Old Navy Houndstooth Coat (Also love this teddy coat, this tartan puffer, this plaid longline coat, this camel topcoat, this buffalo check sherpa jacket, this long navy plaid pea coat, this long camel pea coat, and this shorter camel pea coat. So many amazing–and affordable–options!) / Newer Camel Cashmere Turtleneck (Also love these more affordable options: one, two, three and four) / Mark & Graham Red Crossbody (Also love the cognac!) / Gap Soft Wear Skinny Jeans (I hear this Soft Wear denim jacket is a game changer, btw!) / Sperry Seaport Loafers (Softest and most comfortable loafers I’ve ever owned. Such classics. I’ve had my brown pair for years! Here are all the Seaport styles.) / Ray-Ban Sunglasses
We’re headed down to New Orleans to celebrate Thanksgiving, and I can’t tell you how excited the girls are to see everyone. (My brother and sister-in-law are doctors, and they couldn’t get the time off to fly home for November 28th. So the family decided to simply move Thanksgiving up a few weeks and head down to them!)
It’s funny. I talked about this last year, but in my 20s, I do think I would have been upset about breaking tradition; about being in a warm location for a holiday that I associate with cold weather; about celebrating it on a different day. But now that I’m older and live far away from my family, I’ve completely changed my tune.
For the last two years, we’ve celebrated actual Christmas in an airport so we could have quality time with both my family on the East Coast and Mitch’s family in the Midwest. And this year, we’ll be on our own–our little family of four–here in Chicago for December 25th, since we’ll be celebrating the week before at my parents’ home and then celebrating the following week at my in-laws’ place. (It’s just how everyone’s schedules worked out!) Yes, these changes sometimes feel weird. I remember that little twinge of sadness the first time we broke tradition.
But I’ve come to realize that togetherness > tradition.
Who cares when and where we celebrate? Does it actually matter? My heart tells me no. What matters is my daughters playing play dough with their great grandmother, just as I did as a little girl. Late-night chats on the front porch with Dad over wine. Laughing at Danny’s jokes until our stomachs hurt. (The guy could seriously be one of the world’s most successful comedians. I wish we had a recording of his best man toast at Patrick’s wedding!) Planning Christmas gifts for the girls with Mom, who’s the best gift-giver ever. Getting the tour of Patrick and Kim’s beautiful new home for the first time, and talking about a very exciting addition.
I guess what it comes down to is this: Life is about the subjects in the “photos.” Not the background or the timestamp. ♥️
And with that, I leave you with a cute and very affordable houndstooth coat. Because posting unrelated photos is how I roll on a travel day with two little girls. ;) PRAY FOR ME I FEEL LIKE I’M FORGETTING EVERYTHING.
Shop the post:
Old Navy Houndstooth Coat (Also love this teddy coat, this tartan puffer, this plaid longline coat, this camel topcoat, this buffalo check sherpa jacket, this long navy plaid pea coat, this long camel pea coat, and this shorter camel pea coat. So many amazing–and affordable–options!) / Newer Camel Cashmere Turtleneck (Also love these more affordable options: one, two, three and four) / Mark & Graham Red Crossbody (Also love the cognac!) / Gap Soft Wear Skinny Jeans (I hear this Soft Wear denim jacket is a game changer, btw!) / Sperry Seaport Loafers (Softest and most comfortable loafers I’ve ever owned. Such classics. I’ve had my brown pair for years! Here are all the Seaport styles.) / Ray-Ban Sunglasses
