Happy Holidays at the Tree Farm
Currently: nestled in by the Christmas tree, listening to a Mariah Carey holiday playlist, and inhaling the rich smell of our homemade Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Rib dinner.
Sam and I are staying in tonight with Oliver and exchanging our gifts before a cozy Christmas movie marathon in bed. Although I was feeling under the weather most of the weekend, we still had a chance to have a holiday date day complete with ice skating on the roof of the Four Seasons and margaritas and tacos at a new spot downtown.
Every year has looked different since we have been together, so we haven’t nailed down our own holiday traditions quite yet. However, this being our first Christmas as Mr and Mrs, it seems to be as good a time as ever to start.
We love visiting the tree farm together (here’s a peek at our first shoot), and although the weather decided not to cooperate this year, we refused to let it ruin our fun. We arrived early on Sunday morning and were pleased to find that we had the normally-crowded location all to ourselves. We lugged along our umbrella, some hot cocoa, and even an old wooden sled that has been in my family since I was a baby.
I wore my favorite UGG boots that Sam surprised me with last year for Christmas before we left for Montana and experienced the biggest snow storm of our lives. I’m not gonna lie, putting on those boots again reminded me of how much fun we had and made me wish that we were having a white Christmas in Maryland this year!
The air was chilly outside of the city, so I kept the rest of my outfit fairly simple with a white turtleneck, white jeans, a white beanie, and a tan cashmere scarf. As someone who favors feminine style year-round, I can’t seem to stay away from light colors, even in the Winter.
The morning was filled with laughs and even a few mishaps at our expense. While we were wrapping up the last portion of our shoot, we sat down on the sled with our hot cocoa in hand. Sam and I got so caught up in the moment of cuddling and talking about our plans for the rest of the day that we didn’t notice the sound of the wood support on the back cracking until it broke through and sent us flying into the mud.
We sprung back up like a couple of cats who had been dunked into freezing water, but the damage had already been done. A mixture of hot cocoa, mud, and pine needles covered my white outfit, and we were reminded once again that we weren’t JCrew models at a big-ticket campaign shoot.
P.S. I shared a few behind the scenes shots from this on Instagram stories to remind ya’ll that our lives aren’t nearly as glamorous as they may seem.
*I’m thinking about rounding up some hilarious outtakes from this past year’s shoots in a blog post for a laugh. Comment on my latest Instagram post if that’s something you want to see!
We will be visiting our families tomorrow on Christmas Day (thankfully our parents both live pretty close), and Face-timing with those who are a little further away.
We always start with pajamas and a breakfast concoction at my parents in the morning (GF waffles with refried beans, muenster cheese, a fried egg, and maple syrup baked in the oven). Then we head over to Sam’s parents for A Christmas Story on repeat and an early dinner around the tree.
We will be back later this week with some new content for New Years Eve, but we wanted to wish you the happiest Christmas yet! We hope that your day is filled with loved ones and extra hot cocoa (but, maybe with a lid).
We hope that you are able to disconnect from social media and soak in the little moments with those around you. Being present for your family, friends, and even strangers is a gift in itself.
"And so, instead: present. If perfect is plastic, present is rich, loamy soil. It's fresh bread, lumpy and warm. It's real and tactile and something you can hold with both hands, something rich and warm. Present is a bare face of makeup, a sweater you've loved for a decade, a mug that reminds you of who you used to be." - Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist (aka my favorite book of all time, and my personal mantra from 2018).
We are so thankful for you each and every day. Merry Christmas!
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Photos by Jade Nikkole Photography
Want more style inspiration? Read Making a Statement in Tulle and The Coziest Loungewear to Buy this Winter.
How are you celebrating the holidays? Comment on the last photo on my Instagram feed and tell me, or tag me in your favorite holiday look!
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xo Anna Elizabeth