hot chocolate, sacramento recs and a tjs lavender christmas tree
This past weekend, Charlotte and I took her first airplane trip to surprise visit her aunties in Sacramento. We braved a Southwest ~free seating~ flight and ended up next to the sweetest lady who had just been visiting her 2 week old grandbaby. A true angel in disguise. Charlotte fared really well on the flight, despite the nervewracking anticipation on my end leading up to the trip. I did have a moment going through security where I realized I couldn’t hold her and reassemble the stroller with only the two hands I had. Strangers were so surprisingly kind and generous to us.
Charlotte got to see/sleep through her first Nutcracker dress rehearsal, and then I went to opening night of Sacramento Ballet’s Nutcracker to see my beautiful friends’ debuts. If you’re reading this from Sac-you should go and see these beautiful artists!
We squeezed in coffee dates, the Saturday morning farmers market, and the annual Makers Mart. Stopped into my friend’s precious baby store in Oak Park, had a pizza + pjs night, and a lemon ricotta pancake brunch. The leaves in Sacramento were showing off their golden colors alongside the cool weather. And there’s nothing truly like the beauty of California winter sunlight.
Neilson and I met one fated November Sunday in Sacramento, so bringing back our baby girl four years later felt all kinds of nostalgic. If you visit faria bakery, imagine those two youths meeting on a hinge date, and have an almond croissant in our honor.
.
Upon returning to Houston exhausted, Charlotte and I were reunited with Neilson, together after two weeks apart for a training camp. Not sure which of us jumped into his arms faster. Needless to say, she and I both took epic naps the next day.
This week, we’ve been unpacking, catching up on laundry, getting ready for Charlotte’s dedication this weekend, and decking the halls for Christmas. Last night, we went on a trés romantic date night to Trader Joes where I found paperwhites, mini poinsettias, and plenty of peppermint flavored holiday goodies. We’re spending our evenings watching Christmas movies(a Christmas vacation, Christmas story, and we’ve now moved on to Harry Potter), addressing Christmas cards and sipping hot chocolate. I made these hot chocolate cookies from Half Baked Harvest that look nothing like hers did, but tasted good.
I made it to a day of Mirth/Freya’s holiday week at 1610 to see my mama’s goodies and KD Weave. The halls were so tastefully decked and it’s just the best spending time with creative people.
Before I get to my favorite things this week, I wanted to share my must visits of Sacramento if you only get 4 days there…my old stomping grounds perse
coffee: the mill(get a waffle in hand or else), temple, faria bakery, mast
A few favorites this week:
Reading:
the annual Christmas pilgrimage through Pride and Prejudice
Listening to:
elvis christmas on vinyl
clair de lune
Decorating with:
kd weave placemats (not yet listed but everything kd weave tabletop is divine)
embroidered mirth napkins
trader joes dripless tapered candles
a christmas tree shaped lavender plant from trader joes. repotted in an antique milk glass vase and voila!
Drinking:(recovering from a sore throat and stuffy nose, and taking a pause on coffee for a few days)
Starbucks medicine ball
my mom’s throat tea-green or black tea with lots of lemon and honey
hot chocolate-swiss miss with half milk/half water and a dash of pumpkin pie spice
trader joes candy cane green tea
Wearing:
my black friday christmas lake pajamas
these fuzzy moccasins
madewell stovepipe jeans
this mirth cardigan…we were having a debate yesterday @ mirth hq over whether the hand crocheted add-ons are croissants or macaroni. I vote croissant.
Charlotte’s wearing:
Christmas pjs
Noble waffle onesie…the softest thing ever
Lake pajamas striped onesie- the matching nightie for mom might be top pick on my own christmas list
hvid bonnets and beanies-the softest belgian knitwear made out of merino wool that I discovered at jam baby, ofc.
Wishing you and yours some restful time leading up to the holidays to cozy up by the fire. Off to welcome grandma and grandpa from the airport! xx