I've felt overwhelmed by New Year's Eve over the past few years. There's so much pressure to make it the best night ever at the coolest party with the cutest clothes and the hippest people. It's way too hard to decide which parties to attend, how to get to them, who to go with and what to wear. The fun is almost lost.

So my boyfriend and I decided to host our own tiny shindig this year, inviting only our closest friends. We kept it intimate, low key and informal. Everyone brought a dish and some booze to share, and we laughed and yelled and danced and drank until the wee hours of the night. It was perfect.