The new year is here and as much as I dislike New Years Eve, I really love the first week in January when everything feels new again.

Even on New Years Eve, as soon as the clock turns midnight, something inside me shifts and I feel different. I don't know how long this feeling lasts, but ultimately, it's a pleasant feeling. My favorite day is January 1st; while others opt to spend New Years Day as another holiday, in my house, it's an official rest day.

Myths have it that the way you spend New Years Eve/Day is how you spend the rest of the year; you must have something new to wear, clean sheets on your bed, and the house must be tidy. I've never abided by these silly rules until this year.

On New Years Eve I made sure my bed was made, my room and *most* of the house was neat, and that I wore something I've never worn before.

I spent New Years Day feeling ultimately relaxed and in a really good mood. I went to the gym, cleaned out my drawers and threw away old, unused items, and read a lot of books. It just felt like a really good day, and it made me hopeful for the year ahead.

It's a much different attitude from the New Years Eve post on Saturday, but I'm quite pleased.

I also spent some time thinking of what I want to accomplish this year. Like I mentioned in the previous post, I don't wait for January 1st to make a change, and I don't make resolutions. I try and set goals -- does it ever really happen? Not that much...

Let's take a look at what I said in 2016,

"In 2016, I hope that I can achieve what I've been wanting to achieve in work, in the blog, in my personal life. I want to start writing more, both freelance and creatively. I want to put more time and effort into my blog and into my own social media.

I want to save money instead of spending it. I want to travel a lot more, and go out and see the world. I finally have the desire to have more of a social life and make plans with my friends and go out and actually do things!" 

It's New Years Eve and I've never been more excited to say goodbye to a year. This year was filled with lots of trials & tribulations, both personally and in society. I lost my dad, moved into a new apartment, dealt with some friendship & family issues, struggled at work, dealt with my anxiety, and just in all, it was a more difficult year.

I don't think I've ever been happy for a year to end and leave in the past as I am of 2016. Still, that being said, I hate New Years Eve. I hate the parties, I hate the change, I hate the pressure to dress up & have fun.

My mom & sister are going to a party tonight and I'll be meeting them later, right before midnight. I just feel like I need to do something for me. Why should I make myself miserable at a party where I don't know (or like) anyone, just because it's New Years and just because I HAVE too?

That was a major lesson this year... to just be me and do things for me instead of what I feel like I should be doing. I've spent so much time doing what I thought I should be doing instead of what I wanted too.

Am I excited for the New Year? I don't know. I don't think so. As I get older, everything starts to blur together and I almost can't tell the years apart.

I don't think I did as much as I wanted to in 2016 so maybe 2017 will be the year I actually do the projects I want... like writing a book & actually finishing it, or producing blog content that is outstanding, and really launching my freelance writing career.

I want to do so much, and need to find the motivation, energy, and strength to do it all.

Does this make sense or am I rambling?

It's probably a little of both... but I'm done with depressing, rambling thoughts.

I haven't written a weekly wrap up post in a few weeks, but I thought I'd post my favorite blog posts of the year instead of my favorite links of the week!


I already talked about all my favorite books, accessories, and beauty products, so it feels appropriate to talk about my blog posts.

Here are the ones that were the most read:

• Kate Spade vs FitBit Tracker
• Tuesday Inspiration: Grief
• Holiday Brunches + Paperless Post

• Brand Buzz: Henri Bendel
• The Best of Gilmore Girls
• Holiday Brunches + Paperless Post
• Beauty 101: Updated Skincare Routine
• Beauty in Review: Tarte Frixxtion Stick
• How I Got Into Social Media
• The DryBar: My First Experience

We've discussed books, accessories, and now we are onto beauty. Beauty is my number one love, and I think 2016 was the year that beauty really exploded; 2014 & 2015 were warm ups and this year, the beauty industry took it's rightful place as a booming industry.

Working in the industry is very exciting because everything is changing and evolving in the best ways possible. Youtube, social media, and beauty influencers have changed the game greatly and brands are giving into that. They are developing products more on par with trends, and collaborations with influencers aren't going anywhere.

This was the year that I reigned in my beauty buying a bit, and discovered the art of returning and selling unnecessary things. Because of this, I was able to discover what I really liked and what worked for me.



In no particular order...

• Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation: I wrote an entire post on this foundation, and how it makes my skin look awesome but feels weightless on the skin. It's one of the best medium coverage foundations I've ever tried and I can't wait to continue to use it on 2017.

• Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit: If this wasn't the year of Kylie Cosmetics, what will be? Myself, and the rest of the world, became addicted to scoring lip kits & other Kylie products when they were released, but then she got down a formula to have the site regularly stocked. I have 8 lip kits and I wrote a Brand Buzz here, but I still need to get my hands on the eyeshadow palettes! 

• Anastasia Master Palette by Mario: I tried to not purchase a lot of eyeshadow palettes this year (that's my general rule of thumb) but this was the palette I was most excited for this year. My beauty in review post is here, but the palette is super pigmented, versatile, and I love it.

• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer: One of the most talked about concealers this year and with good reason. It's blendable, full coverage, and doesn't settle into any lines or creases. Blending it with your finger, beauty blender, or brush will give you awesome results. It's the only concealer I've been reaching for in recent months. 

DISCLAIMER: This was a post I found in my queue from TWO YEARS AGO. I searched the blog and never found it, so therefore I don't think it was ever posted.

PPS: This was SO FREAKING GOOD and now I want to make it again!


I don't cook nearly as much as I want too. I always see recipes and have such a desire to go out to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients to cook up some fabulous, unique meal.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always loved baking and experimenting with food and as I got older, along with the invention of Pinterest, that desire has only increased.

I've definitely made a few Pinterest dinners and desserts before, some hits and some misses, but I never let that get me down.

A few weeks back, before Thanksgiving, I was watching so many cooking shows and surfing Pinterest, and was feeling so inspired...and awfully hungry.

I saw a recipe and decided to try it out.



I wanted something easy, quick, and something I knew I would love. I was set with the task of cooking dinner that night for me and my mom so it seemed like perfect timing.

Chicken Alfredo Bake






Ingredients

-1 box of pasta of your choice (I used Penne)
-Alfredo Sauce (I didn't know where to start with making my own so I used jarred sauce)
-Baked Chicken (Chicken cutlets will probably work fine but I bought a store rotisserie chicken and it worked fine)
-Shredded Mozzarella Cheese





Instructions

1. Boil pasta in salt water, al dente (tender but not fully cooked, it will continue to cook in the oven)
2. Heat Alfredo sauce in microwave or separate saucepan until hot
3. Shred chicken into small pieces
4. Once pasta is cooked, combine pasta, chicken, and sauce in a greased baking pan.
5. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese
6. Bake in 350 degree oven until top of the pasta bake is golden brown (or until you like it)
7. Let sit for a few minutes and dig in!

This is one of those recipes that is nearly impossible to mess up. Everything is already precooked so it's just a matter of cooking them together. Also, you are in complete control of everything...if you like your pasta a little harder, don't cook it as long...if you want to use a different kind of cheese—go right ahead! It can be whatever you want!

I have to say, this was so delicious. It's basically baked ziti, just with Alfredo sauce. It was cheesy, gooey, and such a great comfort food. It didn't even last the night...after dinner was over, later in the evening, both me and my mom went back for seconds.

Happy cooking!

Yesterday was filled with all my favorite books of the year. Books are one of my favorite things in the world, and I explained that in yesterday's post.

Today, I want to discuss my other favorite items: accessories. I have always and will always be the girl who loves accessories. When I was little, whenever I'd go into a store, I was drawn to the jewelry, handbags, and as my mom would call it "junk" section. I never cared for clothes, maybe because I hated trying them on and accessories were fit for everyone, but I always wanted bags and wallets and keychains and phone cases.

I'm not a shoe girl, and while I love clothes, I don't need the fanciest or most expensive. I'm more simple when it comes to my clothes. I live for comfort with a bit of style. I don't need what's trending, I just need to feel like me.

Accessories on the other hand, I always needed and I needed the new ones. I want the latest handbag or the newest jewelry trend; I was also always the bag lady. I keep everything and anything in my bag. I am always prepared, but maybe that's more to to with my Type A personality and not my love of accessories.

That being said, I wanted to count down my favorite accessories of 2016. That seems a bit silly but this year was the height of my shopping habit, but also the downfall of my beauty habit. I purchased more home decor and more accessories and jewelry than beauty.

This year was the height of my love of Kate Spade, and the newly ignited passion for Henri Bendel, which resulted in all of these favorites.

• Hello Kate Spade Phone Case: Does this count? I got this from my mom for Christmas but I've been obsessed with it. I've wanted a flip phone case like this forever and while I loved this one from Kate Spade, the moment I saw THIS one, I knew I had to have it. I feel so fancy having a leather phone case and that's the point of my entire well being: to feel fancy. 

• Henri Bendel Planner: I've ranted and raved about my Lilly Pulitzer planner for ages, and I've tried other planners but they never live up to par. That changed this year though. I used my Lilly Pulitzer planner from August-November but it got a little heavy in my bag (another favorite we'll talk about in a minute). When I saw that Henri Bendel released their 2017 planners, I had to buy one. The illustrations of Henri Bendel just get to me and I have to have everything with the illustrations on it. I bought it and I fell in love; I couldn't wait for December 1st to start using it. It's really organized and I feel so fancy using it (see, fancy is a buzzword for me). I don't mind not having colorful pages, but it just makes planning easy. I still use my Lilly planner at home for day to day at home stuff. 

• Kate Spade Card Case: I felt like I needed something small to carry my work ID and metro card in, and who better to turn to than Kate Spade! I have a larger Kate Spade wallet that I use for day to day stuff but that was just too heavy & too big to carry every day on the train. I found this tiny card case and I've been obsessed with it. It fits 4 cards & some cash, so ideal for the working gal like myself. (The exact one I have isn't available anymore but here is a similar one) When Kate Spade released these personalized stickers, my aunt bought me 2 when we went to the Kate Spade store in New Jersey for the first time! Such a favorite of the year. 

• Henri Bendel Jetsetter Backpack: When I discovered Henri Bendel, the first thing I knew I needed was their signature backpack. Backpacks are in style again and I wanted to get in on the trend. I purchased this bag a few months ago and it's been so wonderful. It's nice to have your hands free on the train and traveling to work. It fits a lot more than you' think, and is very light. I want to do a "whats in my bag" post about it and will hopefully get to that soon! 

• Kate Spade Wink Drive Bag: This is a tote I've talked about before but it's my favorite bag of the year. I love the felt material, and the design, and how it's so structured. I get so many compliments when I wear it, even from complete strangers, which is not something I hear very often, but it's an incredible bag! (Currently out of stock on KateSpade.com but if you see it ANYWHERE, pick it up!)

I think this was the year of books for me. I mean, every year is a year of books because I'm obsessed with reading and always have been. Ever since I could remember, I loved book stores and cracking open a new book and getting lost in it. Books are my life and it lead to my love of writing.

Starting around when I was 13, till the age of 17, I asked my book loving aunt for a basket of books for Christmas. And every year, I got around 25 books to read for the year... that's how addicted to books I am.

When deciding what I wanted to write about this week leading up to the New Year, I thought I'd do a yearly favorites of my favorite items, so today is books.

This was the year that I decided to stop my silly rule of reading only one book at a time. I always felt that I couldn't focus on more than one book at a time, but this year that went out the window. I listened to one book, read a few physical books, and a few on my Nook. That way, when I didn't feel like one book, I had another I could read.

That got me thinking... I enjoyed and read a lot of books this year and I read a lot of books that I really didn't like, which was kind of a first for me. There were hardly ever books I didn't like!

I thought I'd break down my top 5 favorite books that I read this year. Not all the books were released this year, but it's what I enjoyed this year!

Without further ado... (These books aren't listed in order, expect for the 1st one)

PS: I'm almost not going to go into major detail, as I've written Book Review Wednesdays for every book on the list, that I will link below.

• The Selection Series: This was without a doubt my favorite series of the year. I've been wanting to read The Selection for YEARS, probably ever since it was released but I never got around to it. Finally, I did and I was addicted. I finished reading it within 6 hours... seriously, I stayed up all night to read the entire series and I haven't done something like that since I was 14 years old. It was dramatic, romantic, had a little bit of action, and had a monarchy! It was the Hunger Games meets The Bachelor and I was addicted. Please, read this series. You WILL NOT REGRET IT. Read my entire review here!

• Me Before You: Another book I've been meaning to read and never did. The movie being released is what pushed me to read it and I'm so glad I did. This book was truly a romance story that rivals The Notebook (did I just say that?) but it's true. It was a beautiful, tragic love story & I loved every moment of it. Read my review here.

• The Dollhouse: 2016 was the year of the thriller for me and while this doesn't necessarily fall in that category, it doesn't NOT fall in that category. I loved that it took place in the past and present, and that there were so many twists and turns. It wasn't Gone Girl but it was truly very interesting. Read my review here.

• The Couple Next Door: A true page turner that rivals other suspenseful thrillers. A couple's baby goes missing and no one was in the house expect for them -- you think you know what's going on and then suddenly you don't. It's incredible! Read my full review here.

• All the Missing Girls: So I said this wasn't in order, but I think this is right behind The Selection for my favorite book of the year. I don't know what it was, but it pulled me in. Romance, suspense, family drama... this book had everything. I listened to it on Audible but I honestly may buy it to physically read. Read my full review here.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with your loved ones! I'm so sad to see Christmas go, but excited for a fresh start in 2017. I'm off from work the entire week so I'm planning on doing lots of writing, lounging, and watching Netflix!

Now, for a different kind of Manicure Monday....

I've been experimenting with other nail polish brands aside from Essie. The most reasonable place to start is with the other drugstore empire, OPI.

I've tried some OPI polishes through the years, and they are some of my favorite shades ever. From the Washington DC collection to my favorite Pumpkin Spice shade, they are some fabulous nail polishes. Good formulas, unique colors, and good quality; OPI is the brand that I won't technically buy on my own expect if I find a color that I must have.

However, when I found out that OPI was releasing a Breakfast at Tiffany's collection, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I adore Audrey Hepburn & Breakfast at Tiffany's, so I knew I needed this. To my surprise, my job was doing a partnership with OPI and we received most of the collection to photograph & use for social media purposes!



Therefore, I have the entire collection (minus one or two shades that I gave away) and my mind is blown.




I now have the ability to try out a handful of OPI polishes and truly test them out. I've already had my hands in some of them (more on that later), but I'm obsessed with all the colors.

From deep, dark reds to a true Tiffany blue color, and glitter top coats, there is something in this collection for everyone. There is a mixture of classic OPI formulas to their new Infinite Shine Gel collection.







By far my favorites of the collection are:

• "Champagne for Breakfast": a silver glitter topcoat
• "I Believe in Manicures": a true Tiffany blue
• "Black Dress Not Optional": the blackish of black
• "Can't Read Without my Lipstick": A true red