japan!

Fourteen hours on a plane. Kind of scary Japanese hotel. Super slow internet. Really tired. Yawn.....

ZZZZZZ

xo,

e.m.

p.s. if you'd like to follow my trip in more detail, visit larkandlaceinchina.blogspot.com!

what i wore: one more

Well folks, on this blustery post-Christmas/pre-New Years day, I give you all my last "What I Wore" of 2012. I got this new dress in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't wait to try it on! eShakti is a new company whose mission statement is that they believe all women should have the right to wear affordable, custom-made fashion. They asked me to give one of their dresses a try and I can honestly say that I was so pleased with it. Not only is the dress adorable and so unique, I was able to customize it with only a few clicks of my mouse. It arrived at my house (very quickly!) and it fit like a glove. Never have I ever bought something online that fit me so well. It's also a high quality that I know will last for a very long time. I can't wait to order more dresses from them! (Of course, once I lose all of this extra holiday-season chub...)

xo,

e.m.

dress: c/o eShakti, headband & bag: modcloth, cardi: forever21, shoes: seychelles

2012

2012 was a big year for me. I traveled to China, I started a business, I moved to another state, I started a blog, I began planning another business, I turned 21, I made plans to return to China. When I started this blog in March, I didn't know what it would become and I never would have guessed that I would have made so many new friends. It's been a huge blessing to be able to share my life's moments with you all. I hope to have many more years of sharing and friendships! Here are photographs of some of my favorite memories from this past year. These are my favorite moments from my business and my travels, kind of like a yearbook for my blog!



xo,
e.m.

best friend

As I was packing for China, my eye caught a glimpse of my best friend Allie's lovely pile of Christmas gifts to me. (Pictured above.) I began thinking of what a heartfelt person she is and decided that I couldn't NOT dedicate a blog post to her. She is, after all, the person who got me into this whole lifestyle blogging thing to begin with. Her impeccable sense of style has without a doubt influenced mine. I never really had a best gal pal because I always got along with guys MUCH better so Allie is a godsend. Allie, since I probably won't be seeing you before I leave for China and you go back to the 'burg, this is my huge hug to you! Love ya lots. And all of you lovely l&l readers, check out Allie's blog, Alley Cats and Rough Drafts. If you like me, you'll LOVE her.

xo,

e.m.

the city, pt. 2

Another couple hours in Manhattan and we're in the final stretch. Less than a week... whoa. I was glad that I got to spend some time with CJ and my brother before I leave. We explored Midtown, The Village, and of course, HAD to do the tourist thing and visit Times Square. It's almost Christmas and having avoided most of the hustle and bustle of the holidays thanks to online shopping, the craziness was a necessity for me. We visited Obscura (ever seen the show "Oddities?") and I decided that I might have to be in the odd antiques business someday. We ate at a beautiful victorian bar in thy city and made MULTIPLE coffee shop stops. All in all, it was a magnificent day.

Everybody have a great Christmas Eve! In our family, we do the big Italian Christmas Eve. It might actually be a bigger deal than Christmas! Do you guys have any traditions? Spend lots of time with your family and drive safely!

xo,

e.m.