Christmas shopping.
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You know when you're at a restaurant, and the server asks if you'd like to see the dessert menu? The answer is always yes, by the way, even if you don't end up ordering anything. But guess what would be my very last choice, every time, no matter what my dessert menu options were? Cookies!...
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I've been looking forward to this moment ALL year.
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Insert: tall evergreen trees, dark shadowy water, fresh air, the smell of burning wood, Christmas lights.
This is Lake Placid during the winter, and it was everything we were hoping for and more. We planned this little Christmas family getaway (in lieu of gifts) with a couple of simple things in mind: winter wonderland-esque and #flannelsandbourbon vibes.
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One of my very favorite things is hearing about other people's traditions, especially those related to Christmas. I love hearing how other people do things for the holidays with the hope that I'll be inspired in different ways to incorporate some ideas into my own family's traditions someday.
I asked all of my friends to share some of their favorite holiday traditions with me, and just as I suspected would happen, there is such a fantastic range of sweet/unique/funny ideas and events and memories.
May your Christmas be merry and bright and full of joy, and may these stories get you in the Christmas spirit and help drum up some of your own warm and cheery Christmas memories!
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When wandering around the mall or browsing stores online just doesn't seem to be cutting it, this my go-to gift arsenal. Many focus on experiences rather than things, and a large part relies on tailoring your thoughtfulness to the specific person in mind to give a fitting gift, and one the person will surely, surely love.
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I couldn’t possibly talk about raspberry linzer torte without using the circumstances to exploit my mom in regards to what was one of the funniest experiences of our lives to date.
Linzer torte has been a specialty of my mom’s for a long, long time. It’s always been her go-to dish for any sort of festivity. I’ve seen her make it countless times, have eaten the leftover raw batter until I felt sick, and have heard people rave about it.
But all that aside, the best thing that linzer torte has given me is this one story.
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And shades of green...
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Punch is such a communal way to drink a cocktail. I love it! It's the ultimate party drink, and it has been since childhood days.
Looking back at chorus concerts and band concerts in 4th grade, the best part (probably for all involved) was the mini reception afterward that undoubtedly served either lemonade or punch the old school way—with sherbet in it. This remained true for birthday parties throughout childhood, as well as in college for my sorority's events: punch was always a no brainer.
And now in adulthood, the idea of punch has had a bit of a rebirth, especially due to the recent cocktail Renaissance that I've been closely exposed to through Jon. His bar/restaurant, Ox & Stone, serves "Punch with friends" which is quite literally a big punch bowl with customized spirits for the group of friends who orders it. It's my favorite way to imbibe at Ox!
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How cute are bottle brush trees? After seeing so many evergreen colored varieties, I was thrilled to find these retro inspired ones a few months ago. I had to temporarily transport myself into Christmas mode to purchase them out of season for fear I’d never see them again. I also had to remind myself daily that I owned them for fear they’d end up in a random craft drawer or box, never to be seen again.
Alas, it’s Christmas time and my little DIY bottle brush snow globes are constructed and all is right with the world.
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December is here! December is far and away the best (read here as the only acceptable) month of the winter. There is a crispness about the freezing cold air, an extra bit of warmth to every light that brightens the dark night sky, a certain magic in the stillness. The smells, sights, and sounds of Christmastime are nostalgic and exciting, whether you're five years old or fifty, and I love that.
I have been looking forward to this month since the beginning of The Pastiche because of all the holiday-oriented content I couldn't wait to talk about.
One of my very favorite things about the first days of December is slowly reintroducing Christmas music into my daily listening when cooking, cleaning, or having people over.
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