You know what I like?

I like girl nights. Full of gab and banter and laughing. Where wine and beer run rampant but no one looks at you funny if you order a lemon drop martini or a pinneapple mojito. Yes, I loooove a good girls’ night. And I sure hope the snow does not get in the way of mine tonight!

I like chocolate. And coffee. And sometimes, I even sneak a little of both at the same time. Flash to: me in the kitchen adding a sprinkling of Swiss Miss to my Starbucks Blonde. By the way, have you tried the Blonde?! Sure is a step in a good direction for the SBucks!

Surprises. Especially because it means someone else has done all the planning. All you’re expected to do is show up, look pretty, and enjoy. I can’t wait for my Saturday Surprise!

Vacations. And Vegas. And ok, ok I’m not going to Vegas for vacation this time, but even “work” in Vegas is better than work in Chicago for a good, thirty degree warmer, break. Vegas, here I come!

What do you like on this snowy Friday?!

This night is sparkling.

Just Go!
Don’t think about it any longer!
Don’t weight the possibilities,
Stew over the potential drawbacks.
Don’t consider all the consequences,
You already know them all in your heart.

Life is precious!
Don’t say “maybe next year”
Or “it just doesn’t make sense right now”
So what if it doesn’t make sense?
Not everything needs to be justified or reconciled.

Just Go! Go! Go!

Thanks for the reminder.

"Cooking is all about making what you have work for you. Let’s just chill and do."

-And wouldn't you know...Joy the Baker totally gets it! (See below)-

Sometimes, pancakes for dinner are totally called for. Like last night. When I was snowed in and craving the warmth of my oven. Also it should be noted that I am in dire need of a run to Trader Joe’s.

It should come as no surprise then that when looking through my pantry for what to eat for dinner, I noticed that I do have all the baking supplies required for pancakes. So see, it was fate that I make them. It wasn’t because I was craving something sweet and doughy and warm inside…

Sweetly Satisfying Pancakes (For Dinner)

1 ½ C. Flour
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
¼ t. salt

1 ½ C. Milk
3 T. Butter
2 Eggs
½ t. Vanilla

Optional:
½ C. Frozen raspberries

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a separate, smaller, bowl. Pour the batter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened, adding the raspberries (or any fruit/nut/chocolate chips/ingredient you can scrounge up in your pantry) at this point as well. The batter will be lumpy, but that’s where the sweet pockets of pancake-y goodness lie!

Heat a skillet over medium heat. You can use butter (or I used PAM) to thoroughly grease the pan. Spoon batter onto the skillet and heat until bubbles appear around the edges (about 2-3 minutes depending on size), then flipping and repeating on the other side.

I recommend sprinkling with powdered sugar before indulging! Go big or go home, right?

Daily Dose of Happiness.

I get mine from the sun. And the 72% dark chocolate Godiva bar hidden in my desk drawer. I get it from matching wardrobes and writing utensils. From piping hot coffee and liter-size bottles of Smartwater.
Little things that emit a glimmer of sunshine in an otherwise mundane workday.
Today I am reminded of the little things; a text from a friend, a story about a snow-loving puppy, that make my day exciting.

Hope everyone is ready for some serious snow!

Feeling Beachy-Keen.

Dreaming of Mojito Days and Yeungling Nights.
Naples, I can already feel your warmth soaking into my skin.

And let me warn you, you have your work cut out for you with this pale, winter girl.

Confession: I have just purchased my Christmas cards for next year.
Enter Papyrus 50% off sale.
Enter glitter and sparkle and 3D effects.
And now I have a collection of Christmas cards that I will in all likelihood forget about before next December.
No matter, I am admittedly resistless to anything Christmas.

And speaking of cards…thank you for the birthday wishes, everyone! Here is one of my favorites:

Sometimes, all you need is 5 minutes of complete honesty. With yourself, with her, with him…

And what would you say?
Would it repair a broken heart? A broken friendship?
Would it give you closure or understanding?
Would it make you feel better for leaving it behind or worse, wishing you still had it?
But what would you say, really? Do you even know?
Would you cry? Would you scream? Would you hug and kiss and vow to never let it get that way again?
And would it?
Would you be able to maintain the mend? Or would it come together just to fall apart again?
Was it a misunderstanding? A betrayal? A moment of insanity.

Whatever it was, if 5 minutes would help, shouldn’t you be brave enough-honest enough- to have it?

This is for real. I am 24.

Why does that seem so much older than 23??
When I went to punch in my age on the elliptical this morning, I had to pause and remember that I am now a year older. But I was born at 11:45pm on the fourth so maaaaybe I could still get away with putting in 23 one last time. I mean, technically I was still closer to 23 at 5am this morning…

But no. I am a big girl. And big girls are honest about their years…all 24 of them.

So what will 24 bring? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

What I am positive about is this:

1. There will be baking. And cooking. But mostly, baking. In my new kitchenaid mixer. In my tiny studio oven. There will be blog-inspired recipes, and items I create all on my own. And there will be chocolate. There is always chocolate.

2. Country will reign supreme. Sure I will have days of Dave and moments of Kiss fm. But there will mostly be Kenny and Jason and Zac and Taylor (yes ok, Taylor).

3. My closets aren’t getting any bigger, no matter how much more I try to squeeze into them. Maybe I will just have to find a bigger space…

4. There will be wine. And laughter. And friends. And more wine.

5. Writing. On post-its and notebooks. On leftover grocery lists and laundry receipts living in the depths of my handbags. And here. I will always come back here.

Pick a place. And start.

Here we are on the fourth day of 2012 (my birthday, as a matter of fact), and I have yet to post for the year. I’ve been doodling and jotting all week, but I couldn’t come up with the perfect way to kick off the New Year here. Nothing seemed to fit quite right.

So I stopped over-thinking it. And here it is.

Life is like that sometimes. I get so bogged-down with thinking that something must be done this way or the other, and I forget to recognize that sometimes, the doing it, no matter which way, is what matters the most.

You just have to start. And let yourself start. And fail. And then pick back up and start again. It’s the starting that really counts. And what you learn along the way marks the path with what’s important most of all.

It’s been quite a year. A year filled with love and work, family and independence. To think back on a year ago, I am reminded of my new move to the city, a fairly new job, and a budding romance. And now, here I am, just one short (or long, depending how you look at it) year later; and looking back on the countless dates and holidays and graduations and the health and happiness of my friends and family, I feel so blessed. And I know, that in another year’s time, I will look back on this time with just the same feeling.

Hello, 2012. Let’s get you started.