Bests of 2011

I know it’s cliché to say, but I CANNOT believe 2011 is over.

Last year I was in Vail skiing on New Year’s Eve. That seems like yesterday. And now here we are ringing in 2012. It feels exciting but a little melancholy too. 2011 was such a good year and I’m a little sad to see it go.

At the end of the year I always like to think about what I hope to accomplish in the year to come.

But I also think it’s important to think back on the last year and reflect. So many good things happened in 2011. So many changes— and most of them good.

When I think back on my 2011 here are just a few of my favorites…

Bests of 2011

Best Vacation: 3-way tie between Jackson Hole, Palm Springs, CA and Seaside FL

Best New Restaurant (in Chicago): Maude’s Liquor Bar

Best Time Waster: Pinterest/Storage Wars

Best Hotel Stay: San Jose Hotel (Austin, TX)

Best Movie: Midnight in Paris 

Best Gift/Tech Gadget: My very own iPAD 2

 Best Accomplishment: Finishing 5th in the Austin Triathlon

Best Thing I Ate: Tie between the tacos @ Torchy's in Austin and the chocolate glaze donut @ the Doughnut Vault

Best Thing I Cooked: This Homemade Mac & Cheese

Best Concert I Saw: Pantha Du Prince @ the Empty Bottle

Best Book I Read: Come to the Edge by Christina Haag

Best Purchase: Crate and Barrel Lounge Sectional

Best Discovery/Product I Can't Live Without: Lancome Teint Miracle

Best Memory of 2011: Sharing the things we're most thankful for with the people I love most over Thanksgiving

I have this feeling that things are just going to get better and that 2012 is going to be just as good. Cheers and Happy New Year's!

xo

Holiday Recap...

Woah... It's crazy what some time at home over the holidays can do to a blog posting schedule. Between an incredible trip to St. Louis, time spent relaxing with my family, baking, napping and celebrating Christmas (and an early birthday celebration for me) any blog posts I had in mind just went right out the window. 

What a wonderful Christmas it was. Finally back in Chicago to ring in 2012, I'm getting a chance to catch my breath, reflect over the amazing past week and a half, get back to blogging and prepare myself for reality to set in again... but not until January 3rd. And with a birthday to celebrate on January 4th I keep telling myself it won't be so bad. 

Hope your holidays were swell. Here are a few shots from mine...  

xo 

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Julia showing off her stylish Christmas sweater

Hannah and her homemade, edible wreath 

Me & Bella on Christmas Eve

My mother's famous Red Velvet Cake (which I helped make!) 

My sister Hannah and her boyfriend Thatcher

Julia & me by the Christmas tree

A pre-birthday celebration for me with my family

The boyfriend and me

Milo helping to unwrap presents

Julia and my Daddy 

A holiday sister reunion 

12 Days of Appetizers

Everyone knows that the first rule of party-going is that you shouldn’t arrive empty-handed. I like the idea of helping the hostess out (when permitted) and bringing along a savory appetizer to get the evening started.

I’ve done some digging on some of my most favorite food blogs and come up with 12 recipes that look like they would please a crowd. I can’t decide what I’d most like to make for my family’s Christmas Eve gathering… Although I’m leaning towards the Reuben Egg Rolls and French Onion Soup-Stuffed Mushrooms.

Or should I make the Brie Pops? Or the Ham Sliders?

I might just have to make a few.

1. Bite-sized Baked Brie Pops

2. Ham Sliders

3. Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Tartlets

4. Sausage Stars

5. Fig and Goat Cheese Crostinis

6. Crab Crostinis

7. Reuben Egg Rolls

8. Pizza Puffs

9. Crab Salad Cups

10. Hoisin-Glazed Turkey Meatballs

11. French Onion-Stuffed Mushrooms

12. Greek Potato Skins

My Happy List...

Waking up to the first snow this past weekend

A growing pile of wrapped presents under our tree

Having only two more days of work in 2011

New Sorel Boots to keep my feetsies warm

30% off EVERYTHING at Jcrew

The fact that I am now finished with my Christmas shopping (!!!)

Burning through too much firewood this past weekend

New letter mugs from which to sip tea and hot cocoa

A sister reunion just 3 days away

Sunday afternoon dates at Whole Foods

THIS perfect recipe c/0 my lovely Aunt

The week of Christmas is finally here...

Say Cheese

We had such a fun night on Thursday at our company's holiday party. Jered and I got to be part of the planning process so we knew exactly what we were in for including some amazing comfort food, a fun Christmas mix that I put together earlier in the week, a photo booth and lots of cheer.

We had it at Revolution Brewing Co. and it was such a great venue with its great beer, warm fireplaces and cozy booths.

The highlight for us was obviously the photo booth. We couldn’t get enough of it and as a result the collection on our fridge has grown.

This weekend I’m planning on laying low, burning lots of fires and finishing my Christmas shopping. It’s next week after all… And there’s still lots to do!

Happy weekend!

xox

Seeing Red

Just a little red inspiration board for your Thursday... Green and red may be the true colors of Christmas, but to me nothing says festive like the color red.  A barn in the snow, a centerpiece at a Christmas Eve dinner, red flats with contrasting socks through the holiday season, opening the perfect statement -necklace on Christmas morning, hunter boots to keep your feet warm and dry through the sludge and sleet… And I’ve always wished I had red hair.

My company’s holiday party is tonight and luckily I have the perfect dress to wear. Red and black silk with a sweetheart top, it’s festive and fun and stays tucked away in the back of my closet for most of the year.

I’m excited to bring it out. It means Christmas is just around the corner. 

Benefit Beauty Party...

In between work craziness, all of the holiday festivities we’ve been partaking in and sheer exhaustion I have really been lagging behind on my posts this week. Are the few weeks at the end of the year always this hectic? For some reason I don’t remember things being this bad last year…

In any event, my weekend was jam-packed and the first few days of my week have been as well. On Tuesday evening I got a chance to mingle with some of my girlfriends at the Benefit store where they were putting on a little private event for us. It was a much-needed chance to relax, have a glass of wine, try out some glam makeup and catch up with friends. And I even scored a free eyebrow wax!

I have been a fan of Benefit’s products for some time now. They seem to give a special, much-needed glow even during these harsh winter months. And who doesn’t love that?

L&LL New Year's Party Planning Guide...

I know that Christmas is still a few weeks away—but this is also the time when everyone starts talking about New Year’s Eve plans and lately I’ve been thinking about what mine will be.

I’ve never been the type of girl who likes to pay for a drink package at a crowded bar ahead of time to celebrate the New Year. Give me a fireplace, some champagne, a few board games and room full of people I love and I will be far happier.

I’ve never hosted a New Year’s Eve party of my own, but in the past few days I’ve started considering it.. Which has lead me to think about the drinks I would serve, the décor I would feature, the snacks we would dine upon and what sparkly number I would wear.

I can’t get over some of this… I think I have to have a party.

  1. White Sangria with Pomegranate

2. Spicy Gingerman

3. Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer

1. Ornament Centerpiece

2. Candles and Garland

3. Mercury Glass

1. Sequin Skirt

2. Sequin-top Dress

3. Sequin Scale Dress

 1. Shrimp Ceviche Bites

2. Avocado, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto

3. Olives, Feta, Salami Bites

A cozy night

My little sister Julia has been staying with us all week and it has so fun. She’s on break from school through the beginning of January so she had some free time to kill and decided to spend some of it here in Chicago with us.

Last night when I got home from work we poured ourselves some cider and played our favorite game, Bananagrams, while chicken and veggies roasted in the oven (recipe here). It was so cozy and fun.

I miss having sisters around all the time.

{Mint} Green with Envy

How great is the color mint green? In my Pinteresting this week the color has continuously cropped up—and as it turns out, it looks good on everything.

My lusting started with the corduroys from JCrew… I have a pair of red heels just like that, I think they’re in need of those pants.  

When it’s dark and cold like it is now in Chicago, I need little reminders that spring will someday return. I think surrounding myself with mint green items would do the trick.  

Weekend Roundup

I took so few photos this weekend even though I did so many fun things.

We finally put up a little Christmas tree in our home... It's small but brings in the perfect amount of holiday cheer.

On Saturday some of my family came to visit— my mother, sister Julia and my Grandmother drove all the way to Chicago to see me (and go to the Holiday Renegade Craft Fair)! How lucky am I?

We shopped, and shopped some more and went to a fireside dinner at Frontier on Saturday where I ate the loveliest butternut squash curry soup.

And Friday night I met my friend Katie’s new puppy Roo... I think I’m in love.

How was your weekend?

Christmas trees, beautiful presents at Free People, Roo, my cute sister Julia

xoxox

Love for Layering

The art of layering is one I’ve been trying to master for years now. I feel like it takes practice.

How did these girls know that fur looks good on fur and that lace could be worn with sweats and that leather could be mixed with denim and more denim and plaid and chiffon?

When winter finally settles in Chicago it always takes me a few weeks to really fall back into the habit of layering.

I’ve been needing some layering inspiration so when I stumbled upon This Is Not New’s most recent collection of women’s style images (all pictured below) I couldn’t have been happier.

I think I’m going to play copycat with some of these this weekend…

via

Buying for the Boys... Gifts for the men in your life

Is it just me or are the boys on your list always the hardest to shop for?

Every year I wait until the last moment to buy for the boys, which I have discovered is no longer the best approach because when I really started doing some research I found things left and right for the men in my life.

Last year I gave Jered the JCrew Timex pictured below. It’s cool and classic and a year later he still wears it all the time.

I like to give functional gifts, especially for men. How cool is that messenger bag? I think I would steal that robe. And if you haven’t tried any of Malin+Goetz’s products, you should. They smell divine.

Happy shopping!

 Pretty, pretty pair from Timberland Boot Co.

Paul Smith Bicycles Tie

Malin & Goetz Shampoo, Conditioner, Mosturizer

Timex

Flannel Robe

Pendleton Sweater

Crossbody Briefcase

Nau Jacket

Flannel

Urban Ears