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Carly A. Riordan
a little bit of life, a little bit of style, and everything in between.
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📌 Save this post! Can’t get over the MAGIC that is @backtonature.nj’s Christmas Market during the holidays! 🎄🌟🎅🏻🧣The decor this year is on a new level. If you need to get into the holiday spirit (or pick up speciality gifts or more decorations for your home), 100% recommend making the drive! It’s worth it ❄️

When you don’t actually feel cute but then kind of end up feeling cute because you put a bow in your hair, slipped into a dress that fits, and swiped on your favorite red lipstick 💋 @hillhouse @annmashburn 🎥 by @carterfish, maybe I’ll post the video without music so you can hear her hyping me up, because you can’t imagine the crowd the bore witness to the making of this Reel 🫣

And then there were three ❤️❄️🎄🌟⛸️ Needlepoint stockings are a huge undertaking… they take hours (and hours and hours) of stitching. The final results are more than worth the effort though. These will hang on our mantle every Christmas and I can’t think of anything more special than that. I finished Mike’s stocking at the end of the summer after stitching almost every night for seven months. I am taking a little break and then I’ll start on the baby’s stocking for next Christmas!! 🥹
#needlepointstocking #needlepoint #ndplt

FROM THE ARCHIVES ❄️⛸️🌲some of my past favorite winter looks mostly because I miss real pants and being able to button my coats

This tree feels extra special this year. 🎄💫⛸️❤️🕯️ Jack is fully embracing the magic of Christmas (“kiss miss”) and his enthusiasm is downright contagious!
Not one of my best qualities, but I typically feel immense pressure trying to make things feel extra special and perfect and then I get disappointed when the reality doesn’t live up to my (unrealistic) expectations. I wish I could blame social media for this.... but I know the call is coming from inside the house.
This tree seems perfect to me, though, just the way it is. It was a true group effort getting it here. Another one of my not-so-great qualities is that I’m terrible at asking for help when I need it.... this year, I can’t ignore it though. I needed help, and a lot of it. Mike got every holiday storage box up from the basement (no small feat) and hoisted the into the house and got it up in the stand within minutes (then redid it twice to get the angle of the tree just so); my mom and I took multiple trips to the hardware store and drug store for the “right” colored lights (in case you’re wondering, “bright white” is warm yellow and “warm white” is actually bright white... make it make sense); my mom wrapped the tree in lights a second time when we learned the hard way that when the box says you can’t plug in more than five strands together they mean it; and Jack was there to help and hype us all up to say how “boo-full” the tree and lights are– and keeping us in line by scolding and reminding us that we aren’t allowed to touch the ornaments 🤭
I feel a little pang of sadness that we aren’t celebrating a first Christmas with a baby who was supposed to be here, while also struggling through a third trimester (just feeling physically tired and exhausted), while also cherishing our last Christmas as a family of three, while also getting excited knowing our baby will be here before we know it. Sure, it’s a lot of pressure to put on one single tree, yet here I am. ⭐️

Spent the weekend decking the halls 🎄 the garland is up, the tree is up, the wreaths are up! Fueled by three peppermint mochas, one bag of Milanos peppermint slices, one batch of chocolate chip cookies, and one loaf of zucchini bread… my mom and I got it done 🙏🏻

These boots are TOTALLY made for walking! Taking a spin in @stuartweitzman’s iconic 5050 Bold Boot and feeling like an it girl, who happens to value both fashion and comfort! ⭐️ Take advantage of #StuartWeitzman’s Black Friday sale with an extra 25% off full-price and sale styles with code FORYOU25! (Select exclusions apply; through 11/27) This *rarely* happens!! I’ve linked this exact pair of 5050 Bold Boots in the @shop.ltk app! You can shop the boots and a couple of my other sale picks here #liketkit https://liketk.it/4oWbB #fallfashion #swpartner

definitely understand this feeling – so happy nyc is starting to feel like home too! cute bags 🙂
I think you can tell some place is home when you notice yourself becoming more "you." I get what you mean, Carly – I've lived in Connecticut almost all my life and after spending my college years in Ohio, coming "home" feels less … well, like home. Then again, neither does Ohio. I really think I found myself when I interned in D.C. for a semester – that's when I noticed that I was thriving and being myself more often instead of feeling anxious and closed off.
Such a cute pic! I know what you mean. Home is truly where your heart, passion and soul are 🙂
hmmm I've lived in VA for 10 years and own my home, so it should be "home" but I still Connecticut home too. Perhaps because I swear I'm going to return to the tri state area at some point…as soon as I find a job that pays me enough to purchase a home in CT.
I feel most home when I'm at school! It's nice to be with my parents sometimes, but being at school is where I'm happiest.
I feel that way now, and I'm still in college. "Home" feels less like home than my apartment at college. I think it's just about where you "fit" in a certain stage in life. I'll never be able to really call my old city "home" again.
I just posted about this subject today! I lived in London for the first five months of this year, and I keep calling it home when I talk to friends. "Back home…" and such. I feel out of place now that I'm back in the States in a city where I've lived my whole life. Obviously, South Carolina is home for me, but I consider London my new home now. And I have to find a way to get back ASAP!
I totally understand the feeling. At this point in my life, I consider my college town home. It's always a weird feeling being at home — nothing's really the same. I know when I graduate from college and move to NYC (hopefully) that'll become my home.
Xoxo,
Christine
This is always an interesting thing to talk about, because I have three different places I would consider "home". I think there are different types of "homes" and what people consider their homes have different aspects. I think it's wonderful to have multiple places you can call home!
xx
http://hotchildinchicity.blogspot.com/
I moved around a lot while I was in university (every 4-8 months usually) and so my joke was always "Home is where your laptop charger is" 🙂 I've been back with my parents for almost a year and so this is definitely home again!
Love that Vera print!
Simplyy-Serendipityy.blogspot.com
Hannah
Haha I definitely understand what you mean! I've moved around a lot, but I've never exactly loved any place I have lived in; however, when I visited North Carolina one year I just had this amazing feeling about it! So, that is where I want to live after college!
Hunter
preponabudge.blogspot.com
I think you just answered your own question 🙂 You know a place is home when you look forward to going back to it. I know how you're feeling – it's a bit like emotional limbo…you don't technically know where you belong. I'm originally from a small town in Wales – all my family lives there. I moved to London nearly 8 years ago – around the 3 year mark I knew my home was in London. When I go back to Wales I feel like a stranger, everything has changed – new shops opened, people moved away/new people moved in, lots of change etc. When I'm there I know where I'd rather be living. That's when you know 🙂 Hope that helps.
I know a place is home when I miss it when I'm not there, and I don't want to be anywhere else overnight. Also getting through a winter somewhere almost always makes it feel like home to me, because winter is a time to be cozy and I just don't feel cozy til I'm home.
Mana
Fashion and Happy Things
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I really think the feeling you get when you leave and drive back from the airport is quite telling. Especially if it is from another place that you call "home." Funny that we have the same marker.