My Latest Obsessions

Polar Express - Chilling w/ Santa. LOVE GMC's intense stare. 

Kiddos left out their slippers for St. Nick

Happy Friday! I cannot believe that it is the 6th of December! Wowser. That means 19 days until Christmas. Yikes! Thanksgiving was super late this year. Speaking of Thanksgiving we had a wonderful time last week. My mom (JuJu) and Grandpa T were in town along w/ my youngest sister and my two stepsisters and their families. We had not all been together in a VERY long time. It was super fun and especially great for all of the kiddos to get together. They had a ball! And this year PFC's birthday fell on Thanksgiving. We had a yummy german chocolate cake on hand to toast PFC. 

The countdown is on until Christmas. Lots of upcoming holiday parties and concerts. This weekend we have holiday gatherings Saturday PM and then Sunday I'm heading to The Drake for a holiday tea w/ some girlfriends. Tis the season!

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm. XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• The world was saddened yesterday to learn about the passing of Nelson Mandela. His impact on American activism, politics and pop culture. 
• Okay, so I tried a new brussels sprouts recipe out on Thanksgiving. It was a HUGE hit. It has been added to our Christmas Eve dinner menu. I polled folks on FB for help w/ a new brussels sprouts recipe. You MUST try these = Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots. DIVINE! Other winners included these creamy mashed potatoes (from The Pioneer Woman) and this traditional sweet potato casserole. 
• 10 modern holiday wreaths. My fave = this antique bloom wreath. 12 modern Christmas stockings. Love the Otomi ones. 
• Okay, I saw this amazing a capella group on someone's FB page. They are AH-MAZING. Check out their version of Drummer Boy. Here is the group's official website. 
• I bought a pair of these fleece lined handwarmers last year at Anthropologie. I LOVE them. Super cute too. I bought the multi-colored pair. Great gift item for a friend. 
• This article made me really think = Milestones that Matter. 
• My stepsister's little gal was wearing these cute jeans. Adorable. 
• My sister in law came over the day after Thanksgiving to hang w/ our crew. She brought her famous Salsa-Baked Goat Cheese Dip. It goes fast! Super fast. Here is a version of it. 
• My youngest sister's architecture firm was tapped to help out Detroit's downtown. Pretty neat. What a cool project to be on. 
• I love tiramisu. I've never attempted to make it. Maybe I will! 
• NPR's list of best books of 2013. Speaking of books I'm supposed to be done w/ And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini by next Thursday. I have yet to start. Yikes! I've been hearing great things about the book Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. Anyone read it or heard anything about it? I need to add it to my list. 
• An article about PFC's uncle. Great guy and he does amazing work. 
• Three great party dresses to wear to all the upcoming holiday parties! Great price on this cute one! Or if you aren't much of a dress gal check out this festive shimmer tee. 
• I'm super anxious to check out the highly anticipated Eataly that opened this past week in Chicago. I think they had me at Nutella Bar. Enough said. 
• How cute are these mini wreath gift tags?! Love them. 
• I've gotta get started on our Carr Christmas Cookies! We make our own holiday version of these Cowgirl Cookie Mixes for friends/family. 
• I'm looking forward to afternoon tea at The Drake on Sunday. A great way to get in to the spirit of the season. 8 places to take afternoon tea in Chicago. 
• Kickstarter is such a cool concept. Check out Andreagems. Very unique jewelry. 
• Wouldn't this Vosges Advent Calendar be a treat?! Yummy! Here is a neat DIY Pantone Advent calendar. 
• The sides of Paul Walker you may have missed. So sad. 
• And I'll leave you w/ some yummy hot chocolate recipes.