No. 61: What to Read, Watch, Wear & Listen to in December

Plus--a word on one of the hardest two week stretches of my life

I’m typing this on a Wednesday afternoon. We woke up at 3am in my brother and sister in-law’s basement, warmed the car up to melt some ice, wiped snow off the windshield and loaded up the car, changed the babies from pajamas into the clothes I had set out the night before and made the way through customs at the border,
then through security,
then through the airport
and finally through the sky.

Getting from Canada to this couch back home in Dallas has been a j o u r n e y and yet today’s events seem like the most digestible, simple and streamlined activity we’ve faced in two weeks. Because two Wednesdays ago, we got a call that my husband’s father was in the hospital.

“My husband’s father” sounds cold and disingenuous—this man was one of my favorite people on the entire planet. A man who loves so wholly and unconditionally that even strangers felt compelled to say “wow, I can just tell how much he loves his family.” He’s a man who loves his grandchildren so selflessly and unconditionally that they considered him a best friend. He was my father-in-law, but O has called him daddy for 42 years and so starting from the very first moment I met him after O’s football game against the 49ers fourteen years ago, he instructed me to do the same.

On that Wednesday night, on a FaceTime screen split between all of O’s siblings and his brother and sister in the hospital room, we realized a timer of sorts had been started. We didn’t realize it was hours instead of weeks. We had planned to book a flight immediately after school just in case.

It was too late.

The details feel to intimate to share here in this post tangled up with movie recommendations and sweater links. I’m setting aside time to write about the past thirteen days to share with you next week, but for now I’ll say that I never thought I’d be planning a funeral at 33. I never thought I’d live in a world where my kids couldn’t FaceTime their Baba to talk about everything and nothing. I never thought we’d move into a home where he didn’t have a room. The world feels colder without him in it and I don’t feel like I have anything funny to say. I miss him so much.

Again, I’ll be back next week to devote the time this deserves but for now I just want to thank you for your patience and prayers.

No. 14: The November Favorites + Late and Right on Time

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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 (and more favorite ornaments here)

Coffee + Crumbs did a thing, friends. A big thing. You can preorder their beautiful, intentional and perfectly curated magazine (!!) here

I’ve shared this series before, but Hunter’s current series on the Journeywomen podcast has been a balm to my soul every week. Her conversation with Ruth Chou Simons reminded me to dust off my copy of Valley of Vision.

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What to Read:

We have a nightly Advent routine with the kids in our house (think card prompts, scripture, a story and a ‘prize’) and try to score as many Christmas books at the library as possible all season long. On top of that, these are the sweet books we enjoy over and over throughout the season.

The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker, Silent Night, The Mitten, Red & Lulu, Madeline’s Christmas, The Snowy Day, Full Full Full of Love (a favorite literally every single day of the year) and The Crayons’ Christmas

What to Watch:

My own favorite December watches include a handful of Harry Potters, The Holiday for interior styling and set design adoration, Little Women, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, The Santa Clause, The Family Stone, The Preacher’s Wife and whatever Hallmark movie has even a whisper of a plot.

When it comes to magic making, I lean heavily into a good Christmas movie, something we baked together and a couch snuggle. With the littles, consider Klaus, Jingle Jangle, To Grandmothers House We Go, (aint’ no shame in my Mary Kate and Ashley Game) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, Babes in Toyland, Arthur Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Old Cartoon Grinch—Jim Carey Grinch—New Cartoon Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, The Santa Clause, Home Alone 1 & 2, Polar Express, Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Christmas episodes of old Disney shows.

What to Wear:

Mango, a forever favorite of mine, is running their 30% off sitewide all week long so I figured a capsule wardrobe made exclusively with Mango items is my gift to you.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

It’s going to cut me off because this one is full, but I’ll see you next week—same time, same place.

Have a beautiful weekend, friends.