2011: The year of ME

First let me wish anyone reading this blog, a very Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with those near and dear to your heart. I spent the evening with some of my closest girlfriends, snacking, laughing and playing games. Perfect :) 


With today being the 1st day of 2011, I know everyone is making new years resolutions and while I normally never make them because I'm not motivated to actually stick to them, and they usually just leave me feeling bad about myself, I am making resolutions this year. This year will be the year I take back my life. The year I stop putting everyone else's needs in front of my own, and actually take care of myself, my finances, and my future. 


This year I will....


-Spend less time criticizing and putting myself down, and more time building myself up for the wonderful qualities I have
- Put $1,000 into savings
- Pay off my credit card
- Make an effort to keep in better touch with distant friends
- Work out 4 times per week
- Send random "Thinking of You" notes to those whom I care about




I wish each of you a year full of happiness, love and growth. May you find peace within, flourishing relationships, and experience self-improvement. I wish you enough :)

Inspiration Board

I've never fully understood why people create inspiration boards, but as I work to complete all the little things around my house that I've wanted to do for the last 4 years (that's how long I've lived in this house), I am finally seeing why. Putting my thoughts and ideas onto paper (or a blog), really gives me a sense of what I want, what I'm looking for, and will keep me more on budget because I won't be buying things to see if they'd work. I'll know it, exactly when I see it, because it'll have been on my board/this blog. I'm excited to see what portion of this inspiration board I'll be able to accomplish this year, as I'm not the most handy, do-it-yourself, type of person, and I'm on a budget as I attempt to get my finances under control as well. SO, here's to an, on-a-budget-first-time-ever-inspiration board :)

1. Entry way Chandelier

The 1980s called and they want their chandelier back! I'm
replacing the hideous gold chandelier with this blackish iron
one I found at a garage sale for $20! I'll need to put a
fresh coat of black paint on it first though.

2. Garden Window

So bleh! My current window above my kitchen sink offers nothing exciting.
I'd love to get some roman shades like this AWESOME print. I think I'll
have to custom make it though because I've found kitchen roman shades are
hard to come by. Any other idea? I haven't made up my mind on this one.

3. Entry way landing

This is my current entry way. I've got a wall
on the left of various black frames with
black & white photos in them, and then on the
right I've got a black shelf and then that black mirror.
I'm kind of over the black basket on the ground and want
to change it up a bit with...

this black side table (or something like it), and then a unique
ceramic jar like the ones shown here. I would want one that
incorporates burgundy, sage, & golds, which are the colors in the house.

4. Master Bathroom

My current bathroom. I can't afford to redo the
countertops or floors, so my ideas are to.... 

replace the current mirror, with a framed mirror
like this, which will add some richness to the space.

And a new shower rod. No real reason, I've just
wanted one FOREVER :)

5. Living Room/Dining Room Lighting

SO hideous! Again, I can't afford to redo the cabinets (although
I SO want to), but this 1980s lighting has got to go! Because
the house gets so hot in the summer, I'd still like to have a
ceiling fan, so here's my new choices.

7. Headboard

This is my room now, and I've been dying
for a headboard. I don't want to buy a wood
one because it wouldn't match my dressers (that
I hope to get rid of soon). So I'd love to made a
fabric headboard and I was thinking something grey like this...

I like this fabric but I wonder if it'd be too much.
Maybe something less busy?

Crazy Family Christmas Shenanigans

About 10 years ago my family started a new tradition that has caught on like gang busters. We started getting bored with the usual "visit, dinner, visit, dessert, presents, midnight mass, goodbye's" because we didn't really get to enjoy each other because you were so focused with "making the rounds". So one year my Uncle Steve, who's a dentist, surprised us by secretly polling 100 of his patients and presented us with a Christmas version of Family Feud! It was hilarious and amazing and was the beginning of a beautiful tradition. Since then, every year there is a Christmas game that remains top secret until Christmas Eve when we all celebrate. The responsibility of coming up with the game rotates, so whoever is hosting Christmas Eve, is also responsible for the game as well. 

In the past we have played...

Family Feud, Christmas Murder Mystery, Survivor (2 times), Name That Christmas Tune, Christmas Charades, Christmas Picture Rebus Puzzles, Christmas Dice game (rolling a 2 and a 5 simultaneously), Wii  Tournament (we created characters for each person in our family)

This year I am in charge once again and we are going to play Minute to Win It Christmas version! I am so excited to see how ridiculous my family will be! Not a single person cares about making a fool of themselves, and usually we're a bit intoxicated which will make it that much more hilarious. If you haven't seen this game show, you really should! The tradition of a game on Christmas Eve has really brought my family together over the years and has created some memories that will last a lifetime. I am so thankful for my amazing family, whom I love and whom I know loves me for just the person I am. 

Empowering Women

A few weeks ago a friend of mine posted a link to The Brave Girls Club, an online website designed just for women, where they can come together to create an online community where positive self-images are instilled. This is for women who want to lead the best life they can live, all the while being brave in whatever challenge life may throw at them. It's one of the most empowering communities I've come across. 


Now granted I haven't had the time to really delve deep into the inner workings of this community, but what I have seen, is powerful, wonderful and exciting to find in my inbox daily. There is an email you can sign up to receive called "A little birdie told me...Daily Truth". This email is a little nugget of gold if you ask me! Each day it has something empowering, uplifting, inspiring or something that you just needed to hear that particular day. So many days in the last 2 weeks, these little daily truths, have spoken to me in just a way that I needed. Something my dearest and closest friends have told me before, but nothing that I believed. For some reason, I had to have it presented this way, to make me understand it and grasp it in the way it was meaningful to my life. Check it out...you won't be disappointed! 


One of the "owners" of this club is quite the artist and has created these inspirational images that I just had to post! I'm thinking of printing them and framing some for my desk, wall shelves, etc! I give all credit of these images to the wonderful women at The Brave Girls Club!

In a time when I am struggling with a friendship that is emotionally
draining; one where I'm giving my everything and not getting
anything in return...I SO needed to hear this. It's permission for me
to move on and not feel guilty. I'm protecting my soul. :)

I L.O.V.E this. It's so simple but yet so meaningful! Who
cares what others say...be yourself...do your thing...be you!

Simple. Profound.

Christmas Movie Magic

One of my favorite ways to kick off the holiday season is to snuggle up on the couch with blankets and friends, and mugs of hot chocolate (and maybe a bit of peppermint schnapps) and pop in Christmas movies! There are so many that I remember watching as a kid with my brother, on repeat, night after night. The love for  Christmas movies continues today, as I've compiled a list of holiday movies I plan to watch this year. Some I've seen, some I can pretty much quote line by line, and others I've never seen. Regardless, they are movies I plan to watch this season, and are listed in no particular order. I've put an ** by the ones that hold a special place in my heart. What are your favorite Christmas Movies??


1. Babes in Toyland**
2. A Christmas Carol
3. A Christmas Story
4. Elf**
5. The Family Stone
6. Four Christmases
7. Frosty the Snowman
8. The Holiday**
9. Home Alone**
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol
11. The Polar Express
12. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
13. Scrooge
14. A Charlie Brown Christmas**
15. It's A Wonderful Life
16. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
17. Love Actually
18. Miracle on 34th Street
19. The Night Before Christmas
20. Prancer

Snow!

Some people like to play in the snow...I however, like to put my Legos IN the snow :)

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

In honor of the impending holiday I thought it was only appropriate that I post some of my favorite Thanksgiving Centerpieces and table settings. The rich color tones gives off such a cozy, inviting feeling that brightens up each room. Although I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year and will not need to create any sort of centerpiece, if I did, one of these would for sure be sitting in my dinning room.

I love the simplicity of this one, especially because all you use is
your own linens, fruit and gourds purchased at your local store.
Simple, straight forward, and gorgeous.

I don't think the centerpiece on this one is anything special
but what I do love is that the centerpiece isn't meant to be
the focal point. LOOK AT THOSE DISHES! How fun! This
is a great way to mix it up a bit and still have plenty of room on the
table for all the other "goods" :)

Again, I like the de-clutter look of this one. Who wants to
have to work around bulky centerpieces that block your
view of your loved ones and make it impossible to set
the turkey, potatoes and all the other fixin's on the table?!

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! How simple! I never thought about using
nuts to decorate like this. But how chic and simple but gorgeous!

Hands down my favorite! Just think of how versatile this could
be! You could do different plants for every season and it'd be
the perfect accent to your table!