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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

I love that Florida necklace!! As a Floridian now living on another continent, I definitely think I need that!
I'm not home sick as much as I am "sun-sick". I miss the sun so much!
i was just looking at those necklaces. you can build your own with a few charms.
They don't have all the states! Waiting on good ole VA
they have virginia on the actual dogeared website!
No South Carolina 🙁
FL love <3 deff have to grab one of these!
The only time I experience homesickness is when I am way from my hubby and kids for more than a day. For some reason I get sick to my stomach and miss them terribly. I hope you are able to go home soon. {sending you hugs}
I have had my eye on the MI one for some time 😉 Funny that we both see this symbolic necklace as a great cure to our homesick blues! There's just something about it's delicacy that's perfect.
I bought a necklace from Etsy that has all three of my "home" states on it. New Jersey (where I'm from), Texas (where I went to college), and California (where I currently live). It was so nice to be able to customize and get three states all on one necklace. It makes me feel a little more connected to my homes whenever I get homesick.
I'm one of probably five people at my school from the city where I grew up, and the only one from my town/high school. I always get rochester sick, but it makes the times when i do get to go home feel extra special. its also something that makes me unique at school–im not just another girl from the tri-state area
Francesca's has the cutest Florida pendant necklace and I think its adorable but I love how this one is solid! I deff understand what you mean when you say homesick. I've felt like that more than none when I was away at school. I can't imagine having lived in another state when I went away to school, so I can only imagine how hard it might be to live in a different state altogether but I am sure all of you in NYC will be having a blast in the summer! Especially when it's warm.
How precious are these? I am off to look. Having married a military man I often forget where "home" is!
Sadly it looks like Maine has yet to be made… I'll be checking for that one soon!
They have really cute state pendants on Etsy! Tons! Literally any style and material you could imagine. Love them.
Such a cute, dainty necklace.
xx Allie
You should check out Brooklyn Charm
( http://www.brooklyncharmshop.com/ ) in Williamsburg BK. They have all the state charms and tons more. They put any necklace together for you right there in the shop. Enjoy!
Too cute! Too bad they don't have North Carolina 🙁
i moved to a new state after college for my job without knowing a single person in the big city i moved to. totally feel ya. and totally buying a necklace of my home state (though i think i prefer the ones on etsy with a heart cut out of the charm over your city)
I've been living in Asia for the past 7 months and surprisingly my homesickness hasn't been too bad. But sometimes I cry thinking about my mom :/
I NEED this. I recently moved from Florida to a small town in the Midwest. I am getting used to things up here and making lots of friends, but I miss my Sunshine State.
They need to make these for the Canadian provinces!