Well, it's Christmas!
Folks, it feels like a year since I last talked to you. *Chapter 19*
Everyone, hello! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, ‘tis almost the New Year but I owe you a post that very day so I’ll save the “Happy” til we get there. Wheeeewwweeeee. The holidays are always a blur but add a one-night-only pop-up restaurant into the mix and hot damn, it’ll feel like you’re log rolling down a hill wondering if you’re about to go off a cliff. But like…in a good way.
I’m coming to you from my parent’s house, sitting in an arm chair right next to the Christmas tree. I’ve had one Negroni and am halfway through my second Prosecco, half-lucid from exhaustion and tipsiness. My feet are resting inside a Labrador-sized dog bed where my small, sassy Cairn Terrier mix, Scraps, is side-eyeing them offended I would even dare put my toes near his body. Alan is chatting golf with my dad on a break from helping my mom with the turkey. We’re not sure the pumpkin tart is going to set (update: it didn’t) and we have matching pajamas to put on later.
I had, of course, planned to write this days ago but here we are on Christmas Eve. Man, it smells good in this house. Today we began an inaugural tradition of Christmas Eve brunch with Betsy, our nearest and dearest and the other half of DeeJay’s, and her husband Jacob. We ate pigs in a blanket and drank champagne iced down with Dachshund shaped cubes of orange juice.
Discussing the success of our first pop-up and planning for many more to come in 2024, I’m in absolute awe of how motivated Betsy and Alan are. So organized and driven, it’s truly just the beginning of something great.
I promised you last week an update on how it went. DeeJay’s was a total success. A night full of close friends and family. Beginning slowly and culminating in an hour and half of running around not sure up from down. Everyone had an amazing time. We learned a lot and are ecstatic to do it again. Tequila shots with our incredible team at the end of night never felt more deserved.
For the second year in a row we’re spending Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day with Alan’s family. An overwhelmingly nostalgic two days full of food and Southern accents. I could cry from joy and gratitude. Alan is a Boxing Day baby who never got the opportunity growing up to be celebrated at school. On Tuesday, I plan to make up for this by getting him a huge bouquet of helium balloons he can carry around everywhere we go. Christmas is very busy in our family with Alan’s birthday and our anniversary in January, the party never stops.
I’m tempted to talk about what an incredible year it’s been but I think I’ll save that for New Year’s Day. For now, I’ll leave you with pictures from DeeJay’s.
Here’s the list:
READING
Still nothing…but I got a new book today I’m very excited to start.
WATCHING
Last season of Better Call Saul, I can barely handle that it’s almost over. I have loved it.
LISTENING
Bjork’s Greatest Hits. In college I spent many an hour, stoned as hell, forcing people to be completely silent while I changed their life with the song, “Joga.” This week I rediscovered my love for her and found myself belting “Hyperballad” in the car at the top of my lungs and vocal range. What a delight.
Thank you for being here. Although my journey of posting weekly only started in August, my Substack’s birthday is coming up in three weeks. I love it here so much and I love that you return weekly to read what I have to say. How amazing, how very lucky I am.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Talk to you in a week.
xoxo.
Merry Christmas, Boo! Perfect post…