Ring in the New Year!

What a year it has been...

...and what a year 2012 will be!!!

Right...???

I'm sure it will be full of more surprises (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and definitely more blogging over here at ATB&B (the good, the bad, and the...well, not ugly, we don't do that here)!!!

Here's some New Years Eve inspiration to get you started...see you on the flip side, party animals!!!

And yes, I realize that this is a wedding, not a New Years party, but isn't it *beautiful* and *sparkly*??? Those lights they have strung up would be fab for a NYE party...



What a tease!

What the...?!?!

I thought for *sure* it was still Monday.

I just lost an entire day! But who am I kidding, I'm pretty sure I'm going to loose a few more before I get back in the swing of things.

So my lovelies, please excuse the heinous lack of posting and the brazen absence of commenting. I promise things will get back to "normal" soon (I say "normal" because I can't type it without parenthesis with a straight face!).

And on a happy note, I got my iphone for Christmas!!!

This is good news for me and for the blog because I might actually take pictures of things now (c:  I said *might*.



What did you get for Christmas???

Gone Shopping...

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays...see you tomorrow!!! (c:

I am wishing you and yours the merriest, yes, the *MERRIEST* Christmas...

And let's not forget the most wonderful part of Christmas...

Have you been so wrapped up in Christmas that you haven't looked at anything else??? Yeah, I've kinda been a little preoccupied, too...but looky here...

Cutest little nursery...

And Modern Rust  was clever enough to find and blog about it...love it.

I *really* love that rug...and the glasses artwork...so awesome.

 I have heard an absolute TON about Modcloth...but I had stubbornly not actually gone to check it out myself.

Shame on me!!! Look what I was missing out on...

Fabulous baubles:

*OBSESSED*

blouse

Love me some yellow (betcha haven't noticed that already)...

dress

Bravo, Modcloth...bravo.


Oh and if you are still searching for that perfect gift...

Pretty Smitten has e-giftcards for a personalized iphone cover! How perfect is that??? Then you get them something awesome and they get to personalize it!

Fantasy Christmas List

Disclaimer: This is totally a fantasy list...ignore the price tags. I DO! (c:

*le sigh* so lovely! And don't you think I would wear it absolutely *all* the time!

 

via

Because every girl needs a bright yellow patent leather handbag:

via

A little bling and color...

via

Mommy should be comfy *AND* stylish...

via

...and because my list wasn't far-fetched enough yet...Alexander McQueen yumminess:

Something practical (ha! I almost kept a straight face typing that!):

via

Okay, time to come clean now...I'm not *really* asking for any of these things for Christmas (not that I wouldn't TOTALLY take them if they were to come my way, *wink wink*)...I feel like I am truly blessed already and I've been trying really hard to remember this for the holidays (thanks for the reminder, Natalie!)

What do you think??? What's on your fantasy list???

Happy Friday, peeps! 

First off, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY from A Slip Shop! There's still a little bit of time to get in on the action! 

Every year we like to decorate ginger bread houses, I mean, what's not to like about an activity that involves candy and frosting???

This is definitely not what ours look like, but they are definitely a fun way to kick off the *LAST WEEKEND* before Christmas!!! (c:

Are you excited or freaked out???

 Someone has a lot of time on their hands...(c:

Christmas List: Kokoon!!!

Still looking for some of those presents or looking for something pretty for yourself? 

Then you definitely need to head over to Kokoon for their fantastic pop-up sale!

And for the perfect gift for everyone on your list:

I love giving...but it's kinda nice to get a little kickback as well, am I right??? (c:

This is me caving to peer pressure

So everyone has been posting fabulous recipes and mouthwatering pictures of food...and dang it, I want in!!!

And these are my favorite Christmas cookie, they are so darn cute!!!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies...and look at all the versions to choose from!

 

The chocolate version is my favorite (c:

Just use any chocolate cookie recipe you like, bake them and then press one of those cute little kisses in the middle after you take them out! (The sooner you take them out, the more the kiss will melt, so if you want it to retain more of the "kiss" shape, wait a minute before you add them...I like mine all soft and gushy (c:)

Okay, I feel better now.

Don't forget to enter A Slip Shop Giveaway!!!

I should have been a cat burglar...

I am not good with surprises.

Not with keeping them (I've made the hubbs open a present early on more than one occasion, after multiple hints as to it's contents), and most definitely not with having them kept from me! 

I was the kid that went and found all my Christmas presents...and if they were already wrapped, I would carefully slice open the tape, unwrap it, and *very* precisely tape it back up.

What a brat, right??? 

It got so bad that my parents had to start hiding presents at my Dad's office.

And then my mom started with the "Just wait until you have kids!!!"...and I'm totally dreading it!

I know how much hard work goes in to finding out what the heck they even want and then also getting it without them seeing *AND THEN* keeping it a secret until the big event. 

This is very different from my usual posts because I hardly ever write...but I was just wondering, am I the only one worried about my kids being little sneaks like I was???

And as a little aside...circle punches make *BOMB* gift tags from glittery paper:

And this is proof for all of you thinking that I really go all out with wrapping that it's *clearly* not true!

And holy gorgeous decorations, this pin took my breath away:

The branches...the lights...the sparkly ornaments!!! Le sigh.

All wrapped up

Wrapping ideas???

Discuss.

 And don't forget to enter the Slip Shop Giveaway!