HAPPY FESTIVUS (TO THE REST OF US)

Merry Christmas! (Belated, of course)
or Happy Holidays!

Santa was very, very good to me this year. Bringing me a kindle, a membership to the Frist Museum, a shearling vest, & lots of Bieber gear (as pictured below). The weekend was spent at my parent's. I enjoyed a few days off & way too much holiday food & spirits. I can still feel remnants of a Christmas hangover.

I cannot believe that 2011 is coming to a close. I literally feel like I was ringing in the new year just a few short months ago. But here we are, nearly 12 months later. SO much has changed. I thought last year was my biggest year in personal growth, but this year proved me wrong. I am so excited for what 2012 holds. Hopefully not an apocalypse, but I could go for a few life changes. :)

I've got a recap of 2011 scheduled for tomorrow. Should be fun to look back.
Until then!

what I wore

What I Wore : to secret shop, run errands, & get stuck in the snow for 2 hours.

hat & scarf - Francesca's; blouse - Old Navy; cardigan - Target; jeans - F21; boots - Steve Madden

I'll have you know, I had every intention of taking photos outside today in the pretty winter daylight. I had my tripod set-up & my car heat blasting. Alas, my camera battery was dead. WTH!? So I charged that sucker & was forced to take photos inside when I returned...& the sun was down. Damn. So, pardon the terrible lighting & quality of these.

I had an extremely productive day which included a morning yoga session, cleaning house, & running a few errands. My friend Emily had me secret shop her store. If you work retail, you know what a pain it is when you find out you've been secret shopped. I've never secret shopped myself though, so it was pretty fun! I felt like a spy.

I then found myself stuck in the middle of a snow blizzard. It came down FAST. It took me two hours to go roughly 15 miles. At one point, my jeep spun out of control & ran right into a median. I felt absolutely hopeless & leaned my head against the steering wheel, trying not to cry. My parents are out of town & all my friends drive 2-wheel drive cars. Who would help me!? Luckily, I heard a knock on my window a few moments later & a kind gentleman helped back my car out & ease it back on the road. Minimal car damage & I am indeed, A-OHKAY! However, I witnessed an SUV tumble into a ditch right outside my neighborhood. My fingers are crossed for everyone who found themselves in some sort of accident tonight.

I came home & treated myself to a large batch of homestyle mac & cheese.

Here's to hoping tomorrow is a breeze.

Tis the season...

Nashville saw it's first white Christmas since the early nineties this year. It was magical. I find snow to be incredibly romantic. It always gives me butterflies. It was just what I needed. A perfect ending to a rocky year.

I received alot of lovely gifts this year from my family. Lots of new clothes from U.O., Davines hair products (my fave!), an ipod shuffle for working out with, books, & lots of tv on dvd. My parents got me the newest Sex & the City dvd collection which comes with all six seasons, both movies, & a bunch of bonus material. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I'll never tire of that show despite having seen every episode about 125 times.

Unfortunately, my mono has flared up. I'm over the worst of it but I'm still incredibly tired. I finally was able to get out of the house last night for some Fido & chit chat with my bests. It was so lovely to be out & about for the first time in over a week. Now I'm off to do a little shopping in downtown Franklin, then it's birthday hangs tonight with my dear friend, Chris.

Until next time...

A Christmas Post

I think we all suffer from a sort of fogginess around this time of year. The days sort of run together and you forget whether it's two in the afternoon or two in the morning. I can't say that I got to enjoy the Christmas season this year. Between working two & a half jobs, maintaining a social life & squeezing in little bits of time for myself, there hasn't been much time to stop & smell the roses...or the Christmas trees. I am very much looking forward to the rest of winter though. January always brings a sort of encouragement and creativity to my life. I'm hoping I can run with it.

This past weekend, I had a big Christmas bash at my parent's lovely home. Friends from all around came to share the night with me. We drank, ate, drank, ate, and then jumped in the hot tub. Well they did. I was quite comfy curled on the couch watching Toys. What a strange movie...Sadly, since then I've been bed ridden with a 102 degree fever & some sort of virus. But it seems to be passing. FINALLY!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

This photo was taken by my brother outside of J. Alexanders, where we had lunch today. I took it for the purpose of sending it to Lauren to show her Nashville's first snow of the season. Then I realized, it's the first photo of me that has been taken with my brown hair! So, it's ended up here on the blog.

I am completely attached to that leopard print scarf & I find myself wearing it nearly every day. The coat is from H&M circa 2006. I can't believe it's still in such good condition! I haven't been very kind to it...

These past few days have had me completely consumed with work. I managed to find a few hours last night to see the latest Harry Potter installment. I was very impressed & I think it might just be the best film I saw all year. Not sure if there was a different Director of Photography for this film but the look and feel felt so much different than the others.

Tonight I sit at home completely snowed in. By completely snowed in, I mean there are about 2-3 inches of snow covering the streets out here in Arrington. I'm sure you northerners are laughing...

We had to close up the shop early tonight & I don't see us being open very long tomorrow. We'll see what management decides! Until then, I'm going to get in some kitty cuddles & continue watching Bertrand Russell clips on youtube. Goodnight, friends.

A craft : Snowflakes!

My parents house, where I'm currently living, is beautifully decorated for Christmas. I decided to finally get to work on my bedroom. I have a pink tinsel tree that I decorate with a Candyland theme every year. Since I am not in my own place this year, I decided to set it up in my bedroom. It looks pretty darling & my cat, Cloee, definitely enjoys all the hanging ornaments. I'm just hoping she doesn't break any...

I also decided to get to work on learning how to make paper snowflakes. I need to make roughly a million for my Christmas party next weekend. I sat in bed tonight with itunes on shuffle, reading tutorials & snipping away. I found this one and this one to be very helpful. I decided to hang a few over my bed using twine. I plan on adding about twenty more to it & leaving it up for the rest of winter...or maybe even all year!

Snow is one of my favorite things, I'll have you know. :)

A Winter Wishlist

1. Nine West booties // 2. J Crew Gloverall Toggle Coat // 3. Lush Buche de Noel citrus scrub - for my not so lush winter skin. // 4. Diesel Fuel For Life perfume (one of my all-time favorites) // 5. Cooperative Faux Fur Ear Muffs