The last month of my thirties was marked by all of the celebrations: the requisite birthday shindigs, with a side of revving up for the holidays too. And so, so much champagne.

November is traditionally my golden month: autumn is firmly in place, my birthday is at the end of the month, Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday... it's just unquestionably, the best thirty days of the year for me. December is much too bustly and anxiety-ridden, but November? November is all mine.

And for the highlights... I've upped my fundraiser game significantly in 2016--and had a blast at Taste of Nashville with friends I've grown closer to in 2016--and helped with Our Kids Hammer Down race early in the month. The dreaded election came and went, and we all held our collective breath for the duration of a Tuesday night--luckily, I was tipping back the bubbles at a surprise bridal shower I helped throw for one of my best friends that evening, so we had ample distraction from the circus. An obscene number of hours was spent skipping around my kitchen, prepping (that damn green bean casserole) for a handful of different Friendsgivings. I logged the last few outdoor runs of the season (thirty-one years and still not a morning person, so that ain't happening before work)--thankful the temperature and daylight savings time offered to be on my side for a bit longer. My sweet, sweet friends spoiled the hell out of me with--count 'em--four birthday parties. And I rounded it all out with the loveliest Thanksgiving here in Nashville with my sweet friend Morgan, and her adorable family.

All in all? Exactly what I needed. November was the proverbial bow on top of a pretty charming year, highlighted by friends who have thankfully and effortlessly become my family, showering me with their love, depth, laughs, and endless loyalty. "Friends" just seems like too hollow and generic a word for the category of people I've been surrounded by since moving her. Cheesiness, be damned: I am so, so thankful--every single day, I'm thankful.

At 31, I am still hopelessly in love with this town, its quirks, its magnetism--but undoubtedly, the absolute best element of my life are the people who I'm so unimaginably fortunate, love me as hard as they do.

Come at me, 31... I'm so ready for you.

loving ::: my abundantly full, color-coded calendar. the fog draped over the pond outside my balcony on these 40-degree mornings. movie nights. hilarious snaps of my nephew doing baby thangs. finally wearing boots with my skinnies.
listening ::: Anderson East's Delilah.
Lake Street Dive's Side Pony.
Sarah Hyland's cover of the Chainsmokers' "Closer." SWOON.
oh, and Kacey Musgraves's new Christmas album.
reading ::: "Blackout," by Sarah Hepola.
"The Sound of Gravel," by Ruth Wariner."
and this fantastic article by my friend Kimberly.
writing ::: plans for 2017 in my new agenda... a little blogging here and there. and another little project I'm not super ready to delve into yet, but I've been writing a lot and I really, really love how it's making me feel.
craving ::: all of the ridiculously rich holiday food. I made this green bean casserole Monday for a friendsgiving and it was insanely delicious. half+half instead of canned soup is a gamechanger, as are the homemade fried onions. and I really can't wait to bake my chocolate pecan pie.
planning ::: what am I not planning?? a few birthday dinners, a bachelorette party (first trip to Vegas!), going away parties, a pie party in December, my Christmas trip home, and lots of 2017 travel.
wearing ::: my newest go-to jeans. all of the Wildfox sweatshirts... my official wardrobe until March.
smelling ::: a version of my favorite winter candle. my good friend is mixing his own, and it somehow smells even better than Anthro's, and you better believe that I light that sucker, first thing as soon as I walk in the door, every day.
drinking ::: all of the lemon Lacroix (I go through flavor phases). my favorite sauvignon blanc from Trader Joe's. and this custom coffee/hot cocoa situation I dreamed up during a slow afternoon at work a few weeks back.
snacking on ::: cheese plates (always). lots of pepper jam. Trader Joe's gingerbread men = alllll the heart eyes.
bingeing ::: The West Wing, finally. just started Good Girls Revolt and loving it. also gearing up for a refresher of Homeland before it comes back.
working on ::: nailing down the perfect gift for everyone. divying up that Thanksgiving menu.
needing ::: gah, this sounds a little smug, but I can't come up with one thing I need. I am so, so delightfully content right now.
...but while we're on it, I really think my cheese will look fancier on this. and while "need" may not be exactly accurate, I really, really want this punchy coat for Christmas. and I've been obsessed with Hearne Dry Goods lately.
feeling ::: ...like myself for the first time in a really, really long time. And it feels really, really good.
anticipating ::: aforementioned birthday celebrations, surrounded by my dearest friends. the impending holidays and all that comes with them -- baking, decorating, buying surprises for everyone I love... the excitement of a new year!
wishing ::: the sunlight lasted just a wee bit longer here at the end of the day in middle Tennessee. other than that, I'm kinda living the dream, y'all.


What are you up to lately?

Fifty-five days sit between today and 2017. That's seven Sundays until Christmas Day, eight before a new year is sparked. Everyone seems to plow through this last stretch of the year at a feverish pace, but it's always been my favorite to try to savor... my birthday and Thanksgiving, and all things Christmas are reason enough to slow down and breathe it all in, but there's more to it than that.

It's intentionally considering the conclusion of another year... of what began as another list of weighty goals and proposed plans, dripping with promise, to months later, finally reflecting fondly and finding the grace for yourself to accept what was and what wasn't, all of the good with the bad. To not allow the holidays to drain you, to not feel down about not tackling enough of those resolutions, but to button up the year knowing it was exactly what you needed in one way or another.

That's a deeply accurate description of the stage I'm firmly planted in right now. My personal history of loss around the holidays always casts its own shadow, but with each passing year, the ache is dulled a bit more. Also? I've learned more about myself in the past year than maybe ever (get ready for that annual birthday post), and as much as I am grinning through these last few bustling weeks of 2016, I'm really, genuinely excited to embrace a sparkling, fresh, new year.

Until then...

T-minus two days until the most effed up election ever. TheSkimm has done a pretty fantastic job of informing voters this election cycle--can you believe it? 95,000 voters were registered through this insanely cool start-up.

Oh. In case you are still in need of a November desktop calendar, here's the one I'm using.

I'm ridiculously excited for one of my all-time favorite books to make it to the big screen.

New emojis?! Predicting I'll be using the crossed fingers and avocado a'plenty.

It's old news at this point, but did you watch the World Series? I adopted the Cubs for the week, so I'm thrilled that they pulled it off--side note: I had not one, but two lengthy conversations with guy friends who teeter on psychotic when it comes to sports--on whether adopting a World Series team is considered being a bandwagon fan. I say no--that it's just a little luxury afforded to Americans who crave competition and love sports. They both think otherwise. What say you? Regardless, there was just a lot of goodness to come out of this year's World Series. (there are three links tucked in there, don't miss them!)

True to my long-standing November tradition, I bought my 2017 planner this week... can't get enough of Sugar Paper's sleek and playful paper goods.

Nashville has been ridiculously warm for November--but I'm really itching to make some ratatouille. What's your go-to chilly weather recipe?

I finished Jessica Valenti's Sex Object today. So, so, so grippingly good--a solid memoir, alongside highlights about how society has basically encouraged and embraced the objectification of women, and what that means for us as a culture, and as individuals. My synopsis doesn't do it justice--I definitely recommend it.

Kacey Musgraves gifted us all with a Christmas album, and one of my BFFs surprised me with tickets to see her for my birthday! "Excited" doesn't even begin to cover it. Christmas music, Kacey, the Ryman... all the heart eyes.



What are you most excited about this season?

On my sporadic nights in, clad in beloved yoga pants, I can be found with my laptop aglow, Maizie flanking one side, Netflix providing the welcomed background noise amidst the soft rattle of my keyboard strokes. Occasionally, whatever show I've mindlessly clicked my way through ends up being gripping enough to capture my unbridled attention... and somehow I've managed to hit the viewing jackpot lately.

Here's the top five that I've had queued up lately:



Holy hell. I was fascinated with this case when it was happening in real time (can you believe it was nearly 10 years ago?), read her book and followed the subsequent trials. But this? Completely chronicles Knox's perspective, and the shoddy way the trial and cases were handled by Italian authorities, and where they all are now. Highly recommend.



Ah, we meet again. I haven't wrapped up season two yet, but I am more captivated than ever by Mr. Escobar and the intricacies of his insane Colombian drug empire. This one is definitely worth the hype, just be prepped to be glued to lots of subtitles and witness the gore escalate as the episodes roll on.





A classic that's been suggested to me time and again. I was left grasping for a new political drama after I concluded my Scandal binge, and since House of Cards and Homeland won't be returning for a few more months. Oddly enough, the show kicked off in 1999, and yet the first few episodes feature storylines about Syrian terrorism and police shootings. Sad, and yet strangely prophetic. The characters are wonderfully developed and you'll get attached... can't believe I've waited this long to get into this one.







The perfect musical interlude. Most music specials are prime background noise material, but how can you not watch this man dance? The whole performance (we're talking like a dozen people) is just phenomenal. Run, don't walk. Watch it now.



...this is my tiptoeing back into Hey, Friday territory--thanks, Karli!

Today, I'm a mere month shy of 31. The theme of the past several weeks has been go, go, go. I haphazardly dipped my toe in the dating pool, kept trucking along with Junior League and Special Olympics events, and took some time out for--what else--live music. Pilgrimage fest was even better than I expected it would be (Langhorne Slim, City and Colour, and Kacey Musgraves being the highlights--in addition to the 300+ folks we got registered to vote!), and a return trip to ACL was just what my soul needed... so much of my favorite music in my favorite city, right smack dab in the middle of a week with all of the people who know me best. I spent a lot of quality time--usually over Mexican cuisine--with my Pops (and visited with mom too), and laughed and wined with my Baylor friends as if no time has passed since I left Texas four years ago. Hockey season returned (!), and all at once we found ourselves basking on the porch, soaking up the chilly nights and dewy mornings of a changing season as our pool days concluded. My girlfriends have been a welcomed, constant fixture on weeknights and weekends alike, as we find any excuse to make grandiose events out of chili nights and debate-watching parties. I excitedly hopped on board a spin bike for the first time in months, as my friend opened a brand spanking new studio on the east side. I also ventured back to Vanderbilt to work my fifth year at Reunion--which is always a ton of fun for me, reigniting all of excitement of playing event manager, if only for one night.

Working out and sleep took a backseat, but I still managed to somehow get exactly what I needed. Crazy to think that in just a handful of weeks, a new year--of promise and challenges, growth and so much laughing--will be at my feet. Until then, I'm (planning on) taking time to just lay a little low.

But then? Bring it on 31.