Welcome 2010!

Hello all! How was your New Years Eve? Did you stay in or go out? I opted for the later and I have to admit, I am definitely nursing a bit of a hangover today. Ooops. One of my good friends had a party and it was the perfect way to bring in the new year. Champagne and my favorite people in the world...this is how I like to start things off. Well, here we go again. Another year. Another decade. I am not one to right down resolutions but I do have quite a few goals in mind. Number one being: Move into my new apartment...this is happening tomorrow, yes tomorrow! So I am going to be a busy lady this weekend unpacking and getting everything situated. Have a lovely first weekend of the new year!

Here are a handful of posts to keep you busy...

A Decade of Fashion: The Ten Biggest Retail Trends of the Decade, Fashion decade in review 2000-2009, 100 Best Dresses of the Decade

The perfect biscuit recipe

The cutest letter of 2009.

25 best blogs of 2009

New Year fireworks!

The Year in the Arts.

Oh so adorable...the daily puppy!

Calling all bookies: overdue book calendar...

Starting a new business...look no further.

A sweet reinvented gingerbread house.

How fun does the times square snowball fight look?! (via cup of jo)

LOL how funny is this spoof trailer of The Shining.

(photo via brown button)

deep thought thursday...

(via the lovely kimia, alkeemia)

happy new year!

(via we heart it, la child, darling dexter, the cherry blossom girl)

Book club.

So, my friends and I have recently formed a book club and I am hoping that this will encourage me to actually finish books more often. The first pick is the classic, Lord of the Flies. I am 3/4 of the way through and it is a true adventure. Have any of you ever been in a book club? In my opinion, reading is very important and I just don't do it often enough. With the start of a new year, it comes at the perfect time.

(via la child)

Tea for two...or five.

Today I went to afternoon tea with my mom, sister and a couple of friends at Homestead Manor in Franklin, TN and it was just such a charming, cute experience. We got to choose from over 80 loose leaf teas and let me tell you it was not an easy feat. I finally choose the Bryana tea, which was one of their award winning black teas. It had a hint of raspberry which went perfectly with the apple scone and little pastries! They also provide you with 4 finger sandwiches and a variety of condiments to boot. (can't forget the Chantilly cream!) The gift shop had tons of goodies but one that stood out to me the most were these teapot cozies. I had never seen anything like it...so, of course, when I got home I googled them and they are all over! I am slightly obsessed so I had to share. I found cozies made out of all sorts of materials from felt to your basic cotton fabric....they'd be the perfect gift for a tea lover.

Owl Tea Cozy from Recycled Sweaters

Girl with Bird Red Teapot Cozy

Scallop Tea Cozy

Deep Orange Embroidered Knitted Felt Tea Cozy

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Hello dears! I am flying out to Tennessee in about an hour for the holidays! Just wanted to say farewell, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! (I am taking a few days off) Looks like I am just missing the snow in Colorado which is a bit of a bummer but my family is pretty good at making it feel like Christmas so I'm not worried. My sister and I are doing most of the cooking for Christmas eve dinner and we have quite the menu planned (for 16 people!). I am making this pie and this dip and much more. Phew! Hope I make it out in one piece! x.

(photo via me...our tree last year)

These are not the contents of my fridge...

Can you believe it? This hyper-realistic work of art is actually a painting! I am not sure how I feel about paintings that look like photographs but I have to say they are very, very impressive. The artist, Robert Bernard, is so phenomenal at painting light and reflection that I just had to share. (see more paintings here)

(via Roberto Bernardi)