New Year's Eve: Reflection

As the New Year approaches, I always take time to reflect on things. When you reflect, you think about everything that has happened to you throughout the year (past). You also think about what direction you want your life to take (future).

As I'm reflecting, I think about how blessed I am. Not in money. Not in popularity. Not in an absorbent amount of material things. I'm blessed with far richer things (things that no one can take away), such as my faith, wisdom, creativity, knowledge, desire to explore, willingness to learn, ability to understand others and having inner self peace.

You're blessed! If you feel down about something happening in your life, remember there's always someone experiencing something far worse (loss of a home, loss of a loved one, nothing to eat or illness). It just takes looking at someone's situation, to realize yours is not so bad. Embrace and be thankful for what you DO have. Have FAITH that whatever problems you are experiencing at the moment will end in due time. There's always sunshine after a storm.

Going into the New Year (which in my view is a time for CHANGE and GROWTH), I want to encourage you to LET GO of what was. If you willingly LET GO, GOD replaces it with something better. I use to hold on for dear life to people, places and things that weren't good for me: fake & self-centered friends, fickle & petty family members, envious & jealous co-workers, lazy & selfish boyfriends. Don't hold on to those type of people or things. They only bring you down and make you feel bad. Cut the ties and surround yourself with UPlifting people & things. People that make you feel good. Things that make you feel good.

Life can be far from sweet and life is definitely not a bed of roses. But just like a garden, you have to prune (cut-back) and weed (get rid of) for it to be pretty. Clear your "life garden" of what is unnecessary and not good. LET GO of all the gunk and crap that clogs up your life (whatever or whoever it may be). Some may not like your decision, but in the end it's about you and your well being (and vice versa, don't go after something or someone that doesn't want to be a part of your life...LET THEM GO!). Clear your path, and make way for something better. Let go of the old, so there's room for new. I wish you a Happy New Year!

SHARE:

Copelands Cuisine and A Slice Of Cheesecake

Is everyone enjoying the holidays? I am, despite the crazy weather we've been experiencing. HaHa We had rainstorms in New Orleans on Christmas Day. Some surrounding areas had tornadoes, which caused extensive home damage. Luckily I wasn't affected. I hate to see anyone lose their home, let alone lose a home during the holidays (which makes it even sadder). Weather nowadays, is so catastrophic and destructive. You just never know and people worldwide are affected. We're expecting more rain this afternoon thru New Year's Day. Yikes! You just have to pray, keep good insurance and hope for the best.

Well, after being in the house a couple of days due to the weather, I was happy to get out. HaHa I caught some sales online and then visited a couple of stores. I live for a J.Crew sale! Paying full price for their lovely apparel, will cripple your checking account. HaHaHa After shopping, we went to a restaurant called Copelands of New Orleans. It was established in the 80's. They have restaurants in 5 states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Texas. It's a relaxed environment and the attire is nice casual. My experience with Copelands has always been positive. There was a short period of time, when it was mediocre. I think all restaurants have their up and down periods, but not anymore. The food was delicious, the employees were fabulous and the decor was festive. No complaints here. None at all. We had gumbo, spinach & artichoke appetizer, shrimp & tasso pasta, and their seafood platter. I ended up bringing a lot home with me. I even ordered a slice of their strawberry cheesecake, which was delicioso!!! The restaurant was pretty busy. A lot of people were eating out. I think you get tired of holiday food you fix at home and want something different. I know I've eaten enough ham to last me until next Christmas. HaHaHa

Well my blog buddies, I'm back on track as it relates to blogging. I couldn't stay away for long. HaHaHa Hope all is well with you! I'll be catching up with your blogs later today and the rest of the weekend. See you Monday, with an insightful New Year's Eve blog post. Have A Great Weekend!

SHARE:

An Exceptional Christmas by DIOR

Dior has truly put together a dreamy shoot for it's latest catalogue. It's called, "An Exceptional Christmas". Exceptional is definitely the right word for it. If there was a fashion heaven, this is how I would envision it to be. You know a place, where money wouldn't matter. One could reach into the clouds and pick whatever handbag they wished for, where you could walk around in haute couture everyday, pick fabulous designer shoes from a garden and exquisite jewelry from a tree. Snap...Snap...Wake Up! It's only a DREAM, but wouldn't that be NICE? Well Dior, has put this fantasy together for us via gorgeous photos from Koto Bolofo (photographer), Nimue Smit (model), Raf Simons (design) and an exquisite video that brings it all to LIFE. I'm loving all the tulle, chiffon and softness in these pics. I think it's a little touch of Alice in Wonderland. Gosh, I have to purchase a Dior handbag one day. I adore them. I know everyone loves Hermes Birkin and Kelly, but my dream handbag is a Dior.

SHARE:

Party Girl

Flowers. Balloons. Sparkly Dresses. Shimmery Makeup. I love the glitz and pizzazz of the holidays. Everything is so festive and fun when it comes to fashion this time of year. I always try and incorporate those elements into my wardrobe. I feel they're so pretty. The other day I found a beautiful editorial which encompasses those things. It's called "Party Girl" and features model Xiao Wen Ju. You can find this photoshoot in Marie Claire China's December 2012 issue. It's lensed by Amber Gray and styled by Rodney Hall. Hair & Makeup is done by Antonio Diaz and David Tibolla. Ok, I just have one little quirk. Don't her shoes look a little funny in the last pic? They just don't seem to fit right. Maybe it's my eyes. Maybe it's the shape of the shoe. I don't know. So, have you gotten your sparkle ON for the holidays? Do you dress differently around holiday time?

SHARE:

Sweet or Not: Philosophy's Peppermint Bark

Last Christmas, I purchased Philosophy's Candy Cane Bath & Shower Gel. I liked it, but for me it was too minty for everyday use. I like mint, but I'm not THAT big of a fan. So what was I going to do with the rest of the bottle? I thought about it for awhile. We mix-n-match everything in our wardrobe. We mix-n-whip-up goodies in the kitchen. Why not MIX this bath & shower gel with ANOTHER Philosophy shower gel!?! Yesss! That was the answer! So I decided to mix Philosophy's Candy Cane shower gel with Philosophy's Fudge Cake shower gel (that I already had). Another option was Philosophy's Double Rich Hot Cocoa. You guys, it was the perfect blend! They both smelled so good together and I felt like I was in shower heaven. My minor in Chemistry came in handy! LOL :P

Sweet-Bittersweet-Not Sweet

Philosophy's Peppermint Bark is SWEET

This Christmas, when I checked Philosophy's website, they had Candy Cane Bath & Shower Gel, but they no longer offered ANY type of chocolate bath or shower gel. I was like, noooooooo! How could they? HaHaHa Well, to my surprise, this year they came out with Peppermint Bark Bath & Shower Gel . It's mint! It's chocolate! It's the exact bath & shower gel concoction I mixed up last year! I purchased it from QVC (larger bottle) and LOVE IT you guys.

My message to you, is don't be afraid to think outside the box. Just like everything else in your life, bath & beauty products can be mixed to! :) Give it a try! PS - I know not everyone likes "sweet" bath and shower gels, but try mixing things like florals, fruits etc. BTW - I can't eat Peppermint Bark or Chocolate with Mint, but I surely can bathe in it and adore the scent. HaHaHa Have A Fabulous Tuesday!

SHARE:

A Gingerbread Weekend...

Brown paper packages, tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things. Hi everybody! It was a gingerbread themed weekend for me. I wrapped presents with brown paper and gingerbread ribbon. I then attached gingerbread cards with real buttons and glitter on them. Ohhh, but I didn't stop there! I also baked a gingerbread cake. HaHaHa Let me ask you, have you ever tasted gingerbread ice cream? I haven't. I came across some while grocery shopping this weekend. It's new by Blue Bell and the ingredients include cinnamon, gingerbread pieces, marshmallow and red & green sparkles. I didn't buy it because I already have ice cream in my freezer, but it sure sounds and looks good.Companies think of everything!

On a more somber note, I think everyone around the world heard about the tragic events that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. It was a very sad weekend.

So much needs to be done: increase funding for mental health care and mental health programs, increase funding for public schools, better contingency plans for emergencies and safety, and there's no reason why someone needs to purchase a gun that holds 100 bullets and can shoot a plethora of rounds in a short period of time. I can't believe gun sales went UP this weekend, after hearing all of this. It sickens me to see how many people die each year because of this. If nothing is done, there's only more heartache to come. It's sad. I dedicate this post to all the victims (children and educators). When I look at these little gingerbread people, I can't help but think about them and how they won't be here to celebrate Christmas.

The names and ages of the victims of the Newtown, Conn., shootings: Charlotte Bacon, 6. Daniel Barden, 7. Rachel Davino, 29. Olivia Engel, 6. Josephine Gay, 7. Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6. Dylan Hockley, 6. Dawn Hochsprung, 47. Madeleine F. Hsu, 6. Catherine V. Hubbard, 6. Chase Kowalski, 7. Nancy Lanza, 52. Jesse Lewis, 6. James Mattioli, 6. Grace McDonnell, 7. Anne Marie Murphy, 52. Emilie Parker, 6. Jack Pinto, 6. Noah Pozner, 6. Caroline Previdi, 6. Jessica Rekos, 6. Avielle Richman, 6. Lauren Rousseau, 30. Mary Sherlach, 56. Victoria Soto, 27. Benjamin Wheeler, 6. Allison N. Wyatt, 6.

SHARE:

Biscuiteers

When I mention the word "biscuit", what do you envision? What comes to mind probably depends on where you live in the world. For many years, the only biscuit I ever knew was the kind you buttered or put jam or jelly on. (See the Wikipedia picture below) HaHaHa In Europe, a biscuit looks very different. As a matter of fact, in Europe a biscuit is hard and a cookie is soft. I've never been to Europe, but that is what I read. If I'm wrong (my European bloggie buddies), please correct me. I'm also interested in finding out, if Europeans have what we American's call biscuits and if so, what are they called? Hey! I don't know. So I'm asking. That's how you learn! :)




I'm mentioning all of this, because a couple of month's ago I came across the prettiest European biscuits and they don't look like either biscuit in the Wikipedia picture. HaHaHa  A company called Biscuiteers makes them and they are truly exquisite! Extraordinary detail and precision goes into each cookie. Not only are their biscuits gorgeous, but the tins that they come in are too. They also make fabulous cakes. You should definitely take a look at their Facebook page, YouTube channel and Pinterest page.

Below are some of their Christmas and Hanukkah items. Aren't they cute? They also have products for other special occasions. The Paris tin is simply ah-mazing! I had to feature Biscuiteers on A Very Sweet Blog, because they are truly a sweet treat for the eyes.

Have you heard of or tried Biscuiteers? I bet they taste as good as they look? They ship worldwide!

Is that sweetness overload or what? Just look at all of the cute little animals and who wouldn't feel better after receiving that First Aid Tin? I think I would hurt myself just to receive one. HaHaHa I'm so bad! ;P

Well guess what? They have a book, Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits by Harriet Hastings & Sarah Moore, you can purchase, that showcases some of their designs, gives recipes, icing instructions and templates to make these pretty goodies.

I think it would be an exquisite gift for a person who loves to bake. Me? Well, I'm definitely not that advanced in the baking arena. HaHaHa I would simply be grateful for just one of their cookie...oops, I mean biscuit tins! :)

Have a delightfully and delicious day everybody!
Be good. Stay sweet.

SHARE: