All is Quiet…

Happy 2013, folks! It’s New Year’s Day – time for reflections, reorganization, and resolutions. I always believed that the tone of New Year’s Day laid the groundwork for the tone of the coming year. It could very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but either way, it does seem to hold some truth. So if this day, today, is in fact any indication of the coming year, I’ve got some things to look forward to! 2012 was a good year – a learning year; full of positive changes and some real quality time getting to know myself (allow myself, to introduce…myself).

It’s funny, but the first half of last year seems like a lifetime ago. The year really seemed to take shape for the good around mid-summer (which I aptly have nicknamed “Summer New Year’s), right after my return from the Paris Patisserie Tour. The trip changed me. It showed me that I can wander around a foreign city and be perfectly fine; it showed me that I don’t need my cell phone/laptop/facebook nearly as much as I thought; it showed me that I would be good whether with or without someone; it showed me that I really do have some actual writing and photography skills and that maybe the dream of being a writer was not so far-fetched after all; and most of all, it showed me that the world is a beautiful place and we are all in this together.

I went to Paris looking for pastries, and found myself.

After I returned, I wound up facing three of my biggest fears before the year’s end: two by choice, and one by force of nature (enter Hurricane Sandy). I’d say that 2012 was a benchmark year.

Last New Year’s Day, I danced around the house and sang raucously along with “You Get What You Give” and vowed to make that my intention for the year. Today, I didn’t dance quite so raucously, but I did get a little groove going, and thought about the pure and simple things in life, and how they are really what makes it all worthwhile.

dreams come bouncing in your head…

So here’s to a peaceful and harmonious 2013, full of love and greatness, pure and simple every time.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who’s coming with me?

“I was 35. I had started my life.” This is what Jerry Maguire reflects upon, after he’s written his mission statement, printed up 110 copies, and distributed it to everyone in his company. It was entitled “‘The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business.”

I am 35 years old. And I couldn’t agree more with Jerry Maguire’s revelation. The only difference, is that my mission statement would simply be called “The Things We Think and Do Not Say,” period.  Now I’m not suggesting you go around saying everything to everyone that pops in your mind – you’re bound to get punched in the face, on more than one occasion. But, If you have something you want to tell someone – how you feel about them, how they make you feel, how they’ve helped you, or maybe you have things about yourself you’ve always wanted to share and felt you couldn’t – share them. Tell those you care about how you feel. Apologize when you’re sorry. Tell someone you forgive them. This life is too short to be full of pride, ego, and fear. None of those things are going to make you feel good, ultimately. But telling someone you love them/thank them/are happy just to be near them, and seeing the glow on their face, now that’s what it’s all about it. As far as I know, no one’s dying regret was ever having told someone that they loved them. So as the another year comes to a close, I think back on what an amazing year it was – full of challenges, emotions, changes, integrity, responsibility, and most importantly…Love.

you complete me.

Get out there and change the world in 2012; that’s what I intend to do. I’m 35, and I’m starting my life.

Happy New Year. 🙂

2011 is the year of the small indulgence.

Happy New Year! it’s that time again – time to set goals, make resolutions, and come up with a plan for what you’d like to gain (or lose) over the next year. If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for ways to cut back on spending, eat a little healthier, and try something new. If any of these are on your list this year – look no further! A small indulgence meets not one, not two, but all three of those goals! You can have your favorite dessert without breaking the bank or your belt. Plus you can sample many new desserts without worry – a small indulgence is a few bites at most, so if you don’t like it, no biggie – try something else instead!  That’s right folks, you heard it here first – 2011 is the year of the small indulgence, so get out there, and start sampling without fear!

small and sweet, and ready to eat.