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Thursday, November 29, 2018

My Thanksgiving Weekend in Pictures


Hello, dear friends.  I finally got around to writing about my wonderful weekend in one of my favorite cities, Dallas to visit two of my favorite people, #1 and #2.  

We left very early on a bone-chilling Wednesday morning.  Surprisingly, there were no crowds at the airport.  We were two of the few crazies who don't mind traveling in the wee hours of the morning.  Our return flight was also early on Saturday morning, and I am happy to report that DFW was practically deserted.



travel and leisure

I know that I have mentioned it a few thousand times on this blog. I have a fear of flying.  My phobia is not lessening, it is broadening its scope into the fear of travel.  I used to be terrified of the possibility of plane malfunctions, drunk pilots, terrorism, germ-filled cabins, and psycho passengers.

My newest fear is four-year-olds tugging roller bags in the terminal.  I almost went flying a couple of times while a cranky kid with a groggy gait cut me off mid-stride.  Meanwhile, the parents are 20 feet ahead totally oblivious to the chaos their kid is causing.

The good part is that terrorism and drunk pilots moved down the list of my fabulous phobias.

The Mister and I arrived in Big D mid-morning.  Our #2 picked us up and then we proceeded to drop the Mister off at the hotel.  He was meeting Adorable Jonathon, his twin, Adorable Michael, and their Adorable Dad for lunch.

Our #1, #2, and Jonathon's Adorable Mom, Janet met at our first bridal salon appointment of the day, Stanley Korshak

 We had one mission in mind.
We needed #1 to say yes to the dress.






Instant Replay! Replay!


Stanley Korshak was the store that we purchased both girls' long white dresses that they wore at graduation.

If you are curious as to why my girl is holding her arm out - she is mid-curtsy.  




After lunch, we had an appointment at Nardos.



Nardos, the owner, custom designs dresses.  She is warm with an easy smile and makes it clear that her main desire is to have the bride fall head-over-heels in love with her dress.



My #1 brought an inspirational photo.  Nardos asked her many questions and took copious notes along the way. 



Nardos then began to sketch and worked together with #1 in designing the dress.  Over the next couple of months, Nardos proceeds with the construction the dress out of muslin.  My #1 will come in for a consultation and alterations are made.  It is then that the making of the actual dress begins.
   



Here are some of Nardos' designs.  I wish that you could see this dress in real life.  It is the most delicious color of red. 






The back of this dress is just as lovely as the front.



This is Miss Janet, Adorable Jonathon's sweet Mom.
I wrote a post about her darling family here.  




My #1 made the on-the-spot decision.
No more searching.
She said yes to the dress.
Nardos will design her wedding gown. 
When the bride is happy, everybody is happy.



While we in town, we went to see Green Book.
We all loved it.




One day, we had lunch in Highland Village and then stopped for a sweet or four.



Bird Bakery is owned by celebs Elizabeth Chambers and Armie Hammer.  My #1 has worked with Elizabeth and said she is as sweet as one of her cupcakes.

Do either one of these beautiful people look like they have ever consumed a bakery item?





I asked this little girl if I could sit next to her, but she told me those seats were taken.

Lunchroom drama never ends!!





Everything was delicious.
Lucky for me, I hadn't started my sheddin' for the weddin' diet.



Next door sits Reese's place, Draper James.



We were all too full to try anything on.



No question about it...
their things are darlin'.



The highlight of the entire trip happened on Thanksgiving.  We had reservations at the Mansion on Turtle Creek which incidentally, played a big part in #1 and AJ's love story.  We met in the cozy bar for a drink.  Our #1 walked in with a darling straw bag.

The Mister and I were perplexed.
Was she planning on an island getaway?



No, the bag was for her baby Sista.
My #2 read the note which asked her to be her Maid of Honor.



It also held a beautiful, monogrammed robe.




It was at this moment that it hit me.
This was the best Thanksgiving ever!



Cheers!
I can't wait until they come home for Christmas!


Until next time...




Are you stumped by choosing a gift for someone?
My gift guides can be found here, herehere and here.



Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Gift Guide for the Millennial



Hello, dear friends.  I hope that your week is going well.  I am almost finished with my Christmas shopping.  Now it's time for me to start buying some gifts for the rest of the family.

I think that you can figure out what this blog post covers. This year, I wanted to come up with a gift guide that centers around the almighty Millennial.  Considering it has been a while since I was in that age group, I decided to consult an expert.  After gentle coaxing, my #1 stepped up to the plate and agreed to put a list together.  

    


When in doubt, the below are always appreciated: 


beyond words

Moolah is always a nice touch!



Self-Care Gift Cards









Stocking Stuffers: 






The best for makeup application - so smooth!





Buy a bunch of sheet masks and split them among stockings!



Packing Cubes
Great for travelers!








Feels super luxurious and has great hair & skin benefits - it allows skin and hair to glide across the surface—protecting and hydrating skin, reducing split ends, and ensuring a longer-lasting blowout.








These. Are. Life. Changing!






The hot new thing in skincare - face rollers reduce facial puffiness, promote drainage from the face, and relieve facial and jaw tension. If you use this with your serum of facial oil, it also allows for better absorption.




Personalized Stationery




Always a thoughtful gift (that no one wants to buy themselves!) I love the stationery options from Papier or you could design a special, personalized set on May Designs.



Perfume


Everyone loves perfume and never wants to buy it themselves! Jo Malone’s new Honeysuckle scent is beautiful and always comes in gorgeous packaging.





I got this for Jonathon a few years ago and it was a hit!
He loves getting this every Christmas.










A great candle is always appreciated! This candle was burning in a restaurant at my engagement dinner and myself + everyone at the dinner all immediately purchased these at Amazon from the candle. It smells AMAZING!



Girl, Wash Your Face


My sister is reading this now and LOVES it!! It has been on the New York Times list for a while and is apparently super funny and inspirational. I am stealing this over Christmas break from her



Pricier Gifts:





Jonathon (and all of my coworkers) are OBSESSED with these!! A great "athleisure" shoe that comes in cool materials like wool.








I have read about this on a couple of different blogs now and people are saying the most amazing things about this $100 jacket!! They say it is AS WARM as a Canadian Goose Down Jacket and looks really nice in person!



I wear mine every day!







Super cozy fleece that will actually look cute/polished with jeans!










This is on Jonathon’s Christmas List! These Air Pod Case covers are also great for protecting them and you can hang them on your keys (to avoid losing them!)






This is on my personal Christmas list - my Mom turned me on to Skinceuticals and it is TRULY amazing. Multiple bloggers that I follow STOPPED doing Botox because of this serum, which lightens lines, firms skin and brightens your complexion.  I also heard that it is best to buy SkinCeuticals on a site called Derm Store (vs. Skinceuticals.com) because they always have discounts.









I got this bag a few years ago and use it ALL the time!! It is super durable, good-looking, and great for weekend trips and/or a gym bag.





I LOVE MINE SO MUCH ALREADY!!
Such good looking luggage and fits so much! Plus built-in lock, ejectable battery, and personalizable!  






Fossil’s smartwatches are PACKED with the latest in technology!! Great looking, track your Heart rate, Google Pay, Google assistant, and so much more!



The reviews are amazing for this brand new hair dryer from Dyson - it drys hair REALLY fast!


*****


Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions, #1.

There just may be an extra something in your stocking this year.


Until next time...




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