La vie...J'aime: 12.09

12.31.2009

2010 "resolutions"

It's that time again... the time to make goals and promises to yourself of things for the new year.

The Novelista Barista asked her readers to submit 2010 resolutions- mine were featured on her blog a few weeks ago. Despite making resolutions year after year, I find they never fully come to fruition. I think for 2010 I don't want to set resolutions for myself, I want to think of the things I will look forward to and do in 2010, not things that will be the bane of my existence and make me feel bad if I don't complete said "resolutions".

So, for 2010 I will resolve to...

Continue to look for a new job and try to make due while I am still at my current one
Get active again, whether it's at the gym, practicing yoga, cleaning the apt, or shoveling snow
Try new things, whether it's a "cooking" a new recipe, reading a new book, meeting new people, etc.
Find love, however it comes to me
Travel someplace I have never been, whether by car, foot, or by plane
Let surprises happen, hopefully mostly good ones(!), that lead me to something special

What do you resolve to do in 2010?

2009 loves

Happy New Year's Eve! Here are some of my favorites from 2009...

Fashion trends: leggings/jeggings, layering, bib necklaces, exposed zippers, cut-outs, jumpsuit

JBrand legging jeans

Music: Party in the USA- Miley Cyrus, the return of Britney Spears, Down- Jay Sean, Bad Romance- Lady Gaga, Chicken Fried- Zach Brown Band, Taylor Swift, Glee Vols 1 & 2, Passion Pit, Don't Trust Me- 3OH!3, Rihanna collaborations

Britney's Circus tour

TV: Glee, True Blood, The Good Wife, guilty pleasures (Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood), The Vampire Diaries, The Rachel Zoe Project, Lost

Glee

Movies: The Hangover, Julie & Julia

The Hangover

Style Icons: Kate Winslet, Diane Kruger, Rachel Bilson, Anne Hathaway, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Obama

Diane Kruger in Chanel

And of course, blogging!

I am sure I am forgetting a lot... What are some of your 2009 loves?

12.30.2009

2009 year in review

I saw this post at Love in the Details about her 2009 year in review and just had to do my own...

January: Celebrated NYE 2009...twice. Let's just say the first NYE didn't go well for myself or my friends, so we needed to do it again.

NYE 1

NYE 2

February: Went to FL with then bf for sun, sand, relaxation, and Valentine's Day. Came back with some sort of flu aka the worse sickness EVER and proceeded to be bed-ridden for nearly 2 weeks.

My 1 day at the pool in FL.

March: Annual Southie St. Patty's day. 'Nuff said. Also marked the 1 year anniversary of living my apt with the roomie!

April: Started a new tradition- Boston's Marathon Monday Red Sox game. Also went to NYC and walked the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time.

May: I turned 24.

June: Thought I was going to be unemployed and during my week of unemployment, started this blog. Relive my first post here. Fortunately, or unfortunately (I really cannot decide), I am still employed by this same company.

July: Went to NYC for Kyle's first big show opening.

Kyle with his installation.

August: Month O' Concerts including annual Kenny Chesney Countryfest, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban, and AC/DC

@ AC/DC- once in a lifetime, as I will prob never see them again.

September: Successfully planned my roomie's 25th surprise party with Jenny Penny. And it went off without anyone spoiling the surprise!

Surprise!

October: Bf and I broke up. And I went to NYC for Halloween/the bride to be's Bachelorette party.

MOH, bride to be, me

November: Annual Baste Friends Forever Thanksgiving.

Official tshirt

December: Hit 100 followers of La vie...J'aime!

What's your 2009 in review? If you post yours, comment with a link, so I can see!

2000-2010 reflections

It occurred to me sometime last week that we are nearing the end of the first decade of the 2000s. Insane! Can you picture 10 years ago and were you were at this time? I was in middle school, without a computer or cell phone (omg)! So much in the world has changed that we all know and have experienced, but personally as well, everyone goes through so much in 10 years.

I remember when it turned 2000. Let me paint you a picture... New Year's Eve 1999, I am 14 years old. My girlfriends and I had a sleepover at one of our friend's house, and we were all huddled together, holding hands, counting down to midnight, in anticipation of the dreaded and feared Y2K...

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.....1

Happy New Year! It's 2000! Wait? The lights didn't flicker, the world didn't end, what? Y2K? What about all the bad stuff that was supposed to happen? We were all so nervous and then nothing, and we were disappointed (haha)!

Looking back over the past 10 years, so much has changed for me, as this decade represents a huge part of my life (ages 14-24) and shaping me into who I am now and who I will become...

graduating high school, graduating college, loves and heartbreaks, gaining family members, losing family members, making new friends, losing touch with old friends, traveling to new places, first job and taste of the "real world"...

the list goes on and on.

What I do know about the past 10 years is I wouldn't have done it any other way... well I guess there are a few regrets here and there, of course, but the majority seems to be just as it should be.

I hope for the next 10 years to continue most of these things: make new friends, get married and expand my family, enjoy new personal and professional experiences.

What did the first decade of the 2000s mean to you? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

12.29.2009

Minx Mani

Last week, my friend went to Miniluxe, a fabulous spa in Boston, for a new manicure called Minx. The website describes:

Minx Nails are a new and glamorous way for women to extend fashion to their fingertips. They are a mess free, green alternative to polish. Minx Nails have become the latest fashion accessory for celebs, being worn by Beyonce, Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna to name a few. Minx is chip free and lasts up to 2 weeks. Available in a variety of metallics and designs.

My friend chose this festive plaid for the holidays...

I am loving it (and her ring)! It's a bit pricey than a standard manicure, but the spa experience and lasting quality of the Minx is enough to convince me, I think :)

PS: Thanks to the Midtown Girl for the Happy 101 blog award!

12.28.2009

La vie...J'aime via email

I finally figured out how to set up Feedburner- now you can get La vie...J'aime via email! Sign up over here....

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K, thanks :)

Christmas is all around you...

Xmas tree & presents

Fire & stockings

Me and my bday bro

Kyle's bday "cake"- gingerbread & apple tarte

Family tradition- poppers with crowns!

Mom's cookie platter

Blog, and you shall receive

Santa was sooo good to me...how about you? This Christmas, I learned that Santa reads my blog... so I say, blog, and you shall receive!

Linds @ Everything LEB raved about this cocoa butter vitamin E stick in her My Stocking post... and look what was in my stocking!

I featured these in a Z Gallerie gift post... and look what my brother gave me!

In my holiday wish list guest post at FerOHHHsh, I expressed my love for a pair of Frye's... and look what my Dad and step-mom got me!

Thank you t0 Santa and my family! :) Is there anything that you blogged about that Santa got you this year?

12.27.2009

Style you Sunday: NYE

Boredom @ work, no phone calls during the holiday week=making 3 outfits for this weekend's Style you Sunday. Look no further- here are 3 different looks for your New Year's Eve!

Style you Sunday: NYE, Winter White by laviejaime featuring Forever21

Style you Sunday: NYE, Night Noir by laviejaime featuring Forever21

Style you Sunday: NYE, Magenta at Midnight by laviejaime featuring Betsey Johnson jewelry

Which are you: Winter White, Night Noir, or Magenta at Midnight?

12.25.2009

Friday Faves: Christmas Edition

The Holidays: At a snow-covered cabin @ The English Muse

How dreamy and picturesque...

Joyeux Noel @ Dustjacket Attic

Stunning, festive editorial.

Holiday wrap up @ Rock Paper Scissors Blog

Love her witty wrapping ideas!

Not a creature was stirring... @ The Southern Hostess

So cute! Get these hand-made mice here- there's an Anna Wintour one too!

Pretty in white @ Lovely Happenings

Who wouldn't want to get these presents? I wouldn't want to open them though!

christmas berries + winter blossoms @ {this is glamorous}

Love the festive and chic styling. Photos by this duo.

Holiday party for O Magazine @ Sweet Designs: A blog by Amy Atlas

Amy threw O's holiday party- visit her site for more pics (lots of desserts)! What a great job she has, right?

Merry Christmas!

(scheduled post- taking a blog break on my xmas vaca)

Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, and one last My Stocking

Merry Christmas to you all! This is a scheduled post and right now I am opening presents -wearing this fabulous pajama from Target- and enjoying time with my family and new gifts! Also, we are celebrating my brother's 22nd birthday- Happy Birthday, Kyle!

(the bro circa 1989)

As a treat, here is my mom's My Stocking... she just couldn't resist!

My Stocking

By: My mom, Laura

I love Christmas! This stocking reminds me of my favorite ice cream that I wait for every year! YEAH for peppermint stick with the little crunchy red and green mints!

My favorite stocking stuffers when I was younger were Lifesaver books and chocolate coins. Every year Santa always put have these goodies in my stocking!