2015 has been SUCH a whirlwind of a year and one of the best yet! 2016, I have extremely high expectations for you! Over the year, there's been tons of amazing... well, everything! Songs, events, music, the list is never ending.
Here's my top 15 everything of 2015:
As 2015 is quickly coming to a close, so is my first year of being a blogger. It's so crazy to me to think that a year ago to the very moment I was beginning to gather my ideas and thoughts and thinking, "I really want to start a blog". It all stemmed from a few things: wanting something new in my life that was important to me, missing being super active on Tumblr, and even seeing some blogging friends (from my big Tumblr days) upgrading to blogs like these. I start looking around at other blogs and trying to work my way into the blogging world and as 2015 rolled around, I found myself brainstorming blog names and trying to make all of the big decisions that up and coming bloggers have to make.
In New York, we had a ridiculously cold and snowy winter so in the first two weeks of January that blog planning was in full swing for me, I had an endless number of snow days that I sat in front of the fire place with my laptop, fuzzy socks and hot chocolate for hours on end doing everything I could to get ready for my anticipated launch day - January 12th. Thanks to my mom's help, I had come up with my blog's name and then came all of the hard parts that took much more than I ever expected (I seriously LOL at myself looking back at how naive I was about all of this!)
Once I made my first ever banner, picked one of Blogger's free themes and made some sidebar titles, I put up my semi-customized theme that I had spent days working on, on January 11th and then on January 12th, I posted Daily Dose of Design's very first blog post! It was just an introduction post, but I was so proud to have had it up and running.
The next thing I asked myself was - where's all my views? I mean, I just posted an introduction post so why aren't random people finding my blog, reading my post and welcoming me?! It's kind of hard to believe just how naive I was...
Being 21 for New Years Eve is a lot more fun because now I actually have the option to go out legally. Hosting NYE parties can be super stressful when in reality they should be fun and luxurious. Whether you go out and buy decorations or use what you have and no matter what kinds of food you make, having an enjoyable time with friends, family and loved ones to ring in a brand new year is what it's all about!
Don't let winter weather, space or budget issues or post-Christmas exhaustion keep you from having the best NYE ever. I have your back when it comes to the best party ideas - food, drinks, decor and entertainment for the entire night.
Here's the 7 best tips for hosting a New Years Eve party:
New Years Eve is right around the corner!! I'm not one who loves change so this isn't my favorite holiday but I do love dressing up, a reason to pop the champs and looking forward to all that is to come in a whole new 365 days of adventures. Along with the post-Christmas sales this is the perfect time for shopping for some great outfits for your NYE this year. Whether you're staying in or going out, dressing cute and with tons of sparkles is a must. I still haven't decided what I'm doing for New Years but I imagine it won't be anything too crazy! P.S. if you're one of the millions planning on venturing out to NYC this New Years Eve, good luck because it's going to be one of the most hectic years in a long time!
I would much rather watch from my comfy couch and in my cute outfit of course:
Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful, beautiful and peaceful Christmas holiday! I cannot express how thankful I am for every single person who reads my blog and who has stuck by me for the past 11 months - almost a year in! Here's to reflecting on an incredible year and looking forward to many more. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family, friends and loved ones and celebrating all of the wonderful blessings in our lives. Thank you to everyone who makes Daily Dose of Design possible - now go enjoy your Christmas dinners and desserts!
Cheers!
XOXO
Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve?! I can't and I still have so much to do! Shopping can become difficult and crazily enough, the people you're closest to can often be the hardest to shop for. Today I'm sharing an awesome guest post from Regina from Ties n Cuffs. She has picked some of the best gifts that are customized and perfect for anyone left on your (what feels like never ending) list!
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE monogrammed everything. From monogrammed clothes to jewelry to decals and everything else, if it's monogrammed then it's perfect for me! Customizing something - especially a gift - really shows the extra effort that's gone into a gift.
5 Customized Christmas Gifts to finish off your shopping:
Whether you've procrastinated your way to December 22nd, forgot something on your list or unexpectedly have to purchase a gift, you're still in luck! There are still tons of great things you can get that everyone will love and in time for Christmas. There's also things you can have on hand and ready to go if you need an extra little something like lipstick, an eye shadow palette, fuzzy socks, gift cards; things like that.
I'm extremely guilty of being such a procrastinator especially when it comes to Christmas shopping! You would think for someone who shops as much as I do that I would have all my shopping done in a matter of days but on top of it all, I'm very picky too especially when gift buying. Even on Black Friday and Cyber Monday I didn't finish nearly enough gifts as I should have! Luckily for you, I put the pro in procrastination so I put together the best last minute gifts you could buy in the next few days:
P.S. make sure you check out my list of favorite sales and stores that are guaranteeing Christmas delivery - still this late in the game!
Traveling during this time of year is always harder than the rest of the year - between packed airports, security and the anxiety of getting everyone to your destination in one piece without losing anyone or any luggage is rough. I'm also so paranoid when it comes to forgetting things on trips. The second I leave my house I always second guess whether I remembered everything or not and most of the time I end up forgetting something anyway. Then worrying about the airport losing your luggage is another story all together! Needless to say, the time leading up to your vacation can be really stressful. But making sure you have all of your essentials and more will help so much in relieving that pre-vacation stress. I created a list last year of every travel necessity I could possibly need and throughout the year it's helped me to not forget anything - or so I like to think until I realize that my tweezers are missing or I forgot earphones.
Not only is it important to have your essentials with you but traveling in style is important too, thanks to Vera Bradley that has become the easiest part!
There is no better time than Christmas time and along with the holidays comes the amazing foods that we know and love! Each year, similarly to Thanksgiving there are tons of holiday sweets that my family and I make over and over again. I also love to try making new things that can become something I love to make for each year to come.
Here's some of the most exciting and fun desserts you can make in no time this Christmas:
As a New Yorker who lives 30 minutes from NYC, it's my go-to spot and where I go every chance I get! Whether it's to go to a favorite spot of mine or to try something new and different, there's always more to do in the Big Apple than you could ever imagine. There's such a different feel to the city during different times of the year and always never ending action. If you're planning a trip to NYC, you can definitely plan on having a great time. There really is never a dull or quiet moment, which is likely why New York is known as the city that never sleeps. But with as many things to do that NYC has to offer, who would ever want to sleep?
No matter how many times you visit, you'll notice something different every time and that's the beauty of the city! For as many times as I've been to all five boroughs, I still tend to act like a tourist in my own city.
If you're planning a trip, here's some of my favorite things to do, places to eat, stay at and ways to navigate the city:
* This post may contain affiliate links.
This is my first holiday season as a blogger and when I was making my Christmas list this year, it amazed me how many things were on my list that would benefit my blog. I think that all bloggers would agree that our blogs are like our babies and for a lot of us, our businesses. When I was creating my gift guide series this year, a guide for bloggers was at the top of my list. I never thought that a notebook set or nice set of pens would be on my Christmas list, but hey, stranger things have happened!
Whether you're a blogger, have a friend who is a blogger, or are a family member or friend of a blogger, here is a list of the best gifts to get them. I can speak from experience in saying that I would be overjoyed receiving any and ALL of these products:
It's mid December and the Fall semester is coming to a close finally!! The only thing standing in our way are tests. Every semester, I always wait until the very last minute to start studying for finals. No matter how much I tell myself I should or will try and study harder, it never happens. I've always been this way and it's such a bad habit to get into, but over the years I've learned to deal with my procrastination and still be able to pass my tests.
Tips for last minute studying:
The only day that's harder than Monday morning is a Wednesday morning. I tend to wake up on Wednesday thinking we're WAY closer to Friday than it really is and that can really make for a rough hump day. Whether you're working, at school or even blogging and doing freelance work (like I've been lately) it probably seems like there aren't enough hours in each day and that you're itching for the weekend.
For me, winter break is just beginning and I could not be more excited for the break. But as a blogger, work is never finished and that's the best part about it no matter how busy you are. I wouldn't change it for the world, so the only way to get through a mid-week slump is to regain your inspiration you feel on a Friday!
6 Tips to Stay Motivated on a Wednesday:
It's time for another gift guide! With Christmas only a few short weeks away, the holiday parties are in full swing. Whether you are the host or are heading to a family or friends house this holiday season, hostess gifts are always a plus. From wine glasses to cheese platters and everything in between, showing your host appreciation for the party they've put together is a must!
The best Hostess Gifts for this season:
Since a white t-shirt is one of my favorite things that everyone should have in their closets, this guest post by Ron from The Adair Group is a must read! No matter what time of year, white tanks and shirts are a must have in all closets. Whether you're layering in the winter or putting together a casual but cute look for the warmer months, you can never have too many white tees!
Here are Ron's favorite ways to style white t-shirts all year round:
Whether you're looking for a new piece of jewelry for yourself or any important girl in your life, you can likely find it on Rustic Souls! All Rustic Souls pieces are 100% handmade and have a bohemian flair to them which I love. The best part about this jewelry is that since each piece is handmade, every piece is one of a kind in its own way. Jewelry and accessories are my favorite things to buy so teaming up with Rustic Souls wasn't even a question for me!
I also love to support a good cause - and with Rustic Souls, you can. The owner of Rustic Souls is an incredible survivor of both Lupus and Fibromyalgia, so she donates a portion of EVERY sale from the Survivor Line to both the Lupus Foundation of American and the National Fibromyalgia Association in hopes of more research, more solutions and a cure for these diseases.
Whether you're looking for something gold, brass, leather, silver or more - shop Rustic Souls on their website or Etsy shop.
Now that we're in December, I'm starting to get Christmas gifts delivered and it's making me so excited to wrap them and cross things off of my list! For my next gift guide, I'm talking all things mom! For some reason, shopping for my mom is always a struggle. There's always a few things that she says she likes or wants, but other than that I'm usually very picky when I pick things out for her. Trying to come up with things throughout the year helps, but not enough.
This year I made sure I had plenty of ideas - so many so that I now have some ideas for things like Mother's Day, her birthday and even next Christmas too! While it wasn't easy and I'm no where near done shopping for her, I've been using this gift guide to get a head start and it's also given me some ideas to branch off on too. If you're on the same struggle bus, then this gift guide is for you!
The best month of the year is here and I couldn't be any more excited! Christmas and the holiday season is my favorite time of year - from decorating, to the weather, to the holiday food - I can never get enough! This is my last week of classes this semester which is an even bigger and better reason to be excited. Decorating the house has officially begun too, everything lit up looks so pretty!
Speaking of decorating, you probably saw this print on my Instagram last night, but if not here it is:
