The Best Bakeware EVER.

Anyone who loves to cook should try these goldtouch nonstick pans from Williams Sonoma - it's the best bakeware ever!

The baking sheets stay looking like new for far longer than any other cookware that I have ever owned. There is just something that feels so professional when you cook food on something that is not covered with baked on grime.

A cookie sheet combined with a homemade jar of cookie mix would make a wonderful gift. I am going to try this recipe from Bakerella with red and green M&M's for Christmas gifts.

Wouldn't this make a wonderful teachers gift?

  

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Nail Polish

I like the idea of buying only one brand of polish. It's so much easier to keep clean and organized if they're all the same size. Just pick your favorite brand and then stick with it.

Chanel

Every season I fall in love with the latest Chanel nail polishes. There are just so many gorgeous colors.

This collection is available for a limited time for the holidays.

Wouldn't you be happy if you found it in your stocking?

The set includes ten polish colors : Ballerina, Frenzy, Particulière, Distraction, Holiday, Tentation, Dragon, Provocation, Vamp and Black Satin.

I have built up a collection of Chanel polish over the years and keep them lined up at the back of my dressing table. They make a little pop of color in an otherwise neutral space. 

Some of my favorites are :

Black Satin  *  Vertigo  *  Lotus Rouge  *  Vamp

Provocation  *  Blue Satin  *  Paradoxal

Pearl  *  Frenzy

Rose Caché  *  Frission  *  Ballerina

I usually shop online at Chanel.com. The price is the same as in stores, shipping is free, and they kindly offer you samples. Your order arrives in a small black drawstring Chanel bag to keep everything in. Nail polish in a Chanel bag has been my go to birthday gift whenever one of my children is invited to a girls birthday party.

Burberry

Burberry only recently started carrying nail polish. You may have seen it mentioned in Vogue a couple of months ago but then of course it was totally sold out and you couldn't find it anywhere. Having decided that it would make a perfect stocking stuffer for my daughter I kept on looking and voilà it's back in stock.

Poppy Black  *  Oxblood  *  Stone

Essie

Beautiful colors, beautiful bottles, great price - what more is there to say?

What brand of nail polish do you prefer?

Weekend Bags

Do you travel a lot?

I do. Most of the time its a quick trip, just two or three nights and usually everything I need fits into my Louis Vuitton keepall. I have had it for many years, and it has served me well.

I wanted to get another bag and so have been looking around and thought I would share with you just in case you're looking for a weekend bag too.

Here are some in various price ranges:

Tory Burch  *   J McLaughlin  *  Sole Society

Brooks Brothers  *  Brooks Brothers  *  LL Bean

LLBean  *  Longchamp  *  J Crew

Wouldn't the J McLauhlin and J Crew bag look amazing with a navy monogram?

In the end I decided on the Louis Vuitton Carryall. After looking at several bags, this one seemed to fit my needs the best. It's perfect as a second bag for when I need more room with the added bonus that now I have a smaller bag if I need to carry less.

Do you have any packing tips to share?

Custom Ballet Flats

Every girl needs a stylish pair of ballet flats and what could be better than a pair that are custom designed by you from ELIZA B.

Sometimes you just want what you want. In your mind you imagine the perfect pair of shoes to go with a particular outfit but good luck finding them!

I loved this post by Muffy Aldridge where she talks about visiting the factory and designing her own bag. But I was really inspired by her shoes. Totally custom, right down to the monogram.

There are just so many options to choose from, and it's a lot of fun selecting different combinations until you get it juuuust right!

Not so sure about the ones in the picture, but I would love a pair in Sea Grass Denim with a navy patent trim.

What would you like?

Using A Planner

Are you making the most of your life?

How you spend your days is how you spend your life, so stop for a moment and think about the question. Are you making the most of your life?

It is so easy to get caught up with your to do list that you never have time for fun. Or conversely find time for fun but never get finished with the tough items on your list.

This is why I swear by my planner. I use this one by Erin Condren and my daughter uses this Lilly Pulitzer one.

Find one that you love. The more excited you are about it, the more likely you are to use it.

The trick to successfully using your planner is to keep all of your appointments on the monthly pages and then use the daily pages for your lists and notes.

For example monthly pages are where I keep track of:

 appointments for hair, dentist, doctor, vet, pest control, window cleaner etc

 school holidays

 games

 events

 parties

 travel plans

 guests
 lunches

It is a two page summary of who, what, when and where.  If you don't intend to carry your planner with you everywhere then it is a good idea to also keep this information on your phone.

At the beginning of each month I sit down and look at whats coming up and then start planning what I am going to do in the empty spaces. This is when I plan for fun, whether it's a night at the ballet or a weekend away. This is also where I plan for work and long term goals.

3 in 30

One tool that I use is called 3 in 30. Basically at the beginning of each month you think of three things that you want to accomplish that month. These are goals that require several steps, and usually several days and can be overwhelming if you place them on your regular to do list. But when faced with thirty days to accomplish them you will be surprised what you can achieve.

Before I started using 3 in 30 I would have things that were vaguely on my to do list but month after month went by and I just never got around to them. I have been astonished by how much I can get done if I know that I have a 30 day deadline. Try it!

Daily pages are where I keep track of the minutia of life
 meal planning
 exercise log
 to do lists
 to buy lists
 other lists
 medicine schedules
 routine house work schedules

My daughter uses her daily pages to keep track of her school work.

The Erin Condren planner has separate pages to record birthdays and anniversaries, which is fabulous because while I note a birthday party or dinner in my monthly pages, I don't want to use them to remind myself to send a card.

I also keep a notebook in my planner so that I have plenty of room to jot things down.

If you start planning your life, then you just might discover that you are actually making the most of it. It's amazing how much more you do once you start filling up of all the empty spaces on your calendar.

Which planner do you use? Do you have any great tips on how you use your planner?

Brooks Brothers Holiday 2013 - Fantasy Shopping Trip

The new Brooks Brothers catalogue was in my mail box this afternoon. I have spent a pleasant hour browsing through it and fantasizing what I would like to see under the Christmas tree this year...

For my daughter : Dress, Boots, Skirt, Shirt and Bracelet.

For my husband - Watch, Duffle Bag, Bow Tie, Sweater and Jacket

For my son - Rugby Shirt, Watch, Cufflinks, Sweater and Duffle Bag.

For myself - Earrings, Boots, Riding Jacket, Umbrella and Raccoon Scarf.

What would your fantasy shopping trip look like?

Pie Safe

Do you often have a house full of people and like the idea of being able to leave baked goods out for friends and family to help themselves to?  A pie safe is the perfect way to make sure that the food remains safe from pesky flies.

I found mine here

I bought these pie dishes, and then baked three varieties of muffins, and voilà...

How do you serve baked goods?