Looking Ahead To A Simply Amazing 2011

The past year of 2010 was full of so many unexpected and wonderful moments.  It will be a year I look back fondly on. And as I look ahead to 2011, I can’t help but become filled with great anticipation.  I have no doubt that it will be a simply amazing year. 

And if you too are hoping it will be as such,  The Simply Luxurious Life’s quarterly newsletter was just sent out, titled Creating A Simply Luxurious Year. Full of a detailed three month plan on how to create the foundation for a year that will be, with determination and focus, a simply luxurious year.

I will be sending out a second mailing of the issue on January 3rd for anyone who signs up this weekend, so do subscribe. To do so, simply enter your first name and email in the upper right-hand column of the blog above “SIGN UP!”.

 

No matter how you plan on ringing in the new year (or maybe you already have),

. . . I wish you all of the best in 2011 and may your resolve remain strong, your heart remain full and your optimism be endless.

 

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A Simply Luxurious Spread

Spending time in the kitchen is something I love to do.  It is very much a creative activity, and the joy of tasting something that has been made with your own hands is quite rewarding. Here on The Simply Luxurious Life, Foodie Friday is a regular feature (unless my week gets away from me, and I’ve had no time in the kitchen).  Every recipe listed is something I have tried and thoroughly enjoyed.  As you will see, they aren’t all necessarily healthy, but each bite will be worth the effort it takes to create these dishes. And the best part is, most of them take less than 30 minutes from start to finish (my favorite pasta dish of all time, Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter, takes fifteen minutes).

With food, as with so many things in life, moderation is key.  I am a big believer that we can taste everything, after all, food is to be savored, not devoured.  It should be an experience to be enjoyed, not consumed mindlessly. Below I have compiled a day’s worth of meals beginning with breakfast and taking you all the way through to dessert. (Simply click on the header to be taken to the recipe.) Bon Appétit!

Fine Herb Omelet

 

Basil, Tomato & Mozzarella Bruschetta

 

Roasted Shrimp Salad

 

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

 

Elephants Deli’s Carrot Cake

 

Strawberry Delish

A Plethora Of Stylish Rules

Fashion is certainly one of my passions, but it is in the development of one’s style that the clothes take on your very own unique language – sharing with the world just exactly who you are and displaying exactly what you want to display without revealing too much.  A simply luxurious wardrobe is one that demonstrates the ability to mix and match high quality items with a few trendy pieces and all the while letting the beautiful person you are shine while the clothes simply provide the backdrop for you to exude your beauty.

I have gathered together five posts that will help to create a wardrobe you would be proud to wear on a regular basis. (Simply click on the header to read the entire post.) And don’t forget that the regular Rules of Style series will now appear on Thursdays beginning January 6th.

Tips For Looking Fantastic Each Day

The Perfect Travel Wardrobe

Rules of Style – Sarah Jessica Parker

10 Wardrobe Essentials

Rules of Style - Inès de la Fressange

Why Not . . .? Favorites

The weekly Why Not . . .? series here on The Simply Luxurious Life every Wednesday is a series that I have truly come to enjoy and find myself perpetually thinking about throughout the week. After having written the series for a handful of months, it came to my attention that former Vogue editor Diane Vreeland became well-known for her Why Don’t You? column in Harper’s Bazaar, and I had to smile. But when it comes right down to it, we regret those things we never try, so whenever you come to a fork in a road, ask yourself, why not?

Below are four of the most popular three part series of Why Not . . .? as well as one singleton that received great reviews. (Simply click on the header to be taken to the entire series.)

 

Why Not . . . Have Effortless Style?

Why Not . . . Discover Your Purpose?

 

Why Not . . . Be A Modern Lady?

 

Why Not . . . Simplify Your Life?

 

Why Not . . . Get To Know Yourself?

Interior Preferences

One’s home should be a sanctuary, a place to recharge, relax and be filled with comfort and peace of mind. So often the outside world’s stresses can be overwhelming, but when you know you can come home and put some of the worries away, if even for a moment, those moments are priceless. 

Everyone has a decor that best suits their personality, discovering how to mesh it best with the home you inhabit, as well as your budget is unique for each person. Tuesdays on The Simply Luxurious Life are days to inspire the interior designer in all of us to create our most perfect sanctuary whether it focuses on grand pieces of furniture, such as sofas and beds, or simple weekend projects – throws, flowers and lighting.  Have a look at six of the most popular Tuesday’s Rooms of Inspiration and be inspired to create a simply luxurious home of your own! (Simply click on the header to view the entire post.)

An Extra Special Something 

Tufted Yet Inviting 

Farmhouse Chic

 

Shelves Of Comfort

 

Let’s Get Cozy

 

Soaking In Luxury

Distinctive Inspiration

Living a simply luxurious life begins with making sound decisions that help to build the life you have envisioned for yourself. A simply luxurious life doesn’t just occur, it is created. By being aware of this reality, it is my hope with Monday’s weekly Inspirational post that you are inspired to create your very own simply luxurious life according to what your dreams, passions and strengths are.

During the past year, Monday has remained the day of the week to ponder an inspirational quote in depth here on The Simply Luxurious Life, and there have been some clear favorites for my readers as well as myself upon reflecting back over 2010.

Today I’d like to share five posts that hold the distinction of being favorites in the eyes of my readers and myself. (Simply click on the header to read the quote and the discussion.)

Are You Listening?

Uniquely Perfect 

Choose Yourself

 

Happy Accidents

 

Proceed Toward Your Destiny

Have a wonderful start to the last week of the year and thank you for taking the time to stop by.

Something To Celebrate

On this day twelve months ago The Simply Luxurious Life blog was born, and as I look back on the past year, I can’t help but count my blessings.  The Simply Luxurious Life is a life I try to lead every day and began to pursue prior to the creation of this space.  It is something that I believe every one of us can attain if indeed we are seeking quality rather than quantity, decadence rather than frivolity, personal style instead of trendy fashions and a truly fulfilling life instead of being led around by the nose.

For my readers, thank you. The gratitude I feel towards you is something I will forever and continue to be thankful for. It is my hope that you continue to find inspiration to live your most simply luxurious life created uniquely for you by you. For all of my fellow bloggers who have been willing to work with me on the blog and the newsletter, spread the word using Twitter and on their own blogs – thank you tremendously. As I have learned, a blogger can easily spend time doing so many different things and to choose to take the time to help someone else means the world. To my dear and closest friends and family, thank you for believing and supporting me and being such amazing unconditional cheerleaders. I can’t express enough what your love and friendship mean to me.

It is upon looking back, I realize where true passion can take someone. My passion for living well despite a minute income is something that I believe with all my heart is possible.  It is possible because everything each one of us does every day is a choice. A choice to concentrate our efforts or spread ourselves thin, a choice to save to purchase something of value and quality that will last or purchase a quick fix that is barely evanescent, a choice to say no to mindless snacking or fuel our bodies with a balanced and fulfilling meal, a choice to have patience, listening to our hearts, allowing ourselves to dream so that we are certain what would truly make our heart sing or following the crowd.

 

Keeping this approach to life in mind, I’m looking forward to what will hopefully be an even better blog for you, my readers, to visit in the upcoming year.  A few tweaks are in the works regarding the regular content you see on a weekly basis as I want to provide more quality posts and continue to provide something of value for each and everyone of you, as well as inspiration. 

As you may already know, The Simply Luxurious Life’s weekly newsletter is taking on a life of its own, and I want to continue to create something that readers look forward to seeing in their inbox every Friday. (If you haven’t subscribed for this free newsletter, see the bottom of this post for information on how to subscribe.) With that in mind, Rules of Style has moved to Thursdays, and I will be adding a Financial Food for Thought post on Fridays (eliminating Thursday Treasures & Friday’s I’m Craving). After all, the greatest luxury there is is to have a choice, and in order to give yourself the opportunity to have that choice, financial stability is a must.

Beginning January 3rd, all of the changes will be in place here on the blog, but in order to create a sound foundation for creating exactly the simply luxurious life you want, the quarterly newsletter of The Simply Luxurious Life will be delivered January 1st focusing on Creating A Simply Luxurious Year.  Tips, ideas and inspiration will be shared on how, in the first three months of the year, you can create an every day feeling of luxury that brings you a comforting peace of mind.  I do hope you’ll subscribe so that you can join me in the journey. 

So, as I raise my figurative glass of champagne with all of my readers, here’s a toast to an amazing year ahead. May it be filled with moments of utter awe, breaths being taken away due to absolutely joy and the realization of hard fought for dreams. Cheers and bonjour!

 

~To subscribe to The Simply Luxurious Life’s weekly and quarterly (January, April, July & September) newsletter, simply go to the upper right-hand column of this blog to where it says SIGN UP! and enter your first name and email address.~

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Carey Mulligan – Cover Elle UK – January 2011

A talent and a beauty at the young age of 25. Carey Mulligan, in promotion of her film Never Let Me Go, shines on the cover of Elle UK’s January 2011 issue. With her short ‘do and mod style clothing, her unique elegance is a treat to gaze upon.

But the film I can’t wait to see her star in is Baz Luhrmann’s version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic The Great Gatsby in the leading role of Daisy Buchanan. Tentatively scheduled to be released in June of 2012, Leonardo DiCaprio has also signed on to revive a time era that he seems to shine in. Patience, patience, patience.