Black Watch Plaid Dress (Also available here. And love the pants and the shirt versions. And I love this plaid dress and skirt, which I also have.) / Michael Hill Pearl Bracelet c/o Over-the-Knee Boots (Favorite more affordable pair here. They’re waterproof and on sale!) / Mitch’s Shirt, Blazer and Sperrys

Mitch here!

Merry Christmas from sunny New Orleans” is a sentence I never thought I’d hear myself say or see myself type. But my brother- and sister-in-law have dedicated themselves to saving people’s lives in New Orleans–the jerks!–and since they just started their new jobs, they couldn’t take time off. So yada yada yada: we flew to Louisiana for the holidays.

How strange yet wonderful an experience to join a family and embrace their seasonal traditions. And how impressive it is for a family to throw those same traditions out the window so they can simply be together.

Kelly’s family always does Christmas right. They typically–and this is true–pile the whole family (cousins, aunts, uncles, Grammie and …Mitch) into a ski house at the foot of Mount Snow (real name) in Vermont (of course) where they ski all day (I know) and warm up by the fire with hot cocoa and cookies at night. (Again, this actually happens.)

Snow shoeing occurs. There’s enough plaid to make you dizzy. Each meal–from bagels with lox for breakfast and pizza after mass to eggs Benedict on Christmas morning and Uncle Dave’s divine Christmas steak dinner–is steeped in traditional grandeur. Kelly’s family members make their own Christmas ornaments. They hide a pickle in the tree and then let Kelly’s brother find it every year. (He’s 28.)

I just read that last line to Danny, my brother-in-law. His response?

“I’m the only one who ever looks for it!”

But hark! Here I am with a hurricane melting in my hand and a belly full of gumbo. My stomach is upset but my heart is full! Yes, I miss Vermont and Kelly’s extended family. A lot. But this whole experience has reminded me that Christmas is about togetherness–whether achieved by flying to New Orleans or hanging out via FaceTime.

Still, this year is a little different than Christmases past. So I think it’s my job to bring the cheer to both Kelly and Emma like some kind of zydeco marching band drum-leader with a Santa hat on. I have my work cut out for me, as Kelly Larkin in the hardest person on the planet to shop for. Just imagine: a fashion blogger with impeccable taste and a clueless husband with no ideas.

Thank goodness for Michael Hill Jewelers. If you’re lucky enough to live in New York, Chicago or Minneapolis, you have the perfect last-minute gift paradise at the ready. This place is a sure thing, with over 500 luxury pieces and an in-house team of master craftsmen. MHJ (as we have started calling it) has been doing this for 30 years, and the company’s incredibly friendly staff helped this clueless husband to no end. They saved Christmas!

Michael Hill Jewelers is currently running a “100 Gifts under $100” promotion, which is right up Mitch Larkin’s alley. Here are five “Kelly gift ideas” that I came up with:

  1. Dolphin Stud Earrings: I’ve spoken at length about my affection for marine mammals, and these earrings are flippin’ (get it?) majestic. They remind me of a very special trip to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium!
  2. Cultured Freshwater Pearl Necklace: Kelly recently gave her mom this necklace and she hasn’t stopped talking about it since.
  3. Leaf Pendant: Chicks dig leaves?
  4. Heart Pendant: The idea here was to buy something heart-shaped first, and then figure out a sentimental angle afterwards.
  5. Freshwater Pearl Bracelet: And the winner is… this gorgeous pearl bracelet! Kelly wears pearls every day, but somehow doesn’t have a pearl bracelet. Also, she struggles to match her white gold engagement and wedding rings with the rest of her accessories. (The struggle is real.) And, not to be a weirdo about this, but the bracelet is only $49!

We are renovating our kitchen and made a pact to do “literally no gifts” as a result. (A pact that I fully intended on breaking even when agreeing to it.) With all the chaos in our lives and the interruptions to Kelly’s Christmas traditions, though, I wanted to do something special for her. The gift was so good that she wasn’t even mad when I surprised her on our first day in New Orleans.

Who knows? Maybe Christmas in New Orleans will be our new tradition–with beignets set out for Santa and a steaming vat of jambalaya for Mitch. It could be the hurricane talking, but we’re having a great time!

Mitch. Out.

Shop the post:

Black Watch Plaid Dress (Also available here. And love the pants and the shirt versions. And I love this plaid dress and skirt, which I also have.) / Michael Hill Pearl Bracelet c/o Over-the-Knee Boots (Favorite more affordable pair here. They’re waterproof and on sale!) / Mitch’s Shirt, Blazer and Sperrys

In collaboration with Michael Hill Jewelers. All opinions are my own. As always, thank you so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!