When the New Year comes around it is easy to start looking back at the year you had and ahead to the year you would LIKE to have. Here at MCDC we gave the new year a tag line..."2013...it's ALL happening”.

While 2012 was “...making it happen” this year we are excited to keep up with all the hard work that was put into making the year a success! We wanted to share with all of you out top five New Year Resolutions for making your 2013 the best year yet!

 

Resolution #1: Keeping it Organized

Are you trying to run a small business, household, or simply managing to keep up with yourself? We found that lists are the BEST way to manage your time. Lists totally help us to keep track of all that the week ahead holds. Plus it allows us to let go of the stress that all those appointments and orders can have on the mind. By writing it all out we are able to make space in our brains for more creative thoughts!

We recommend finding the system that works best for you. Is it a calendar or note pad? Here are a few good ones:

Since we are floral designers it isn’t a surprise we adore Rifle Paper Co. new 2013 line of note pads and calendars. SO PRETTY! We are excited to start using ours!

 

 

 

 

Images via Rifle Paper Co. 

 

Resolution #2: Keeping Fit

 

Image via Pinterest

 

Are you a yogi? A runner? Hiker? A gym enthusiast? Whatever it is you do to keep your body healthy we have a few ideas on how to KEEP it up in the new year!

Try a NEW class at the gym. Whenever we are feeling like just sitting at the desk and cranking out more work instead of going to the gym we try to add in something “new” to our routine. Maybe its trying the rock n’ roll ballet class or aerobic kick boxing...whatever it takes to make it more exciting! Sometime shaking it up does the trick.

 

 

Resolution #3: Keeping Inspired

Image via Pinterest

 

Being both creative and business minded can be a blessing. It can also be very, very difficult. Sometimes when we want to create we are tired from handling all the business stuff (and vice versa). There are some tried and true tricks to get ourselves excited and inspired to get creative!

Check out what others are up to on your favorite blogs. Here are few of our...what are yours?

1. Design Love Fest 
2. Oh Joy! 
3. The Palette (Obviously!)
4. Mrs. Lilien 
5. The Chalkboard Mag 
6. LA in Bloom 
7. The Local Rose 

 

Resolution #4: Keeping it Yummy + Good for you!

Clockwise from top: Edible Selby; In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn by Heart; The Food52 Cookbook, Vol. 2; I Am Grateful, all via Amazon.com

Cooking can be a wonderful way to meditate and keep your body running in tip top shape. Here are a few of our favorite “good for you” cookbooks. You are bound to find plenty of healthy plates in these cookbooks!

Resolution #5: Keeping it Light

This resolution is often the hardest one to keep in this busy world we live in. Keeping it light mean not taking yourself too seriously. Being able to shrug off the things that are out of our control and go on with a positive outlook.

A few ways we Moon Canyon Ladies do that is with music, making time for friends and looking up at the stars. Look up when you feel down. Sing when you feel like you don’t have the right words to say. And lean on your buddies when you need to.

 

We hope you all have a wonderful New Year and hope its ALL HAPPENING for you in 2013!!

 

xo amy + kristen

Hand-painted porcelain tray, $35.72, from Mad Rab 

 

Buying a gift for a bicycle enthusiast can be quite intimidating (I know this first hand because my husband happens to be one). Rather than attempting to decode the wants and needs for actual bicycle accessories, opt for a gift that doesn’t require chain grease or a wrench. Here are a few handmade choices from Etsy that celebrate a bicycle’s form over function:

 

 

 

1. Organic cotton blanket, $98 

2. Screen printed tea towel, set of two, $13.50 

3. Coasters, set of four, $15

4. Bicycle chain box, $100

5. Steel bookends, $44.99 

6. Screen printed rocks glasses, set of four, $42

 

Still pining for more ideas? I’ve pinned even more bicycle-themed gifts to my Pinterest board.

Being a jewelry designer equals lots of jewelry! Which is great for me, but can get tricky when trying to organize and store all of it. Recently, I’ve been collecting vintage crystal pieces to store and display the pieces I wear on a daily basis. These little vintage pieces are absolutely great for all the trinkets I take off after a long day of work, but not so great for my ever-growing bangle collection.  

That’s when a light bulb went off. I passed my local thrift store and picked up a few vases. I found a single flower vase that’s perfect for piling my bangles on, and I picked up a clear glass tube that keeps the bangles neat and tidy. In three easy steps, my troubles were solved. Find the vases, pile on the bangles and tuck them away! It couldn’t get any easier!

 

 

 

A vineyard in the Gigondas region  [All Photos via the Author]

I just returned from eight heavenly days in the beautiful Provence region of France. It was such a relaxing and inspiring trip, and I’m anxious to share it with you. The beautiful curvy streets are lined with wildflowers, ancient buildings bleached by the summer sun and crisp rosé is served at every meal. The markets were to die for and the little booths seemed to go on forever. I loved spending my days browsing everything from spices to chandeliers. Women sit and stitch homegrown lavender sachets alongside starched white linen and lace curtains for sale. Tanned men sell every olive you ever imagined, with pickled garlic and lemons and local sun dried tomatoes. And the cheese! Oh my god, the cheese! Let me just say my jeans are a little tighter after this trip, and I'm perfectly happy with that. It really was everything I hoped it would be, and I am definitely going to incorporate some French country design details into my own home to remind me of this wonderful place. In the upcoming weeks, I will give you tips on how you too can infuse a little joie de vivre in your own home. I will also give you directions for a fun DIY place card project I did while I was there, and of course, I’ll post a simple recipe for lavender crème brûlée. Stay tuned!

Also, I’d love to hear if any of our readers have ever been to the south of France. If so, what was your experience there?

 

 

 Soaps at the Market

 

One of the Many Shops

 

 Best Strawberries I've ever had

 

 Cheese, Glorious Cheese!

 

The Bees Love the Lavender Fields

 

 As Predicted, there is Lavender Everywhere

 

Beautiful Plates at the Market

 

Vintage Glassware

 

 Love these Old Enamel Canisters

 

 Breakfast with Flowers Cut from the Garden

 

Psst. If you follow me on instagram you can see more of my trip! @thingsiliketolookat