Well, I had every intention of logging on yesterday for a few minutes and sharing this holiday post, but somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to open the laptop! While I absolutely love blogging, sometimes it’s absolutely lovely to unplug for a little while. ;) Hope everyone had a wonderfully magical day, full of love, laughter, cheer, family and friends. (And cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.)
Bow top: J.Crew* / Pumps: Kate Spade (Yep, I wear them constantly), same here in rose gold and silver, and here in black / Skirt: J.Crew (Sold out), identical Factory copy here (Take an extra 25 percent off with code “SALE25”) / Clutch: Kate Spade (Old), similar here in gold**, here in black** and here in hot pink** / Button-down: J.Crew (Last year), similar here and here / Necklace: J.Crew* / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Julie Vos via Tuckernuck (c/o) and J.Crew / Tights: HUE
*Extra 40 percent off and free shipping with code “SHOPHAPPY”
**Take an extra 25 percent off with code “DECEMBER25”
Christmas couldn’t come at a better time for me each year. To say I hate the lack of sunlight during the winter would be an understatement, and I almost always get the blues around December. But spending a week with my family in the most picturesque location imaginable really seems to help me get through those darker days! ;)
Every year, my family spends Christmas at my cousins’ place up in West Dover, Vermont, where Mount Snow is located. (Same cousins/aunt/uncle who just moved to Manhattan!) I look forward to it all year. I think we all do. We’re just so close, and have been like that for… forever, I guess! I really credit my mom, aunt and grandmother for this. Our family is all over the place. (This year, we even have members in Europe!) It’s actually kind of hard to keep track of everyone’s adventures! ;) But these women—Mom, Auntie-M and Grammie—always keep us together, whether it’s through planned get-togethers or simple emails and text messages. And it’s so appreciated. While I technically have one set of parents and two siblings, I truly feel like my aunt and uncle are my second parents, and my cousins are my third, fourth, fifth and sixth siblings. (Love you guys. Tearing up here, haha.)
Anyway, this Christmas in Vermont was even more magical than those we’ve had in the past, as we had my hubby, Mitch, and my cousin’s adorable prepster of a girlfriend, Sarah, with us. Fourteen in total! We, of course, carried out all the usual Sheehan/Tralka/Gallagher traditions, from going candle stick bowling and eating pizza on Christmas Eve (that’s right), to Christmas crackers, family game night (including a beer pong tournament, haha–a new tradition), and eating as many sugar cookies as humanly possible on Christmas day. I loved every moment of it, and I’m seriously sad that it’s over. (So thankful my cousins just moved to NYC, though!)
One of the perks of being married is that you go from one holiday celebration to the next. As I’m writing this, I’m on a 15.5-hour drive to Illinois for our second Christmas celebration, which will undoubtedly be just as wonderful as the first! We have a great lineup: “Christmas morning” with the immediate fam, followed by a celebration for Mitch’s mom’s side of the family. We’re also planning on visiting the new lake house–almost finished!–and spending one last New Years (with my BFF Erica–more on that later) in Mitch’s parents’ house before they permanently move out to the lake.
Best Christmas ever? I think so. One lucky girl right here. Year after year, life just continues to get better and better!
While I’ll be posting as much as possible, please excuse my lack of regularity over these next few days… ;)
