Happy New Year!

Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear,

To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!

-William Arthur Ward

New Year, New You!

If you fall asleep in the bathtub on New Year's Eve, this is probably how you will feel in the morning! As we begin this New Year, I am reminded of a quote from Anne of Green Gables, "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." But in this case, we have a whole year and more excitedly a whole decade with no mistakes in it yet! It is a great time to think about the bad habits we want to leave in 2009 and what we would like to accomplish in 2010! For some of you, that mean after your head stops throbbing but it's never too late!

I wrote about Write It Down, Make It Happen in my New Year’s Day post two years ago and I think it's worth talking about again. I often make lists of the things that I want to do and I think they definitely help me achieve my goals and keep myself on track. This book is filled with the inspirational stories that we can all use to motivate ourselves. Instead of focusing on the negative New Year's resolutions, it is definitely more fun to focus on the positive things you want to accomplish in 2010.

1. I will continue to build my business and blog in 2010. I have a lot of great things in the works for 2010 and I can't wait to share them with you. I've worked really hard for the past two years and it's nice to finally see some rewards coming!
2. I will find a business manager in 2010! I will find someone to help me with the aspects of my business that are better left to an expert! If I was interested in business, I would have majored in it instead of art history. I know where my strengths lie and this is not one of them!
3. I will either move to a bigger apartment or get an office in 2010. I have fabric samples overtaking my apartment on a daily basis so it would be nice to more space for them! I have discussed sharing an office with a few other designers so that is another fun option. Working alone is hard for all of us and it would be nice to be able to bounce ideas off another person or just commiserate.
4. I will figure out how to have someone help me in 2010. I have a lot of people offering to work for me but as some of you can relate, it's hard to let go and hard to figure out what to delegate when you have been doing all the work yourself. I don't think I could ever let someone else help me with my blog but it would be nice to have someone around to return fabric samples or write up purchase orders! Of course, this would be a lot easier with the office!
5. I will travel more in 2010! I felt really guilty taking time off in 2009 since I was the one doing everything. If I have help and someone to mid the store, so to speak, while I'm gone, it would be easier to get away. Travel is so inspiring and motivating and I really need to make it a priority!
6. I will make money from my blog in 2010! Contrary to popular belief, I don't make a lot of money off my blog but that is going to change in 2010! I'm making it a top priority!
7. I will volunteer more in 2010! I support a lot of charities but I don't often have time to volunteer in person. It is my goal this year to follow through on my plan to create a Habitually Chic Cares volunteer day where my readers and I can make a difference for a local organization!
8. I will take a class in 2010! I keep saying that I am going to take a French class so I can improve my skills and finally become fluent and I hope I can make that happen this year!
9. I will not sweat the small stuff in 2010! Nuff said!
10. I will be really happy in 2010! I can already tell this is going to be a great year!

As my friends can attest, I am a big proponent of the power of positive thinking and on that note, I leave you with the following quote from Edith Lovejoy Pierce, "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day!

Top Image by Pamela Hanson

Cheers!

I'd like to raise a glass of champagne and wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope you have a wonderful night no matter where you are or what you are doing. Just be careful and try not to fall in the bathtub at the end of the night! Cheers!

Photo by Pamela Hanson

A Low Key New Year's Eve

Every year, about a million people crowd Times Square to watch the ball drop at midnight on New Year's Eve. And yes, I said a million. I looked it up. As you can imagine, that creates a bit of chaos in the city even beyond all the street closings. That's why my friends and I usually prefer to celebrate at someone's apartment for either drinks or a dinner party. If you plan on doing the same, here are a few ideas and images to help inspire you! Happy New Year!

When you think of New Year's celebrations, usually silver comes to mind but I think gold is a lovely alternative. It has a warmer feeling and the table designed by Carolyne Roehm above and top has a beautiful mix of colors that adds to that warmness. I found a set of gold rimmed wine and champagne glasses at Housing Works last year that would be perfect for this type of table.

Martha Stewart decorated this mantle with a collection of clocks to remind everyone of the passing of time. If you don't have enough to display this year, you can always plan for next year!

I feel in love with this image last year when I saw it on Style Court. What a beautiful way to greet your guests for the evening.

And don't fret if you don't have a set of matching champagne glasses. As you can see here, a tray full of mismatched glasses can be just a beautiful as a perfectly matched set.

This chic table belongs to one of the designers who works for Sarah Richardson and was seen in Canadian House & Home. The silver setting and pale blue chairs whisper winter and couldn't be more beautiful.

For those who prefer darker colors, this table from Ralph Lauren Home mixes gold, silver and black that would be perfect for a more masculine setting.

This table also doesn't worry about matching china or flatware and as you can see, there are actually two tables. A few smaller tables sometimes with less people make for a better party than one big long table. For fun, you can have people change seats between courses.

There is a simple elegance to this table setting that I absolutely love! It would also be perfect for a New Year's Day breakfast!

I think this table was intended for Christmas but would also work for New Year's Eve. If you are hosting a celebration, you can definitely leave up your Christmas tree but I would change out some of the other decorations around the house to reflect the party theme.

This table is set for a birthday celebration but could also inspire a beautiful New Year's Eve table and especially one in a warmer climate. I also think presents at each place setting is fun and they could be filled with inexpensive gifts or fun fortunes for the New Year!

I hope no matter where you are or what you do for New Year's Eve that you have a wonderful evening and don't forget to take a taxi or appoint a designated driver!