I guess I'm learning, little by little, that we decide what our lives are going to be. Things happen to us, but it is our reactions that matter. - Felicity

I sadly finished the last episode a few days ago. (Tears may or may not have been involved.) It never ceases to amaze me how much of a sap I can still be about my favorite onscreen narratives, and how attached I grow to fictional characters. But fictional or not, their impactful stories are undeniably rooted in—or at least inspired by—someone's reality, right? Which means, when given a name and a face, we can surely relate to, feel for, and yes, even learn from these imagined personas.

So I'm taking a page from Felicity's book this year. New phase, new mantra. From 2016 onward, no matter what the circumstances, I choose to take complete ownership of my words and (re)actions. I decide what my life becomes.

SPOILER/SIDEBAR: Even though Felicity totally should have ended up with Noel, I'll find it in my heart to forgive her (and the writers). But that's another conversation for another time.

More wise words by Felicity here + photo by Touchstone Television, via Happy Hands Project.

You can usually tell how my new year is going by how long it takes me to post my "year in review." January 9th isn't too horrible, right? It could be worse.

Anyhow, cutting to the chase... Two thousand fifteen was pretty extraordinary. (And if I say that about every year, well, I really mean it this time. In fact, 2015 put the year before it to shame.)

For starters, Scott asked me to be his wife last January. Eight months later, we got married in the beautiful Texas hill country, with 150 of our nearest and dearest as witnesses. September 19th, as cliché as it sounds, was one of the best days of my life thus far—and our honeymoon in Canoe Bay, Wisconsin was the sweetest cherry on top of the whole experience.

After a year and a half of working as an Engineering Technician, July offered me a blessing in disguise when I lost my job at a rather unstable oil company. What does one do when jobless? Travel, of course! My mom and I joined our best friends in a girls' trip to Charleston, where we ate our way through downtown and drank our weight in red wine and coffee.

Other travels throughout the year included a four-day trip to New York City to visit a beloved friend, a long weekend in New Orleans with the siblings, a beach vacay in Florida, and a family reunion in Fredericksburg.

In August, to my relief and elation, I was hired on at Weddings in Houston Magazine, an award-winning regional publication (and the first company I ever interned with in college). The last quarter of 2015 was spent getting to know my amazing team members and learning the ins and outs of my industry of choice. Four months later, I'm still excited to go to work every day.

Needless to say, the close of 2015 marks the beginning of a long journey ahead. The dawn of married life with my best friend, and the start of a career I'm passionate about. Good as 2015 was, I dreaded the end as it drew near. Too many exciting changes and good memories are wrapped up in that one year, and it was tough to leave it all behind.

Two thousand sixteen will be about settling into this new life of mine, growing comfortable in my surroundings, and finding joy in the little things. A beautiful unfolding.

Honestly, I have a feeling 2016 will be my favorite year yet.


Photo of wedding by Chelsi Johnston.

But that doesn't mean I can't admire from afar those who have got this hectic-holiday-productivity thing down. The internet is chock-full of creative ideas for the colder months, and I personally get so much satisfaction from browsing through the best of them. In fact, since I'm feeling so inspired, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links this week, just in case you're in need of a little December inspiration yourself. :-)

Happy reading!


Eggnog + hot chocolate = Eggnog Hot Chocolate. Yes, please!

I've never made gingerbread cookies from scratch before, but after seeing this fun tutorial, I definitely want to start...

I'd love to decorate our dining room table like this for dinner with friends. So simple and pretty.

Holiday traditions are what make this time of year so much fun, and this sweet family of six has a few great ones.

Thanksgiving is America's favorite holiday for so many reasons, but I love it first and foremost because it lends itself to tradition yet is steeped in simplicity. On this glorious Thursday of all Thursdays, costumes are irrelevant, gifts are unnecessary, and even decorations are optional. In fact, all you need to have an incredible Thanksgiving Day is loving family by your side, delicious food to enjoy, and a sense of gratitude for both.

But when traveling to see said family is simply not an option (because you're on-call to work the next day), and it's up to you to provide all of the delicious food for your tiny family... Well, you have to learn to make do. Which is why, based on my recent experience of trial-and-error, I've come up with a simple seven-step guide to creating a successful Thanksgiving meal—and overall, a happy Turkey Day—for two.

Step 1: Draw out a Turkey Day menu and timeline.

 Even though I'm not all that great of a cook, when it came to preparing for the Thanksgiving feast, I had time on my side: long before November arrived, I knew would be in charge of my own family's (read: mine and Scott's) holiday meal, so I planned accordingly.

First on my to-do list, of course, was to draw up a solid menu. This was the fun part. While my typical Thanksgiving dinner of previous years consisted of comfort food with a Cajun twist, Scott grew up eating the traditional Thanksgiving dishes—roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread stuffing—which seemed like an obvious starting point. But, if I was going to do this right, I would need instructions to follow every step of the way. That's where Pinterest came in handy.

Within ten minutes, I had chosen a recipe for the turkey and one for each side I planned to make. After skimming them all, I then came up with a strict timeline for the big day. (I've been known to spend hours on end putzing around in the kitchen, so having something to keep me on track was a lifesaver; it eliminated any potential stress from cooking so many things at once, and it helped ensure we ate before 8pm.)

Step 2: Bake dessert ahead of time.

Expecting to be in the kitchen for the better part of Thursday, I decided to cut my future self some slack by whipping up a scrumptious dessert the day before. Pumpkin pie seemed like a great choice because 1) unlike a cherry crisp or apple pie, it keeps well in the fridge overnight and is best served cold, and 2) it makes for a delicious Thanksgiving Day breakfast. Don't judge, mine was paleo. (Which brings me to another lesson learned... skip the paleo desserts on Thanksgiving. They may save you a few calories, but nothing beats the real thing.)

Step 3: Delegate responsibility. 

Just because you've volunteered to be in charge of the Thanksgiving cuisine this year doesn't mean you have to do it all single-handedly. The key to also enjoying your day is recruiting assistance when you need it. For example, don't be afraid to nicely ask your husband to de-giblet and rinse the turkey as you prepare the stuffing. Because as much as you want to impress him with your mad kitchen skills, putting your hand up a giant bird's butt and pulling out loose body parts is not your idea of fun. Let's be real, that's what husbands are for. Plus, if he's anything like mine, he'll be happy to pitch in.

Step 4: Clean as you go.

This one's self-explanatory. The more dishes you wash before sitting down to dinner, the less you'll have to clean up afterwards, when you find yourself teetering on the edge of a massive food coma. Do yourself a favor and clean as you go. (I may have learned this the hard way...)

Step 5: Resist the urge to drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

Around 2pm, while the turkey was roasting in the oven, the stuffing was cooking in the crockpot, and the potatoes were boiling on the stove, I figured it was the perfect time to throw together my version of this refreshing Holiday Sangria and take a break from the heat of the kitchen. Probably my biggest mistake of the day. A glass (or two) later of the bubbly drink, and I was not feeling my best. (Even though, I must say, it was absolutely delicious.) While I was more than able to finish up the last of the cooking—I had come thus far, and nothing was going to stop me now—the mess I made trying to light-headedly handle turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies was so overwhelmingly huge that I almost had a mental breakdown trying to clean it all up. (Thank God for my super accommodating, completely sober, and mentally stable Scotty, who did a wonderful job calming me down.) The moral of the story: don't drink on an empty stomach, even if it is a holiday.

Step 6: Fill up your plate... And go back for seconds.

This is the one day a year that you can eat all the carbs you want without feeling guilty. Why stop at one plate?

Step 7: Wind down with a movie, your beloved, and (finally) a drink.

By now, chances are you're pretty tired, painfully stuffed, and nursing a few battle wounds from the day's events (thanks to the new set of very sharp kitchen knives you received as a wedding gift). Once the leftovers are safely stowed away in the fridge and the dishes are washed and dried, feel free to take a load off by snuggling on the couch with your man and sipping on a glass of sangria. Because there's simply nothing better than relaxing after a rewardingly busy day. And, let's be honest, you've earned it. :-)

Happy belated Thanksgiving, my friends. Hope it was splendid!

The hubster generously gifted me with this beauty for my birthday, and ever since, I've been dying to spend a whole day snapping photos of something other than my neighborhood. So when Scott recommended we spend our free Saturday at Ren Fest last weekend, I knew it'd be the perfect opportunity to try out my newest prized possession.

Well, as expected, the camera is perfect in so many ways: it's lightweight and easy to maneuver without compromising on photo quality—exactly what I was hoping for! My camera skills, however, are a bit rusty these days. It saddens me to admit that I don't shoot nearly as much as I used to, and when I do bother to pick up a camera (instead of my handy dandy iPhone), the Auto setting is my best friend. Oh, the shame! My college self would be extremely disappointed in my current lack of ambition. I'm hoping that this new trinket of mine will boost my desire to practice, practice, practice.

But, Ren Fest. First of all, I don't know why I don't make it a point to go every year. When we do go, it's always a blast! Flame jugglers, jousting knights, mulled wine, the most creative medieval costumes you've ever seen... Honestly, what's not to love? But I will say, this time, the highlight of my day was running into THE Sanderson Sisters. (If you don't know of those I speak, you don't deserve to know. Okay, just kidding.) If you know me at all, you're probably aware of my longtime obsession with the movie Hocus Pocus—so as you can imagine, I was completely beside myself. Scott had to quite literally shove me towards them, I was so nervous, in order to take a photo. But we got it, thank heavens, a portrait of me and three of the coolest 17th century witches around!

...I may have even pulled Winnie aside to ask her if they'd be interested in adding a fourth witch to Hocus Pocus the Sequel (#shameless). She said she'd call me.

All I remember about Venice was the gelato.

Two, no, three scoops of velvety stracciatella and coffee flavored heaven piled high atop a crunchy waffle cone, every bite floating over my tongue like a cloud. And the pizza! The pizza was pretty life-changing, too, even if it was thin-crust. (Give me Chicago-style deep dish any day, unless I'm in Italy.)

Then there were the masks—hundreds of them, of all different colors and intricate designs—hanging from store ceilings and placed strategically in shop windows, staring you down as you crossed the narrow lanes and swerved through strangers. We finally gave in and bought each a one (red wire for me, gold papier-mache for Kristen) and wore them to a fancy masquerade feast with the rest of the group.

But before that, a (seemingly) drunk Italian man in a striped uniform steered us through the canals of Venice by gondola, rowing oar in one hand and half-empty beer bottle in another. It was something else, that gondola ride—enchantingly romantic, with the beautiful views and a mid-afternoon breeze and curious onlookers crossing bridges above—almost as wonderful as the gelato.