The Best is Yet to Come

This post title was inspired by this Frank Sinatra song... because it wouldn't be right to end 2013 on Summer Wind without a little Frank!

A year feels long, but so short at the same time. I look back on 2013 and I am shocked by how much I have grown. I am also shocked by how quickly 2013 came and went. I remember thinking at many times throughout the year that I wish I could just press pause on life!!! It's hard to believe that in just 4 short months, I will turn 24... yeah, I really need that pause button now. 
I'd like to think that I'm not one for resolutions. I think one should always be working harder to be a better person, not just as the clock strikes midnight and days passed mark another calendar year. Instead of resolutions, I will call these goals. I have many goals for 2014, but my biggest? To savor life. I need to remember the little things, the happy moments, because it's all going so fast, and the little moments are what really make up a lifetime, anyways. While I don't want it to slow down (ok, sometimes I do), I really want to live in the moment, and that, my friends, is my goal for 2014. Besides living in the moment and savoring life's moments, here are some things I will work on throughout 2014 and years ahead.

Travel more. I want to go everywhere and anywhere. Seriously, I'm packing my bags as you read this.
Wear lipstick more often. I  have so many lip products but I rarely apply them. I even carry them around with me in my totes/handbags/clutches. I need to start taking the extra 5 minutes to have a pretty pout! Sidenote: has anyone tried Stila Beso? Yay or nay?!

Show more gratitude towards the people who make my life so wonderful. Got to church more. Because why not?
Become a morning person. HA!!!! That's a semi joke. But maybe someday, I'll skip the snooze button... and that way, I'll actually make it to church on time. Go to bed earlier. Need all the help I can get to become a morning person! 
Be less type A. It's a great quality to have in some situations but sometimes not so much. I have really worked on this since I graduated college. I need to be more 'go with the flow'...I need to chill. Just me using the word 'chill' was a good first step. 
Read more. Read more books, blogs, magazines, papers. Read anything I can get my hands on. (any recommendations?!)
Take more photos and video. I take tons for Summer Wind but I don't have many photos of life 'happening'. I want to document my life. I want to take photos of my family and I sitting in our dining room having dinner together, I want to have photos of Mac playing in the snow, of cCm and I hanging out in our rooms together. I know that 50 years from now, as fun as it will be to look back on the outfits I wore in my 20's, I will hold photos of my family and our lives together near and dear to me.
Drink more coffee. Ok, so I only put this in here because this is something I know I am fully capable of ;) Cheers to another year; may it be the best one yet (I'm especially feeling it because I love even numbers...there's that type A creeping in again....). 
The best is yet to come and babe won't it be fine?  Yours, 

Another day, Another J. Crew Sale

Here are my picks... because who can stay away from an extra 40% off J. Crew sale. Nope, not me. Use code SHOPHAPPY at checkout. Oh and the skier sweater? Santa delivered it to my house and it's perfect. A post on how I style it will be up within the coming week or so! You're also going to want to check out the Brooks Brothers Semi Annual Sale. This camel hair coat from this post is half off. Your wallet won't thank me. Have a fabulous day! 

Yours, 

The Best of 2013: Makeup

With 2014 less than 48 hours away, I thought I'd recap my favorite makeup products of 2013. I don't wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, but this year, I got particularly interested in ways to apply makeup and added some different products into my usual repertoire.  My favorite can't live without product winner of 2013? Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel. It takes the cake for creating fabulous eyebrows. Second runner up are the highlighting products. I love this video that shows you where to apply.  My pick for the best hair product? It's a 10 Miracle Leave In product. I don't like using product on my hair but this is fabulous. You just spray it on damp hair, brush through (with a wet brush, the best brush EVER) and blow dry (HANA Air for best hairdryer 2013). I am convinced it makes my locks 10x shinier! 
What are your favorite makeup products? Or maybe you shouldn't tell me... because I like to try them all! Have a fabulous day! 
Yours, 

2014 Desk Calendar: Jan Mennell Designs

Jan Mennell Designs

 

With 2014 just days away (woah!!!!) you need a new desk calendar! Enter: Jan Mennell Designs. She creates amazing illustrations and places one on each month of the year. The calendar sits on a gorgeous brass easel and is the perfect accessory to brighten up your desk. 
Jan offers three different versions of her calendar: Beach, Dogs, and Signature. Jan was such a sweetheart and sent me all three as a fun surprise and I honestly cannot pick a favorite, although the pink couch is pretty fabulous!!! (click on the photos to enlarge or see JMD's website for enlarged photos of each month!). 
The calendar with brass easel is just $35 and yearly refills are just $20-- seriously, you cannot beat the price for the quality and such fun designs. Not to mention, everything is made with eco-friendly/recycled products, even down to the gift wrap and packaging and she donates a portion of her profit to animal charities! These are going to make me smile each morning when I sit down at my desk!
Have you purchased your 2014 desk calendar? Have a fabulous day! 
Yours, 

Tara Inn

Last weekend, my family and I went to Tara Inn for a fabulous 7 course dinner. It's about an hour and forty five minutes north of Pittsburgh so it was a fun treat and a nice change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

It's a bed and breakfast type resort and it was decked out with gorgeous Christmas decor. I had such a wonderful time celebrating the season with my family and would recommend Tara Inn! My favorite was the piano in the main dining room-- when everyone was gone, I took to the keys! 

I got this dress from Talbots several years ago but found a very similar one here (similar here, too). It would be a great New Years Eve dress. I loved pairing it with my Adia Kibur baubles (necklace sold out but similar here). I also wore a Lilly Pulitzer clutch (similar here) and suede pumps via RueLaLa. Have a fabulous day! 

Yours, 

Merry Christmas!

Believe

via 

Merry Christmas Eve!!!! 

Yours, 

Country Squire Haberdashery: Hosting and Toasting

Top/ Pants/ Shoes/ Pearls (30% off with code GIFTNOW/ Clutch

Tis the season for hosting and toasting! I am just loving this gorgeous chevron top via Country Squire Haberdashery. It was the perfect thing for a holiday fete complete with a little bubbly! What have you been wearing to all of your holiday soirees? Have a fabulous day! 
Yours, 

'Little by little one travels far'

2013 was a great year for me. Looking back I realized I did a bit of traveling. Actually, at one point, I wasn't home on the weekends for a solid month. Whew. I love traveling and planning trips to anywhere and everywhere. I hope to do even more traveling in 2014! I thought it'd be fun to recap where I went and want to know where you traveled?! I am hoping some of you got to go to places like St. Tropez and Santorini... those are on my list of places to vacation! Below is a picture heavy recap of the first 6 months of 2013... the later of half of the year will be next week-- too many photos to fit in one post!

January I went to Chicago for the first time for work. Absolutely loved everything about the city. I also went skiing... which is always fun. 

February, March, April  D.C. to visit my college roomie/bff, lMe! I go to DC a lot because it's so close to JMU, where I went to college. 

May

Birmingham, Michigan for work (the hotel bathroom pic was one of the only pics-- LOL) and Annapolis, Maryland to visit my big who is getting married in Setpember (ahhhhh!!!!) to see the Band Perry! 

June

Back to Michigan for work-- these are the types of photos you take while alone in a hotel room. Then to Watercolor, Florida for an amazing vacay with my cousins tBh and jBf!

Stay tuned for the next 6 months next week! Where have you traveled this year? Have a fabulous day! 

Yours,