Best of 2011!

Well well, another year flew by in what feels like an instant!  Why is time going by faster and faster now?  I can't believe there is only one more day left in 2011.  It has been a good but very busy year for me.  Of course the biggest being that I had my wedding in September, and such an amazing honeymoon in October.  Another big accomplishment that I worked hard for half of the year for was being able to pass the CFA Level 2 test which was such a relief (except pretty soon I have to start studying for Level 3!).  And I ran my first half marathon!  Oh yeah, and most recently my blog got stolen, but that's taken care of now that they have been taken down - woohoo!

And of course, I got lots and lots of goodies too!  So this is a list of the best from this year.  Later on, maybe tomorrow, I will do a similar list for the decisions I made for my wedding, since that was such a big part of my year and I figure it might be helpful for future brides!  But for now, these are my purchases, pretty much in chronological order.

Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub - I still really love this facial scrub.  I use it once or twice a week in the shower, and the little jar actually still has some left.  One jar a year for only $24 is pretty awesome.  I love how my face feels so soft after I use this.

Lululemon No Limit Tanks - I know this tank is not new in 2011, but it is new for me.  I bought my first one in aruba, then white, then coal/lavender.  I wear them quite often.  They are great for the summer when you want to stay cool, and also great for those days that you are bloated and don't feel like wearing anything tight fitting.  I've worn it to do all kinds of workouts from yoga to boxing, it works for everything.  

Lululemon Ambition Pullover - I think technically this pullover came out at December 2010.  I actually bought this in black and passion in December, then snorkel blue in January.  But I ended up returning black and passion.  I wear the snorkel one quite a bit though, mostly as to/from or to hang out in since it is quite warm for the weather here.  I took it with me to Europe on my honeymoon and wore it to run outside there as it was a lot colder.  It was great!  I love how cute this style is, and I love the color.  I swapped my Spirit pullover for it!

Westin Heavenly Bed - this was like the best investment ever, because I use it every night!!!  It is soooo comfy, I can hardly get out of bed.  It's totally worth the money.

Ray-Ban aviators - I bought 3 pairs of the Ray-Ban aviators this year.  I love these sunglasses!  I fit my face really well.  I ditched all my other designer sunglasses and they are all I wear now.  I especially love my gold ones, and my husband stole the black/white/red ones so I don't really wear those now.  

Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM - I cannot describe how much I love this bag.  And I'm so glad I got the biggest size!  I put so much stuff in it, I pretty much use it as a gym bag.  My gym is pretty close to the train station I get off on when I get off work.  So I go straight to the gym and I don't want to carry a full on gym bag on the train with me and then to work everyday.  This LV bag is way more stylish for that lol.  So my shoes, workout clothes, and other crap all fit into it.  I thought the thin straps would be uncomfortable if I put too much stuff in the bag but they have never dug into my shoulders that hard.  And this bag really holds some pretty heavy stuff!  The quality is great too.  I mean I use it everyday and it shows almost no sign of wear.  Definitely getting my money's worth out of this bag!

Lululemon Dance Studio Crop - I already loved the Dance Studio Pants, and the Crops are just as nice!  I bought 3 pairs of them, in wren, black and white.  The white ones are lined and the others are not.  I wear all 3 pairs a lot.  In the spring/summer time, I pretty much just wore these crops on weekends.  I felt that they were a little bit more dressed up than my yoga pants but still super comfortable.  And it's really easy to throw on a t-shirt or tank top with them.  

Burberry Patent Flats - I think these flats are so cute looking, and I love the Burberry pattern fabric on top of them.  I wear them almost everyday to and from work while I'm taking the train.  They are super comfortable, and after almost a year they are still in awesome shape!

Lululemon Energy Bra & 50 Rep Bra - I bought these 2 bras at the same time and wear them both equally.  I like them a lot.  I think the back of the Energy bra is so cute, even though I never get to show it off since all my tanks cover it.  

Nanoce BB Cream - I love this because it replaces foundation for me now!  The coverage is equivalent to light liquid foundation coverage, but you can build up by putting on a little more.  Supposedly it has healing properties for the skin so it makes me feel good that I'm not damaging my skin and clogging my pores.  Even if it doesn't, it works well to cover up skin imperfections while preserving the natural and glowing look.  It also works as a base layer that you can put foundation over if you want a heavier coverage in certain areas.  I just love how easy it is because you can just put it on like lotion!

Pink Lotus Drawstring Hem Sweater - This is the softest most comfortable sweater!  I also really like the color and style.  It is very hard to take this sweater off, and I reach for it all the time.

Lululemon Astro Wunder Unders - These are one of my favorite items from 2011.  I've always loved the Astro waistband, I have 3 pairs of Astro crops.  So these are a great combo.  I love that I got them in static black and slub denim, so they are more interesting looking than my normal black and coal luon.  I can wear them to workout as well as with boots so money well spent!

Brita Water Bottle - These water bottles with Brita filters built in have given me a lot of convenience this year!  I only use them while traveling, as I have filtered water and my regular water bottles for everyday life.  But they are so great to have on trips because it saves you from the hassle of having to find bottled water.  You can fill these up from anywhere.  They came in so handy for my honeymoon.

Lash Extensions - I started getting lash extensions this year primarily for my wedding.  But then I got so used to the convenience of not having to put on mascara everyday that I kept going back for refills!  I don't see myself ever stopping.  I love that I can have long and full lashes any time, and they last 5-6 weeks between each refill so I don't mind getting refills during that time frame.

Express Ribbed Drape-Neck Sweater - I picked this sweater up when I was at Express without even trying it on.  And I loved it as soon as I put it on at home!  It is kind of like a dolman style sweater, but it's actually really figure flattering.  And I love the soft and comfortable material.  I bought it in 2 colors and wear them all the time to both work and casual wear.

Express Metallic Stripe Ruffle Front Blouse - I also really love this shirt from Express.  The color is really great with subtle metallic stripes.  It's semi-sheer, and very feminine.  I wear it to work mostly, but I also have wore it on weekends while running errands or something like that.  It's so cute and goes with everything.  

Express Metallic Mesh Stitch Dolman - another sweater I love from Express.  The color is very pretty with the metallic in the thread of the sweater as well.  It's also a dolman style sweater, but more form fitting than the Ribbed Drape-Neck.  It's fun to wear different colored tank tops under this sweater as the colors show through.

Ivanka Trump Pinkish Pumps - I had been looking for a pair of nude pumps forever, and by accident got these pumps in light pink instead of patent nude like I originally wanted.  But after receiving them, and with the help of my dear readers, I actually liked them better than the nude!  I wear them at work a lot.  They are high and can get kind of uncomfortable towards the end of the day, but I still love how they look.

On the right  =)

Victoria's Secret Ruffle Scarves - I ordered a bunch of stuff from Victoria's Secret when they were giving away free scarves.  I ended up not liking most of the stuff I bought so I returned them, but got to keep the scarves!  I LOVE them!  Lately it's been cold in the mornings so I have been wearing them everyday!  The colors in both white and pink are great.  

Lululemon Turn Around LS - Ok, I'm pretty sure this is the best thing Lululemon made all year!  I love the new Rulu, it is sooooo soft and it's so hard to take this top off!  I got 2 of these, in gray and plum.  I love both colors and love that they are reversible.  The fit and style are very simple but flattering as well.

Adidas Adizero Adios 2 - I got these as one of my tester shoes, and I seriously think they are the best running shoes I've ever put on my feet!  Aside from being super cute and cool looking, they are great because they are very light but at the same time provide support and stability.  I like my Nike Frees and the New Balance Minimus Road shoes I got but they are both very minimalist, and I find them to be good for running but not for weight lifting or cross training (the Nike ones especially pinch my feet after a while).  The Adidas Adios 2 are good for both.  I wore them for my half marathon 2 days after receiving them and I didn't even get a single blister!  When I wear them I feel like I can really go faster and longer without my feet and legs feeling tired.  Really, say Adios to your old personal best!

Seychelles True Story Boot - These boots are so darn cute!  They are the perfect fit for me at the perfect shaft height.  I can wear them with tights or jeans.  And they are very comfortable!  The leather is super nice and soft.  I get a lot of wear out of these!