change is a-brewin'

like the new header?!  designed it myself : )

since the start of the new year, i’ve been dreaming up (and getting ready to put into action) some exciting changes for my blog (and my life).  but before we delve into those…full disclosure – my ultimate goal is to make a full time living from my blog.  i love, more than anything, to share my lifestyle ideas and recommendations, and i’ve finally come to realize (or maybe, finally come to accept) it’s my true calling.  it keeps me up at night thinking.  makes my stomach leap with excitement.  has me jotting notes and ideas down non-stop.  and energizes me in a way that few other things can.  lucky for me, i’ve already begun to build the foundation, and thanks to you, my mini mavens, i’ve received invaluable support and feedback.

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so, what catalyst has me so gung-ho to pursue my dreams and live my passion? i read a fantastic book in early january called crush it! by gary vaynerchuk.  it’s all about building your brand with social media, and it got my wheels turning…full force.  i started thinking about all the potential ways to grow my blog and expand my brand, and i’m psyched.  for the first time in my life, i feel totally on track, inspired, focused and ready.  like everything’s been leading up to this point.  i’ve been on a precipice, waiting for my parachute, and i’m finally ready to jump.  i realize now, i don’t need a parachute…i’ll grow wings instead.

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with growth comes change.  good change.  fun change.  and necessary change.  starting february 1st, lifestyle maven, is going to become a fabulous blog/magazine (a blogazine if you will) replete with essential, motivational and entertaining lifestyle advice and information.  at the beginning of each month, i’ll provide a teaser of what’s in store – so you know what to look forward to. monthly features will include menu of the month full of delicious recipes, party ideas and date night suggestions, healthy living advice & fitness info, expert interviews to get the latest lifestyle tips & trends, wine of month, blog/blogger of note, photo of the month and much, much more!  in addition to these monthly features, there will be tons of other special topics that will crop up from time to time such as fashion & style, interior design & décor, travel, wedding planning, giving back, book reviews and giveaways to name a few : )

starting february 1st, lifestyle maven is taking it to a whole new level.  are you excited yet?  i am.  get ready. awesomeness awaits.

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what's in store?

2011 is here.  can you believe it?  another new year filled with countless possibilities & endless opportunities lies before us.  with every new year, i find myself asking what i want from this new year, this fresh start.  i feel overwhelmed (in a good way) with the unknowns that lie before me and sense that i'm on the cusp of something fresh, new and magical.

what will 2011 bring me?  i know a few of the wonderful things that are in store already: a trip to california with friends to visit another friend, a dear friend's wedding, a cousins' vacation to north carolina, our wedding & honeymoon, to name just a few.  for my business?  a recently acquired staff writer job at a marketing firm, finishing and hopefully publishing my next book, new clients.

my new book, the champagne season

i'm not a huge proponent of "new year's resolutions" in the traditional sense.  though i revel in the fresh start and naturally feel an urge to revamp and refocus, i think that hard-and-fast resolutions often set us up for disappointment.  instead, i like to focus on what is already good in my life (that i want to continue doing or enjoying) and what i could include (or change) to bring me more true happiness.


if the act of making resolutions has failed you in the past, perhaps the only "resolution" you need is to be resolute (adjective. admirably purposeful, determined and unwavering).

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to help you focus for 2011:


1. be grateful for what is already good in your life
2. aim for small changes that are sustainable (and enjoyable)
3. write down your wishes or create a vision board to visually remind you of your hopes & aspirations
4. be true to yourself


happy wonderfully fabulous new year : )  what's in store for you?.

cheers to 2011

christmas was almost a week ago, and the new year is just over a day away.  tomorrow night my parents' are hosting their annual new year's eve party (with a twist).  this year they're not only celebrating the approach of 2011, they're ringing in our wedding year and inviting friends and family to toast craig and me as we enter into the official countdown to 11.5.11.

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my mom is the ultimate hostess and can make a party for 50 seem like a walk in the park.  and she's "trained" me and my sis, hannah, well.  the three of us can seamlessly maneuver around the kitchen prepping, chopping, cooking and baking with nary a word.  we can anticipate the others' moves and just know what needs to get done.  but this year, because craig and i are the "guests of honor", i don't know how much helping they'll allow me to do...

with my mom's natural hosting ability, i often take for granted that it's a true (and coveted) skill to host a good party.  here are some tricks, tips & techniques i've learned from my mom (a.k.a. the nice martha stewart).

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-plan out your menu - pick your recipes & review ingredients needed, and grocery shop a few days beforehand.  make whatever you can in advance.

-set up a bar - (not in the kitchen) when guests arrive make sure the bar is set and ready to go, that way they can get a drink even if the food isn't out yet.  don't have room for a fully stocked bar?  no problem.  get a few bottles of wine, some beer and do one signature cocktail.  guests will love it.  oh, and don't forget to buy extra bags of ice for the ice & wine/beer buckets.

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-take shortcuts - if people offer to bring something, let them!  if you're concerned about the cohesiveness of your menu, suggest they make something specific and send them the recipe.  trust me, it'll simplify their life too!  also, stick to a few good recipes that you do well.  no experimenting with new stuff.

-get in the flow - if you're doing appetizers/hors d'ouevres before dinner, put them around the house (again, not in the kitchen) to encourage people to move around and mingle (as they search for food : )

-set the mood - never underestimate the importance of music and lighting.  candles and low lighting put people at ease and music sets the tone for the party.  are you a classical or classic rock group?

-beautiful buffets - though sit down dinners are great, they're sometimes hard to pull off (i.e. more stressful).  instead, consider a buffet.  guests like the laid-back feel but that doesn't mean it can't be fancy.  add candles, crystal and silver to glam it up.  no aluminum chaffing dishes, thank you very much!

i hope you have a fabulous time ringing in the new year.  cheers to 2011!

have any fun plans?.

blog swap - tu parleras français

today’s post is courtesy of katherina, world-traveler extraordinaire, from 100 miles highway.  as members of 20 something bloggers, we’re both participating in our first-ever blog swap.  very exciting!  so, we were tasked with writing posts about what we want to do in 2011 that we’ve been putting off for too long.  (i’m sure many of you can relate…)  so without further ado, enjoy katherina’s guest post.  c’est magnifique!  ...and when you’re  done, check out my guest post {here}.

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2011 is less than two weeks away and I’m starting to feel the usual pressure of the common “new year, new life” therapy. Every year, I start with a big list of resolutions which I firmly believe in, but then, life gets in the way of my plans, and some of my resolutions fade away while others are conveniently transferred into the next year. This, again, leaves me with a fairly long list of resolutions that have been transferred from one year to another because they’re still changes I want or need to make, sometime (soon, I promise!).

Anyway, probably the most important of those promises I’ve been making myself in the last couple of years (yeah, I know, years!!) is to learn French. And by that, I don’t mean managing to tell the butcher if I want poulet (chicken) or bœuf (beef), but to be able to follow a conversation among a group of native French-speakers. The reason for this is simple: I’m living in la Suisse Romande (the French-speaking part of Switzerland), since a year and 4 months and am still struggling to pronounce correctly the name of my street. Ridiculous. I know. However, speaking Spanish, English and German you pretty much manage to survive anywhere needed in this country – which, up to now, has led me to postpone the French classes again and again.

What makes 2011 different? Well, first there are all those shiny French cuisine cooking books that I've been piling up in my kitchen and would love to try (but are written in French). Then, living just a 10 minutes drive from Lavaux, a wine-growing region recognized as a World heritage site by Unesco (and being the wine-lover that I am), it feels incomplete not to know how to explain the taste and smell of the wine you are actually drinking (and not knowing how to tell the waiter that it tastes like cork!). Having to ask my work colleague or friend to call my landlord or to come along with me when I go to the doctor makes me feel so dependent! It’s really getting time to know my body parts without any additional help.
I’ve finally got the point: as difficult as it might be to admit, to feel part of the country and its culture, I need to excel French - This one is going to be tough, but at least now the motivation is there!

I hope you all have a nice holiday and a happy new year, and thanks so much Cailen for allowing me to invade your blog :)

if you enjoyed her post (which i'm sure you did), be sure to check out her lovely blog {here}, where you can also enjoy the guest post i wrote for our blog swap : ).