I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day,
a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps
a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
(J. B. Priestley)

Hello lovelies, I’ve missed you dearly! It’s hard to believe that I took almost a whole month away from blogging. I hope the past few weeks have been kind to you.

Although my break from blogging was unscheduled, it was exactly what I needed. The Mister and I had a chilly, but very fun trip to Ohio for Christmas, and a quiet party of two at home for New Year’s. It was truly the perfect ending to 2011.

Despite a few bumps and unscheduled breaks along the way, this past year was an excellent time for KaileenElise.com. My heart is filled with love and gratitude for those of you who show up daily, drop in regularly, or stop by once to participate in my story. Thank you for being such a wonderful source of inspiration, accountability and friendship.

Top 5 Posts in 2011:
A Creative Weekend To-Do List
Half Marathon Playlist
Let’s Reverb
Welcoming Summer
Blogger’s To-Do List

Also, the site traffic and pageviews are up 70% from last year!

Speaking of highlights, I wanted to share my deep gratitude to those of you who participated in #reverb11. The project took many forms as individuals and smaller groups adapted it to their liking. For me, reflecting in my journal turned out being the best way to examine my year and establish intentions for 2012.

My focus for this is year simple: healthy living in mind, body and spirit.

Through the next few weeks, I will reveal my goals, reading list, and words of the year. I’ll also share my intentions for January, with weekly recaps on my main focus for the month: Whole Living Magazine’s 2012 Action Plan.

Thank you again for being such a sparkly part of my 2011. Here’s to great things to come!

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
(Calvin Coolidge)

I love Christmas music. As soon as we were finished with our Thanksgiving leftovers, I started pulling together mixes and new stations on Pandora. There’s something about holiday tunes that gets me in the spirit and lifts my mood.

Three of the best holiday Pandora stations I’ve found include: Bing Crosby & Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, and Indie Holidays.

I’ve also made a playlist with a few of my favorites for this time of year. I’ll have this list playing in the background while finishing up our Christmas cards, wrapping gifts and baking cookies. All the links lead to iTunes, so head over and have a listen!

Linus & Lucy / Vince Guaraldi Trio
The Christmas Waltz / She & Him
Winter Song / Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Sleigh Ride / Ella Fitzgerald
Jingle Bells / James Taylor
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! / Aaron Neville
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree / Brenda Lee
‘Zat You, Santa Claus? / Louis Armstrong
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas / Frank Sinatra
White Christmas / Bing Crosby
December / Norah Jones
Silent Night / Sarah Brightman
Holly Jolly Chirstmas / Michael Bublé

What are your favorite holiday songs, albums and/or Pandora stations? I would love for you to share in the comments below!

Image Credit: Sterne – Stars via Gertrud K

If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to,
no one with which to share the beauty of the stars,
to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life?
It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning.
This is harmony.
We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.
(Mitsugi Saotome)

Happy 27th birthday, Mister!

This past year was an eventful journey. You encountered happiness and sorrow. You experienced joy and anger. You kept your sense of humor and displayed remarkable courage. I watched as you pursued your goals, slayed evil dragons, and unpacked boxes.

We spent our first Christmas together. Welcomed 2011 with a kiss. You cheered me on during my 1/2 marathon. You were accepted to business school. We moved into our first home. We spent days snuggled on the couch.

Your intelligence continues to impress me.
Your wit keeps me entertained.
Your quirks make me smile.
Your love pushes me to become a better person.

For some people, 27 is a blip on the radar. An insignificant stop between 25 and 30. I have a feeling this is going to be a banner year…

Here’s to your 27th.
Remarkable. Memorable.
Filled with health, happiness, success and love.

Image Credit: via We Heart It

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.
(George Harrison)

Hello my dear friends. I’m excited to share that today is my 26th birthday! To celebrate, I have curated some sparkly inspiration on Pinterest. I’m certain you will enjoy taking a peek.

Since today is a Tuesday, I have work and the usual routine on my to-do list. Since it’s my birthday, I have a fun sushi lunch date scheduled and a celebratory dinner with a few favorite people later tonight. After some well-earned birthday indulgence, I plan to open a few gifts, enjoy some bubbly and just relax!!

Thanks again to all of you who supported me on my half marathon adventure. Your sweet tweets, texts and phone calls have meant the world to me. Stop by tomorrow if you’re curious about the playlist that helped me stay motivated… I can’t wait to share it with you!

Image credit via Pinterest

Hello my dear friends. I hope you’re starting off your week with sparkle, style and sass!

Today is my mister’s 26th birthday, so I’ve been a bit busy celebrating with him. I was so excited after wrapping his presents yesterday that I asked if he’d open them early—I’m not very good at keeping surprises a secret.

After work we went to a delicious dinner and caught up on life, work and future plans. To finish the evening, we spent some major time standing in line at the Apple store for a brand-new iPhone 4!

I simply adore my mister. He is a smart, strong and silly man who loves me just as I am. (Plus, he’s an amazing proof reader who catches my typos before they make it to you.)

It’s been a treat to shower him with love, gifts and extra kisses today. I hope we can always keep Steve’s words of wisdom in mind… Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

image credit: via weheartit.com ~ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

The more you praise and celebrate your life,
the more there is in life to celebrate.
(Oprah Winfrey)

Hello there happy friends. Today’s my 25th birthday and I can hardly believe it! This one feels significant, as if I’ve crossed an important threshold. A lot has happened since last March 29 and I’m excited to see what unfolds this year. I spent the last few days celebrating with a manipedi, hair appointment, solo shopping, and a fun night out with friends on Saturday. Sunday was relaxing and filled with love.

Today should be a wonderful workday, followed by dinner with my mister and quiet time at home. I’m planning some artist dates and journal writing sessions to help me set my intentions and inspiration for the year ahead. I wish to continue to nurture my dreams and live with intention. I wish to connect more with you, my inner artist and spiritual self. I wish to rock this year and make it the best one yet.

image credit: papaya art

Luck is believing you’re lucky.
(Tennessee Williams)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day my darling friends! This is just a quick note to remind you to hop on over to Kimberly Wilson’s blog Tranquility du Jour for my Signature Style Wednesday post. Today’s musings are all about being green, making your own luck and celebrating like the Irish!

I hope you have a fabulously green & completely lucky day. Thanks to for all the love and support in response to my post earlier this week. I appreciate our blog/tweet/webbie community more every day.

photo credit: saralagace via etsy

Sometimes you have to let go, to stake your claim.
Be still, to move forward. Give, to receive.
Cry, to feel the joy. Pretend, to make it real.
Fake it, before you make it.
And sometimes, oddly enough, you must first decide
to feel their love, to find it was there all along.
(Notes from the Universe)

Hello gorgeous souls. A reminder to those of you who are participating in my Good Karma Gift Swap, today is mail day! Please do your best to send all packages before the post office closes today.

Remember that your package should include 4 gifts—a treat that calms, something that comforts, a bit of celebration and a piece the promotes creativity. If you have any questions, send me an email or message on twitter.

I’ll be connecting with each of you this week via email to make sure everything goes smoothly. I’m so excited to see everyone’s blog posts about the good karma (and gifts) they receive. Thanks again for your participation. Happy swapping!

photo credit: moi – package from stephanie @ heart piercing life

Love is love.
All, everything that I understand,
I understand only because I love.
Everything is, everything exists,
only because I love.
(Leo Tolstoy)

Hello gorgeous friends. I want to wish you a fabulous Valentine’s Day. Take time out to nurture yourself and those you care about. Enjoy a restful nap, relax by the fire, read a book, soak in a hot bath. Smell the roses, nibble some chocolate.

Find peace in your heart and joy in your soul. Know that love is all around you and it always wins. Check out these last minute Valentines and consult this kissing checklist if you’re in need of some holiday help.

Thanks for sharing your love, support and sparkle with me. Happy Valentine’s Day!

photo credit: papaya! blog

The greatest gift you will ever learn
is just to love, and be loved in return.
(Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge)

Hello sweet souls. I hope you’re having a fantastic start to February! I simply adore this month. It’s full of chocolate, sparkles, hearts and joy—what’s not to like?

In an act of celebration, I am inviting you to join me in my first Good Karma Gift Swap.

If you heart snail mail and want to participate, please leave a comment below with a favorite way to pamper yourself.

This experience is all about sending love and getting love in return. It’s a chance to make a fellow blogger’s day. All you have to do is gather 4 unique gifts that will delight your swap buddy (nothing expensive, just pour your heart into it).

A few juicy details:

Be sure to include 4 gifts—a treat that calms, something that comforts, a bit of celebration and a piece the promotes creativity.

To participate, you must have a blog + need to be willing to ship internationally.

Registration ends Friday at midnight. Leave a comment below to join in on the fun.

Surveys will go out Saturday—please take a moment to respond over the weekend.

Swap buddy details will be emailed early next week.

With the help of your swap buddy’s survey answers, you will be able to send a completely custom and totally thoughtful Good Karma Gift Swap package.

Please mail parcels by Wednesday, February 17.

Open, enjoy and blog about your package when you receive it!

By leaving a comment below, you are agreeing to the details outlined above. If you have any questions or special requests, please send an email to hello AT kaileenelise DOT com.

Are you lovelies ready to start swapping? Let the good karma and snail mail love begin…

photo credit: williams-sonoma