I Have a Confession.

I have a confession.

I am not a fan of the whole “New Years Resolution” thing.

It’s not that I don’t get the appeal. Believe me, I do.

A New Year feels untarnished by bad choices, untouched by drama.

It feels full of possibilities and second chances.

We all know that a turn of the calendar does not absolve us of our choices,

or rid us of our demons,

or serve as a free pass for a do-over.

So this year,

instead of setting silly goals and

making a bunch of promises to myself

about living like I ought to anyway...

I'm just going to

spend more time with these guys.

nieces & nephews

My favorite people in the whole wide world!

Welcome 2011!

All Roads...

On Christmas Eve... all roads lead home!

Last minute Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.

Merry Christmas Friends!!!

I Wish...

I wish I was here...

Telluride, Co.

DYI: A Little E.R. Inspiration

Remember this little number from Eddie Ross? I still love it and I still haven't made one.

This Christmas, I'm trying to be a little "craftier". And I have a lot of you ladies out there to thank. I've been so inspired by some of your projects that I've decided to try an easy one myself. So, I'll start out with a simple "Eddie Ross" inspired outside wreath.

I like the idea of using non-tradional colors. It's fun and less expected than the usual Christmas colors.

I really like this ribbon for some reason... I'm using it!!!

So I pulled out a couple of lengths, and fashioned this bow.

(Always the hardest part for me)

Next, I went to my favorite Big Lots and found these great shatterproof ornaments for $2.99 a box.

I sorted through all the ornaments and decided to use only the matte finished ones.

Then, I found an old wire hanger and bent it around into a circle with a little hook on each end.

Then, I just started stringing the ornaments onto the wire.

When I used all the ornaments, I bent it back into a circle and attached the two ends using the hooks I fashioned on either end of the wire hanger.

Then I just fastened on the bow... and DONE!

Now as I look closer, I wish I would have changed some of ornaments around for better color distributation and made a bigger bow... !

It's no "Eddie Ross Wreath" but it's not bad, huh?

Rent the Runway... Brilliant!

The attic of my parents' house is a graveyard of dresses from years gone by. Prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, dresses worn to formals – you name it, and you can find it up there. Seriously, I put Katherine Heigl’s 27 dresses to shame. And the worst part of it all is that these precious and costly dresses only saw the light of day once in their entire existence. They got all prettied up, made their debut, and then got stuffed back in the closet never to be seen again. Honestly, it’s a little heart-breaking.

In this day and age of recession and cutbacks on my wardrobe, I simply can’t afford to keep on living this way. Which is why RentTheRunway.com is such a lifesaver. Their slogan is “Love. Wear. Return.” and one look at their website will have you clutching your chest believing the "big one" has finally struck.

This mail-order service (I liken it to Netflix for fashion) allows women to rent high-end fashions and accessories for about one-tenth of the retail price. Running from $50 to $300 for a four-night loan, that M.Missoni dress you've been eyeing will be delivered to your doorstep, in TWO SIZES just in case. After you’ve had your fun, you simply mail it back to the company (at their expense) and they take care of the dry-cleaning. It’s so effortless I may slip into a fashion coma.

Do you know what this means? Never spending a fortune on a dress you’ll probably wear once before it goes out of style. Always looking better than everyone else at the party because you’re in the latest Christian Siriano design. And finally, the end of outfit-repeating. I’m literally hyperventilating at the thought.

Praise be couture, Rent the Runway is Mecca. Now I just need somewhere to go.

Meet the Masterminds, Jennifer Hyman Co-founder and CEO.

And Jennifer Fleiss Co-founder and President.

Check out a few pieces in their collection that are available to rent today...

California Dreamin' gown by Matthew Williamson

Retail price $2,195

Rental price $300

Sailor Bandage Dress by Hervé Léger

Retail $1590

Rental $150

A Formal Affair Dress by Carlos Miele

Retail $1,575

Rental $200

Sail Away Dress by Milly

Retail $425

Rental $50

Princess Sweetheart Gown by Bibhu Mohapatra

Retail $3500

Rental $350

Varsity Dress by Pency

Retail $475

Rental $75

Aqua Ombre Bacall Earrings by Elizabeth Cole

Retail $196

Rental $25

Miriam Haskel Interlocking Pearl Necklace

Retail $300

Rental $35

Midnight Blue Blait Necklace by Gemma Redux

Retail $680

Rental $50

Cherry Bomb Handbag by Judith Leiber

Retail $1595

Rental $150

Dreamweaver Clutch by Judith Leiber

Retail $1695

Rental $150

Coeur De La Mer Clutch by Judith Leiber

Retail $2295

Rental $225

With Christmas and New Year's upon us and party dresses a must...

What do you think of renting a dress? Is it kinda gross or is it a totally fantastic option considering the money you could save??

I'd love to hear what you think!!

P.S. I got a little sidetracked on my DIY's. I'll post them very soon!

Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Today, we got our first good snow of the Winter.

Everything looks so clean and bright!

I hope this is what Christmas will be like!

I'll be spending the weekend decorating, baking and finishing up a couple of DIY's.

Tune in on Monday for the finished projects!

Merry Weekend, Friends!!!

Wait just a minute... Upside Down Christmas Trees?

Over this past weekend, I took a lovely walk through my neighborhood to check out the festive Christmas decorations. For me, this time of year awakens a feeling of warmth, family, and tradition. In my travels, I was a little taken a back to see my neighbor setting up his beautiful Christmas tree, upside down. Stay with me here... It’s not April Fools. Now, upside down Christmas trees look a bit surprising (to say the least) but it seems that they might actually be the real deal. With a little research, I found out that this tradition may actually go back way further than the upside right ones! Apparently, when the tradition was first established, people wanted it to be obvious that the tree was not some trivial floral decor idea. To give it more meaning, they had to hang it upside down... of course! Ok, that's my slightly skewed, super-duper abridged version of the story {you're welcome!} but if you're interested in the real story you can go here to read more! And if you are really feeling adventurous this year, go here for a complete "how to" guide for hanging your own tree upside down.

Tampines One Mall, Singapore.

Traditional Trinity of Fir Branches.

St. Peter's Rectory.

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Whether or not you’re into the idea yourself, the fact is that it seems to becoming a fast growing trend. And trends catch on pretty quickly. Come to find out that nearly any tree shop will sell upside down artificial Christmas trees. White upside down Christmas trees, pink ones, plastic ones, or even real ones. No joke. You can call yourself a traditionalist, but if the real tradition is in the upside down tree…

Then where have I been?