My Favorite Things from Christmas 2010

Even though Christmas seems like a distant memory, I'm still loving some of the gifts that I received.   Here are my favorite new obsessions from Christmas 2010:

Apple TV

Apple TV is in one word,  AMAZING! With a very small footprint, it provides the ability to stream movie rentals from iTunes and Netflix, directly to your tv! Previously, I'd have to watch on my laptop or iphone. But now, I'm streaming HD movies directly to my nice, big flat screen! You can also access YouTube, Podcasts, MobileMe, Flickr, as well your entire iTunes music library. The best part was how easy it was to set up! Seriously, in 5 minutes flat I was up and running!

Le Mer Collections Watch

Although I put this watch prominently on my list, I sort of knew that my family wouldn't go to the trouble to order it. So, this was actually a Christmas present to myself. :) Valerie of  Red Vines for Breakfast owns this watch, and ever since drooling over her's in person, I knew that I had to have one . Now I do!

Sabon NYC - Rose Tea

Everytime I travel to NYC, I always make a point to stop in Sabon. Upon entering the boutique, you're always asked, "have you been here before?" I usually play dumb say no, and then I'm escorted to a round sink where I can try out their various scrubs, lotions and potions.  I'm always amazed at how moisturized my skin feels afterward, and how long that moisturization lasts! But each trip I come home empty handed, due to the lack of space in my luggage. I leave the store telling myself that I'll just order it, but I never do...until now! (Yes, another present to myself) I'm completely obsessed with the Rose Tea scent of the scrub and body lotion, and this combo came just in time to treat my dry Winter skin!

Steven by Steve Madden Sequin Box Clutch

This was a present from my Dad. Even though this glitzy number was on my Christmas list, apparently I had forgotten to note which color I'd like, and there were several to choose from! My Dad took a guess, and he guessed right! This was exactly the bag that I had been wanting, to complete my NYE ensemble! It was perfect!

Kate Spade Lady Marmalade Small Bracelet

Speaking of NYE, this bracelet alone made my outfit feel much more fancy! It's so sparkly, yet I can easily pair it with my Michael Kors watch to make it more casual. This picture doesn't do it justice!

American Eagle Solid Leggings

These are my new favorite leggings! After throwing out several pairs of Massimo's that were falling apart at the seams, I was in desperate need of some replacements! One day I was in a hurry and American Eagle was close, so I ran in an grabbed a pair of their black leggings.  So far, I've been really impressed by the quality as they seem to hold up really well. I was so happy that my Mom bought me two more pairs! I have them in black, but they're no longer available online (only Army Green). If you're lucky enough, you might find them in stores. Sadly, my local stores are all out of my size. :(

Cookie Dough Scoop

This was suppose to be in my stocking, but I asked Santa to make an exception and bring it a little early. ;) (Especially since I was to be in full baking mode the week of Christmas)  A cookie dough scoop is the trick to maintaining that uniform size, resulting in a professional looking cookie. This really came in handy for my chocolate crinkle cookies that I make every year!

What were some of your favorite gifts of Christmas 2010?

A Quiet { One }

 

Sometimes silence is golden, and sometimes it's just silent, but in my case it was exactly what I needed. I can't believe that it's been over a month since I've posted anything!  I apologize for abandoning you all, but I desperately needed a break! My own survival depended on it! I've been running, running, running all year long and I guess I had just run out of steam. The first week or two I was in recovery mode, and then the next two I was all wrapped up in my holiday to-do list (which seems to get longer every year!), meanwhile maintaining my work schedule. (not complaining, just explaining) Unfortunately, my break happened right before Christmas, when there's so much inspiration around for blog posts! But, I'm sure you've all had plenty of blogs to read/write that kept you in the Christmas spirit. Hopefully, you all had a great holiday! Mine was an amazing time spent with the people that I love, and some much needed R & R. It was perfect! Now that Christmas is behind us, and we've welcomed in another new year, it's time the silence was broken. I suppose it's appropriate to  get back to  blogging, on  Chasing Beauty's one year blogiversary! Typically for blog anniversaries, there's some sort of giveaway, or even a whole week long celebration. I've even been known to celebrate each month, like a high school relationship! Since I'm just coming back, I've decided to forgo the usual fanfare,  for a small, quiet celebration. For me, it's an accomplishment that this post actually happened! It would've been all too easy to continue in my silence, but the truth is, I'm still passionate about blogging! My only problem now, is that I have much less time to blog than when I began. I'm still trying to sort out a posting schedule that is both realistic and consistent, with consistent being the key word! It's always difficult getting started after a long break, so bear with me as I get back into the swing of things. For those of you that are still reading, and haven't given up on this little blog (and me), THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart!  You're the reason I've decided to continue, and I'm SO looking forward to catching up with all of you!

xoxo,

Bren

P.S. I'll be back to Twitter-ing soon too! :)