Hoping This Year Will Be Better than the Last

My New Year's resolutions:

1. visit an American city I've never been to (I'm thinking Nashville, Las Vegas, or Miami)
2. get sworn in to the NY Bar
3. gain permanent legal employment doing something I enjoy!
4. find a cheaper apt
5. get botox
6. visit a country I've never seen
7. stay in shape
8. go see the Statue of Liberty
9. complete my wardrobe
10. organize all my loose papers
11. pay off 7% of my student loans
12. have more fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas

I had a very low key Christmas this year which is good. Simple is good. Sang a lot of Christmas songs and tried to keep my spirits up after a tragic year. I got these:

And I also got a bunch of church chick lit books which I love. My mom made me a cross stitch of my monogram. Currently, I am thinking of New Year's resolutions to make. Next year has to be the best one yet.

Preppy Presents!

J Crew Silk Frances cami in autumn sun 69.50

Brooks Brothers Tattersall Quarter-Flap Bag 124.00

Lily Pullitzer PJ Set Sateen 89.00

Vineyard Vines Simple Sail Mini Tote 75.00

Short Sleeve Bi-Color Stripe Stretch Pique Polo 49.99

Randomness

So this weekend I had dinner with a few friends from law school. I love that I've seen so many people from law school here in the city without having to go back to MinneSNOWta. Law school seems like a million years ago. My life has changed so dramatically this year. For starters, I decided that I need to try more new things.

I tried caviar for the first time on Thanksgiving. For some reason I've always thought that I can't eat caviar because I'm a vegetarian. I don't know why because I'm not vegan, and they're just eggs. They were a bit salty for me. I think I am becoming more open minded lately. I have always hated any sort of Latin music due to my inability to dance to it. Well I went to a Brazilian place called SOBs in Tribeca this weekend for a friend's birthday party and I totally got into it. They did Samba lessons and although I was pathetic, at least I tried.

Last night was quite an adventure. I met up with a couple friends at the Plaza Hotel to listen to some jazz. I can't believe that it was my first time inside The Plaza as long as I've lived here. I'm so glad I went at Christmas time because the decorations were beautiful. Fortunately, it turned out to be a jazz singer and not instrumental jazz music which is just not something I can get behind as more than background music. There was this girl there last night who I knew I recognized from some reality show but I just couldn't place her. I hate it when that happens. Well my friend M told me today that her name is Daniella and I now I remember. She was the judge's pick on Bravo's The Fashion Show. I didn't remember which reality show she was from, but I had remembered that I didn't like her. After the jazz, we were supposed to go to some bar in midtown. lame. But when we went to find my friend L's car, it was no where to be found. It was towed to the New York pound. So I'd only been planning to try out one new place last night: The Plaza. But, in fact I got to spend a couple hours at the Manhattan impound lot at Pier 38. There were lots of out-of-towners. (including two guys in cowboy hats, cowboy boots & silver suits). Thank God I don't have a car. I could never afford it. Despite how it sounds my night turned out to be super fun. We went out after and ate breakfast in Carroll Gardens.

I love Christmas time. It's so festive everywhere.

It's Christmastime in the City

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

I made my mom's mashed potato spinach casserole and my grandma's Mennonite cheese pie and took a dinner roast as my contributions to Thanksgiving this year. I was so excited for macaroni & cheese, stuffing, pumpkin cheese cake, apple pie, etc. Last year I was in Cancun for Thanksgiving, so it was fantastic to be back in America having the most All-American Thanksgiving you could imagine. Watching the parade on TV while baking. Sitting down for the game after stuffing my face. What could be better? Plus I'm 1/8th Native American, so I could enjoy my day guilt free.

I didn't spend Black Friday shopping this year. Instead I spent my weekend seeing the movie Precious which features Mariah Carey looking like this:
After that I made my Broadway Debut in:
They let us get up on stage at the end which was an amazing feeling. I loved looking out into the crowd while dancing to and singing Let the Sun Shine In from the stage.

I also saw:
It was hilarious! I highly recommend this movie.

I gave my first tour of the financial district.
Then took my picture outside the Cosby Show house. It only took 9 years to find it.
And to top it all off I went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

If you don't spend the holidays in the city you are really missing out on something special.

The Perfect Wallet

I have been looking for a wallet with slots for cards on both sides for a long time. Apparently people still write checks because most large wallets I happen upon have one side for cards and one side for a checkbook. Well I recently stumbled across this beauty.

It's the Big Apple Stacy! The wallet is also available in purple, black, red, pink, and orange. But as usual, green is my choice. I love green. It looks sleek with the buttons on the inside. I'm also coming around to patent leather.