Life Lately: November

Happy Friday! How is it November already? I feel like we went straight from summer to holiday this year. I’m oddly not mad at it though…

Gift guide season is also officially here, and I’m seeing some of my personal favorite bloggers put out some of their gift guides already. Every year I feel like I’m rushing to catch up but this time I’m on top of my game and I’ll be publishing my big gift guide page next week. It will include guides for moms, men, coworkers, friends, babies, and so much more. I’ve listened to all of your feedback and am trying to include everything you’ve asked for.

Most of my week was dedicated to working on that and I’ll be using Amalia’s naps to finalize it this weekend! The other big project I worked on this week was an e-comm/social media photo shoot for ChappyWrap, my friend’s blanket company. I’ve been dabbling in consulting with brands on social media and digital marketing again and it’s bringing some creative juices back that had been missing for a minute there. I think in any creative industry, sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone and regular day-to-day routines to feel inspired.

In general, I feel like I’ve gotten my creative groove back and that feels really good. Sometimes with this job, I can feel really lost and discouraged when I don’t have it. But, like anything else, it comes and goes in waves.

I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Dudley Stephens Fleece (re-stocking in two weeks) / Vineyard Vines Skirt c/o

AROUND THE WEB

Pie workshop. Holiday season means pie season (yay!) and this little workshop full of pie secrets is both visually stunning and very helpful. The recipe for pear pie with cinnamon crumble is definitely on my list this month.

Why does anxiety seem to get worse at night? Well + Good answered this question that I’ve always asked myself.

The perfect cozy fall sweater. I wore this sweater yesterday and posted it on Instagram. It’s so so cozy and would be very cute for Thanksgiving!

Raising boys to be emotionally intelligent. I found this goop article to be super fascinating, and I sent it to all of my friends who have little boys!

Vintage love bracelet. My friend Jillian has an online shop for vintage jewelry and she found a Cartier love bracelet from the 1970s that she had re-dipped and is selling for $1800. Compared to it’s usual $7000+ price tag, it’s actually kind of a steal!

Perfectly preppy dining room. Mackenzie’s dining room reveal was just as beautiful as I would expect from her, and made me miss having a dining room! Don’t get me wrong, turning ours into a playroom was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made in our home, but I could live happily with a room like this too.

Snoop Dogg’s cookbook: In looking for gifts for my gift guides, I found Snoop Dogg’s new cookbook. Now that I know about it, I can’t imagine now owning it. You better believe it will be on my gift guide! #dropitlikeitshot

Currently listening: I recently finished Dirty John and Doctor Death but am looking for another great, can’t-stop-listening Podcast. On Instagram, a lot of people have recommended Up and Vanished and Bear Brook, and season three of Serial, but send your recs please! The scarier, the better… but no ghost stories lol.

Also listening… My friend (and web designer) Victoria, makes the best playlists ever and I listen to them on repeat each month. Her November list isn’t out yet but September/October is really good. V, maybe you should add DJ to your list of skills!

Leopard scarf: So cozy. So chic. So on sale.

On Instagram pop-ups: After I went to Refinery29’s 29Rooms exhibit in September, a friend sent me this article about pop up “experiences” like the Museum of Candy, 29Rooms, and the Rosé Mansion and how they are created for Instagram but in person look mostly cheap and feel kind of icky. The whole idea of these pop ups is so fascinating and I think the article was pretty spot on based on what I’ve seen. Although I actually liked visiting the one I went to!

Wine wands: If you get a headache or stuffy nose from drinking wine, this product will save your life. My sister’s friend introduced me to wine wands a few months ago and it has been a game changer for me. I can now drink a glass of red wine without feeling like garbage the next morning. A miracle! They apparently remove sulfites and histamines from your vino which cause sinus issues and headaches.

NOVEMBER Q&A

1. What are you getting Amalia for Christmas?
We haven’t fully decided yet but we know that she’s going to get one big thing and one small thing from Santa and then one big thing and one small thing/outfit from us. During Christmas my family often goes way overboard but we don’t want her getting used to too many presents. Christmas is about so much more than that, and we believe that it’s important to us that she understands that from an early age. That said, for one of her big gifts, we’re thinking about a dollhouse or a kitchen set! Any ideas are welcome.

2. What’s on your fall/winter reading list?
I just finished Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which was pretty good and am currently reading Educated which is excellent. Next up is Where the Crawdads Sing based on recommendations from you guys! What should I read after that?

3.What holiday traditions are you starting/carrying on with Amalia?
For Thanksgiving we’ve decided to do our own thing as a family of three, and we’ll be traveling to Bermuda for the holiday! The holiday season in general is so stressful and busy for both me and Anel that we thought it would be a nice little break from the craziness. So that’s a new tradition… I hope we keep it in place, although I don’t know if our families will let us get away with that.

As far as carrying on old ones, we’ll be doing Christmas with my dad and his family and she’ll be a part of all of our usual traditions like pizza night (always on 12/23), the seven fishes (on Christmas Eve), decorating Christmas cookies, and so many more. I can’t wait for her to actually enjoy it all this year! Last year she was so tiny and just loved to stare at the Christmas tree. This time around, she’ll probably try to pull it down.

4. Favorite black leggings? What are your favorite leggings to wear with sweaters?
I’ve been a die-hard lululemon legging wearer for years (both wonder unders and the align pant), but I bought a pair of Zella leggings during the Nordstrom sale this summer and I find myself reaching for them first! They have the perfect amount of stretch and sucking in of the legs. I also love their crops. Also they’re insanely affordable and I swear they hold their own against my beloved lulus.

5. What are your favorite progressive children’s books for Amalia?
She loves all of these books, especially the first two. It makes me so proud when she reaches for them!
Feminist Baby
This Little Trailblazer
Real Princesses Wear Pants
Dream Big, Little One
She Persisted
My First Book of Girl Power