New Year

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Everyone knows the cliché "New Year, New Me". The beginning of any new year usually means a rush of euphoria right as the Times Square NYE ball is about to drop, a fresh start, and setting new goals. Most people make New Years resolutions, but most of them never happen. This year I have come up with a few {realistic} goals for myself that I hope to attain during 2014.

{1} Be Truly Happy- I have always struggled with being happy with myself and the way my life is. This year my main goal is to achieve real happiness for myself, and positively affect my entire being.

{2} Choose the right college for me- I will be going off to college in a few months {time is flying by!} and I have narrowed my choices down to my favorite two. It is going to be a tough decision, and I want to make sure that I make the decision solely for myself and my future.

{3} Start doing yoga and pilates- For the past six or so months I have been running 2+ miles every day, and would love to incorporate some yoga and pilates into my workout routine!

What goals are you setting for yourself in 2014?

Bring on the Warm Weather

{Mint Pencil Skirt // Ember Shift Dress // Polka Dot Pintuck Top // Margurite Caftan Scarf Dress // Twisted Stripe Shorts // Puzzle Whale Belt // Anchor Hair Knot // Nautical Loafers // Linen Blazer}

Now that the Holiday season is over, many of my favorite companies are starting to release (very) early Spring 2014 collections. Seeing all of the gorgeous bright colors makes me long for warmer weather and the carefree summer months. These are a few items from the collections that I am lusting over.

Style Guide: Hunter Boots

I just received a pair of black glossy Hunter Boots for Christmas, and I am in love! I have already worn them twice; they are just so versatile and comfortable. They will definitely be a staple piece in my wardrobe, especially next year when I am living in the south! Pinterest is my all time favorite place for fashion inspiration, so naturally I found some outfits that included Hunter Boots! Here are a few of my all time favorites...

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How do you style Hunter Boots?

Merry Christmas To All

{Blouse // Pixie Pant // Quilted Barbour Coat // Riding Boots: (Similar) // Pearls}

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope y'all had a fantastic day with your families and friends! I spent my day in Virginia with family and it was great; filled with lots of laughs, great food and great memories! I am so grateful for all of my family and friends, and all of the gifts I received! We woke up very early this morning to open presents and eat our traditional Christmas morning breakfast before heading to see the family. I hope to share some of my favorite gifts in a future post! I definitely had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve: What I Wore

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope y'all have had a wonderful day! I spent the day with my Mom's family, exchanging gifts and just spending time with one another. I will probably spend the rest of the night watching Christmas movies and opening a few more gifts! I am excited for Christmas day tomorrow and all that it may bring!

{Cable Knit // Oxford // Matchstick Jeans // Statement Necklace // Driving Moccasins: C. Wonder (Out of Stock) // Bow c/o Bows & Kites: Similar}

Christmas Baking

{Apron: Anthropologie}

Baking Christmas cookies and candies is always one of my favorite times of the holiday season. This past Sunday was my designated Christmas baking day, and it was definitely a successful one! By the time we were finished (we baked from about 2pm to about 7pm), our kitchen was overflowing with sweets! One of my absolute favorite recipes of the season is a gingerbread man recipe that has been passed down through my family! Yum! 

Here are a few of my favorite Holiday recipes:

{Peanut Blossom Cookies // "Belly Button" Chocolate Pretzels // Sugar Cookies // Snowball Cookies}

What have you been doing to prepare for the holidays?

Oh Christmas Tree

Last weekend I spent a day picking out the perfect Christmas tree with my family. We always go to a local tree farm to cut our own tree down. It is definitely a tradition that we have had since I was little, and since this is my last year living at home I decided I wanted to capture it! I wore my favorite Christmas bow from Bows & Kites for the occasion. I just love Christmas and the holiday spirit, and now that we have our tree, it really feels like Christmas is just around the corner. Our tree looks beautiful all lit up in the family room.

My December Playlist

This month I have gotten back into Alternative Rock; I had forgotten how much I loved it! For this reason, I decided to make a playlist of my favorites!

What music have you been loving lately?

Tuesday Two {13}

A sneak peak of my new Lilly Pulitzer dress that I bought at the store on Madison Avenue! I had been looking for this dress for a while, and I got it on sale!

My second "favorite" does not have a corresponding picture. Instead, it is just the fact that I only have three more days until Christmas break!

NYC Street Style: Ankle Boots

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I spent a lot of time this past weekend in the SoHo/Chelsea neighborhoods of New York City and noticed that many people, mainly the people that actually live in NYC, are wearing some sort of ankle boots. I just love ankle boots for the fall and winter time, especially the pairs that have a small heel. I actually ended up going to the Rag & Bone sample sale at Chelsea Market in Chelsea, and most of the sample sale shoes were some form of bootie. Definitely a fun staple piece that can be worn in many different ways!

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{Rag & Bone Suede Bootie // Miz Mooz Ankle Boot // Steve Madden Peep Toe Bootie // Steve Madden Suede Ankle Boot}

Chocolatey Chunk Cookies Recipe

The holiday season is the season for baking. I absolutely love baking any time of the year. Today I decided to try out a new recipe I found on Pinterest. I adapted it a little bit to work with the ingredients that I had. These cookies are definitely for the chocolate lovers out there!

Chocolately Chunk Cookies Recipe:

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips3/4
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 extra large Hershey bar, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease two baking sheets with Pam. Microwave butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until melted. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Beat eggs, vanilla and brown sugar in a third bowl until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate mixture, and mix until combined.
3. Stir in flour mixture, then add Hershey's chocolate chunks.
4. Bake for 12 minutes at 350. The cookies SHOULD NOT be crisp; they are meant to be chewy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart: Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

A Weekend in Photos: New York City

 1. The view from our hotel looking over to the New Jersey side // 2. Giant Christmas lights near Rockefeller center // 3. One of the Christmas window displays at the iconic Macy's in Manhattan // 4. Breakfast at Junior's- My favorite! // 5. The Diane von Furstenberg building in the Meatpacking District // 6. My absolute favorite cake from Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market // 7. Lunch at Katz's Deli- So good! // 8. Watching Born Cages perform at the Studio at Webster Hall- I am definitely loving their EP // 9. Trying my first ever Ladurée macaron- I had the gingerbread flavor and it was delicious! // 10. Trying on (and ordering, oops!) some Lilly Pulitzer dresses at the store on Madison Avenue!

Needless to say, I had a fantastic time in the City. Over the years I have acquired a list of my favorite places, shops and restaurants. I miss it already and am looking forward to my next trip in early summer. 

Tuesday Two {12}

I saw Born Cages this past weekend at a small studio in NYC. I had never heard of them before, but let me tell you, I'm in love. I'm a huge fan of alternative rock/indie, and this band is just that! This is their first EP, and it is a wonderful 17 minute listen.

My three day weekend in NYC turned into a five day weekend with today and yesterday being snow days!