DIARY No. 44

Back today with another round up of iPhone pictures over the past two weeks! It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of emotions– so sticking to the highlight reel!

DIARY No.44

Okay two things about this photo. The first is that this winter light situation has been so lovely. One of the things that made me fall in love with our house when we came to the open house was the natural light– so many windows everywhere! I love it. But the sun is in a slightly different position during the winter and it changes how the light pours into the rooms. It’s like magic!!! And the second thing is this tea kick I’ve been on. I go through phases where I’m into tea and not into tea, and right now? I’m into tea. I don’t even know if I like the taste so much as the ritual.

I’m still obsessed with the Peloton.

I apologize to Mike for doubting him at least once a week. It’s been a game changer. I bought this tray desk that slips right over the handles and…. wow. It’s so good!!! Mike has used it more than I have, but I highly recommend. It’s a great gift idea too! You might have to adjust your seat slightly to get more room for your legs depending on your usual set up– it’s a breeze though and works perfectly.

Well dang, these cute little ginger jar ornaments sold out (linking in case they restock). They are priced really well and I was surprised with the quality. My friend Elsa got them first and I totally copied her! They come with cheap ribbon, but I swapped it out for some festive red. I also have, and love, these ginger jar ornaments from Williams Sonoma and they are gorgeous in person.

We’ve had so much turnover on our street since the beginning of the pandemic, which has been bittersweet. Saying goodbye to neighbors and hello to new neighbors. We were especially sad to say goodbye to one family that we love– but luckily they moved just one town over! They dropped off some branches from their magnolia tree and it made our whole day!

I made some zucchini bread for Thanksgiving.

As much as I love the taste of it, I love how wonderful it makes the whole house smell. It’s a great recipe because it makes two small loaves– you can keep one for yourself and drop off the other on a friend’s porch to share.

Last month, I launched a small batch of needlepoint canvases with Le Point Studio. It was such a success and it’s been such a treat to see people working on and fishing their canvases. So. Cool. Well, the other day I opened the mail and found the most beautiful canvas hand-painted by Abby (she runs Le Point Studio). She captured the charm of our house perfectly. It was such a thoughtful surprise, I cried!!!! Can’t wait to pick up threads to stitch it. I think I’m going to have it framed.

Our tree!!!

Usually I hem and haw over what tree to get… but this time? We walked up to the tree stand and Mike and I both immediately agreed that the first tree we saw was “the one!” It was the fastest tree experience I’ve ever had and she really does look perfect in our space.

So the holidays have really brought out my homesickness. I’m missing my family a lot– I know a lot of people are similar positions where you don’t live near your family so the pandemic has made seeing them next to impossible. One night I was thinking about our family traditions, and then I got in my head how much I wanted Publix’s peppermint ice cream. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch and honestly I thought if I could just eat peppermint ice cream that I’d “feel” more like it was Christmas.

I usually go to Stop n Shop/Whole Foods for our regular grocery shopping but I couldn’t find peppermint. You guys told me Wegman’s had some and so I went there (which, btw, it was my first Wegman’s experience and it’s INSANELY HUGE– now I think I need to go there every week) and scooped up the last container of peppermint. It isn’t *exactly* like the Publix one (IYKYK) but it was close enough. And truthfully– it hit the spot 🥰

I have been trying to do a new recipe every week.

This week I picked Ina Garten’s “Ultimate Beef Stew” from her book Modern Comfort.

I bought these earrings on Cyber Monday. They’re a bit aggressive and wasn’t sure how they’d feel on (or even look). But I’m *obsessed*. They’re much more lightweight than they appear– they’re flat and almost like a hard tin (??) so they don’t weigh much at all. They’re a fun splurge.