One Fine Day

One of my favorite things about this season is walking into Starbucks and ordering a Christmas drink in a decorative cup! The cups this year are especially pretty - I've made it a personal goal to get one of each pattern hahah. There are lots of different holiday drinks to try, but here are my top 5:

I find myself getting overwhelmed with the Black Friday sales! That's why I organized all the best ones into this post. There is so much to shop from between clothes, shoes, cosmetics, furniture, electronics....where to begin?? I narrowed all the items down into categories - that way you can refer to the "Electronics" section for deals on TVs and things like that! I also listed the promotions that all major retailers are offering for this weekend. I added some of my picks from my favorite stores, too. Enjoy!

Welcome to the simplest Thanksgiving recipe ever! If you usually opt for the canned cranberry sauce at the holidays, you HAVE to give this a shot instead this year. I always went straight for the can before I knew how easy it was to make my own. One day I picked up some Ocean Spray fresh cranberries and discovered the homemade recipe printed on the back of the bag. This is my third year in a row making it myself since I first tried it ☺️ It only takes 3 ingredients and 10-15 minutes!

Anyway, just a couple of things before I get to the recipe. First, I found this silicone cranberry mold from Williams Sonoma, and it makes the sauce into the most beautiful shape. As of today it's unavailable online, but they might have them in store. Also, this recipe works for both jellied sauce and whole-cranberry sauce. You can even double the recipe for a larger crowd or make it in advance and store it in the fridge....less to do on Thanksgiving day!










I only like the jellied sauce, so I strain the sauce into a glass bowl and then transfer it into the mold. You could also strain it directly into the mold, but I do the bowl first to make sure the sauce doesn't drip all over the mold. Also - this mold is very deep, so if you want a thick, tall jellied sauce I would at least double the recipe. If you're cooking, I hope you try this on Thursday! xoxo

I found this little jumper dress at the mall the other day, and I have been SO excited about it ever since! It's the perfect fall piece - the brown multicolored style is darling, and you can change it up in different ways depending on what kind of weather you're in. I styled it here with a cream turtleneck, black boots, and a navy baker cap, but you could also add tights, tall socks, OTK boots, or a long coat if you're in cooler temps.









This is the first year in 4 years I'm not working retail Black Friday...I don't even remember what it's like to be home after the big dinner hahah. I worked at Hollister for the past few years and spent all night (about 11pm-11am) crushed into the store with hundreds of people. A couple of years I also went back in to close the store until 10pm Friday night too! It was actually kind of fun to be with my coworker friends all night among the mayhem, but I definitely am glad my days of dealing with those crowds and long hours are behind me.

Anyway! I hope this post has given you some inspiration for your Thanksgiving day outfit...I'll be back with that super easy homemade cranberry sauce tutorial :)

Hi friends! This poncho scarf has been in my closet for a month, and it's finally been cool enough to put it on over a sweater! It's kind of like wearing a blanket, but it has arm holes haha. It's so nice to wrap yourself in while you're outside in the gusty wind. I'm wanna get the red & black checkered color too (find it here) because it's 30% off right now 😁 Also! This white sweater is so soft and has a really comfy neck - it's looser, not tight like a turtleneck.  These are the $40 boots I've mentioned several times...I am loving them this fall!! Aaaand my jeans are on clearance for $18 - the rips in the knees are my fav.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?! I'm not hahah. Time is passing by way too quickly for me! Although it will be nice to make dinner again this year like I did last year with my sister. I'm dying to share this recipe I learned for homemade cranberry sauce. It's SO easy - water, sugar, and whole cranberries. I think I'm either going to put it up this week or next week so you can use it for the big day!

In other news - It's devastating to hear about the fires we have going on here in CA. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose everything, especially just before the holidays. All of the victims & firefighters are in my prayers ❤️

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

Let me be the first to say this post is LONG overdue! I meant to publish it just after our trip, but it's so lengthy that I kept putting it on the back burner. I'm determined to share it, though, because I still think about the food from Charleston even after two months of being home! I didn't have one bad meal (or snack) while I was there - everything was outstanding, which is not something I can say about my other trips! Here are all the places we ate according to city:



Poogan's Porch
This converted house is so near and dear to my heart. I had heard about their food over and over again prior to visiting, and when it was finally my turn to eat there it was so special and exciting! I envisioned going for Sunday brunch after church, and that's exactly what we did. It was kind of a miracle too, because we were able to get a table despite not making reservations far in advance (we tried to make them the night before...too late). The food was soooo yummy, and the restaurant is about as Charleston-y as you can get. While they offer traditional dishes, they put their own spin on everything. Their biscuits are phenomenal!!







Normandy Farm Artisan Bakery
I love this cute little place! It doesn't look like much, but it really is a gem. Every time we stopped to eat in Charleston, I was continually shocked by how yummy the food was. I would order something seemingly ordinary, then found it was definitely extraordinary once I tried it! We just stopped for a snack here, but we got a slice of key lime pie and a quiche. Soooo goooood. I wish I could eat there right now!




Daniel Island Grille
We stopped here for dinner during our day trip to Daniel Island. It's a fun place! It has a pretty standard All-American menu and a nice patio area. We really enjoyed the food here, and sitting outside during sunset made it even better. Definitely recommend it if you ever visit! I don't have a picture here because by the time we got there, the sun was almost set and it was too dark.

Lost Dog Cafe
This is such a fun cafe, and I can pretty much guarantee you haven't been to a place like it before! It's a little beach town restaurant that has donated pictures of cute doggies all over the place. They have a typical American menu for the most part, but they also have some interesting things that don't necessarily sound as good as they are. They rotate different salads weekly, and we got some sort of broccoli and vinegar one. It may sound weird but it was really good...so much so that we ordered one, finished it, then ordered another. PS - I didn't know we were going to this restaurant when I put that shirt on - it was a coincidence! Hehehe




Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
It really is splendid 😊 This is a new, trendy place with unique flavors (some dairy-free), like Lemon Buttermilk and Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows. I had a hard time deciding on just one flavor, but I chose the Salted Caramel and was not disappointed!! That is, by the flavor at least....the price was not so fun at $8/scoop, but hey you gotta live a little!




BKeD Shop
Gourmet doughnuts, coffee, shakes, and the BEST milk on the planet. I would go back there just for their whole milk - I had no idea it would be on another level. The doughnuts are really fun flavors, too. My other favorite thing about this place is how it is decorated - I love all the details and the overall look!









Little Duck Diner
We came here for dinner when we first arrived in Savannah, primarily because it was one of the only places open haha. If you read my Georgia blog post (find it here), you know that Savannah closes up quite early. There weren't many options, but luckily this one turned out to be pretty great. It's kind of like a high-end Denny's. It is diner food, but it's more upscale and has a much nicer atmosphere than a typical diner. We had a lot of fun here!!




Collin's Quarter
This is the place you want to make sure you go to in Savannah. It's extremely popular, and for good reason. Really fabulous menu, great ambiance, friendly staff, nice-looking restaurant - I thoroughly enjoyed lunch here. I got a burger and the beef was SO juicy and flavorful!! I hear brunch is the best meal there...would have loved to try it!




River Street Sweets
I have one reason for mentioning this place: taffy. The best taffy. EVER. Oh my gosh I still think about it! I tried to get taffy at Disneyland after we got home and it didn't even come close hahah! They also have the best pralines too, and they pass out warm, fresh samples. Ahhhh :)



Churchill's Gastropub
We chose this place because we drove by it the night before and it looked pretty cool. We spotted the rooftop patio (complete with pretty lights) from afar and decided to go there for dinner. We had a really nice time! The food was great and so was the service. There were only two other guys on the roof who were just having drinks, so our waiter pulled up a chair and chatted with us most of our meal. And that was when I knew we weren't in CA anymore! ;)




Pizza Time - St. Augustine
I know this is a bold statement, but this is the best pizza I've ever had. I haven't been to Italy or NY so I can't say it's the best in the world but....I would argue it could be! We enjoyed this place soooo much I can't begin to tell you. We were not expecting to like a random pizza shop as much as we did, but I can't even describe how good it was. Italian New Yorkers are running the place, so that kind of gives you an idea. Don't skip the olives, whatever you do!





Raglan Road - Orlando
Be sure to go here if you go to Disney Springs! We actually worked Orlando into our trip itinerary because we love this family restaurant + pub so much and were dying to go back. They have an awesome menu and Irish stepdancers that perform each night. Just a heads up - the dancers finish by 10pm, and the menu changes to a more condensed list (but is still great). Below is a photo of me with a Guinness shake? (I forgot what it was) and a chocolate soufflé, then a photo of a beef stew in a little cauldron. Yum!!!

The Boathouse - Orlando
This is another fab place at Disney Springs. There are lots and lots of options there when it comes to restaurants, and this is a great choice for a nice, dressier lunch or dinner. I do like the food here (it's pretty good), but I wouldn't rave about it like I have with some of the other places. Also, beware of outdoor seating if you get seasick. The tables outside are on a dock, and you can sense the waves hitting the pillars underneath the tables. If you're sensitive to motion like I am, you may get very nauseous.


I think the fact that I remembered all these details about the food 2 months after the trip speaks to how good it was. Charleston had the best food, hands down. You can't go wrong there - everything we tried was just so good! There were lots of places I didn't get to, so I hope to go back some day and try the rest. Writing this has exposed me to the worst case of wanderlust haha...I miss traveling! Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this and maybe even found it useful if you're going to be in any of these areas - thanks so much for reading! xoxoxo