hey delicate

Don't you just love the holidays? Starting with Thanksgiving I love cooking my favorite dishes, stuffing my face, and being surrounded by family. Immediately after Thanksgiving the madness begins as we prepare for Christmas - shopping, decorations, baking, and holiday parties galore!

This was my first year sending out Christmas cards and it's a tradition I want to do every year! What are some of your holiday traditions? Do you get to open a gift on Christmas Eve? What do you cook for dinner? My mom bakes a VA country ham and I can’t wait to dig in tomorrow.

There are so many things I love about the holidays but these are a few of my favorite things.

Berry red lipstick - My go-to lipsticks are MAC’s Flat Out Fabulous in matte and Sephora's matte liquid lip stain lipsticks. But this time of year I like to try darker shades. I recently visited the Brown Beauty Co-Op and fell in love. This modern beauty space provides a curated selection of natural hair care, skin care and makeup products for women of color. Of course I ran right to the lipstick section. I found a matte liquid lipstick called Sinful by Liquid Courage. It’s similar to the shades I normally buy, but I just love the vibrant color and the lasting coverage.
Statement sweaters - I love a cozy, oversized statement sweater. Practical yet fashionable.
Seasonal drinks - My Starbucks order this time of year is usually a tall Chestnut Praline latte with lots of whip cream. Speaking of cream…I haven't tried making my own eggnog yet, but I love eggnog mixed with a little bourbon.
Christmas music - I start playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. No judgment please! LOL Some of my favorite classic Christmas songs include Donny Hathaway's This Christmas and Kirk Franklin's Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Whenever I hear Let it Snow by Boyz II Men I know the holidays are finally here. What are some of your favorite holiday tunes?
Christmas movies - There are so many to choose from, but I have to say that Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie. Watching this new Google commercial featuring Macaulay Culkin was so nostalgic.
Entertaining - I love to get dressed up and host parties for my close friends. I decorate and set the table just right. We make our own cocktails, bake cookies, and play games. Last year we made Christmas wreaths and affirmation boards shaped like gifts.
Gifts - because who doesn't like presents? - I love finding the perfect gifts for my loved ones (and myself!). But there are a couple of people on my list that are difficult to shop for. What are some creative gift ideas for those people that already have everything?

What are your favorite things about the holidays?

Wishing you love, peace, and joy this holiday season!

xoxo

Victoria

Holiday party season is in full effect! I must admit at first I wasn't really in the holiday spirit but the past couple of weeks have really boosted my holiday cheer. I've actually finished most of my holiday shopping before Christmas Eve, which is big for me! I'm always last minute trying to think of creative gifts, and I end up finding cute gifts for myself in the process. As much as I loathe running around the mall this time of year, I've gotten a lot better at gift-giving.

I caught up with family and friends before the holidays via various happy hours and holiday gatherings. Sharing moments and laughs with loved ones is one of the best gifts. I tried a new restaurant, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, and the food and drinks are amazing! If you like oysters you will love this place. Please try the bacon-wrapped oysters. Trust me, everything is better with bacon.

To cap off this past wee, I went on a girls getaway to NYC to celebrate my friend Jasmine's birthday. We had so much fun prancing around the city in dresses and sequins as if we were Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. We started out with brunch at Friedman's and an early dinner at Room Service. If you love Thai food, Room Service is the place for you. The ambiance is perfect for a girls' night out on the town. After dinner, I attended my first Broadway show, The Color Purple, and it was simply amazing. The lead actress, Cynthia Erivo's voice is breathtaking. Each character had such a beautiful voice, I didn't want them to stop singing.

After the show we headed over to the Sugar Factory to indulge in 60 oz goblets of sugar and alcohol goodness. I opted out of the huge drink and had a margarita instead, accompanied by a huge ice cream sundae.

We ended the weekend with Sunday brunch at Pampano and stuffed ourselves (again) with bottomless small plates and sangria. If you couldn't tell before, we love to eat.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming holiday to create more memories. I'd like to wish all of you Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Victoria