This starts with decluttering my life and becoming the organized “neat freak” I’ve always wanted to be. My other resolution is to make my immediate surroundings more beautiful (kind of goes hand in hand with decluttering, eh?). So in that sense, I’m killing two birds with one stone.

I’ll start with a simple before and after photo of a corner of my living room, which I recently “beautified,” thanks to my FAVORITE new site, Pinterest. More on that later.

Here’s the updated room (plus a before pic). What do you think?

The premise is to post pics of blogger friends from “actual” social events, rather than virtual meetings online (wow, virtual meetings sounds quite nerdy)…so who better to post than a pic of myself with than Bryn Taylor! She is the fabulous fashion blogger from The Re-Stylist, and is quite a good time in person as well . Bryn and I also sipped prosecco in my closet (what?) a few months back. Make sure to sign up for her newsletter, especially if you’re on the west coast – she’s going bi-coastal in December!

Here is a picture of us from this past weekend in Hoboken:

Want to get involved? Here’s how:

• Post a picture(s) of you hugging a fellow blogger(s) on your site.
• Explain why you love that person. Then link to their site
• Optional – use hashtag #hugablogger to spread the news on Twitter.
• BLOG BLOG BLOG!

Amazingly hilarious Jimmy Kimmel Challenge. Enjoy.

I was reminded of this quote recently, and I feel it is truly important (especially on a Monday morning). Sometimes life can be crazy, and you are only focused on the future or getting through the day. Take some time to step back, look at the world around you, and be happy and thankful for what you have and the beauty that is already in your life. Don’t just focus on the steps in front of you. Look at the scenery, the view around you. Make sure that you take some time to follow this mantra each and every day. STOP AND SMELL THOSE ROSES!

Our day was quite an eye-opening experience. First, Bryn went through every piece of clothing I had and got to the root of why I bought it, what I wore it with, etc…and then we set aside to donate, store, or put back in my closet. Then we went through my jewelry, picking out key pieces that I could jazz up rather basic or neutral outfits with to make them pop. After that, Bryn laid out various pieces, mixing and matching them to make a variety of outfits I would NEVER have thought of that would look cute together…here I thought I only had one or two ways to wear a shirt or skirt or pair of pants – Bryn found at least 5 or 6!! Bryn of course took pictures of all my different looks, and made up a look-book for me so that I could easily refer back to our day and put together a great outfit. It was so helpful–and truly learned so much!

Several key takeaways from The Re-Stylist’s visit:

1. Blazers. White and Black are essential. I am now on a hunt for a white blazer (and cuter-fitting black one). After putting together some awesomely chic outfits with Bryn, she made me realize that I needed these two key pieces to really make my look crisp, chic, professional (for my work outfits), and modern.

2. Pops of Color. During our day of closet cleaning, I noticed Bryn was wearing a fabulous Marc Jacobs red bangle. Now if you had asked me a week ago if I would wear a funky bangle with a business casual outfit, I would have said, “No Way!” But, after seeing Bryn’s outfit + said bangle and discussing “pops of color” to really bring an outfit together, I am all in. It seems like an outfit just looks 30x more amazing with a fun pop of color. Now this could be a red bangle, a pair of fun-colored pants, a colorful necklace….it all depends on your look and piece that you want to display!

See Bryn (drinking some prosecco- [what?? it was Friday!] organizing my closet with her Red Bangle (right wrist).

3. Mix Light Colors with Dark Colors. Now this may seem like a simple “duh” concept. However, I have realized that very often I go VERY basic, to the point of pairing black with black, or dark with dark, or light with light. Bryn has taught me to mix it up – so if I’m wearing a dark shirt, go light with the pants, or light shirt, go with darker (or perhaps colorful) pants…

See an adorable “summer night out” outfit I would NEVER come up with myself, had I not had Bryn come and help:

4. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize! One of my issues was that I can be known to buy an outfit for a single occasion that is very bright, colorful, and a little TOO trendy. Bryn has helped me pair down those outfits (trust me, we went through all of my bad choices much to my chagrin – can you say donation pile?) by using JEWELRY and other accessories to really make a neutral outfit pop. So basically, we put together some chic and professional outfits by pairing them with some fun jewelry (and perhaps a new red bangle when I find it)!

5. Gold Jewelry is My Friend. I have always been a silver girl. Maybe it’s because of my teenage obsession with Tiffany & Co. Jewelry, but I always lean towards using silver accessories when going with my outfits. Bryn really helped me realize that some of the gold and vintage pieces in my closet could be used with um…EVERYTHING!! I have a new-found appreciation for gold jewelry, and I plan on using it to make my outfits more fun and modern.

Check out one of the outfits Bryn put together where gold jewelry just makes it that much better (plus a pop of red!):

6. Who Says Business Casual Needs to Be Boring? Need I say more?

Check out these FOUR adorable business casual outfits Bryn put together–with the same skirt but different blouses and accessories!

There are so many other tips and tricks that Bryn helped me with – but I’ll let you learn them from her yourself. I can’t give away EVERYTHING!

So check out her website: www.therestylist.com and blog: www.restylist.com/blog. Bryn’s also on Facebook so you can get updates right to your own facebook page HERE.

What a fantastic day- I definitely recommend Bryn to anyone of any age looking to re-vamp, update, and/or organize her closet! Amazing!

It’s an ongoing online photo blog, called “Animals in Baths.” Basically, it’s a website (URL: www.animalsinbaths.com) devoted to silly pictures of pets in the tub. Here are a few examples:

It all started because of a simple concept: I’m 24 and live in an apartment where I’m not allowed to have pets (I have wanted a dog for FOREVER). Because of my lack-of-dog depression, my friends sometimes send me cute/hilarious pictures of their dogs because they know I love it. So, after having been sent several funny pictures of friends’ dogs in the tub, I decided to start Animals In Baths.

I’m looking for photos of your pets (or friends’ pets) taking a bath. Before & After shots — Wet/Dry, in a Towel, Fluffy, In a Sink, In the Tub, Unhappy, Happy, Splashing, Drenched, Soapy, Rubber Duckies, Funny (of course!) — really anything to do with a pet getting a bath. And by pets, I mean any animal — cat, dog, bird, guinea pig, rabbit, iguana…etc.

You can submit their photos to: animalsinbaths@gmail.com.

Click HERE to “Like” Animals in Baths’ Facebook Page

Click HERE to Follow Animals in Baths on Twitter.

#SHAMELESSSELFPROMOTION

Also, thanks to Trend Hunter for writing a very nice article about my new photo blog:

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more delicious than a creamy hot soup in the wintertime. However, I get really bored and feel lazy when I open a can of soup and microwave it …so I decided to be adventurous and make something from scratch. Mind you I had never made a creamy soup from scratch before, so this was definitely trial and error….but it turned out fantastically! I definitely recommend this recipe, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

8 cups broccoli florets, chopped (mostly chop up the stems and leaves, you can leave some small florets)

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups skim milk (you don’t really need whole milk – saves cals)

2 ½ c skim sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (you really can’t tell the difference between whole and skim and again it saves cals)

ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium-sized stock pot, and sauté onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, making sure the broccoli is soft.
2. (There are 2 options:) Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to purée. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and purée the soup right in the cooking pot. Or, you can mash the broccoli with a potato masher, as it can be more fun to have some chunks of broccoli in your soup (the blender will turn everything to a creamy, homogenous consistency; it depends on your taste preference).
3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup.  Stir in cheddar cheese, make sure it melts and looks creamy. Season with pepper and serve (sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top of each bowl of soup. Also for my non-vegetarians: to spice it up, add a bit of crumbled bacon to the top with the cheddar cheese - YUM!
4. Enjoy this recipe for 3-5 days in the fridge afterwards in small bowl containers; I definitely brought lots of soup to work that week with a french baguette – so delicious!

Sun Over the Verrazano.

I am very aware of the pressures that Valentine’s day puts on the general public, in a relationship or not in a relationship.

For those in a relationship, it is easy to succumb to the reasoning that because it’s supposed to be a romantic day, you have to go the obvious route of flowers, chocolates, dinner, etc. I say that’s kind of boring, and sort of feel that every day BUT Valentine’s Day should be special like that. While there are rumors that Valentine’s Day was created by Hallmark, the card company, it’s not true. Check it: http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day My boyfriend tried to use that garbage on me yesterday. I can’t say I don’t love the smart water bottles in a heart shape that he laid out for me (he knows I like practical gifts – come on, a girl gets thirsty!)…but I still feel VDay is truly and utterly COMMERCIALIZED. People in relationships should treat each other like that ALL the time, not just on this day!

For those not in a relationship, it’s the day that single men realize they forgot to get a girlfriend (but ultimately are saving money on chocolates and flowers and drama) and single women who want a boyfriend celebrate Single Awareness Day (it’s actually recognized- using the acronym S.A.D. – now isn’t that just ridiculously patronizing and depressing – or comical, to those who don’t care?!). It’s a great way to celebrate (or grieve) one’s lack of a significant other. I read on a blog recently that some single people are now making February 15th SAD day, so that it doesn’t feel as weird when they go out to dinner with loads of couples surrounding them.

Regardless of the side of the green(-er) grass you’re on, remember to spend time and make time for those you care about on this day and EVERY other day! (Gotta have the cheeseball statement in there–after all, it IS Valentine’s Day)…

Happy VDay/Happy S.A.D.!