Hi friends! Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away?? I've written recently about readying your home for Christmas, what you may want to whip up in your kitchen this year, Christmas cards, and why you should write a holiday letter...but there is a relational aspect to this season that I didn't want to overlook. (Let me interrupt myself here for a second to emphasize that the TRUE, main meaning of this season does not actually have to do with food or snow or movies or even … [Read more...]
Simple Ways To Make Your Home Guest-Ready For The Holidays
Although I've realized recently (in the past several years) that I'm more of an introvert, I still really love welcoming people into our home and spending time with friends or family! Hospitality is something that my husband and I love to together, and I love that hosting is a joint or team effort! Bjorn and I hosted some of my immediate family for Thanksgiving this year - the day after Thanksgiving, because why not keep celebrating?! - and that day was full of sweet, special little … [Read more...]
Holiday Appetizers We’re Eyeing (+ a Couple Tried-and-True Recipes!)
I hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving! It was a much-needed break for us, full of that festive combo of family, food, and relaxation. Bjorn and I enjoyed Thanksgiving with his family on Thursday, and then we hosted some members of my family at our place on Friday! It was our first time hosting for an actual holiday, and it ended up being a big success! Even the turkey turned out! :) It was our first time roasting a turkey so I was a little nervous, but Bjorn really did a lot of the work … [Read more...]
Accessorizing For The Holidays With Happiness Boutique
Although I do love pinning cute holiday dresses in all their sparkle and tulle on my "What to Wear" board on Pinterest, when it comes down to reality, I actually dress for the holidays in a more basic, simple fashion. When I look back at past holiday or Christmas photos, I notice that I tend to dress in neutrals or even mostly black! (Black as a clothing color is one of my absolute favorites!) To avoid letting my black clothing seem sad or my darker, plainer-looking outfits seem drab, I try to … [Read more...]
Our 4th of July Weekend
Hey friends, and happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th! We really enjoyed our Independence Day weekend in rural/small-town Minnesota. It was filled with good conversation, great food, and we got to enjoy live music and canoeing (yes, there are awesome lakes out here among these fields!!) and fireworks! It was a blessing to have a lot of family members around or in town for the holiday. Here are some snapshots from our patriotic weekend: ^^ Gotta incorporate red white and … [Read more...]