Happy 2013!

Well, despite my good intentions, Christmas really got the best of me this year (and yes, I did end up " frantically ordering things on December 23 whilst wrapping into the wee hours of the morning like a crazy woman").  But hey, didn't we all?  And with 2013 upon us, the slate is clean, right?

Or not.  :)  In any event, while my absence might seem like evidence to the contrary, I've missed you all, and I have appreciated your "when are you coming back?" questions -- it makes me feel loved!  So here I am, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that there is lots of happiness in store for you in 2013.  Thank you so much for coming back to visit.  To break my blackout and get your 2013 started right, I thought I'd share a few things that I've been enjoying or discovering over the last month.  

Cards Against Humanity, which aptly describes itself as "a free party game for horrible people."  I played this at our friends' New Year's party, and it is hilarious.  You'll cry with laughter (and shame).  You can buy a set of the cards for $25, or print your own at home for free!  (Interesting tidbit: it started on Kickstarter.)

I made a few batches of Rosemary French 75s, which taste delicious and look fancy and festive.  The recipe: put a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne coupe.  Put 2 ounces of gin, the juice of a lemon, and 1 teaspoon of this rosemary syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake (I don't have a cocktail shaker, so I just use a cup of ice and stir it with a spoon).  Pour into the coupe, fill up the rest of the glass with prosecco, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.  Enjoy!

I read about this Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream here, here, and here, and decided it was the universe leading me to a solution to Chicago Winter Face.  It feels like glue, which in this case is a good thing.

I signed up for For the Makers, a monthly service that's like Birchbox for crafts!  The prior boxes look like they had lots of goodies in them (like this pouch you can make to fit your phone, cash, and cards).  I am overly pumped to get my pseudo-Martha on.

And finally, a little tip that really seems to work: to improve your posture (something I am always working on and pretty much always failing at), turn your palms up.  That's it.  It really does make your hold your shoulders back, like you're supposed to!

Have you stumbled on any great stuff in the last month?  Recipes, ticks, trips, products, tunes?  Do share.

(Top illustration by Emily McDowell Illustration; French 75 photo by Tall and Salty; Kiehl's photo by Christine; photograph of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly by Allan Grant for Life Magazine.)