Best of Blog 2012

The sequinned RACHEL Rachel Roy dress I wore to meet the designer herself.

2012 has been a tremendous, eventful, and sometimes overwhelming year. I don't think I've necessarily accomplished everything I set out to do (more about that in a future post), but the adventures I had along the way sure were fun! Here's a look at some of my favourite memories and blog posts.

January started with navel-gazing and goal-setting, and some cooking as I tried my hand at making turkey and white bean chili. (Both very apropos activities at this time of year, I might add.)

Some of the big names in fashion that I had the privilege of meeting or learning more about this year included Derek Blasberg, Rachel Roy, Mary Katrantzou, and Van Cleef and Arpels. And of all the big names setting up shop and opening new stores in Vancouver, J. Crew and Topshop were definitely two of the biggest. (Have you had a chance to shop their Boxing Day sales yet?)

Among the fashion shows I attended, VAWK's VFW show and both Standing Armed shows (reviews here and here) stood out the most.

A detail shot from one of my favourite outfit posts this year. The fur vest (softest thing ever!) is from Wear Else.

My favourite addition to my wardrobe this year has to be this green bow-adorned Kate Spade bag. And with emerald being declared the Pantone colour of the year for 2013, I can easily see myself toting this on my arm for many days to come.

Beauty was a big part of Solo Lisa this year and will continue to be going forward. I had so much fun trying new products this year, from my first BB cream to an organic hair mask based on a traditional Polynesian recipe. I was introduced to Curel's premium line and SkinCeuticals's potent tinted sunscreen. Products from ILIA, Givenchy, Dermalogica, and Philosophy snuck into my daily routine. I became better acquainted with the founders and origins of some of the best organic and natural beauty and skincare brands. Meanwhile, I eschewed brushes but found myself favouring orange lipstick and nail polishes of all sorts.

Hmm so what else happened this year? I bought a home and moved in with the boy, started decorating (and found myself redecorating as the seasons changed), and was published in FLARE. Oh, and I became a project lead at work. Yup, no big deal.

Okay, enough looking backward. What are you doing to ring in the new year? If a night on the town is in the cards, these tips and these tips might help. And if you're staying at home and sipping on bubbly from the comfort of your couch, these additions might make your evening even cozier.

See you all in 2013!