Things I Love Thursday: A weekly roundup of the simple things that are bringing me joy and that I want to share with you.
The Holidays
It's always nice to welcome the holiday season. I enjoy it every year. This year, having been so challenging, it seems as though we are all more than ready to say goodbye to 2020. While that is true for the most part, I do feel like the quietness of this "almost fully quarantined again" moment lends itself to some extra reflection of what we can feel gratitude for: slowing down, reading lots of books, receiving holiday cards from loved ones across the country, getting cozy in the softest Christmas jammies, baking, listening to Alexa play "Socks" by JD McPherson (a fantastic album), advent calendars, finding great gifts to give, and trimming the tree (or rather, watching my "as tall as" and "taller than" me teens do it).
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| {via Mirabelle Creations on Instagram and Etsy} |
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| 25 Days of Godiva? My friends SPOIL me and I love it! |
Intimate Outdoor Socials
Get 'em while the weather is still tolerable! Despite imagining the contrary, we ended up having quite a festive Thanksgiving weekend as, after an intimate (takeout) dinner for the four of us on Thursday, Greg and I enjoyed a bit of outside socializing with friends in the following days. Martinis by the fire on Friday with our neighbors left my tummy aching the following morning --not from too many (individually served) snacks --but from the laughter and hilarity of the evening. (You may be thinking it was the martinis that had us in stitches --but it really was our funny friends, Lawrence and Breann.) Saturday, we loaded up some firewood and biked over to enjoy takeout dinner and a Virtual Magic Show in the simply and beautifully transformed garage of some dear friends. We were all a bit skeptical of an online magic show; however, it really blew our socks off! This would be a great way to spend an evening with your kids. Shows are sold out until mid-January but put this idea in your back pocket for another occasion!
The Surcee Tradition (Pronounced, SIR-see and also spelled, sirsee, sursie, sussie, surcy, and circe)
According to florist, Carley Messmer, "a surcee is a term for a thoughtful and unexpected gift. The word surcee has been passed down through generations in the south, specifically the Carolinas. A surcee is not expensive. It is the thought behind the gift that is meaningful." 'Tis the season for giving and I have been so lucky to receive two recent surcees: the first, a peppermint handsoap (that I somehow overlooked when I was at Trader Joe's last). This soap has just the right amount of fragrance to delight the senses but not enough so much that you feel like you're in a candy-cane factory. I also found a mystery surcee on my porch a couple weeks ago. Amazingly, our Ring door cam somehow did not pick up the identity of the little elf who left it and no one has confessed. How perfectly sweet are these SourJones-themed dishtowels? The delicious lemon cookies were gone in a flash too! Tell me, have you grown up with surcees? If you're not in/from the south, is there another name these go by in your family's tradition?
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| Seriously, who do I have to thank for these delights? |
Camp North End
Camp North End is a revitalized industrial park in north Charlotte. The girls and I went there a couple years ago with friends to enjoy some Goat Yoga. At that time, there was literally nothing there except empty buildings, weeds, concrete, and a rusty water tower --and a couple dozen goats brought in for our event. Now, the space is filling with art installations, restaurants, service storefronts, and retail. Taking advantage of a sunny Sunday, we ventured out and enjoyed exploring this unique Charlotte destination. I could easily do an entire post about the place (and maybe I will) but to keep it lean for this week, I will just mention our highlight reel: taking in the murals, picking up a few paper treasures from Good Postage, brunch on the patio at Leah & Louise, a "Blind Date" book from That's Novel bookshop, and running into friends who were there doing the same thing with out-of-town family. Whether you can get there soon or not, I'd suggest a follow on Instagram. New vendors are opening all the time and the potential for this space, moving forward, seems endless. I would recommend a dry day, as it is definitely an outdoor venue.
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| 2018 |
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