new years

An Open Letter To Myself For The New Year

December 31, 2018 by Natalie 3 Comments

I accomplished so much in 2018. It should have been my year. I grew my business more than I could have ever imagined, traveled, got to collaborate on dream projects (hello Betsey Johnson), had wonderful clients, and got so many home features both online and in print. But all my successes were overshadowed by someone who was unsupportive, jealous, and most of all — abusive.

I’m opening up on the blog today with an open letter to myself for the new year. This might be too personal and some people might judge me for sharing but lately, the internet/Instagram has been leaving me feeling a little inauthentic. It’s really hard to create perfect things that are meant to inspire people when your whole life has just fallen apart. The internet can be a little too perfect sometimes and we’re all humans that ARE NOT perfect. We should be inspiring each other and lifting one another up through all sorts of things in life, not just the perfect moments.

This is my corner of the internet and I want to use it to heal. I also want to use it to inspire others, especially women, who might be in a bad situation like I was. Abuse, no matter what kind, is not acceptable.

I am thankful that I get another chance and a fresh start going into a brand new year.

I am thankful for all the positive things in my life and proud of all of my accomplishments. Today I leave behind all the negative. The past is in the past and it has no place beside me in 2019.

Dear Natalie,

I noticed that you haven’t been yourself lately. There’s been a lot on your plate and you’ve been having trouble keeping up. But don’t despair, please stay hopeful. Everything is going to come back. Your peace, your confidence, your joy, and the pink light which fills your heart. I know you feel like you’ve lost yourself and like the world and your whole life are crumbling down around you, but this is just a phase. It will pass.

This is just one chapter in the story you’re writing and when this chapter ends, you will find yourself once more.

You feel like you have lost control over your life and like you can’t do anything right. You feel like a fool for always trying to see the best in people and letting these toxic people tear you down again and again. You feel disappointed in yourself for allowing someone to treat you in a such an abusive and awful way for far too long. And you’re right, you deserve so much better.

You feel like you haven’t been living your life because there has been a dark negative cloud hovering over it for quite some time now. But that cloud is about to go away. Nothing lasts forever.

If you feel like you’re about to break down, give up, just remember one thing: you are strong and you are better than this and you can fight against anything that hurts you.

Bad abusive relationships, heartbreaks, failure, unfulfilled dreams, unaccomplished goals — you’ve been through all of this before. We all have.

I know what it’s like to have your heart broken into a million tiny pieces and to have to pick them all up, piece by piece, all by yourself. I have felt what it’s like to be in a one-sided relationship in which your expectations aren’t met. Instead of feeling loved, happy, respected, supported, and fulfilled, you feel lonely, unappreciated, sad, and empty.

We all deserve to be loved. We all deserve to be respected. And we all deserve to be happy.

I know what it’s like to be so close to reaching your goals and then something unexpectedly blows everything up in your face. And then you start thinking, maybe he was right. Maybe you are a stupid, worthless, washed up has been. Maybe you are a loser. This person loved you, right? So their opinion of you must be correct. No.

NO!

You can’t let heartbreak and failure tear you down. You can’t walk away from everything you want and everything you’ve worked so hard for. You can not believe the terrible words of an awful ABUSIVE person who is clearly projecting their insecurities on to you. You can not help someone that doesn’t want to change.

You need to remember your strength, resilience, and worth. There are so many people in your life that love and will continue to love you no matter what. And one day you will meet the person who will truly love, respect, and support you, no matter what. And you will be happy. So, so happy. I promise.

Life can be hard and unfair. It can be cruel and draining. People can be mean and hateful. But none of this is permanent. I know it’s hard for you now, but remember that this is just a phase. It is just a chapter, not your whole story.

You haven’t lost yourself, she’s right here. Finish writing this chapter and turn the page forever.

2019 is waiting for you and there are pink skies ahead. Everything is going to be alright.

Happy New Year!

Love,

Yourself

Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support. Wishing you all the best. Happy New Year! xo

My 2017 Highlights

January 5, 2018 by Natalie 2 Comments

Happy New Year everyone! This year is off to a crazy start with the blizzard we just had here in the Northeast. I’m snowed in and have had a lot of time to reflect so I thought I’d do a post on my 2017 highlights. 2017 was a difficult year overall for our country and the world in general but I was determined to make it one of my best. I have grown so much over the last year both personally and professionally. I traveled to so many places I only ever dreamed of seeing, collaborated with so many talented people, and moved into my dream home. 2017 was pretty much the best year of my life and honestly, I was sad to see it go. Here are some of my 2017 highlights!

Bowie and I started the year off as models for Gypsy Warrior. I always joke around that I should start him his own Instagram account. What do you guys think?

Ever since I studied design and architecture in college I have always been obsessed with Palm Springs, CA. 2017 was the year I made my dream come true and finally visited this magical city in the desert. I definitely found my spirit animal city and the place where I belong. Can’t wait to go back this year and I’d love to do a travel guide on the blog. The first photo is from our trip to Moorten’s Botanical Garden. If you’re ever in Palm Springs going there is a must. Admission is just $5 and looking at all the amazing desert plants and cacti is breathtaking.

I started contributing to A Beautiful Mess in 2017 which was a huge deal for me. I have long looked up to Elsie and Emma and am a long time reader of the blog. I’m so honored to be a contributor and am happy that I can bring my recipes to their readers. If you want to see all the recipes I did for A Beautiful Mess you can check them out here.

I collaborated with Michelle Gage for the Spring One Room Challenge and it was a complete success! My living room was (of course) Palm Springs-themed and I’m so happy with the results. It got a lot of features including ones on Domino, The Every Girl, Houzz, and Apartment Therapy. It was even named by Domino as one of their Most-Loved Living Rooms of 2017 and Wallpapered Rooms That Made Us Embrace Pattern in 2017. Does this mean my living room is so 2017? I still love it!

I traveled to Spain with Cardenal Mendoza which was a whirlwind. We did four cities (Madrid, Sevilla, Cadiz, and the winery/distillery in Jerez) in four days and I fell completely in love with Spain. There was so much brandy and sherry consumed on that trip and I was heaven. I have to edit the hundreds of photos I took while I was there and get them up on the blog. Keeping up with regular content is overwhelming enough that the thought of editing travel photos was daunting to me. Definitely going to try to be better this year with sharing travel on the blog.

I started contributing to Palm Springs Style as well which was so exciting. I’m such a fan of everything Katy does especially her Door Tour for Modernism Week. Can’t wait to go back this year and have people to connect with.

A huge dream come true and the biggest of my 2017 highlights was getting to finally travel to France. This has been a dream of mine ever since I was an Audrey Hepburn movie obsessed little girl so it was a really big deal for me. I got to travel with one of my favorite spirit brands Pierre Ferrand and Plantation Rum. We spent time in Paris checking out all the cocktail bars and also took a trip to Cognac to visit Chateau Bonbonnet and the distillery where Pierre Ferrand Cognac is made and where all the Plantation Rums are aged in barrels. Citadelle Gin is also made there among other spirits in their portfolio.

I stayed behind for a few days by myself and got to explore Paris alone. Something I wish I did in Spain. If you get the chance to travel, stay as long as you possibly can because you never know when you’ll be there again! I need to edit more photos from France and get them up on the blog as well.

As you know I was nominated for Best Drinks Blog by SAVEUR Magazine and traveled to Charleston, SC for the ceremony. Even though I didn’t win, it was a great trip and inspiring experience. I met so many bloggers IRL that I’ve been following for years and got to connect with new ones as well. It was great to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals that are all trying to accomplish similar goals. Hopefully, in 2018 I can take the trip again!

After all that traveling in September and October, I came home and jumped right into the Fall One Room Challenge. I decided to do this challenge alone to motivate me to get another room done in the house. So happy with how the hallway and stairs came out. Still makes me happy every time I walk up and down them!

Ethan and I had to go to Texas for a family wedding. We were in Grapevine mostly but got to spend a night in Dallas. I visited my friends Christy and Chad’s cocktail bar Midnight Rambler. Can’t wait to go back to Texas and explore a little more. That trip was too quick!

The only bad part of my year was when I lost my best friend and kitty Phil the day before Halloween. He was so young and got sick suddenly so I was completely unprepared and totally devastated when he passed away. I still think about him every day and I know he would have loved the pink Christmas tree as much as Erik did. Erik sleeps under it almost every night. I don’t want to take it down!

My last trip of the year was going on a quick trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL to spend time with my mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. It was fun but I was excited to come home and spend some time here before the holidays. It was the first year I decorated for Christmas as an adult and I think I just wanted to enjoy it.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support. Hope you enjoyed my 2017 highlights and I’m so glad I have all of you to share them with. I’m looking forward to accomplishing more and seeing what 2018 brings. Let’s kick some butt this year! Happy New Year one last time! xo

DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers

December 31, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me you might have some little disco ball ornaments lying around from Christmas. If you do, you’re in luck because I made these easy DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers that are the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve bash. Whether you’re staying at home or going to a friend’s, there’s no better way to say goodbye to 2017 than with a personalized craft to ring in the new year. I saw these first over on The Bay Club Blog and Club Crafted and was so excited to make them too.

DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers

Mini disco ball ornaments

Metallic straws

Super Glue

Icepick (or something with a point)

Remove all the hanging cords from your disco ball ornaments. Enlarge the hole by pressing an icepick or something with a sharp edge into it.

Drop a small amount of super glue into the hole and insert the straw. Allow your DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers to dry completely before use.

These DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers were so easy to make and have such a big impact. Serve your Champagne Punch in highball glasses and use them as a fun garnish. I hope you make these last minute DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers for New Year’s Eve. If you don’t and you like glitter and sparkles as much as I do, these will pretty much fit into your life any other day of the year as well. I have so much to be thankful for in 2017. It was honestly one of the best years of my life. I’m sad to see 2017 go but am excited about what awaits ahead in 2018. Happy New Year everyone! Thank you so much for all your support over the last year. I look forward to sharing many more years with all of you. So much love and many cheers. xo

Champagne Cupcakes

December 30, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Yes, the Champagne posts continue! It is, after all, New Year’s and what else would I be drinking? I made these Champagne Cupcakes for tomorrow night because the only thing better than drinking Champagne would be eating it. Okay, maybe I’m wrong. Drinking Champagne is definitely better. But these will pair perfectly with a glass of bubbly!

Champagne Cupcakes, makes 1 dozen cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt

1/2 cup sparkling wine

Champagne Frosting

For the frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup sparkling wine

1 tsp. vanilla extract

sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 350°. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together sour cream/yogurt and sparkling wine. Slowly add wine mixture and flour mixture into sugar and eggs.

Distribute batter evenly with a tablespoon among a lined tray and place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool about 15 minutes. While they’re cooling you can make the icing.

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine all frosting ingredients and beat until smooth. Fill a pastry bag and frost the cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles. I used these gold ones.

This is the same recipe that I made when I did Rosé Champagne Mini Cupcakes for A Beautiful Mess. I changed the wine to regular sparkling wine instead of Rosé and didn’t add food coloring to the batter or frosting. I used a Prosecco because I didn’t want to use the really good stuff. I’m saving that for midnight! These Champagne Cupcakes still turned out pretty good. The first time I made this recipe I used sour cream. This time around I did Greek yogurt and I have to admit that the sour cream ones were better. So go with the sour cream! They still came out light and fluffy but were a little less moist.

The best part about making these is you get to drink the rest of the sparkling wine. Make sure you save a glass to wash these Champagne Cupcakes down with though! I hope you will be making these for your New Year’s Eve festivities. Let me know how they turn out in the comments below. Happy New Year everyone! xo

Pineapple Champagne Punch

December 29, 2017 by Natalie 3 Comments

Greetings everyone and happy almost New Year! I hope you have some fun plans to ring in the New Year, but if not don’t fret. New Year’s Eve is one of those holidays that’s always filled with unrealistic expectations. I have spent most working behind the bar but this year I’m staying home for a low key evening with a few friends. If you’re entertaining, I made this Pineapple Champagne Punch that’s simple to throw together. What better way to ring in the New Year than with all my favorite ingredients mixed together in one giant bowl! Don’t forget the disco balls!

Pineapple Champagne Punch, serves 8-10

4 oz. Jamaican Rum

4 oz. Cognac

3 oz. pineapple juice

3 oz. lime juice

4 oz. allspice simple syrup

1-2 bottles sparkling wine

The allspice syrup is super easy to make. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of ground allspice. Heat on the stove and stir until all sugar has dissolved. Let simmer for 10 minutes to cook in the allspice. Remove from heat and let steep for another 10 minutes. Use a fine strainer and a double layer of cheesecloth to strain out the allspice. You can store the syrup in a jar or bottle. This will keep for up to one month refrigerated. If you have allspice liqueur on hand you can add a 1/2 oz. of that to the syrup as well. It will add more flavor and keep it fresh longer.

To make your Pineapple Champagne Punch add all your ingredients to your punch bowl, pouring the sparkling wine last.Easy peasy. I made this batch with one bottle of sparkling wine. My suggestion for a boozier punch is to use two bottles. It will also help dry the punch out a tad because it’s on the sweeter side.

I made a large format ice cube by using a bundt cake mold. Freeze pineapple wheels, a little pineapple juice, and water in your mold. This keeps your punch cold longer and doesn’t over dilute it.

This Pineapple Champagne Punch was so delicious! I can’t wait to make it again for New Year’s Eve. Even though I made a special syrup for the punch it was still fairly simple to put together. You can make the syrup days ahead of time to make assembly even easier. The allspice added tons of flavor and complemented the rum, cognac, and pineapple perfectly. Allspice and pineapple are a common pairing in a lot of classic tiki drinks and that’s where I got the idea for this Pineapple Champagne Punch.

Stay tuned for more New Year’s Eve ideas this weekend. 2018 I’m so ready for you! xo

Apple and Pear Champagne Cocktail

December 30, 2016 by Natalie 2 Comments

New Years is upon us. Time is flying and I’ve been so busy with work I can barely keep up. I woke up early today to shoot, just got done editing, and now I’m writing this blog post before heading in for my shift tonight. Oh and I picked up tomorrow night (NYE) which I am regretting already. I can’t say no to the money and I’m a workaholic. My resolution for 2017 is to definitely be better at time management and concentrate on consulting and the blog. I can’t keep having 4 jobs at a time anymore, I’m always burning the candle at both ends, and when I finally get a break I spend it recuperating and not enjoying the things that make life worthwhile. I’m not trying to be negative but I have been reflecting these past few days after Christmas and right before the beginning of the new year, which I’m sure a lot of you have been doing as well. What are you most looking forward to in the New Year? What kind of improvements will you be concentrating on in your life?

Lets get down to business which is DRINKS!

I wanted to make something topped with bubbly because it only seems appropriate. You have to drink Champagne on NYE! This is a little riff on a French 75 and is perfect for your New Years Eve gatherings. You can batch this, and just top with sparkling to serve, put it in a punch bowl, or make to order if there are just a few of you. The Calvados and Poire Williams combine magnificently to bring you something thats fruity yet winter appropriate with some citrus and a fizz!

I found these little tinsel coasters that slip onto the foot of your glass at a thrift store! Perfect find for holiday parties!

Apple & Pear Champagne Cocktail

1 oz. Calvados (or Apple Brandy like Applejack)

1 oz. Poire Williams

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup (1:1)

Top Champagne

Combine all ingredients except Champagne into a tin, shake with ice, strain into a flute or coupe, and top with Champagne.

It’s been a really hard year for me with the passing of my father and that put a lot of things into perspective for me. Life is short and it’s flying by. I want everything I do to be more meaningful. I want to have the life I’ve always dreamed of because I work really hard and I deserve it.

On the other hand this year has also been very positive for me. I have accomplished a lot, and I’ve worked really hard and I am proud of myself. I started the blog and although I have a long way to go with growing it, it has only been 6 months and I’m really happy with where it has gone in such little time. I want to thank all of you who take time out of your day to read my posts, like my photos, and give me supportive feedback. Sometimes it’s really hard to want to put forth the effort to do this when people are being negative or when you’ve had a really long week at work and just want to stay in bed. It is another full time job (that I love), but it is a lot of work and I appreciate every kind word that is sent my way.

There is a lot to be excited about in the New Year and I can’t wait to get there! Have a wonderful NYE and I will see you in 2017!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

new years

DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers

Champagne Cupcakes, makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Champagne Frosting

Pineapple Champagne Punch, serves 8-10

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