The weekend is here!

My dearest readers! I can't believe it's the weekend—and another year has gone by. 2014 was a total blur, filled with lots of friends, adventure and fun. Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog. Lots of exciting changes are coming to it in the new year! I so appreciate that you stay in touch and keep up. 

This December has gone by in a blink, too. I'm off for the next two weeks (taking a vacation from the blog, too!), but you can catch me on Instagram for lots of holiday updates and more.

Wishing you a lovely holiday!

xoxo

Rachel

PS: A helpful tip for New Year's Eve!

For the love of pistachios

At my house, over Christmas, there's one gift that always appears beneath the tree: Pistachios. They've always been my dad's favorite snack, but as the years have gone by, all of us have come to love them, especially my sister. That's why I laughed out loud when I stumbled upon this cute, pistachio-themed necklace over at Food 52. The perfect gift? It just might be!

How's your holiday shopping going?

(Images via Food 52)

December Page: A toast!

Happy December, my darling readers! This year went by so fast, right? December is always such a busy month. I love the contrast between the frantic holiday shopping and party hopping compared with the calm, happy, and peaceful moments shared with family and friends. My favorite things about this month:

• Sending holiday notes to loved ones, near and far
• Re-watching treasured Christmas movies, like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Home Alone
• Putting up a Christmas tree in my apartment
• Going ice skating in Central Park, Bryant Park, or Rockefeller Center
• The first snowfall (which came early this year!)
• Crafts and gift giving—I'm happy to report that I'm making tons of progress on my list!
• Celebrating traditions.

What do you love most about this month?

(Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Holiday shopping strategies

This year, I'm trying to get a jump start on my holiday shopping and avoid the December rush. I'm always such a last minute girl with Christmas! I keep thinking: If I can just iron out my gift list now, I'll be so prepared when Cyber Monday rolls around! 

Since I have time on the subway, I've been using my morning and evening commute to jot down notes about the people in my life that I love and gifts that might suit their interests. It sounds funny, but the subway is such a helpful place to ponder ideas. My goal is to at least have a finished list by Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed. ;)

Do you have any gift-giving strategies? How do you get a jump start on your shopping? Would love any tips and advice!

PS: One of my favorite sites for gift ideas!

(Image via Pinterest)

Playing tourist at Rockefeller Center

Last week, I decided to take a detour from my usual commute home to Brooklyn, and walk through Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. Those are always the pinch-me-I-live-in-New-York moments, since I grew up watching the tree lighting on TV, and now I can simply walk a few extra blocks and see it up close in person. Despite the chaos of the area around it—and the floods of people, even at night—the tree is such a beautiful sight. 

My visit inspired me to add another item to my holiday to-do list: skating in New York!

Have you checked out the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year? 

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend, my darling readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? I'm doing a bit of holiday party hopping—the Christmas season is in full swing for sure! I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Surprise! Beyoncé's new album!

The amazing Spiderman 2 trailer.

A watchdog doorstop.

Stop the water!

Seeking the perfect cookie cutter.

How to live without sriracha.

A Sound of Music wedding.

The 10 best Christmas trees.

Holidays in New York.

A Christmas carol ambush!

(Image via I Dream Of)

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend, my darling readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? I need to buckle down and holiday shop. December seems so short this year—there are really only three weekends until Christmas. Too quick! Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

This website is my new go-to for gift ideas.

Prince William can sing.

Meet Josie, the selfie pro.

The cutest phone case!

Inspiration for a cookie swap.

Tea towels for two.

Pretty paper.

A user-friendly pie dish. (Plus, the ultimate holiday table.)

Non-creepy party etiquette.

Scenes from a NYC flower market. Gorgeous!

(Image via Pinterest)

Christmas caroling

'Tis the season for holiday music. Well, almost! This may sound crazy, but I've been listening to Christmas tunes since October (!!). In the fall, I joined a holiday singing group with a few co-workers of mine. It's perfect: There are about 25 of us, and we practice once a week for an hour at lunch. Then, our chorale director packs our December calendar with holiday performances around New York.

For my regular readers, you know: I'm bursting with joy every time we rehearse. Singing Christmas music harkens back to my a cappella days. I didn't realize how much I missed it until the first time we practiced together as  a group.

The amazing part is that our repertoire is so varied. I'm learning all these new holiday songs that I've never heard before like this one and this one.

What about you? Has the holiday spirit hit you yet?

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Shop 'til you drop

Now that Christmas is less than a week away, are you done with your holiday shopping? If you're like me, you've been shopping last minute online—praying that the post office will come through, and your gifts will arrive on time. :) I must admit I've done a fair amount of gift guide browsing, relying on my go-to bloggers to help me get it right. Here, a few of my favorite ideas, in case you're still in the market for the ultimate ("wow, they know me so well!) gift:

Joanna found this special edition cheese slate for the person who loves to entertain.

HipHipGinGin suggested holiday reads for the book worm in your life. Or for the traveler: 125 weekends in Europe.

A copper watering can for the gardener, inspired by Oh Happy Day! Or a Vespa ride around Paris for the adventurer.

For the artiste in your life, courtesy of SF Girl by the Bay, give the gift of art.

From Note to Self, a first lady throw pillow and wine with attitude for the fashionista.

Plus: Music to wrap to!

(Image via Pinterest)

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend, my darling readers! How are you? How was your week? I'm so sorry I didn't post yesterday—feeling a little overloaded as of late. :) What do you have planned for your Saturday-Sunday off? I've planned a bit of Christmas-y fun. I'm going to see the New York Pops (with special guest Pink Martini), and going to a holiday reading of A Christmas Carol, too. Wishing you a lovely and cozy weekend ahead! Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

A new take on the basics.

The living room of a perfect gentleman. 

Food by candlelight.

Ruby red holiday shoes.

Stop and smell the flowers. :) 

Embrace your foolish side.

Woohoo Golden Globes!

Make a festive foldable.

The coolest family game night.

A reminder the holidays are here. 

(Image via Pinterest)

North Pole cupcakes

Something sweet for your Wednesday! What a clever Christmas idea. Are you making cupcakes or baking other holiday treats this year? 'Tis the season after all.

Find lots more photos and a great vanilla cupcake recipe here.

Plus another sugar-filled holiday idea: Santa Hat Brownies.

(Image via Kara's Party Ideas)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday dear readers and happy holidays too! I'm off to Massachusetts to celebrate Christmas with my family. I'm looking forward to some time off to relax, and read! Wishing you a wonderful few days off. To get your holiday weekend started on the right note, here are a few happy posts from around the web:

A holiday mix tape! 

Vacations rule. 

67 years good.

Holiday tradition.

The Mobile Moose. 

Holly jolly bookworm.

A gingerbread townhouse.

Wear sequins.

Merry Christmas (cards). 

Make a wish.

Do they know it's Christmas? 

(Image via HipHip GinGin)

Paris (and New York) in color

After stumbling across this blog earlier in the week, I was mesmerized by the sometimes subtle, sometimes vibrant pops of color in each scene. The top two photos are of Paris — just two from a collection that is about to become a book called "Paris in Color". I can't wait to read it! The bottom picture is by the same photographer, but this time she was on holiday at Rockefeller Center in New York. No matter where it is taken, each image captures the magic of Christmas and the holiday season!

(Image 1, 2 and 3 via Little Brown Pen)

Santa Hat Brownies

The cleverness of this Christmas treat made me smile. :) Don't these Santa Hat Brownies look too good to eat? Take a peek at the recipe here. In addition to being festive, they're easy to make!

(Image via Daisy's World)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday my dear readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? I'm planning to dive deep into my holiday shopping — I still have so much to do! Assuming I'm productive, there's a reward at the end. Matt and I are going to see the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir on Sunday. So festive and fun! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

A walk in the Park.

Remember Elaine?

A Madewell Christmas.

More Ryan Gosling. Sigh.

Lego! No.

The perfect sweet treat.

Kisses guaranteed.

Joy to the world!

Love this red dress.

Stockings with bling.

My kind of escape.

(Images via A House in the Hills)

Christmas time is here

As soon as I was old enough to count down the days until Christmas, my parents (and grandmother) introduced me to an advent calendar as a way to make the waiting game all the more fun. I could spend hours staring at the glitter-covered Christmas scenes, summoning up all the patience I had as I waited each night to open the next day's door. Based on this, I can't imagine being a kid with this hand-made advent calendar hanging up in my home. The creator — Bleubird — explains on her blog that all but five of the packages contain a candy treat. The ones that don't come filled with the first clue to a special scavenger hunt for the whole family to enjoy. So creative and fun!

Another good idea? Gift someone an online advent calendar, like these designs by Jacquie Lawson. The London-themed one is my favorite. (Thanks Mom!)

(Images via Bleubird)

The weekend is here!

December has officially arrived — and so has the weekend! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? My goal: Christmas shopping. I always have high hopes to get an early start, but I'm afraid this year has turned out exactly like the last. It's time to get moving on this! For fun, I'm checking out Lysistrata Jones on Broadway. Have you seen it? The story looks really good. Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web: 

J'adore Dior (and Marilyn and Grace)! 

Window shopping in Paris. 

Be cool. 

Scented bling. 

DIY holiday cards. 

Dinner with friends.

Stay warm!

Seasonal glamour. 

Flatware that sparkles.

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman. 

(Images via The Glamourai)

My Christmas wish list

It's may feel balmy in New York, but it took an MTA bus ride past the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle to remind me — the Christmas season has arrived! It got me thinking about my wish list for this year (and early next!). Right now, there are three things I want:

1) A red dress. Who knew it would be so hard to find the perfect one? 

2) More Mad Men. This past weekend, AMC started re-playing episodes from Seasons 1 through 4, just the reminder I needed that the premiere of Season 5 is coming soon!

3) A vacation in Paris. This trip is tentatively scheduled for early in the new year. Oh la la! 

What's on your holiday wish list this year? 

(Image 1, 2, and 3)