ritualistic and cozy about making tea the old fashioned way on a hot stove.}

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{As a stocking stuffer, I received this awesome sweet treat from Baked By Melissa. 3 mini cupcakes dipped in chocolate. What a great idea! I found out that you too, can have these bite sized goodies delivered right to your door step from their New York based shop. Check out their website for details.}

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{Baby it’s cold outside. Luckily, this new super soft scarf from The Gap helps.}

The Christmas Project – Results

Posted in DIY, Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Treats, Uncategorized by

Christmas was officially over, but I was luckily still in the beginnings of a long holiday vacation. I love it when you have so much time off that you don’t even know what day it is, or even care for that matter.

When it came to festivities and the goals I set for myself to celebrate the season (dubbed The Christmas Project – thanks, I came up with that myself!), I did pretty well, though admittedly there were some…um…hiccups.

1. Decorate my apartment. 
Result: DONE 
While my prized glitter poinsettia plant (pictured in the header) died about 2 weeks before Christmas, all was well when my Christmas tree came along and provided the warmest, festive feeling whenever I was home. You can read about my tree experience here.

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2. Watch at least 2 Christmas themed movies a week.
Result: DONE

Love Actually kicked-off a Holiday flick marathon for the whole month of December. Along with The Holiday, This Christmas, Just Friends, Home Alone, Fred Claus (which was so awful I turned it off so this might not count), Rare Exports, and Gremlins.

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3. Get Christmas shopping done well before Christmas.
Result: DONE

I can proudly say that thanks to my pre-planning using a secret Pinterest board, this gal was done Christmas shopping by December 21st! Some of my favorites to hand out this year was an engraved business card holder for my boyfriend’s Mom who just started a new jewelry business, and tickets to The Groundlings (the best improve show in L.A.) for my boyfriend.

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4. Bake something festive.
Result: FAIL

Let’s just say I did A LOT of eating of festive inspired cookies, but failed to actually make them. Honestly, this was the holiday goal I knew would be the most challenging for me to get to, even as I was typing it I wasn’t very confident. For now, this handy collage of images I made from Pinterest images will have to do in place of the fact that I was too lame enough to follow through.

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5. Lots of Hot Cocoa.
Result: DONE

Okay, so I didn’t exactly count how many cups I’ve had, but suffice to say that I had at least  2 cups per week.

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6. Be present.
Result: DONE (to the best of my ability)

This one is hard to gauge whether or not I actually accomplished enough to say one way or another. On the one hand, I listened to Christmas music, watched movies, decorated my apartment, wrapped gifts, and spent time with some of my favorite people celebrating the season. However, it’s no secret that this Holiday season was overshadowed by some bad news both personally and in the world around me. Suddenly, I felt guilty and a sense of missing cheer about wanting to be active in the season in light of certain events. I will give myself an “A” for effort because as I reflect, I know I did the best that I could, given the circumstances. Once we hit Santa Cruz and got into the spirit, I couldn’t have been more present and welcomed the feeling.

A Holiday Party Hit

Posted in Beauty, DIY, Food, Fun, Treats by

My first holiday party of the season was on a chilly Thursday night. The premise was simple: bring yourself, bring food, and bring 5 of your favorite thing for a little gift exchange.

Since I knew I would be spending the evening with my more health conscious girlfriends, I wanted to bring something that was original, healthy, but still had a touch of decadence to it. (It was a party after all!) I did not, however, want to bring store-bought cookies from Trader Joe’s that would just sit on the counter untouched by the end of the night (like I did last year). It came to me rather quickly thanks to an old Pinterest find from earlier this summer. I wanted to do a dessert-type dish and I wanted to do something that I actually took the time to make (no matter how simple it might have been).

Strawberries (healthy) + chocolate (decadent) = the perfect party treat (that your incessantly dieting friends will actually eat).

An added bonus, besides the irresistible pairing of strawberries and chocolate, was presenting them in a unique way by stuffing them, rather than dipping them (there’s the originality).

(Click here for the recipe).

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{Chocolate-filled strawberries.}

As for the gift exchange, the idea was to bring 5 of your favorite thing that was $6.00 max. Each person’s name would go into a hat 5 times and we’d each draw 5 names (minus your own) to pass your gifts out to after a small introduction as to why it was a favored item of yours. At the end of the night, you’ll have 5 different new favorite treasures from your friends.

I knew instantly what I would bring from the moment I learned of our gift exchange: L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Femme Fatale Collection nail polish in Tangerine Crush. I’ve already raved about it as one of the great beauty finds of 2012 (now you know why 5 were featured in the post). Since I’m all about presentation, I wanted to give out my goodies in a special way. I got 5 super cute Chinese style take out gift boxes from Cost Plus and placed the nail polish inside with a touch of tissue paper. Voilà!

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{L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Femme Fatale Collection nail polish in Tangerine Crush.}

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{Gift boxes.}

The chocolate-filled strawberries and nail polish in these awesome gift boxes were a holiday hit! And not one strawberry was left over after our potluck-style party. Take that, store-bought cookies! 🙂

2012: How Pinterest Made Me Cooler

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Dinner, DIY, Fashion, Food, Fun, Handbags, Inspiration, Treats by

March 5, 2012. The day I joined Pinterest, the latest social media craze that spawned yet another online addiction that I probably didn’t really need, but am more than happy with having. Once I figured out what the heck it was (and how to pronounce it), 2012 was never the same.

Pinterest appeals to my deeply visual side, my organizational side; and that side of me that loves to learn something new, how to do it better, or when I just need a little inspiration to change things up.

Pinterest has made me cooler. How, you ask? Let’s just say that thanks to the ideas curated onto my pretty awesome profile (if I do say so myself :)), I cook better, dress better, and my apartment has benefited from a few ideas sparked from a simple photo.

As of writing this post, I’ve pinned 643 images. Of those 643 images, I’ve managed to put a handful into action. In the spirit of looking back over the year, I thought it would be fun to share the recipes, tips, and products that I now treasure. Here’s how Pinterest made me cooler this year:

HOW I COOKED BETTER: Easy Garlic Chicken

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Without a doubt this very popular brown sugar and garlic chicken recipe pin turned me into a mini-rock star in the kitchen and was my first ever Pinterest experiment. It’s super easy to make, and only takes a few ingredients: chicken breast, garlic, olive oil, and brown sugar. I like to add a bit more garlic to the mixture to give it a little more punch against the brown sugar and top it off with a few dashes of salt and pepper for more flavor.

HOW I ACCESSORIZED BETTER: Kaela Designs Cheryl Katch Hobo Bag

Cheryl Katch Hobo Bag w/ Acrylic Ring Handle

I stumbled across this unique and trendy bag on Pinterest from Kaela Designs earlier this summer. Aside from the shape and pattern of the handbag, I fell in love with the ring style handles. It really makes it stand out. To read about this addition to my collection from earlier this year, please see my blog post.

HOW I HOME DECORATED BETTER: Flower Arrangements 101

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I love flowers. I them so much I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to them! Awhile back, I found Lauren Conrad’s “how-to” for flower arrangements via a pin. Above were my results! They added such a great touch of brightness and liveliness to my home for a week straight. I wrote a blog about making this simple and affordable flower arrangement courtesy of L.C. here.

HOW I BECAME CRAFTIER: D.I.Y. MAKEUP BRUSH HOLDER

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The first image above was a pin I came across that made me want to combine my love of candles (but not the left over jars), organization, and presentation into one. This photo led me to try re-purposing an old candle jar that turned into the photo below complete with an organized make-up brush holder on my new antique vanity tray. I’ll eventually upgrade to a nicer candle jar, but liked how it turned out! To see how I did mine, please visit my post.

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These are just a few ideas learned from my online passion, pinning images! I look forward to 2013 where I’m sure a new resolve to make it the best year yet, with Pinterest’s help, will spark new ideas and motivation from a simple image and I’ll be cooler than ever! Happy Pinning!

The Christmas Project

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Music, Treats, Uncategorized by

Welcome to December! And if we’re lucky, we’ll make it through the end of the world into an uncharted 2013 calendar year. Gotta love those Mayans! They certainly know how to stir up some drama. Couldn’t they have at least waited until AFTER Christmas to dub civilization over? That way, we at least get to die near our Christmas trees with a full stomach and new toys surrounding us? I suspect it will be pretty anti-climactic in the end, kind of like how Y2K came and went. This doesn’t mean that we won’t hear about it for the entire Holiday filled weeks ahead. So prepare mentally now for your Facebook feed to change tone; or not much at all if you have sarcastic, someecards.com loving friends like I do.

I’ve decided to challenge myself this month to not only survive the end of the world, but to grab 2012 by the balls and go out with a bang (probably not the best word choice in light of the end of time coming soon?). I really liked doing this for Halloween. I guess in theory it won’t be much different, you’re just swapping out pumpkins and horror for gingerbread and cheer! Being the slightly (okay, more than slightly) O.C.D. lover of setting goals and crossing things off lists that I am, I’ve decided to make festivity priority number one this Christmas. Here are my month long to-dos, a.k.a. – The Christmas Project:

1. Decorate my apartment.

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This year I want my very own Christmas tree! I made my first decorative purchase last week while at Trader Joe’s. This real mini poinsettia plant. It even had glitter on it! I couldn’t resist.

2. Watch at least 2 Christmas themed movies a week.

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This one will be completely do-able for me. Aside from being a total movie whore naturally, I already kicked this task off with my first festive flick, Love Actually (I never get sick of this one). Also on my list to bring in the cheer: Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Family Stone, Trapped In Paradise (suggested by the BF), and a slew of others I’ll be watching thanks to Moviefone’s blog entry.

3. Get Christmas shopping done well before Christmas.

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I have a bit of a problem with waiting until the last minute to start Christmas shopping and then I’m in the throes of total chaos kicking myself. Not because I’m in the chaos (I kinda like being with other “last-minuters”) but because it takes circling 30 minutes just to find a parking space to even get in the door! Then again, I do tend to get the most creative and inspired when under pressure. Here’s an actual picture I took of the Westfield Culver City mall 2 Christmas’ ago on December 23rd (on my like 1 megapixel Blackberry I had at the time). What the heck was I doing in a mall 2 days before Christmas? This year, thanks to Pinterest’s awesome new secret boards; I’ll be visually prepared, organized, and done in a more timely manner…December 22nd, the latest. 🙂

4. Bake something festive.

1-Blog Pics{Photos courtesy of Pinterest and someone who stole them from someone else, who stole from someone else, etc..}.

I can’t decide if it will be cupcakes, brownies, or cookies – but they better look like snowmen, Christmas trees, a star, or something. These Pinterest photos I’ve been collecting (since like July) give you an idea of what I’m talking about!

5. Lots of Hot Cocoa.

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Again, I started this to-do already. My first official hot chocolate of the season, complete with whipped cream, captured above.

6. Be present.

Literally, be present. Not in a gift giving sense, but to really slow down and enjoy this time of year: the weather, the decorations while walking the street, my closet full of scarves, holding warm beverages, smiling at strangers, running up my credit card, parties, movies, shopping, wrapping presents, listening to Christmas music, and spending time with people I love to be around.

These are my Christmas to-do’s. I’ll report back after the holidays.

HAPPY DECEMBER TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD MONTH!

🙂