Christmas
You guys, it’s Christmas!
Okay, so not quite yet but it’s almost here – and man, I feel like it creeped up on me this year even despite the early arrival of Thanksgiving. Oh well! Tomorrow is my LAST day of work in 2017 and I could not be more ready. Y’all, I’m exhausted. I am looking forward to […]
MoreBring on the cookie exchange!
I just searched through the blog because I was certain I wrote about baking Christmas cookies every year and didn’t want to bore you all with another one… but there wasn’t one for a long time! So, here I am, about to bake lots and lots of goodies for the season. I have very fond […]
MoreCountdown to Christmas!
Yes, I know, we’re not even to Halloween yet! And trust me, I am so not one of those people that puts up a tree early or listens to Christmas music all year long. I follow the wait-until-Thanksgiving rule… But, the Hallmark Channel does not follow that rule. And I love the movies on the […]
MoreHave yourself a merry little Christmas…
You guys! It’s Christmas Eve, EVE! I just got inside from vacuuming out my car with a little car vac I got for Christmas earlier this week – its gold, and it has little attachments so you can get every nook and cranny, and it even has a pressure gauge so you can air up […]
MoreChristmas traditions, new & old.
A few months ago, my boss requested the entire office figure out their holiday schedule so we could make sure all of our clients had coverage (#AgencyLife). I was sitting at a table in our office lounge with a few of my coworkers, when one of them asked me if I was traveling home (to […]
More‘Mariah’s World’: Crossing Borders.
IIIIItttttt’s Monday and I’m not at work, so let’s celebrate that for a good week. It has actually been freezing (literally) here in Austin, so I spent the weekend under my electric blanket, crawling out only to watch what was reported to be the worst hockey game in Texas Stars’ history. Brrr. But I still […]
MoreAn unwelcome tradition: Santa Mouse.
I’m really disappointed in myself that I can’t post a new read from Blanche’s Book Club today – I am stuck on chapter two of the book (absolutely NOT a reflection of the content) simply because this week has been NUTS. I keep bringing the book to bed with me, and then when my head […]
More‘Home Alone’: An analytical look.
“Home Alone” is my favorite movie. Ever. To me, it’s not just a classic Christmas movie – it’s a mark in time, a piece of pop culture, a portion of a legacy, and a story everyone can relate to (I swear). About a month ago, I muttered a one-liner from the movie at work (“Mom… […]
MoreMy grownup Christmas list.
This isn’t about the Christmas song entitled “Grownup Christmas List”, where the singer (it’s been covered by many different ones over the years) wishes for world peace, healed hearts, togetherness, love, and friendship. Of course, I want ALL of those things + some. But, today I’m talking about my material Christmas list – what I […]
MoreGet your {Holiday} bake on!
When I was a kid, my dad and I baked quite a bit when the holidays rolled around. Ok let’s be honest, he probably did most of the baking while I did the subpar decorating and taste-testing. Nonetheless, it was a tradition that I remember fondly. We made red and green m&m cookies – at […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: 2016 Holiday Reading Guide.
I’ve always thought it would be so cool to be reading a book with a holiday or Christmas plot, during the ACTUAL season. But that would involve planning, and actually being on top of things, right? Well, this year! This year, I put my tree up much earlier, started watching seasonal movies much sooner, and […]
More‘Mariah’s World: For Love of the Tour’.
Hellllooo! How was your weekend? Mine was… eventful in an unexpected way. I spent a majority of my Saturday running errands – mostly for Christmas presents – which was hectic, and to top things off, it was cold and rainy. I came home around 6, got things put away, and settled into bed to watch […]
MoreHoliday Movie Guide!
Okay, I waited until AFTER Thanksgiving to mention Christmas… but it’s exactly a month away from today, so let’s get this party started! I often have trouble getting into the holiday spirit, but I feel like this year – we’re all reaching for any drop of joy we can get, as soon as possible. I’ll […]
MoreHand-Picked: Fashionable holidays.
Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time for the week’s final installment of “Hand-Picked” – it probably won’t be the last time ever for it, because, well I only went through maybe 1/4 of all the little mementos I have stuffed in boxes in my tiny apartments. But nonetheless, I do hope you’ve enjoyed all of my […]
MorePic of the Week.
My Pic of the Week is of me, and if you couldn’t guess from how similar we look, my beautiful mom! She flew to Austin from Indiana to visit me for the entire week of Christmas, and we really did a lot of fun things while she was here. I had to work on that […]
MoreAnd this Christmas…
It should come as NO surprise that the holiday season has got me thinking back (pretty sure I love to live in the past). But the interesting thing is that it was a little candle I got in the mail that really sent me down memory lane. A few weeks ago, there was a tea […]
MorePic of the Week.
I know I’ve mentioned a few times that it’s been difficult for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year — and hey, I’ll probably mention it at least once more before Friday. Deal with it. But, I think this happens to me every single year. Sometimes, I’ll go the entire season without feeling […]
MoreSingle Girl Recipe: Holiday Cocktails!
Whether you’re spending the holidays with family, friends, or both, the chances are likely you’ll need a cocktail to get through one more round of dominos with the grandparents or flip through that dusty photo album with your mother-in-law, for the 11th time. Or, maybe you’re like me, and looking for any excuse to get […]
MoreFresh Friday: Romance de Provence.
I KNOW there’s a ton of you out there who are SO amped it’s Friday — teachers, worker-folk, I’m sure you’re all ready for the 5 o’clock hour to strike so you can race out the door to not waste a MINUTE of your holiday break. And I don’t blame you one bit. I do […]
MorePic of the Week.
Is it just me, or is this holiday season just FLYING by? I feel like everything is coming up so fast and I’ve got so much to do before it’s over! Nonetheless, it all starts with putting up the Christmas tree, right? Yes. I think every year, that maybe THIS year, I won’t put up […]
MoreFresh Friday: Miss Pucci.
Happy Friday, everyone! Is it just me, or have these weeks been flying by lately? In a way, it makes me happy (I’ve got a beach trip approaching), but I am struggling to keep up with all of my deadlines. #WriterProbs Deadlines and time aside, I am shocked I’ve had more than 30 Fresh […]
MoreThis Christmas: go glam.
Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all are prepping for a fantastic day filled with love, kindness, and okay, a little bit of glamour. One of my favorite things about Christmastime is having the excuse to pull out my glitter eyeliner, shimmery shadows, and bold colors. I’ve always loved experimenting with makeup, and opening a […]
MorePic of the Week.
Late last week, I decided to bake some holiday cookies from a kit I bought a few months ago — an Ugly Sweater Cookie Kit. It was just too cute to pass up. The kit had nearly everything I needed: dry ingredients for the cookie dough, a sweater cookie cutter, food coloring for red and […]
MoreThe Column: Single Bells.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… or is it? The holidays are often associated with cheer, get-togethers, and gifts, but for singletons, the holidays can be a lonely reminder of what we’re missing. Blame it on the chilly weather or the party invitations, but it often seems like the holidays are made for […]
MoreA gift guide for December lovers.
The holidays are here, and no matter how much we try to agree with the whole, “It’s not about the gifts,” mantra, there’s a lot of pressure to get the perfect present. When it comes to that special someone, the pressure can be overbearing. But leave it to DIG – we’ve got you covered with […]
MorePic of the Week.
If I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not a huge fan of putting up the Christmas tree — swear I’m not a Grinch. It’s just that, I’ve got to drag the tree down from the top shelf of my closet, plus all the bins of decorations, etc. I’m sure you all know the […]
MoreBoyfriend Recipe: White Choc Cookies.
I know everyone is probably still full of turkey and pie, but I couldn’t help but post one of my favorite recipes just in time for the Christmas holiday season — White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies. I made them many years ago, the ONLY time I’ve spent Christmas with a boyfriend (read about the details […]
MoreThe Column: Presence Over Presents.
Given that there’s a giant, decorated tree at the end of my street, and bins of cinnamon pinecones at my neighborhood market, it would seem the holidays are here. I’ve only spent one Christmas with a boyfriend. We’d been together for three years, and had yet to take things seriously – we hadn’t exchanged gifts. […]
MorePic of the Week.
It’s Thanksgiving week, and one of my favorite parts about kicking off the holiday season is purchasing gifts for someone in need. Several years ago, the company my mom works for started buying gifts for residents at an Indianapolis nursing home. The nursing home would provide the office with a list of names of residents […]
MoreChristmases Past
I’m sure you are familiar with Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.” One of my favorite parts is when Ebenezer is visited by The Ghost of Christmas Past, which lets him see his childhood, which was lonely, however he also sees a joyful Christmas party that quickly turned somber when his fiancée leaves him after […]
MoreHow to survive the holiday season as a single woman.
I’ve been single for every Christmas/holiday season, except one. During that year, I was so in love with my boyfriend and I just could not wait to spend Christmas Day with his family–I made dozens of fancy cookies for the occasion and I spent hours hunting for the perfect gift for him. While I do […]
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