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My holiday cards just arrived from the printer last night. With 75 to write before leaving on vacation next week, I need to start on them ASAP.  Why not turn the chore into a fun working party with a few friends? Guests.  A couple of close women friends who are also facing their own big…

Rob and I packed nearly every Christmas tradition into this weekend. Partially, because we are going Hawaii for the actual holiday with my family! A nearly-record-breaking cold snap in the Bay Area also helped us to feel extra wintry and wanting to stay in, like Jane Austen’s Mr. Woodhouse. On Friday, we dressed up for…

Kristy lives on a “farmette” in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and left a comment with a request for her own holiday party brainstorm: Since we went away for Thanksgiving, I have a nice, 12 lb. locally sourced all-natural turkey I want to roast for Christmas Eve for in-laws and a few others. I plan…

Today’s holiday party brainstorm is a dinner party in disguise. Rob and I have a tradition of walking over to the neighborhood Christmas tree lot and bringing back a tree to decorate with a few friends. No elaborate invitations or decor required – just a festive night around the tree. Guests. A couple close friends…

I’m on a crusade to boost holiday entertaining! Every year, it seems like fewer people throw holiday parties. I hear all kinds of excuses: the apartment is too small, I don’t have enough chairs, I worry if people would really come.  But here’s the thing – everyone loves being invited to a party and spending…

To make up for the lack of weekend details, here’s a photo of the Le Petit Oliver soaps I brought back from the South of France. Everything in my luggage, and now the entire living room, smells divinely like lavender and olive oil from being near the soaps. It looks like you can only purchase…

Apologies for the late post, I’m still catching up from Thanksgiving. My holiday weekend was a bit of a bust. Rob and I drove to Sanger on Thursday morning and sat down to a massive holiday meal with his folks, grandmother, aunts and uncles. Everything was delicious as usual. But, by the time we had…

Every family seems to have that one dish that stands out as special holiday ritual to prepare. A dish that often seems unappealing for those outside the tribe. Mothers often inherit them from mothers-in-laws – which results in a lot of the dishes having a decidedly 1950’s flair. All across the country these jello salads…

I thought it would be helpful to wrap-up our reports from the South of France with details on where we stayed and a summary for future reference. Rob and I planned this 15 day trip for the start of November in just a few days – a bit chaotic! We found a decently priced British…

After all the fun of exploring and blogging in France, I took it easy this weekend. Jet lag is no joke. On Friday night, Rob and I laid low with a pizza and tried to go to bed early. Woke up at 4:30 am or so and spent a few hours reading in bed. Later…