Embracing another New Year.

For 2012, I'll be living the life I always imagined -- waking up with the sun, going above and beyond at work, doing my best in school, wander around the city, traveling to others, spending time with my loved ones, kissing the man who has my heart, laughing with my girlfriends, making time for writing, reading every night before bed.

What more could anyone ever want?

Traveling Thursday: The Great Escape.

There is something magical in simple moments; the ordinariness of things. Like the very second I awake to Manfriend's soft goodbye kisses before he leaves in the mornings. Like the few minutes I take to stare at the ceiling, letting the familiar warmth of the bed cover and sheets hold on to me just a little longer; letting my body and mind slowly get used to conscious movement and thoughts again.

I'm just another girl trying to do something meaningful and beautiful in this lifetime of mine. Like the blue-green ocean; just another body of water with its rising waves and tides, but with its vast and endless horizon filled with possibilities.

I'll be reaching out to the sea this weekend, while the sands of Florida run through my fingers. And even though I will enjoy my time in the sun with my girlfriends, I will miss the touch and feel that is ineffably his the most.

{a few photos of my last whirlwind-of-a-weekend trip to Ormond Beach, FL two Springs ago}

The bestest women.

I didn't want to hang up the phone. I hung on to their every word.

They never force me to feel anything other than what I am feeling at the moment. They'll let me cry, and then cry along with me. They'll make me laugh, but only when I am ready to. They'll call me out on my bullshit, even when I am too proud or stubborn to realize that I am lying to myself.

They are the bestest women, my mother and my best friend. I'm the luckiest.

Dancing queen, prancing into Spring.

It's been a long week of writing, editing, court filings, and application deadlines looming over my head -- and a series of unfortunate events last night! -- but I am so ready to show some skin, and don my dancing shoes this weekend!

Here's to hoping Mother Nature cheers up and stops crying soon. A night out with my favorite ladies, a girly sleepover, Sunday brunch, and potential Oscar-viewing; lots of laughs to be had and stories to be told, I'm sure of it.

Can. Not. Wait. Happy Friday!

Lots of sweet holiday treats.

My girlfriend D came over last week and we spent the cold, winter evening filling up the kitchen with sweet smells and girl talk. Nothing like great company and baked goods to make a girl feel all warm and fuzzy inside! It was also a great way to warm me up for my firm's holiday bake-off that Friday.

I borrowed her red velvet cookie recipe for the competition, and added some white chocolate chips to the mix. I also made some festive cupcakes as well, and even though they didn't earn me first place, I received a lot of compliments -- someone even offered to commission me to make some fun cupcakes for their young daughter's next birthday! Sweet. Ingredients and recipes found below!

Red Velvet & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box of red velvet cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup of white chocolate chips (you can add more or less to your own liking)

Mix all of the ingredients together to make the cookie dough. Roll into small balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten down slightly, depending on the thickness you desire. Bake at 375 degrees (you may want to set the oven before you start mixing!) for 8-10 minutes until the tops crackle (or until desire doneness).

Enjoy! (Hint: I'm sure Santa will also enjoy them as an ode to his red and white outfit, *wink, wink*.)

Next came the chocolate cupcakes! All you need to do is follow the instructions provided on the back of the cake mix box. Don't forget to let the cupcakes cool off before you start decorating them!

"Polar Paws" Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes

vanilla frosting

1/2 cup of coconut flakes

large dark chocolate disks

1 bag of M&Ms

Pour the coconut flakes onto a medium-sized plate. Set all the brown M&Ms from the bag aside. Apply the vanilla frosting on desired number of chocolate cupcakes. Take each cupcake and lightly (and evenly) press the frosted side onto the coconut flakes to create the "white fur". To make the chocolate disks and M&Ms "stick" better onto the coconut, simply pat very small amounts of frosting on the back to "glue" the paws onto each cupcake.

"Candy Cane" Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Vanilla frosting

Red and green food coloring

Candy canes

Mix red and green food coloring with the vanilla frosting until the desired color is achieved. Spread evenly over the top of each cupcake. Crush up a candy cane into smaller pieces. (You may want to cover the candy with a napkin to avoid having the candy bits fly everywhere!) Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle! (You can also stick whole candy canes directly into the cupcakes for an even more festive look.)

Howwwl if you're a weenie!

Is anyone else in a post-Halloween depressive slump? Because I am.


{We are not that small. And our friend the Gladiator is not that tall!}
A week after the festivities, I am still feeling a little sad that I will have to wait an entire year to dress up again. This is almost making me want to throw a costume-required bash... a masquerade party, to usher in the holiday season, perhaps?
{She-Hulk giving a whole new meaning to "being green".}

{Some of my closest girlfriends from highschool!}

{Who says fighters can't be lovers too?}

{Bromance?}

{My creative, beautiful girlfriend D turned into a peacock that night!}

{The bestie and I.}

{Halloween 2011, I'm keeping my eye on you!}