Happy new year! 

I don’t know if anyone else is starting the year this way, but I feel a little overwhelmed!  The next two months are so booked up with personal, professional, and important things in my life that I’m struggling to figure out how it’s all going to fit.

And…. breathe. 

Maybe some of you guys are like me, waking up on January 1 with a list of things so monumental and yet totally pressing that you start to freak out a little!  Over New Year’s weekend I managed to hold my own as a bridesmaid in a wedding across the country (gorgeous), cram in about 14 hours of lectures and 6 hours of practice tests for the Texas Bar Exam, take two outfit photos, and create amazing lamb chops in our new sous-vide machine.  And yet somehow I feel frustrated with myself…. because I didn’t squeeze in any time to work on the new book.  Ugh!

So maybe my New Year’s resolution should be to just take things as they come, do the best as I can do, and keep hold of my sanity during this really busy stretch. 

(Which includes February Fashion Week.  And I’ve already booked my ticket!)

Water vest and ABS bracelet, gifted from Rue La La (my favorite), Alexis Bittar gold bangle, gifted Juicy Couture bag (last year — similar here) Theyskens’ Theory shorts, Via Spiga boots, Chloe glasses (I mat have prescription lenses done in these!)

My family decided to take a late Christmas card photo this morning — this one was a frontrunner until Chad decided to photobomb it. 

Now it’s flat-out iconic.  We’ll be showing this baby to our grandkids.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday! 

Just got home from an epic round of Christmas shopping, so this is going to be a short post!  As much as I love this time of year, between the parties and the shopping and the holiday travel (ugh), it’s seriously exhausting!  I’m looking forward to having a night or two to myself sometime in January!

But my favorite (early) Christmas gift was an incredibly beautiful package from Australian designer Samantha Wills.  In it were eight of the most beautiful, unique, stunning pieces of jewelry I’ve ever owned, and I am so incredibly excited and grateful to wear them!  There has literally not been a single day since they came that I haven’t worn one (or more) of them, but layering them all together is my absolute favorite.  And her prices aren’t any higher than you’d pay at a J. Crew or Anthropologie — every piece I’m wearing in this post is $150 or under.  I’m already stalking her website for new arrivals!  I feel like she’s going to be huge — so I’ll be happy if you guys heard about her here first! 

And one extra note on the shoes — I picked them up two weeks ago in New York with Payless, and I’ve been wearing them all the time!  I wore them to my book party, to a holiday party, to work, basically everywhere, because for heels that high, they are incredibly comfortable.  What a shock, right?

Gifted Samantha Wills Bella Bangle set, Distance & Time cuff, Bohemian Bardot necklace, Grand Tremezzo necklace, Club Monaco sweater, gifted Hudson jeans, Chanel bag, gifted Payless heels.