Occasionally I need something new to drool over. When I've tired of Prada bags and Tiffany diamonds, I like to pop over to Houzz for my interior design fix. Sometimes it's a kitchen that sends me into a spin, other times it's a sun-filled living room peppered with plush white seating.

Although the name may lead you to think it's a new division of Snoop Dogg's global enterprise (welcome to the Hizzle!), Houzz actually has a uniquely homegrown (and decidedly un-Snoop Dogg) feel to it. You can create your own lookbook, rifle through the collections others have made, tag images and any number of now standard social media options. I like it.I like it a lot. And it seems to be building a pretty good following.

What I like best about it is that I seem to be looking at images of real homes of real individuals. The photos won't be seen in this month's MetHome, but the space itself might well be worthy of a seven page spread. And for those of you inclined to share your own photos, you'll appreciate that the upladed photos are protected from easy download and theft. It's a nice system for encouraging design professionals to share thier creations in an interactive format.

Me? I'm drooling considerably over several of the shots from Elizabeth Dinkel Design. Have a looksie yourself and see what'sin the hizzle for you.

Ladies... HauteLook is partnering with William Rast (that would be the now famous denim brand brought to you by Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala) to sell ticket packages to the William Rast FW10 Fashion Show and (holla!) after party. That's right... you - in your hot new sexy denim rubbing elbows with the other beautiful people. Who knows...maybe JT himself will be there. :)

When: Wednesday, February 17.
How do you get there: Packages will be available as part of the William Rast sale events on HauteLook beginning on Monday, February 1 at 11:00 a.m. EST/8:00 a.m. PST.
Small print: Each package will be available for $1,500 on HauteLook only – these packages are not available anywhere else. HauteLook is also giving away two ticket packages via Facebook starting today. Entries will be accepted through Wednesday, February 3 at 8:00 a.m. PST.

Visit facebook for more information, or go to hautelook on Monday to shop the most popular styles of William Rast’s denim and apparel. And remember... friends don't let friends pay retail! :)

In a previous life, it was live.com. Today - accompanied by memorable and annoying commercials - it goes by the name bing.com.  I'll let their ad campaign tell you what bing does. For the purposes of this post, all I care about is the imagery they provide me every day. Photography of this amazing planet and all that we can do, see, experience and pursue serve to inspire us and wake us from our zombie walk of life.

If you've ever found yourself too busy to dream, too busy to plan your next adventure, too mired in your day job to chase your dreams - you need to visit bing.com and browse their home page images. See that walled city in the bottom image? It's Dubrovnik and it's one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. Why do those walls exist? They built them to protect themselves from the Venetians many years ago. Otherwise known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the Croatian city of Dubrovnik is a sight to behold. Turquoise waters for as far as the ye can see. And those wall as that once served as a protective barrier now offer expansive views of the dramatic coastline for as far as the eyes can see. We had the privilege of spending a sunny day in this lovely town. In addition to being awed by the scenery, I enjoyed a spectacular lunch on a rooftop patio surrounded by bright fuchsia bougainvillea. The day is a thing of the past, but memories like this are so fresh in my mind that I can almost still recall the taste of that fresh fish and the strong local coffee.

Let me ask you... are you getting out of your comfort zone these days? Do you have a trip planned? Maybe three? Do you have any audacious and life changing plans for yourself.... or are you just drifting along with the current. If you find yourself privately identifying with the latter, it's time to wake up and make something of yourself. No one is going to plan out an amazing life for you. It's your responsibility grab life by the horns and ride it with all your might. Now get going... you've got an adventure to begin. 

{All images via bing.com}

For some bizarre reason I'm just not a baked goods kind of girl. I know... I know... please don't kick me out of the super secret BFF club for admitting my personal oddity. The scent of Cinnabon in airports makes me nauseous. The idea of sheet cake disgusts me. I don't eat cakes, muffins or anything remotely close to a roll unless I'm desperate and starved. My "in case of extreme emergency" food when I'm out and about is the banana nut bread at Starbucks. And I have to be suffering from such low blood sugar that I can't possibly drive myself any further. So.... why, dear readers, why do I love looking at cupcakes so much? It has to be their artistic appeal. They are just SO pretty! First off, they are a germaphobe's dream - each individually wrapped. Love that! Also - although I don't eat them - I love that they come in individual serving sizes. For those who do love the smell of sugar & spice and everything nice, the cupcake offers built in portion control. There is a specific end to the cupcake. A beginning and an end. How sweet is that?

All that aside, it's the ornate designs and care given to each on that really draws me in. I appreicate all of the craftsmanship that goes into the newer varieties of the humble cupcake. The artistry, the creativity, the time and effort. These beauties in the pix above aren't even from a chic Manhattan boutique bakery. They are from Saks.com (who no doubt brings them n from some fantabulous sweet boutique like Sprinkles or somesuch). There just seems no limit of the modern confectioner's imagination. Just look how far this lowly dessert has come in the past five years. The designs are so intriguing that I often wonder what we'll be seeing in terms of design by 2015.

I ask you... is there something you love looking at that you'd never want to eat or own? Is there something you find so cute, but have no desire to partake in? Tell me I'm not the only one.

Loving this image as we head into a chilly weekend. May your venti cup overflow with good moments this weekend!

{image courtesy of Definitely Golden}

My biggest goal for this year is something that I've always struggled with, but never really noticed I had until I started making my list of resolutions. I'm all talk and no action. I'm making a promise to myself, and I am incredibly inspired to do so, to achieve all that I say and think I will. I'm giddy with excitement to reach for the things that I've always let pass by after I've used all my excuses until the chances are gone. I can't wait to put all my heart into working hard to save up money, and apply for tons of scholarships in order to go to a study abroad program in Paris this summer for fashion journalism and photography: my dream. I've also taken some inspiration from the movie Julie and Julia, in which I've decided to blog at a regular rate. Once a day might seem a little unrealistic in the crazy college world I live in, but I'm aiming for at least twice a week now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get these thoughts out. I pray that now that I've written them down, I may actually achieve them.

Alana, if my life - and the lives of every mentor or icon I've ever had - can serve as an example: there is POWER in writing down what you want! The very act of writing transforms those thoughts from dreams into a plan. And isn't a plan always better? We all "wish" for big things...but how many of us PLAN for those things?

The secret, readers, is that those who plan to succeed DO succeed. If oyu do just one thing for yourself this year, stop thinking about what you shoulda, would, coulda or might do. Instead, bust out an ink pen and paper and write down what you are GOING to do. It will change your life and the lives of those around you. Sound simple? It is. The difference between good and great is often created by a tiny bit of effort. This is that tiny bit of effort. So write... write it all down and make it happen!!!

Here's an interesting article on how to successfully navigate change. Whether you've been forced to adapt to new situations (loss of job, new baby or a bad breakup) or are shaking things up on your own (starting anew company, moving, selling everything you own), change is not always easy to manage with grace and aplomb. Here are a few of my favorites from the full article:

6. Try something new and slightly scary. Why? Because now is the time to explore what it is that you really like. Catch yourself off-guard and see what happens. At a time when I was feeling most stuck, I spontaneously volunteered to get up onstage at an open-mic storytelling evening in New York City. The experience was elating and terrifying and showed me that I wanted to lead a more creative life.

7. Be skeptical of common wisdom. It’s dangerous to live in the aggregate, especially when you’re trying to figure out your next move. One year, everyone knows you need an M.B.A. to succeed at anything. The next, they’re saying that there are no jobs out there anyway, so don’t even try. In my case, everyone but I knew that you can’t learn a language at age 43. But since no one alerted me to that fact, that’s what I set my sights on.