goodbye 2011, hello 2012.

All this talk of a new year and a new beginning has really got me thinking about 2011 and everything I have been through and overcome. I look back and honestly think "WOW!" It's amazing and I hope inspiring for those that know me.

With that being said, I feel it's only appropriate to share my 2011 at a glance...

• Packed my bags and moved from the place I called home for 5 years, leaving the dearest and most special friends I have ever had.
• Moved to Columbus, OH where I knew a total of 5 people.
• Got robbed at gunpoint 2 weeks after moving to Columbus.
• Went to concerts (for example, Lady Gaga), soccer and baseball games.
• Met an amazing group of people that I now call friends.
• Met an amazing man that brings a smile to my face each time I think of him.
• My brother got married.
• Hailed my first taxi.
• Discovered my love for old movies and the smell of libraries. 
• Got a tattoo, "Always toward better things." 
• Went to my first OSU Football tailgate.
• Went to Vegas!
• Visited my first Apple Orchard where I then made homemade apple pie. Oh, and homemade ice cream, no big deal. :)
• Ruby had knee surgery and we both survived.
• Champagne brunches, parades, caves, hugs, kisses, tears and more love than a girl can dream of.

Thank you to everyone who supported, encouraged and believed in me. It's because of you that I am where I am and I am forever grateful. Here's to an amazing 2012!!!

new years eve.

New Year's Eve is right around the corner and no doubt the most hyped night of year. There is a lot of pressure and stress that comes along with this night, not to mention, what are YOU going to wear?! That being said, I wanted to show you a couple different options for creating a truly memorable look that will have all eyes on you when the clock strikes midnight! 

Sweater: Jcrew; Skirt: Topshop. Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti. Jacket: F21 (old). Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Nails: Chanel 'Black Pearl'. Jewelry: Michael Kors, David Yurman, Pomellato, YSL, Lydell NYC.

I saw this outfit on Atlantic-Pacific and the first thought that came to mind was New Year's Eve. The gold tulip skirt and sequined top is screaming "Bring it on 2012!" 

Shirt: Gap; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Bag: Lodis; Jewelry: Dannijo collar, Michael Kors watch, thrifted black leather watch

More Sequins!! I ended 2011 in sequins and they will continue to be a favorite in 2012. When I saw this outfit on This Time Tomorrow, I immediately started to think of all the ways I could wear this throughout the year. Can't wait!!

life lately, according to my iphone.

spoiled.

Words cannot explain how truly blessed I am to have met Kyle. His loving personality continues to amaze me every day and his sense of humor keeps me smiling and laughing. For Christmas, he truly went above and beyond in both the loving and humorous aspect. There were five different boxes I had to open to get to my actual present. After I unwrapped the first present, I was confused. However as I kept unwrapping, I knew what he did. I just had no idea how many I had to open to get to the real one. Once I got to the last box, I opened a diamond necklace with diamond earrings. I was all smiles!! 

But we can't forget about Ruby....she got spoiled too!! She LOVED her gourmet dog cookie as much as I LOVED my present.

Happy Holidays!! xoxo

last minute gift idea.

This Christmas is certainly proving to top the charts of MOST FAVORITE! I spent quite a bit of time leading up to Christmas thinking and planning about everyone's gifts. It was beyond important to me that everyone got a gift that was truly meant for them.

One present that was a ton of fun to make was for my friends, Erica and Meghan. I bought a pound of cherries and an assortment of Berries to make a Cherry and Berry Vodka. To start, I placed the fruit in sealed jars with Vodka for 5 days. After time was up, I placed in another vintage style bottle from World Market and decorated with fun tags and a bell. The outcome was delic and totally cute!

hugs and kisses for ruby.

Well...my little lady had another surgery today. She had a bump on her shoulder that continued to increase in size. So we went to the Vet last week and he thought it was best to have it removed. Therefore tonight is going to be filled with nothing but hugs and kisses for my fav lady. She certainly deserves it!

gingerbread time.

This past weekend was another fun-filled, crazy, busy weekend. I finally got the majority of my Christmas shopping done on Saturday. Wooo! Now, I have to finish at some point this week and wrap, wrap, wrap! 

The highlight of the weekend was spent making Gingerbread houses on Sunday with friends. I honestly can't remember the last time I did something like this but it will definitely be a tradition moving forward. 

first present of christmas.

It's official...the first present is under the tree! In fact, it's the only present I have actually bought. But I simply couldn't wait any longer! Instead of using normal Christmas wrapping paper this year, I have decided to take a more rustic approach. I used brown paper, twine and accessorized with these amazing clay tags that I found on Etsy. I love the snowflake tags but the ones that say "Joy" and "Wish" make my heart happy.

dirty santa.

Yellow Jacket: Royal Oak Boutique; Navy Blue Chunky Scarf: Bitten by SJP; Black Tights: Express; Knee High Boots: Marc Fisher

You can always tell what time of year it is when it literally takes you a half hour to find a parking space at the Mall. For some, it can immediately put you in a terrible mood. I can admit that having to stalk people walking from the Mall doors to their cars is a little annoying. But it only adds to the excitement of the Holiday season and I LOVE IT!! I am heading to New York this week and needed to pick up a Dirty Santa gift. I may have picked up a couple other items along the way. I can't help it...it's in my blood to shop!!

work from home.

Wide Leg Pant: Forever21; Button Down Shirt: Urban Outfitters; Open-Toe Suede Shoe: Banana Republic; Chunky Necklace: RUBY; Watch: Michael Kors

My day starts by rolling out of bed, making a cup of coffee and getting ready for work. The only difference between me and most of the people I know is that once I get ready, I walk to my desk 5 steps away. I work from home. I can't tell you how many people have asked why I get ready for work when I see a total of two people every day. My answer is that it makes me feel good. And I am far more productive when I throw on some cute shoes and a big necklace.

HAPPY FRIDAY!! Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

K-

in your arms.

I saw Kina Grannis "In Your Arms" video on Oh The Lovely Things blog today and couldn't help but to immediately share. You may have already seen this on other sites but it is so artistic and unique that I wanted to post in case you didn't get a chance to see it. The video took almost two years to complete with about 30 people and 288,000 Jelly Beans!! Ah-mazing!

 

cracker barrel, crystals and candy.

Saturday can definitely be classified as a "Best Day Ever" type of day. Since I recently purchased a Cannon t2i, I am desperately seeking fun and interesting things to do. And since my boyfriend humors me and all my ridiculous ideas, we ended up having the "Best Day Ever".

We started out at Cracker Barrel. If you haven't been to a Cracker Barrel in some time...GO! I forgot how totally delicious their food was. We spent the entire meal playing the Peg Puzzle game and then Googling how to solve the Puzzle. My dad would be disappointed because he can solve it without using Google.

Next, we headed to Ohio Caverns. It was about an hour drive from Columbus and the drive consisted of corn fields, corn fields and more corn fields. The tour was 45 minutes long and totally worth it! This cave is one of the most beautiful in Ohio and filled with the largest crystals I have ever seen.

Welcome to Ohio Caverns!

Stream in the middle of the cave

Yes, that is a bat!

Crystals hanging from the ceiling

Largest crystal in the cave

Kyle LOVES crystals...

and so do I!

 Such pretty colors

Our day ended with a trip to Marie's Candies. This heavenly little candy shop was filled with the most amazing handmade chocolate. We of course had to taste everything and ended up creating a box of assorted candies, half of which we gave to Kyle's mom and dad. They love candy as much as we do.

And the Saturday ended with me dancing around the bed while listening to Florence and the Machine while Kyle laughed. What more could I ask for?!

Hope you had an amazing weekend!