This & That for Christmas
A Little Holiday Message to Consider!
I keep saying this, but I never remember a year going by more quickly than this year! It honestly seems that it was just last December, but when I look back, so many things have changed and I have grown and learned so much.
Time does pass and each moment is precious but that is a message we must whisper to ourselves every morning because it’s so easy to loose sight of the big picture and get caught up in the minutia.
Life is made up of the seemingly insignificant, small moments and in truth…even though the big moments sometimes can thrill and take our breath away, it’s the small moments that build upon each other to create a life well lived…or not.
I’ve really done some soul searching lately and I know that the direction of this blog is meant to help guide everyone who reads it toward living a more beautiful, more fulfilling life. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there is much importance in living beautifully. Beauty feeds the soul. A life without beauty isn’t living at all…in my opinion. Beauty can be found in the small things in life…a cup of tea served in a pretty cup and shared with a friend, a warm blanket and a good book by a fire, a meal, thoughtfully prepared and served with love! Beauty doesn’t have to cost much, but can be life changing.
Taking time in life to create moments that will become memories is very important. As you contemplate your life and what you want for the coming year, I would encourage you to look at how you can make life more beautiful and how you can be more present in each moment. In our busyness, we sometimes miss the beauty that is right in front of us!
And…here are a few beautiful finds that I’m loving right now!
Favorite Books
An American in Provence
This is such a beautiful book! I’ve purchased 4 so far for gifts!
Amazon $40
I purchased An American in Paris after discovering Jamie Beck (the author) on Instagram! Her Instagram feed took my breath and I immediately ordered her book for myself! I’ve poured over it each night before bed and dreamed of a beautiful life in Provence as I slept! I’ve also purchased this book for my daughters and two of my friends! It’s so inspiring and the photography is beautiful!
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
This book is Life Changing!
Amazon $13
I love podcasts almost as much as I love books and Beautiful Soul Led Life Podcast by Tara Marino is one of my favorite podcasts! Tara also did a free program called 40 Days of Gratitude With a Twist that I’ve been participating in. On one of the days, she mentioned a book called The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks and I also immediately purchased it! I have read it cover to cover and have incorporated some of the ideas into my daily life. It’s very thought provoking and I love Gay’s insight on time! This book is definitely worth reading!
Fashion Finds
I’ve been trying hard to wear more of what’s in my closet because the truth is, I don’t need anything! That’s not to say I don’t want anything, but I should at least be wearing what I have if I’m going to add more! The jacket I’m wearing in the pic above is by Rebecca Taylor and I’m not lying when I say it’s over 15 years old! I keep seeing band jackets on Instagram so I went on a search for this one because for some reason, I’ve kept it for all these years! This jacket is still in great shape…like new…and so yesterday afternoon, I decided to style it with a blouse from Joie, my black leather pants and fancy Gucci boots. I love this look and will definitely be wearing it out over the holidays! I looked around a little and found several great band jackets that are linked below!
What I’ve Been Up To!
Yours truly was featured in Victoria Magazine…back in September, my friend Lisa Richey and I traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to be photographed for the pages of Victoria! It was such an exciting day and the people from Victoria couldn’t have been nicer! The issue focuses on women entrepreneurs and we were interviewed while having afternoon tea! I hope you’ll pick up a copy or you can read the whole issue here!
What I’m Watching…
My Next Guest with David Letterman and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Garrick and I were searching for something new to watch the other night and stumbled on this episode of My Next Guest with David Letterman. I was a little hesitant at first because I wanted to watch a holiday movie, but I’m so glad we watched it! In this episode, David Letterman goes to Kiev and interviews Ukranian President Volodymry Zelenskyy. It was very interesting and informative and it left me with great respect for the Ukranian President! Definitely worth watching!
I am an Emily in Paris Fan! Not only do I love the beautiful scenes from Paris and the fashion, I love the story! I’m so excited to see were this show goes in it’s third season which begins on December 21!
Food
I made this Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup for Thanksgiving at my daughter Lauren’s request! It is truly one of my favorite soups and it’s so easy to make! For a special comfort food treat, serve it over my Famous Coconut Rice!
Last year, during the holidays, I made this Spinach and Garlic Christmas Tree Bread! It was such a big hit that I thought it would be nice to revisit! You can get the recipe here!
I’m filming my Holiday House Tour tomorrow and I’ll have it posted to YouTube by Thursday! It’s a little late this year, but I hope you’ll enjoy it anyway! Enjoy these last few days of December and don’t forget to slow down and create some memories!
Below…find a boutique filled with everything in this post, plus a few ideas for New Year’s Eve!
Happy Monday and thank you so much for reading….oh yeah…and keep those comments comming!