"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a wonderful & safe new year's tonight!

see you in 2010!!

No Plans

So tomorrow is New Year's eve ... and I have NO plans thus far. I'm so over the whole bar scene here in Lexington. Well, really just in general. We may have a few people over to our house? Who knows. I feel like everyone else wants to "hit the town" but I would be more than happy to stay in!

2010 will be a big year for me...it's the year I will graduate from law school, take the bar, *hopefully* get my first real job, and maybe, just maybe engaged! (haha wonder if ben will read this! if so, hint hint!) I'm thinking 10.10.10 would be a good date - just for fun! :) Once I am gainfully employed, I'd love to travel more - I could really, really use a vacation! I would also LOVE to meet some of you all! Blogging and reading all of your blogs is most certainly my favorite past time!

Anywho...if we do end up having people over tomorrow night, I found this cute idea for a center piece that I will recreate.

easy, sparkly, and pretty! {from Martha}

empty nest

ben and i packed up all our christmas decorations yesterday and stored them away...and now our condo feels SO EMPTY! Since buying our first place the list of things that we "need" never seems to end!

here are some pics of our empty living room...excuse the circa 1998 TV. For Christmas Ben's parents gave us money to buy a new flatscreen, so we are hoping to get out sometime this week to pick one out. {after Christmas sales!!} I still need a rug, drapes, and two matching chairs. who knew finding a rug that I like would be sooo dang difficult! i really wanted something with some color, but i think i may have to settle for a natural fiber rug.

we plan on hanging the tv on this wall, and moving the large painting to the wall where the tv currently sits. I also plan on getting two matching slipper chairs that will face the ottoman. plus, i need to add a bookshelf somewhere ...AHHH so much to do!

{excuse the clutter} this is the piece that sits by our front door. i need to find two matching lamps. i want something fairly large and with a drum shade. i have been looking for a couple months and haven't found anything i love (that isn't several hundred dollars). i want to add a round mirror above this piece - to be flanked by the lamps.

well anyways, there is a peek into our little home... getting this place all set is definitely on my to-do list for 2010!

do you all feel like your home is empty after you put away all your holiday decorations?!

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

I'm doing some last minute gift wrapping and headed over to my mom's to spend the night. Ben is out of town till tomorrow afternoon and I don't want to spend Christmas eve alone! I can't wait to watch my nephew Logan open all his gift from Santa tomorrow! I'm looking forward to that more than any gift I might be getting!

I hope you all have wonderful Christmases! Have safe travels and enjoy the time with your loved ones!

{photo via snippet & ink}

hot chocolate

I made these hot chocolate on a stick baskets for few people for christmas.

aren't they cute?! i got the idea from One Pretty Thing.

start with milk chocolate, and melt in plastic ziploc bag. i wouldn't use the chips like i did, because they aren't meant to melt so they take a while to cool and harden back up! my kroger was out of sweet baking chocolate so i just went with it.

snip corner of ziploc bag and squeeze into ice cube trays.

pop in candy sticks, they stand up on their own. let cool. i stuck mine in the freezer to speed it up.

i also melted some white chocolate in a bowl and dipped the ends of the milk chocolate in them. To some i added sprinkles and to some i added coconut shavings. you could also make all white chocolate ones. the sky is the limit!

i got the mini plastic bags and the candy sticks from michaels. i placed them in a christmas basket with a christmas mug and tied the instructions (stir in mug of hot milk) to it. cute and easy!