Happy New Year

Happy New Year!



Many jolly tidings and best wishes!



[my gorgeous parents headed to a New Years Eve party when I was little]

Do not forget to cook your greens and eat your black-eyed peas!

XOXO

WorthyStyle

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year to all!

What are your New Years Resolutions?



Here are mine:

1. Graduate with my Bachelor's Degree in both Environmental Studies and Political Science in May.

2. Start grad school at University of Maryland, starting small, with my Master of Science in Environmental Management or Master of Science in Management (Non-Profit/Associations Management).

3. Study for the LSAT. I have a couple books, I need several more (especially those practice tests) so I can not waste my time the first time I take the exam. I do want to get my law degree, even if I don't become a practicing lawyer, it will certainly help with my long-term goals in non-profit environmental work.

4. Find a job that is just enough to pay what I need, let me put aside some extras, have a life and earn benefits no later than August (when my health insurance goes away). Continue my tutoring job with my current family of three boys. Which means getting a true office job and being done at 5 everyday so I can get to their house for productive work.

5. Really master jewelry-making so my business can really take off. I've been slowly working on it, but hope to increase it as a weekend occupation after graduation.

6. Set up an Etsy store for my jewelry and other small things.

7. Lose another ten pounds and really tighten everything up again... without hurting my heart like I did two years ago.


[hysterical, but so not P.C.]

Please leave a comment and share with me on what you plan on doing in the New Year!!!

XO

Conair infiniti i Series Hairdryer

For Christmas I received a present from Mom and Dad that I have needed for years (literally), a new hairdryer. I had been using for ages the old traveling hairdryer my Grandmama had in the Owners closet at the Beach House, and I had grown up using it on vacation. It was probably one of several things I had been using as a coping mechanism over their selling the house in 2003/2004. It was a dinky hairdryer, with no attachments, and had a horrible habit of sucking my hair into it to burn. Not so good. So, I took matters into my own hands this year, especially with my hair now down to my belly button, and decided that I should have a new one. I did some research at ULTA and read reviews. I decided to go with this hairdryer. And yes, IT IS PINK!!

I cannot wait to use it on my super-thin, baby fine hair and see if it frizzes as much as it used to. Supposedly, it is supposed to not do that. I seriously am hair-dumb stylistically-speaking, so you guys can give me tips on it as you see fit!

XO

(Photo image from Amazon.com)

The Cricut Create

Another big gift that I got this Christmas was the Cricut Create by Provo Craft. I originally had asked for the Expression, but seeing as I don't make big posters an awful lot, this similar tool certainly will come in handy while in my office at home. M really is trying to get me to do things I enjoy more often.



When you open it up, this keyboard appears to match the cartridge you placed within the Cricut, and this area is called the Dashboard.



The Cricut used to come with the cartridge called "George" but it now comes with the cartridge "DonJuan" instead. It includes both letters, numbers, short phrases as well as graphics.



As the Cricut serves many different purposes, they recommend that you purchase Replacement Blades and have a tool kit to really enjoy everything the Cricut offers.



So, M got me two replacement blades and a spatula, to lift graphics and letters from the paper!




Does anyone else have a Cricut Create or Cricut Expression? I would love to hear people's opinions on the Cricut and what cartridges they have gotten the most use from, as I hope to use mine to make cards, packages, decorated boxes for my jewelry, posters--- any sort of thing I think of, I guess!

XOXO

Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker

This gift, the Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker, is one of the ones I received this Christmas. I have not taken it out of the box yet - snowed in at the parentals - but I cannot wait! M purchased it for me, and it is a very thoughtful gift so then I don't spend a ton of money at Starbucks buying Venti Peppermint Hot Chocolate, no Whip, Whole Milk.

One of the many reasons I love Williams-Sonoma, how-to videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyxZP8jc8c

(W-S is lame, however, by disabling embedding videos!! BOO)


[photo by http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/]

Places in Paris, like salons de thé "Angelina's", serve their hot chocolate with low-fat milk in it. I normally drink whole milk, but I may get a jar of 2% milk for this product as it is designed (I think) for the lower-fat content of other milks.


[photo by http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/]

At Angelina's, you order a hot chocolat and they serve it to you in a pitcher with a tea cup. Next to that is a bowl of fresh whipped creme and a glass of ice water to cleanse your palate of the richness.



As an unexpected surprise, My Grandmama and Grandpapa gave me the Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Hot Chocolate shavings as well, so I am ready to go with setting this baby up when I get back to the house in a few days! They did not know M was purchasing this item for me, small world.

As Williams-Sonoma writes:
* Our peppermint version adds triple-distilled natural peppermint oil for the cool, clean taste of fresh mint.

* We've chosen an artisanal bittersweet chocolate by Guittard, San Francisco chocolate makers since the 19th century.

HEAVEN!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all!



Happy Holidays!




[little Worthington at her aunt's Christmastime wedding in the late 1980s]

XOXO

WorthyStyle

My Christmas Wishlist

Me at Christmas around 1994. This photo was taken at my Grandmama/Grandpapa's house on Jackson Avenue in Lexington, VA. LOVE my skirt! ha!


In my family, as there are so many of us, we have to write a list every year. It gets given to the significant other and the parents are both CC:d on the email. Basically, this list is done so there is no possible duplication of gifts. I was surprised to learn as I grew up that I had many friends who never did a list! Imagine my surprise! Wow!

Anyway, I am one of those people who always asks for books. I think books are the one amendment to the rule on not re-gifting. You can re-gift a book, or give a used book, and it is just as good as a brand new one. You are being good to the Earth, and what if the book is something perfect for a friend or family member. Obviously, I normally own up to it being "used" or whatever, and give another gift to even things out a bit, but I never see why that is wrong, right? [Although if the book smells like cigarettes, or you are giving a book to a germaphobe, then things may want to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis! ha!]

The following items are some of the many things on my wish list this year. These are normally guidelines for family who just don't know what to get me, so these are normally a list of want/needs:

The Cricut Expression. It is an expensive item, but I know with my jewelry-making, scrap-booking and other heart-friendly activities that I would use the heck out of this item. It looks like something way more entertaining and time-saving in comparison to my current trace-and-cut methods for items! Plus, I see it as ideal for things like designing attractive boxes for presentation (i.e. a pair of earrings I designed, etc.).



The Conair I-series Ionic hair dryer. Yes, it is a pink hairdryer! However, it is an ionic hairdryer which is way more forgiving on my thin, baby-fine hair. It can take my hair 5 hours to air dry, literally. This hair dryer should help me figure out how to style my hair now that it is to my belly-button. I am running out of ideas and I really don't want to chop it off, yet!



One of the most controversial films of its time (the glove strip-tease scene), Gilda is an American film classic. I love this movie and the music, the dancing and Rita Hayworth! I have been compared to her (hello, super compliment) and I just love her as such a vivacious character in this film!



Trailer for Gilda, a Columbia Pictures film:



From Williams-Sonoma, I asked for the long stainless steel All-Clad ladle. I make lots of stocks from scratch in a big tall stock pot, as well as making lots of soups and stews in the winter, so I would get a lot of wear out of this kitchen piece.



I love a specific product from Origins, called Clear Improvement. It is a fantastic mask that I can rely on to completely resurface my face and neck to baby-soft cleanliness. It uses charcoal, white Chinese clay and other ingredients to completely clear my pores out. Love. Love. Love!



As I began my entry, I mentioned books. I asked for several this year for Christmas, but here are a few of my favorites:

The 1982 edition of Martha Stewart's Entertaining:


The Woman's Guide to Law School by Linda Hirshman:


and, the book Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of 1964 by Judith Hope:



What did you ask for for Christmas?

Black Swan movie trailer

I cannot wait to see the Black Swan once it hits theaters in my area. I danced ballet for about 12-13 years (starting at age 3, when I first began riding and gymnastics as well), and dance was a huge passion for my entire childhood. It was when things got very competitive among my friends (most of whom I don't speak to anymore) and expensive (the costumes, supplies, hours, and classes) that I could no longer handle the pressure, as all the joy of the 'sport' left me. It was at this time that I then started to play field hockey and lacrosse and devoted my time to those things instead. I felt as though ballet was one of few competitive fields where when you stopped "playing" the competition continued outside of the studio. Most field sports stopped when the game ended for me. Ballet was not the case.



It looks to be scary-mental, obviously, as it is a thriller, but thankfully it also looks to be incredible. I would say Oscar contender for sure! I really have to enjoy the plot of a thriller to get into it. I am not a person who goes out and sees all of the scary movies in theaters - I frankly detest most. It is movies like the Black Swan, mental thrillers, that really capture my attention. Are you planning on seeing it?