...sparkles

I have a secret to tell you.


I hate New Year's Eve. 


There's too much pressure to have the best night ever, and the perfect kiss, the best drinks, and so on.


But, I don't hate getting to get all dressed up in some absurd amount of sequins, and dancing with my best friends. So that's all I'm focusing on this year. Cheers!

we heart it

...some favorite moments from 2011

I think 2011 might just have been a landmark year for me. Looking back at NYE last year, I can't believe how much I've changed in 365 days. I've grown up a lot this year and am stupidly excited to see what fun and exciting things 2012 will bring!


Here's a few highlights from 2011...

...a pink desk

I could get so much done if I had this desk and a bright blue wall.

sketch 42

...mini brie pop tarts

I might just be making these for our New Year's Eve cocktail party...


I was thinking of putting an apple slice, some toasted almonds, and a drizzle of honey in there instead of jam. 


And there needs to be some sort of prosecco/vodka drink to go along with it. Festive and tasty!

Joy the Baker

...being lucky

Do you ever stop and think, how did I get so lucky? How do I have such amazing people in my life? Did I earn it somehow with good deeds and good energy put out into the universe, or am I simply just this lucky?

Rockett St George

...the holidays!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing, and family-filled weekend!

Patterson Maker

...simple art

1 // 2

...cobalt + gray

I am obsessed with this color combo. Easy and chic. Done.

OscarPRGirl

...romantic hair

Loving this soft, romantic updo.

Doux Rousse

...neutral Wednesday work wear

Of course you'd have to do up some of the buttons. But how easy would this be to throw on in the morning?

And throw these shoes on...

J.Crew Spring lookbook via Fashionising // J.Crew.com

...type crush Tuesday - a simply letterpress holiday

For all you procrastinators out there who haven't gotten holiday cards yet. Or for those who just want to look at pretty pictures of letterpress cards.

top // bottom

...a serious case of the Mondays

Maybe I don't love it. Maybe I secretly do because it gives me an excuse to sit on the couch before a busy work week and Christmas weekend. (seriously? how is THIS weekend Christmas...?) It does make me miss the college days of getting three solid weeks off from doing anything other than decorating gingerbread houses with this girl and throwing my annual cookie decorating party.

This is not a far cry from how my hair actually looks right now. The Freedom Experiment

...good black and white photos

Gorgeous right?

Note to Self

...a good tux (placed on Ryan Gosling's bod)

Head Full of Doubt

...this gap scarf

Scarf from Gap. Must go get immediately. No time for full sentences.

Gap // wit + delight

...being apathetic in a pile of tulle

Sometimes this is how I feel.

J.Crewing

...type crush Tuesday - Social Proper Holiday cards

How adorable are all these cards! Festive but not in your face HOLIDAY, you know?

Social Proper Holiday cards

...good book suggestions

I'm in a book lull. Everything I pick up to read I quickly lose interest in.


Anyone read anything they loved recently?

wit + delight

No, I do not read in my bath tub often.

Also, no I do not want to read a book titled, "Help Your Husband Get Ahead." Please.

...some gorgeous tory's

Santa, I would love either of these under the tree this year.

1 // 2

...some NYC noms

So, while I love going to museums and all that cultured stuff, I also love the foods.

Most significant food object I was introduced to over the weekend- Speculoos. So. Yummy. A food truck, Waffles and Dinges (Dinges means toppings) makes fresh waffles topped with Speculoos, a gingerbread cookie (excuse me you say, gingerbread cookie?) based spread. Trader Joe's just started carrying something similar called Cookie Butter. Yep. Go buy it now.


I also spent my life savings on treats at Momofuku. B'day truffles (similar to cake balls) and their signature compost cookie were my fave purchases. The compost cookie has oatmeal, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pretzels and potato chips. Might have eaten some for breakfast more than one morning this week.


And oh my goodness the best dinner ever was Ippudo. It is a ramen place (I think one of the most popular in the city judging by the hour and a half wait on a Monday) and it was so effing good. We ate pork buns, Korean ribs (pictured below) and ramen. My photo of the ramen was a little unappetizing but oh my goodness I stuffed myself to the brink. Everything was so tasty.


Now I'm back to smoothies and lentil soup. So much less exciting.

...some NYC sights

Something you should probably know about me. I am a huge art nerd. Walking into the MoMA gives me butterflies. The Guggenheim makes my entire day complete. And I also secretly love doing touristy things. Like going to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza. Until we got stuck in a ridiculous amount of foot traffic. Then I disliked being all touristy.

The MoMA has a great retrospective of Willem de Kooning, and after seeing it I decided retrospectives are my favorite. It is really neat to see the beginning, middle and end of an artist's career and be able to visually draw parallels between their work.

The library also has a great exhibit up for their 100 year anniversary (and it's free!), highly recommend!


The highlight though, was the 9/11 memorial. It isn't finished yet, so you have to get timed tickets (free) and I had NO IDEA what to expect. I walked in and it completely took my breath away. Do you guys know anything about the memorial? I might have been out of the loop, but seriously it was amazing. Emotional, gorgeous (I went at night) and just really well done. Where the towers fell there are 2 square waterfalls and all along the perimeter are the names engraved of people lost in that tower. The waterfalls are what my photo below is of. It was so powerful to stand there and take it all in, and I kind of liked having no idea what to expect going into it. So I just ruined it for some of you. Oops!

Here's a nice documentary PBS did about the construction if you're interested!

The other wonderfully touristy thing I did was walk across the Brooklyn Bridge! Also at night, and it was also so beautiful! Crossed that one off my list.

I saw an apartment on fire too, watched the firemen put it out and everything. Cool to experience, not so cool for the people who's apartment it was.

...more noms

Apparently today is Thursday treat day. Chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars. Someone put these in my belly please!

The Craving Chronicles

...peppermint cupcakes! omg!

These look so good!

Glorious Treats

...being blogged about!

The adorable Caroline Knight of Sweet Caroline did a little feature about some cards in my etsy shop!

Check her "What I'm Loving Wednesdays" here my bebees!

Don't forget the coupon code ISL15 is happening in the etsy shop the whole month of December!

Aaaand I have a fun little post on the sights I saw and the food I ate in NYC coming later this week!

...cozy sweater time

Is it actually getting cold outside?

1 and 2 // both on pinterest

...type crush Tuesday - holiday cards round 2

I love these letterpress cards from the moontree press shop on etsy! Such adorable concepts and drawings.

moontree press

...the etsy store coupon code!

I might be impartial, but I think personalized stationary is a darn good holiday gift. That's why I'm offering 15% off through the ENTIRE month of December on anything in the I simply love etsy shop!


Starting now! Use the code ISL15 on any item in the shop!

Pinterest

...another trip to NYC

So excited for a weekend in the big city!

Things on the agenda: 
Tons of eating. Probably 3 trips to Momofuku Milk Bar. Fun drinks. Watching ice skaters in Bryant Park while sippin' hot chocolate. The Gugg (otherwise known as the Guggenheim). The MoMA. My first Soul Cycle class - stupidly excited for this. The 5th Avenue Kate Spade Store.

Quite possibly the perfect weekend!


And yes, I will most likely post pictures of everything I eat. Sorry...

I  hope you all have FABULOUS weekends my little readers!!!

 

The Kate Spade cab - SO CUTE.

...the notecard WINNERS!!

YOU GUYS. Thank you SO much for all your excited comments for the giveaway. I am really happy to announce the winners!

My lovely little readers Valerie Keating and Bethany Mix!!

And for everyone else who needs some notecards for the holiday season (or just for fun) I am excited to tell you that starting MONDAY everything in the shop will be 15% off through the entire month of December! Here's the link - i simply love etsy shop

Happy Friday! 

 

The Wedding Present

...hearts

This crazy popular adorable sweater is already sold out on JCrew.com. Of course that makes me want it more.

J.Crew

...a new month!

Happy December! I hope for some wintery days and lots of celebrating. And I want to make this adorable mini terrarium.

joo joo

...an all black outfit

I will never tire of the classic combination.

the glitter guide  //  wit + delight tumblr

...type crush Tuesday - holiday cards!

I am LOVING these holiday cards. Like, obsessed. Must buy and send to people I love.

sugar paper

...celebrating the holidays

For some reason (maybe its the 60 degree weather and my crazy work schedule and the fact that I didn't travel) I didn't get much into the spirit for Thanksgiving. So, I've decided to be obnoxiously spirited for Christmas this year. Join me, will you? 

note to self

...an i simply love GIVEAWAY!!

Big day. HUGE day. Giveaway day!

Happy Monday!

This week I'm giving away TWO sets of 10 notecards from the i simply love etsy shop. Any set of 10 notecards, so anything that's $16.00 (find the link to my shop on the right side of this page).

Leave a comment below saying which set of notecards is your favorite with your name and email address. I will pick two winners at random on Friday!! If you can't comment for some reason (I've had some complaints) email me at anneclindsay@gmail.com and I will include you in the drawing!

...being thankful for good food

And a healthy life. Great things to give thanks to today. And family of course! 


Happy Thanksgiving!


Here are some things I would like to be eating soon...

1. What Did You Eat?  2. Cook Like A Champion  3. smitten kitchen

...being thankful for j.crew

Sorry. All my being thankful for's can't be deep and meaningful.

Images found on this J.Crew tumblr. That I follow. I have a problem.

...the new additions to the i simply love etsy shop!

Check them out!! The link to my shop is to your right!

...green and gray

What a lovely combination.

note to self tumblr // i simply love etsy shop

...being thankful for good design

Yes. I am this nerdy. Good design makes the world a prettier place. 

1. grainedit   2. design inspiration   3. spring design group   4. ffffound

...being thankful for my friends

Guys. I'm about to get sappy here. I have the greatest friends. We went to a great vineyard for my birthday that was perfect for some self timer action. So much love.

This one kind of looks like we're in a boy band. And I love it.

...being thankful

In addition to regularly scheduled programming, every morning this week I am going to post something I am thankful for. Do you want to play along? Leave a comment with something YOU are thankful for, or (even better) repost this on your facebook or twitter with what you're thankful for today!


First post coming up a little later!

wit + delight tumblr

...Lauren Bush's wedding photos

Have you guys seen Lauren Bush's wedding photos? She married Ralph Lauren's son (so now she's Lauren Bush Lauren, so funny) and they had a western style wedding. Such a random theme to choose for a wedding but the photos are fabulous. See them all at vogue.com.

...a night of restful sleep

If I could have any super power, it would be the ability to function on very little sleep. Or the ability to fall asleep the second my head hit the pillow. I swear. Sleep is this mysterious thing I never seem to get enough of. Some can function on 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night and run successful businesses, get everything they need to done and function perfectly normally. I actually get jealous. Imagine all the extra time you'd have.

Image

...Christmas cards!

 

Every year my family gets bunches of Christmas cards, and I'm not going to lie, it's one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Do you know what I've come to love even more...designing them! It brings my cheer to a whole other level.

This year I'm putting the word out, I would love to design YOUR Christmas card. It will be completely custom, you won't get caught sending out the same card as your sorority sister (embarrassing, or sort of cute that you guys still have the same taste) and you have complete control over how it turns out! We can include a photo, or not. We can do a folded card, or a flat one. We can do whatever your favorite colors are, or black and white. And I will have them printed and delivered to your door. 

Contact me at anneclindsay@gmail.com for pricing and if you'd like to see some cards I've done in the past! 

Image

 

...salt, pepper and sugar

How cute are these...?

Paulova

...mmm coffee

Can some transport me to this cafe where I can drink all this coffee? Thanks, bye.

1 // 2

...casual chic

Currently obsessed with these two looks.

zara // wit + delight