Resolutions Are a Funny Thing

Inevitably a new year comes around and everyone resolves to make positive changes in their lives. Some are simple and realistic others ridiculous and completely unattainable. Nonetheless, the majority proclaim some sort of personal achievement for the New Year.

A few years ago I decided to make realistic goals for myself and spare myself the disappointment of not following through. Here’s a list of my 2011 New Year goals.

image via Lonny Magazine

1. Start sewing beautiful linens for my own home. Believe it or not I am the shoemaker with no shoes. I spend the majority of my time sewing gorgeous drapery and linens for my customers and as a result my windows are poorly dressed.

2. Have a HUGE tag sale that we have been putting off for about a year. I prefer to call them tag sales because garage sales sound so junky in my opinion. Over the past couple of years we’ve purged and updated our home and as a result we have piles of home accessories and furniture to sell. I have done my fair share of donating to the Salvation Army, but this go around it’s too much to haul so tag sale it is.

Image via Housebeautiful.com

3. Renovate my kitchen top to bottom. That’s right we are ripping her down to the studs and bringing her into this new millennium decade. Goodbye 1959, hello 2011.

4. Completely redecorate my daughter’s room and give her a proper big girl room.

These last two are the most precious resolutions to me.

5. Spend more quality time with my daughter and carve out special mommy and me moments as often as possible.

6. Have a healthy pregnancy and deliver this baby girl in my tummy that’s been growing for the past 14 weeks. Yep, I am prego and life is about to get a lot more hectic for my family. We are very excited and feel very blessed.

Happy New Year to all and best of luck with your resolution list. My one piece of advice, keep it simple and achievable.

See you next year!

Happy New Year to all!  We are planning at low key evening to ring in the New Year.  2011 is going to be an exciting year in our household, one I promise to share with lots of fun details.  Be safe and best of luck for a prosperous year to come.

Images via

Dreamy Canopy

I was catching up on my favorite blogs when I spied this dreamy room from Little Green Notebook, via Lilly's Notebook, by Lilly Bunn Weekes.  I love the notched valences; so beautiful!  This would also be cute for a boy's room in blue or a neutral flax color.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Tuesday was my 36th birthday and my husband and daughter gave me this.  I love it!

Tory Burch for Kids!

Have you seen the latest from Tory Burch?  Designer duds for your little princess.  Oh my!

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies

Today was a great day!  The family and I were very lazy and milked every second of that extra hour of sleep we gained last night.  We watched TV, played outside and I baked these delicious sweets.  My friend had them at her daughter's birthday party and I couldn't resist making them myself.  I found the recipe here.

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup quick cooking oats

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parcment paper (these are very sticky cookies). Combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Cream sugar and butter together until smooth then add egg and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Drop teaspoons about 4 inches apart. Bake for 6-8 minutes. The cookies should be brown on the edges and white in the middle but darken as they cool. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips over a double broiler and cool slightly. Put in a ziplock back and cut a tiny hole in the corner. Peel cookies of the parcment and decorate with milk chocolate by squeezing the bag when cool.

*Adapted from Mrs. Field’s “Lacy Oatmeal Cookies”

The Cat's Meow

Happy Halloween!