As we bring 2011 to a close, I’m already getting my bags packed for a trip next week. Let’s see if 2012 will bring even more travel into my life. I’m counting on it since I’ve finally taken one step toward a very big adventure that I’ve been wanting to take for a while now. Security clearance is required (and possibly boot camp training prior to the trip!) but fingers crossed I’ll finally get to do it later this new year. One hint: there’s no Chanel there. Just praying there’ll be WiFi and indoor plumbing!
Do you have your list of resolutions ready? While skimming through the sales racks at the Chanel boutique today, I was thinking about my 2012 resolutions…
1. Grow my new company
2. Eat better
3. Sleep more
4. Check in more than checking out
There’s nothing on my list about saving the world or becoming Karl Lagerfeld’s right hand, but I think item #4 will be the toughest challenge for me. When I get busy, I tend to become the bionic version of myself, going on auto-pilot to fix everything for everyone, without really being there. I mentally check out so that I can work around all the noise, to get everything done. But a whole year will go by and I won’t really remember much of any conversation I’ve had with anyone. At least not anything substantive. So I’d like to change that. The conclusion I’ve come to is that if I could take better care of myself, I could strive to become a better support system for all the people in my life.
I’d love to hear what’s on your list.
Happy 2012 everyone!
I hope that Santa will bring you everything you wish for. As for me, I woke up on Christmas eve to a blue sky, put on my capri jeans, tshirt, and sandals and darted outside to soak up the lovely 75-degrees weather in my part of the world. And I’ll get to do it again tomorrow on Christmas day. That’s already the best present ever.
Happy holidays everyone!
This time last year I was frantically chasing down ready-to-wear on sale. This year, I am more or less sidelined because even the items on my Chanel wish list turned out to be not so exciting (or cute) once I saw them in person. Interestingly enough, some of the things I’ve liked most are not the tweed jackets but basics that I can wear on the road, such as this slouchy beanie and scarf set
and a cool black turtleneck with leather strips on the sleeves:
One of my favorite things to wear is a simple pencil skirt. This fall JCrew did a whole slew of knee-length pencil skirts in beautiful tweeds, and I lucked into finding them all on sale last week at 60% off! More on the topic of skirts in the next entry…
On one of my insomniac nights last month I customized these Converse sneakers at their website, and 4 weeks later they showed up. The monograms turned out to be bigger than I anticipated, but I love the patent leather:
The grey pair matches my tote:
Did you notice the Missoni for Target pouf in the photo above 
? Speaking of which, I’ll close out today’s entry with a pic of my velour hoodie/shorts set:
I promise I’m finally done with the Missoni hunt!
Tags: Chanel, Converse, JCrew, Missoni for Target
As you can see from this first photo, I’ve made it home to reunite the bag with the boots. It’s a yummy bag, isn’t it? Sidebar: I think I want a horse for Xmas.
Speaking of which, sales season is in full swing but I’m still scrambling to catch up since Christmas is already this weekend and I won’t be able to beat the deadline. Looks like Santa Larkie will be late this year. I hope you are all in better shape than I am, with your cards sent out and presents wrapped. As for me, I’ve only managed to unwrap and unpack most of the suitcases and packages that arrived while I was away. It still looks like a disaster area in my house till I can toss all the cardboard boxes.
So as I’m still trying to get back on track, today I’ll just share with you a few of the goodies that I came home to…looks like I wasn’t quite done with Missoni just yet (!):
I also have the suitcase in the other color but will now have to look for the matching tote. I can’t wait to break these bags in on the next trip. My friend, whom I’ll just call Santa, scored so much loot for me, including full sets of the mugs and martini glasses…
and throws and totes. But the #1 score of the year for me has to be the bike at 70% off. Hands down, she wins shopper of the year award from me :
It is a woman’s bike, but I think I need to wear 4″ heels to ride it as it’s a bit too tall for me. As if! It’s going in my office as decoration. It’s much too cute to get dirty from actual usage!
More fun photos of clothes and accessories in the next entry .
Tags: Missoni for Target
I’ve taken you here before, to Luxembourg, the tiny capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, but this time I am on a mission to best my own record of visiting museums in one day, and this place is the place to do just that. Along the historic city center, there is a museum mile of sorts, and when you look at it on the map it is curved like a smile, hence its reference to “Museumsmile.”
I’m dropped off in the middle of the town with only an address and no map. Luckily, I’m pointed in the right direction and easily find the tourist office around this square where I get my museum pass (9 euros for 7 museums)–it’s not too far from the palace and other interesting official buildings:
The museums do not open till 10, so I make my way to the upper part of the city for these views that I’d fallen for the first time I came here:
In order to get those shots, you have to endure the steep inclines followed by sharp declines:
Anyway, I arrive at my first stop: the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg…
They are having a special exhibit on the discourse of poverty in Luxembourg; can poverty be creeping into the consciousness of a country seemingly as rich as this once again?
It’s a beautiful building with wonderful almost-aerial views,
and my favorite stop is at this neon swing…
One down. Next is the National Museum of History and Art, an incredible ten-story structure that I absolutely want to convert into my own house (one story for shoes, one for bags…hey, might as well dream big, right?):
No photography is allowed, and my legs feel like cooked spaghetti after I finish walking through the tenth floor. Two down. Just outside of this museum, they are putting up a huge pine tree in front of this building:
And while I could choose to rest my feet at this cozy restaurant,
I opt to turn left uphill for these views instead–let me give you the almost-360 view:
Then it’s back down the hill…
to the third museum: the National Museum of Natural History,
It’s literally a 30-minute stop in this museum. Three down. The weather is getting colder and colder each time I leave a building, but I can’t help wander around this Christmas market:
And not too far from here I spy a Ladurée, and as much as I would love to pop in and pig out on the macaroons, it’s starting to rain and I’ve got a few more museums to see still. So next up is the Casino Luxembourg-Forum for Contemporary Art:
This space is just cool. Huge lofts for artists in residence, art lovers, art researchers, or just visitors looking to dry out in one of their libraries. No wifi for me to check email, but after sifting through all their art books in the library, I loiter around their interesting displays and even get to meet an artist in the midst of installing his exhibit. I sort of don’t want to leave this place because not only is it raining and getting dark outside, the wind is now shrieking. I don’t think my umbrella will survive. Four down.
The last museum, Museum of Modern Art Grand-Duke Jean (MUDAM), is actually on the other side of the city and I have to take the bus. Oy! I can manage trains and subways but I’m usually not too good with buses. Yet by some miracle, I manage to find the right one and hop off at the Philharmonic stop:
Wowza, this is worth all the hassles!
And just behind the Philharmonic center is the MUDAM:
Very cool place. Lucky for me, this night all the museums happen to be open late, so I get to visit my last and fifth place without too much rushing. I’ve got two hours left before my pickup, and after a leisurely visit, I get to chill out with some hot tea and a delicious apple crumble tart:
Five down. Some people run marathons to best their personal records. Others climb taller and taller mountains. As for me, I’m already looking to see where I can go next to hit 6 museums in one day. Gotta find more comfortable shoes!
Tags: Casino Luxembourg, History Museum of the City of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, MUDAM, Museumsmile, National Museum of History and Art, National Museum of Natural History
