Hello Saturday, Volume 7
Happy Saturday friends!
Anyone else find it hard to believe it’s December already? 2020 has been the strangest year — so many aspects of the year have been slow moving and quite monotonous, yet the days have flown by so fast I have to consciously remind myself that the end of the year is quickly approaching. Like most people, I’m looking forward to bidding farewell to 2020 and starting a clean slate in 2021, but I’m also looking forward to enjoying the upcoming holidays and ending the year on a positive note first.
Holidays aside, December is one of my favorite months of the year because it’s also my birth month. Later this month on December 21st, I’ll be celebrating my 29th birthday and I have so many mixed feelings about it; on one hand, I’m anxious about closing the final chapter of my 20s, but on the other hand, I’m so excited because I know my best days are ahead of me. I’m almost 30, thriving, and happier than I’ve ever been before. Getting older, while scary, is also kind of fun, who’d have thought!?
As per typical Saturday, I started my day with a hot cup of coffee and a bit of relaxation. Knowing we hadn’t had much outside time with the dog over the past week, Alex and I decided to take Mogul on a two mile walk bright and early this morning; let me tell you, it felt oh so good to breathe in the crisp morning air and enjoy the sunshine and blue skies. After the walk, we spent the remainder of the morning raking and burning pine straw in our back yard. I love getting fresh air and spending as much time in the daylight as possible, especially in these shorter days of winter.
As for the rest of the weekend, I’m looking forward to finally bringing a little joy and festiveness into my life. Today I plan to bring out the Christmas tree and decorate the house for the holidays (I have to be one of the last to do so, haha). While I decorate, I’m going to watch The Grinch and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate as I go. I’m making a pot of chili for dinner tonight, then I imagine we’ll cozy in and relax the rest of the night away. I’m working on creating my December bucket list and writing lots of other blog content which has me feeling super excited for the weeks to come. Be on the lookout for the following posts throughout this month:
My December bucket list
Bloopers — check out last year’s version
My favorite music releases from 2020
29 things I’ve learned in 29 years — will share on December 21st!
A Merry Christmas post, of course
A 2020 recap post — what I did, what I’ve learned, and everything in between
Highlight of the Week: Cozy reading sessions and homemade pumpkin spice lattes!
Earlier this week, I started reading Daisy Jones & The Six and let’s just say I’m obsessed so far. One third of the way into the book, I find myself wishing Daisy Jones & The Six were a real band so I could hear Daisy and Billy sing “Honeycomb” live in concert. A good book transports you from real life into the lives of the written characters and Daisy Jones & The Six has done just that for me. The book is written as if it were a recollection of real life events from a subset of real people who struggled with addiction, alcoholism, greed, and so much more. I can feel myself living life alongside Daisy in the 1970s and for someone like me who never experienced that decade, it’s pretty remarkable that I can see myself alive in that era. I’ve loved every page of the journey so far and couldn’t recommend the book with any higher regards.
What I’ve Been Watching:
The Bachelorette. Eazy got sent home, Bennett and Noah have some teenage boy drama going on between them, the some of the guys have started revealing deeper things about themselves. I love when tv makes time to address serious inequality and mental health issues. Hearing the guys talk about racial injustice, drug addiction, and eating disorders has been such a welcomed change of pace for the franchise. Sometimes I feel the show is afraid of those topics and wants to find the most perfect suitors, but this season I feel there is a lot more normalcy in the cast. Post-Clare, the show has actually been good this time around.
The Voice Season 19. Finally got around to catching up on The Voice this past week. I’m still a few episodes behind, but I hate watching live tv, so I don’t mind it! These four judges are my favorite panel; I love their humor and the way their personalities mesh so well on screen.
What I've Been Listening to — Music & Podcasts:
Your Top Songs 2020 from Spotify. I love when Spotify reveals their annual personalized playlists and gives listeners a greater glimpse into what music was listened to most throughout the year. To no surprise, my top artist of 2020 was Taylor Swift (again), followed by Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Halsey (girl power!). Kind of surprising though, my top five songs of 2020 were all from folklore, which made me laugh. Spotify told me I listened to nearly 1000 artists this year, discovered 200 some new artists, listened to so many songs before they reached 10,000 streams, yet the queen remains #1 in all categories!
VELVET by Adam Lambert. I’ve been making my way through albums released in 2020 and was shocked by how much I liked this one.
After Hours by The Weeknd. Obviously there’s a lot of controversy over The Weeknd’s Grammy snubs this year, but aside from Blinding Lights, I admit I don’t really find the same enjoyment others feel with this project. His talent is undeniable, but I guess this album isn’t really my style. Maybe you’ll enjoy it though — that’s why I share!
weird! by YUNGBLUD. I have no idea where this guy came from, but I love his music. I first heard him on the track I Think I’m OKAY last year and I’ve been excited to hear more music from him ever since. He’s got a unique style unlike anyone else in music and the alternative pop/rock type sound he brings to the table makes me so nostalgic for the music of my youth.
Southern Symphony by Russell Dickerson. I really liked his single Love You Like I Used To, so I was happy to see this album finally drop yesterday. I listened to the whole album this morning; my favorite from the first listen was the title track, Southern Symphony.
From Around the Web:
I’m going to switch things up this week! As I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping throughout the week, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my recent purchases. Happy shopping!
I need more coffee crewneck. I found this browsing Instagram and I’m a sucker for coffee-related cozies. Plus, the purchase supports a small business — what a win!
Oversized sherpa denim jacket. I’m really excited about this find. Anything denim meets sherpa belongs in my closet.
Will run for coffee socks. Again, coffee cozies.
OFFLINE Aerie leggings. I heard these are the real deal, so let’s see.
Cozy sherpa crewneck. Nothing says winter like sherpa. So many colorful options to chose from.
Oversized specially dyed tunic sweatshirt. I’m such a fan girl when it comes to tie dye.
Oversized plaid flannel boyfriend shirt. These are my favorite — I have two already, but added another color.
Faux fur lounge tunic sweatshirt. THIS!!! It’s basically a blanket in sweatshirt form. Comes in two colors.
Fleece joggers. I bought them yesterday and I’ve been wearing them all day. Must buy for sure.
That’s all she wrote for today. Wishing you all a good weekend ahead.
Enjoy!
JB