It's About Time

 This title does not actually apply to those of you who may've wondered if I abandoned my blog altogether. 

I am referring to the most wonderful time of the year. I know, I know-- I generally try to wait until the day after Thanksgiving too. On a normal year, while everyone else is out getting trampled for doorbuster sales, I have always been at home, listening to the iconic string music ushering in Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" and hanging ornaments that tell the story of my life, year by year, on a tree we just cut down. We have what my family has affectionately referred to as "Part Two" with turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and the cranberry sauce that maintains the shape of the can (this is absolutely essential). 

This is not a normal year, though, as anyone who exists on this planet would tell you. As such, I am ready for a bit of cheer. Not only have I had sort of a weird month personally (go to the dermatologist, seriously, even if you think you don't need to), but also this year has been bizarre. 

The traditions we like to observe year by year have been skewed, thrown off course by something that is invisible to us, apart from very real, very visible effects. 

 I wait all year for fall, and in a way I feel like this pandemic forced me to fully appreciate the autumnal beauty in a way I haven't before, because I spent so much more time outside at state parks. 

On any other year, I would see Christmas decor in stores in September as something of a sacrelige-- allow each holiday its due. This year, however, I left an eye appointment, and in my eye-diluted-blown-out pupils-state, Shelley and I went to At Home, and I ended up leaving with an angel ornament, a Victorian wagon ornament, tiny tree bulbs, two small trees, a sequined deer, and a glittery gold deer. It is worth mentioning each of these were layered with glitter, which is something I typically veer from. Perhaps it was the only thing that caught my blurred vision. Perhaps it's because in the midst of all this crap, I wanted a little sparkle. Either way, I found myself paying and walking out into brilliant September sunshine with two bags of Christmas decor-- most unusual. 

I managed to make it to this week, but nonetheless, we carted the decorations up from the basement and there is garland on my mantle, stockings on the hearth, and mistletoe hanging in the doorway. As soon as a Christmas tree farm opens in a 30 mile radius, I will be there, Goldilocks-ing my way through each tree until I find one that borders between Griswold and "needing a little love", and I will enjoy the season of light and love at the end of this bizarre, sometimes horrible, always hopeful 2020. 

Hosting a Gathering in a Small Space

I used artificial greenery for the centerpiece.

From the time I was a small child, I remember holidays as bright, beautiful, warm, and somewhat hectic. There are so many traditions I associate with this time of year, and even now, as an adult, I still get nostalgic pulling out decorations and seeing strings of lights. One of my fondest memories is the way everyone always gathered together. As the years have passed, the faces around the table have changed-- some passing away, some new ones being added as we've grown up, gotten engaged, or had children who will eventually be the ones at the kids table instead of us.

Both sides of my family are enormous, but that never stopped us from cramming around tables together to share food, conversation, and laughter. I picture my Aunt Jani's dining room on Thanksgiving or Christmas day, jammed with an eclectic assortment of chairs and these gorgeous place settings, while our beloved Peg shares her thoughts on everything from traveling the Amalfi Coast for "some R&R" to Rolling Stone magazine. I think of Christmas Eves at Nunny and Puppa's house, two long tables shoved in the basement, the loud din of my grandparents, their siblings, their five children and significant others, and their 16 grandchildren.

The common ground was the love-- it never mattered in either place how crowded it was-- although it was definitely hard to navigate around all the chairs! It was about all of the people they most cared about gathered in one space to share a meal together.

I was reading something recently in The New Yorker about how Friendsgiving is a saving grace for many people-- an occasion for us to gather with our chosen family, the ones who are there for us not through blood but by choice. I am blessed with so many friends like that, and family as well.

This year, Shelley said she wanted to host Thanksgiving. Everyone had plans, but my mum, sister, and I have always done something we affectionately referred to as "Part Two". We usually went out for Thanksgiving to my aunt's house, but Part Two was a chance for us to stay in our pajamas, decorate for Christmas, eat as much as we wanted, and have leftovers for the week. I can still remember sneaking in to the fridge to dip cold turkey into cold gravy (if you haven't tried it, you should).

We had a small group of family and some close neighbor friends over for Part Two this year-- in spite of the fact that our home is incredibly compact, we managed to get a dozen people in here. Perhaps, dear reader, you have wanted to have a gathering but worried your space was too small and it wouldn't go well. Now that we have successfully executed such a dinner, I'm sharing some of the things that worked for us.

1) Possibly the most important thing in any gathering is food. Have you ever noticed how you may be on the fence about something until you hear that pizza will be provided (maybe that's just me?)? Shelley is a fantastic cook, and she worked for a couple weeks to plan a menu all from scratch-- a brined turkey, brussels sprouts that one person even said were enough to make her like them, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean almondine, rolls, a vegetable tray, crab dip, pumpkin cheesecake, and stuffing. My mum brought a pumpkin pie and a cherry pie as well. People are happy to be well-fed, and that coupled with the wine everyone brought was enough to keep us all merry.

2) Music is essential. It's always been a massive part of my life, so I crafted a playlist of chill songs that spanned like 7.5 hours. I didn't want to induce any turkey comas, but I also wanted it to be a good vibe-- subtly soaring in the background of the constant conversation.

3) I enjoy decorating-- particularly at this time of year, which really gives me a chance to shine. We used paper plates and napkins from the Dollar Tree with some cute plastic forks. The reason behind this was two-fold-- it's a little more comfortable to use something you aren't afraid of breaking, and you want to enjoy your time with your guests without stopping to wash a mountain of dishes.

My tablescape

I used a mix of candles and greenery (real and artificial) to add depth to the tablescape and make it worthy of Shelley's meal, plus give a boho-hygge feel (I'm not sure if that's a thing or not outside of my daily life, but now it is). I hand-lettered name tags for everyone and used some gold-threaded twine to tie them to sprigs of rosemary, which smelled amazing and gave a nice personal touch. There is something special to me about crafting a space that shows love for each person sitting around the table.

Name tags and greenery add a personal touch

Candles give off a serious glow

4) Keep it casual so guests feel comfortable. I have been places before where I was afraid to breath because I didn't want to wreck anything-- it was almost TOO nice. Even though the food was snazzy and the place settings looked nice, they were still plates that came in a pack of 18 for a dollar. Giving it a laid-back feel made it slightly less bizarre and "are those the chairs you take camping?", I think, that everyone was sitting in a hilariously eclectic assortment of chairs that could only be described as "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving".

Camp chairs, desk chairs, dining room chairs-- we had them all. 

These are things that definitely added to our successful gathering. It didn't matter what a small space we had because the people who came were awesome, and there is a mutual love that harkens back to those nights sitting around the table with my family for all of those years.

Five Fall Favorites

Hi everyone! Today's post is all about the wonderful alliteration of five fall favorites. This is, in my opinion, the best time of the year, so it was hard to just pick five things, but I did it.  I am all about the cozy vibes and dainty details.

My first favorite are these Backcountry leggings. I got them a little while ago, so my exact pair isn't on the site anymore, but these ones are pretty similar (albeit much more expensive, but they always have sales and codes). They are thin but the fleece lining gives an extra layer of protection against the cold. They're water-resistant, which is huge in snow/rain, and they have pockets-- actual good pockets that I can stick my whole phone in and not just a chapstick. If you plan to do any sort of hiking this fall/winter or are just looking for a cozy base layer, these are your pants. I wore these all through our Sleepy Hollow trip, including on the rainy cemetery tour (you can check them out here).

In the same realm of cozy goodness, I'm also very into beanies, and the COAL beanies are some of the better ones I have had. They come in a wide array of colors, and they are so warm. I'm very particular about anything being too tight on my head or too itchy, and these beanies are neither of those, plus they look cute with everything and add the perfect amount of grunge. I also got a pretty mauve pom-pom beanie from ASOS recently for around $7. I don't wash my hair every day, so for second- or third- day hair, it's nice to pop on a beanie over curls on their last leg or a braid.

This third one is neither cozy nor dainty, but an essential. Over the summer, Shelley and I began trying to veer away from deodorants that use aluminum and other harmful components, but I absolutely need something with an anti-perspirant in it. I've tried a couple so far that have not worked for me even a little bit, and clinical strength whatever-brand is usually my go-to. Shelley uses the Tom's, so I gave it a try and can report it is effective, even under layers of sweaters and jackets. If you've been on the fence because you aren't sure where to start, this is my recommendation!

On to the dainty details. One of my favorite parts about cooler weather is how you can put forth pretty much zero effort and still look cute and put together: sweater, jeans, boots, done. It's basically the dressed up version of sweats. Sometimes, though, the sweaters' necklines make me feel like there's something missing that could add that final pizazz, so I have been cycling through a couple different necklaces: the Tiffany heart necklace Shelley got me a few years ago for our anniversary, a little gold necklace with stars and moons on it, and the Giving Keys necklace my mum got me for my birthday this past year. Each of them have a delicate chain and a sweet charm, which adds a little bit of sparkle to the more grey aspects of this season, and the company provides jobs to people transitioning out of homelessness.

Shelley and I have been long-time lovers of Sara Bareilles, and when we saw she was touring for her new album, Amidst the Chaos, we bought tickets the day they went on sale. We waited months for the show, and this past weekend we finally got to go. I love the fact that she writes her own music, that she plays piano, and that her voice is clear, authentic, and ethereal. She doesn't need choreographed dance moves, contoured features, or auto-tuned vocals to sound good-- she just is who she is, unapologetically. Seeing her in concert made us love her more, which is why she made this list instead of the pair of boots I was initially going to share on here. Not only is she insanely talented, but she is also witty, gorgeous, and swears like a sailor, which makes her much more relatable. Somehow, she sounds better live, with added runs and riffs, changed notes that cover the whole damn scale, and a power and clarity that only come from sheer raw talent. If you haven't listened to her album, or anything by her, I highly recommend searching the Amidst the Chaos tour on YouTube so you can hear for yourself. I've been listening on repeat.

What are you loving this fall? Let me know in the comments or send me an email!