Party Like It's, Um...2009

Hello beautiful people! If you're reading this, you've made it to the end of yet another year, haha. As with every New Year's Eve, I have that stinkin' Prince song in my head. "We're gonna party like it's 1999." Er, um, 2009. Guh.

Now, I'm not usually one of those people who sets "resolutions" each year; I mean, I resolve to do alot of things better, but more often than not, my ideas don't make it to fruition : ) Ah, the best laid plans...So this year, I'm calling it "intentions." Meaning, I intend to do the following in 2010.

May I present, Leslie's Top 10 New Year's "Intentions"

1. Finally organize my closet. Nothing in the world makes me happier than a big, fat closet. Especially one that is well organized. Mine isn't that bad, I mean, it is arranged in color catagories and all...but, I want to add some cool shelves and maybe a nifty shoe rack.

2. Use my Chi iron less. I've been accused by my hair stylist of flat-ironing too frequently. Guilty as charged : )

3. Cut back on tanning. I'm not going to say I'm quitting, (because we all know that won't happen), but I really should cut back on trips to the tanning salon. Otherwise, I'm afraid that one of these days I'll look like one of those horrible orange people from Jersey Shore.

4. Spend more time volunteering with Junior League. See, not all of my goals are shallow, haha. Unfortunately, I'm guilty of attending more of the social events than actual volunteer events, which is really what J.L. is all about.

5. Go back to Europe. Since my trip in 2007 I've wanted to go back, so I'm kind of in the very early stages of planning a vacay to Prague and Sweden for this coming summer.

6. Learn to drive a stick shift. I have NO clue how to drive a standard and for some reason, I think this might be important. I mean, what if there were an emergency one day and the only car available were a stick? I'd be screwed.

7. Finally get some artwork for my bedroom. I have this ginormous wall opposite my bed that has been bare ever since I moved in. I haven't seriously searched for something yet, so I'm getting down to business starting next month.

8. Cut back on Starbucks. Actually, scratch that. It's not possible.

9. Redesign my blog. Everything you see here, I've done myself. But, now that I have 244 fabulous followers, it might be time to have an expert come in and overhaul the look of A Blonde Ambition.

10. Make a Bucket List. The recent death of a young family friend kind of reiterated the importance of doing everything you want to do, while you're healthy enough to do it. I've always kept a mental list of "musts", but never really put pen to paper to make a real list.

So it's time to share a few of your New Year's Intentions with the rest of us...what are your goals? How do you plan to accomplish them?

Have a safe and blessed New Year! See you in 2010!

Trend Watch Wednesday: One Shoulder Wonder

(Dress by Ports 1961 from Neiman Marcus)

Happy New Year's Eve, Eve! Does everyone have an exciting night planned for tomorrow? I'm pretty pumped about mine; one of my good girl friends and I are heading to Fayetteville (a town about 15 minutes away from where I live) to listen to some bands and meet up with some other people for a proper NYE shindig. Should make for a fun evening!

Today's TWW is all about the one-shoulder party dress. I love one-shoulder designs. I mean, they're sexy without being over-the-top and they always look modern. Plus, if you have a great upper body, these styles of dresses are perfect!

Asymmetrical Dress with Bow by Thread Social

Blowout Dress by Nanette Lepore


Ruffle One Shoulder Dress by Shoshanna


Sequin Dress by Thread Social

One Shoulder Dress by Moschino

Tulla Dress by Milly

Now for the big question: What are you wearing tomorrow night? Maybe a fun cocktail dress, your favorite jeans or something completely different? I haven't decided on a final outfit yet, but I will definitely be posting pics of whatever I end up wearing. Have a fantabulous day, friends!

Photo credits: shopbop.com and Social Couture

The Bold and the Beautiful

Happy Tuesday, Blonde Ambitioners! I hope everyone survived Monday back at the office and that you are all gearing up for an exciting New Year's Eve.

Recently, I saw an online pictorial in Canadian House and Home which focused on the use of bold colors in interior decorating. Bright and strong colors can be used to give punch to an otherwise neutral space. So whether you decide to paint an entire wall or use only small accents of color, this home trend will certainly up the style quotient of any room.

Try painting an old screen or room partition in a bright robin's egg blue to create a headboard. Stumped on which colors "go together"? Just break out the old color wheel (remember that thing from Home Ec?) for a quick refresher course on complimenting color schemes, like blue and yellow!

The bright orange and red add warmth and personality to this room. And that white chandelier...perfection.

A simple yellow chair is just enough for this neutral space.

How fresh and modern is this cobalt blue accent wall?

The zebra print cushion and bright orange coverlet are a perfect pair for this room.

This photo just goes to show that you don't need a lot of color to make a statement; these accent pillows are just the right ingredient for this boudoir.

Photo credits: Canadian House and Home

Fashion Finds: Spool No.72

Yesterday, while perusing the internet for cool websites, I found an online clothing company that was just too fabulous to keep to myself. It's called Spool No.72 and just about every item on their website is to die for. Another plus: Everything is super reasonably priced. Can we say fashion home-run?

Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

Umber Ring, $28

How darn cute is this ring? And for only $28, it won't break the bank.

Snowday Sweater Coat, $62

Doesn't this look SO cozy? I just want to buy it, curl up on my couch and drink some cocoa, haha.

Dashing Earrings, $28

Be prepared to hear, "Where did you get those?" They really are dashing, darling.

Fork and Knife Ring, $32

What's not to love about a chunky cocktail ring? Especiallly these in bright red and robin's egg blue.


Snohomish Tote, $98

Oh-so-luxe in brown leather, this bag is large enough to carry all of the necessary equipment, (lipstick, iPhone, the kitchen sink...). And frankly, who doesn't love a ginormous purse?

Birch Lace Dress, $62

Cute, cute, cute. Love this dress.

Icicle Cozy Sweater Vest, $54

This is not your grandma's sweater vest, girls. I can totally picture this with skinny jeans, thigh-high boots and an oversized, leather tote (like the one mentioned above.)

So which of the items from Spool72 are your favorite?

Have a great Monday, Blonde Ambitioners!

**This post is intended for entertainment purposes only, with no compensation provided to the author.

Party Dress

Happy Day-After-Christmas! I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. Although I think I ate my weight in pecan pie, I loved being able to spend time with my family opening presents, laughing and remembering Christmases past. It was definitely a great day.

Now that Santa Claus has come and gone, it's time to get focused for New Year's Eve! This means hitting the gym (to work off all those holiday calories), paying a visit to the hair salon for some fresh highlights and finding a new frock for all the soirees you're going to attend.

Enter the Party Dress...

I'm such a fan of Anthropologie, I thought I'd focus on a few featured dresses from their online store for some NYE fashion inspiration.

Sterling Dress, $168

With sheen like this, this dress is sure to turn heads and camera lenses when you walk by. I'm also loving the one-shoulder design and button embellishments at the waist.

Granted Wishes Dress, $318

I'm going to wager that whatever a girl asks for in this dress, she will probably receive! The colors and style make it modern, but this dress still manages to maintain the classic hemlines of the "bubble" dress.

Remembering Violets Dress, $178

The empire waist and floral detail at the top make this frock positively perfect for any New Year's Eve gala.

Frozen Crystals Dress, $178

Seed shaped beads and dangling chiffon "crystals" make additional accessories for this dress completely unnecessary. The dress features a soft jersey knit bodice and body-complimenting A-line skirt.

So what do you plan to wear for NYE? A dress maybe? Jeans and a cute top, perhaps?

Photo credits- Anthropologie

Merry Christmas to All

Can you believe Christmas is finally upon us? It's crazy, but there's no doubt about it, the 25th of December is here! I'm so glad to have shared this holiday season with all of you, my new blogger friends, and I look forward to sharing many more to come. I wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday and many, many blessings this Christmas and New Year!

XOXO,

Leslie

5 Minute Decorating Ideas

Contrary to what you are probably thinking, I actually have not fallen off the face of the earth...I've just been insanely busy over the last 4 days and, well, blogging has kind of taken a back seat to holiday craziness.

But today I'm back, hopefully for the rest of the blogging week. And in honor of this special, Christmas week, I thought I'd do my final "Surviving the Holidays" post. This week, we'll focus on last-minute decorating ideas for all the procrastinators out there (like yours truly)! If you're still struggling to get the house in order for visitors on Friday, hopefully this post will offer some ideas.

Blank Canvas

Tie a ribbon around a blank canvas for a modern, trendy twist on holiday art.

Fabulous Felt

Trim some 12 x 12 squares of red or white felt as a frugal yet chic alternative to expensive placemats.

Hear Them Ring

Wooden quilting rings make adorable "chandeliers" for a dining room or breakfast nook. Simply attach two quilting rings together, (one slightly smaller than the other), and hang with clear wire above a table or shelf for an instantly artsy look.

Unpainted Candlesticks

I never considered unpainted candlesticks "chic" until I saw them on realsimple.com. But I LOVE the way these look, especially with the contrast of bright red or white candles.

Bowl of Bells

Tired of poinsettas? Try filling a clear vase with small jingle bells for an appealing decoration that won't wilt.

Knitting Needle

Use knitting needles to "spear" placecards to add an artistic element to your dining table.

Simple Snowmen

Plain, white foam balls and simple, red twine make the perfect modern snowman. Have the kids join in on the last minute craft project for some pre-Christmas fun!

P.S.- Don't fret, Trend Watch Wednesday will return to it's regular schedule next week!

Spring Has Sprung

Happy Friday Blonde Ambitioners! Is anyone else SO excited for the weekend? I begin my "staycation" this afternoon and I couldn't be more thrilled. It's such a relief to know that I'll have the entire week to finish my Christmas shopping and prepare for the holiday craziness. I'll definitely be blogging ALL week though, so stay tuned!

Shopbop.com has a fantastic Spring 2010 photo spread today which features several gorgeous looks that are sure to be hot in the coming months. The trend this Spring will definitely be lightweight knitwear in pale colors.

Take a looksy below!

Bacall pants- Elizabeth & James, Scarf- Rag & Bone, Sweater- See by Chloe, Cross body purse- Marc by Marc Jacobs

Journey jumpsuit- Madison Marcus, Scarf- Rag & Bone, Shoes- Guiseppe Zanotti

Shirt dress- Cynthia Rowley, Oxford flats- Boutique 9, Men's oversized watch- Michael Kors

Sheath dress- Ports 1961, Pumps- Barbara Bui

Dress- Jenni Kayne, Bag- Marc by Marc Jacobs, Shoes- Stuart Weitzman

Have a lovely weekend!

Photo credits: shopbop.com

C'mon Get Happy

Nothing makes my blonde self happier than blogger awards! So you can only imagine my excitement when Sonja from For the Love of Stillettos passed the Happy 101 award to me. That Sonja, she is fabulous : )

So the rules of accepting this award are pretty simple. I have to tell you 10 things that make me happy. This is easy, because I'm a very happy person and there are LOTS of things that make me smile.

So here goes:

My "Happies"

1. Any music by Phoenix. Especially their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which has gotten me through many a hectic workday. Download "Lisztomania" and "Armistice" and you'll see what I'm talking about.

2. Mexican food. Bring on the chips and queso and order up some chicken quesadillas, I could live on this stuff.

3. Shopping. Big surprise, huh?

4. Blogging. Because reading all of your super-awesome blogs makes my life complete.

5. Creme Brulee Lattes from Starbucks. Ok, my heart still belongs to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, but this one runs a close second.

6. Paula Deen. I could watch this woman's show 24-7 and never get tired of her. I have a feeling she would be just as warm and friendly in person as she is on her cooking shows.

7. Waking up to good music.

As I'm sure a lot of you do, I have my morning alarm set to an all-music, no-talk radio station. This way I can wake up to something besides an annoying "beep". Plus, I know if the first thing I hear in the morning is a favorite song, it's gonna be a good day.

8. Baking. ...hence the reason the majority of my posts feature pics of baked goods.

9. Hobby Lobby and Kirkland's. I'm a sucker for a home decor store, not to mention ones that have weekly coupons on things like animal print lamp cord covers and coat hooks that look like door knobs : )

10. Pretty pictures. I could look at photography websites for hours on end, no kidding. Pretty pictures (like the one below from Lollipop Design & Events) bring order to a world of chaos for me.

So, I cannot just choose 10 peeps to pass this along to, because you all make me happy. Plus, I know everyone is so busy right now because of the holidays. So if you feel the urge to pass along this award, or just blog about your own "happy" list, go for it!

...and also, a big thank you goes out to Pink Lace and Cupcakes for the Glamorous Blog Award! If you are a girly girl (like moi) and love all things pink, you NEED to go visit PL&C.

P.S.- I'm going to attempt Egg Nog this year, but I have no clue how to make it. Do any of you guys have a link to a great egg nog recipe? I'm stumped on this one.