“Would you ever consider a Monday update?” a reader named Molly commented last week. “It could be a mini complement to the ‘Have a Great Weekend’ posts. I’m always curious how the party went, which dress you chose, how the play/movie was, etc. Would be a fun way to jump into the week.”
What a sweet note! And I love hearing about other people’s weekends, too. So, let’s do a little catch-up, if you’re in the mood. How was your weekend? Did you celebrate Thanksgiving? Watch any good shows or read any good books? I’ll go first…
My dad came to visit (the boys were visiting Alex’s side of the family), and it felt so special to have one-on-one time, which we haven’t had much of since before the boys were born. For Thanksgiving dinner, we drove to spend time with Freddie’s family.
We did the New Yorker crossword puzzle en route…
…and I brought a bag full of treats — a fun puzzle for Freddie’s sister, fancy hand wash for his mom, Italian wine for his dad, and the best book I read this year for Freddie. Also, I wrapped the presents in John Derian wrapping paper, which comes with gift tags and is so gorgeous!
The evening was lovely — here, Freddie and I were heading out for a quick walk before we all sat down to dinner — and we also played foosball and goofed around with kids and ate the most delicious creamy green beans. I always find it fun and fascinating to join another family for Thanksgiving because people have such specific recipes and traditions. Side note: Why don’t we eat pumpkin pie year round??
My aunts — Janey and Lulu — sent photos of their celebration over in England, too. How cute are they? Would you be interested in a beauty uniform from Janey? (Lulu’s was really fun to put together:)
Once we returned home, my dad and I watched Frasier reruns, as one does. My mom always says Daphne reminds her of her own mother, and since her mom died when I was two, I love watching the show and thinking about what she must have been like.
My dad also balanced my car tires (legit did not know that was a thing) and helped me update our living room photo wall. Every couple years, I try to swap in photos of the boys at their current ages, so it doesn’t end up feeling like a shrine to their toddler selves!
One evening, we had friends over for a casual snack-y hang, and my friend’s son showed off his magic tricks. How cute are the grandparents?
Whenever we have a houseful of people, I think of Catherine Newman’s home tour. “Our door area is chaotic,” she says. “When I saw this poster at a friend’s house, it made me think, Oh right, this mess is a value instead of a liability.”
Speaking of Catherine Newman, she gave her daughter an L.L. Bean bag with these monogrammed letters “just to make her laugh.” Made me laugh, too!
Finally, after my dad headed home to Michigan, I had a few hours to myself, and I visited the John Derian shop and admired the cakes at From Lucie. Life has had some ups and downs lately, so this weekend felt like a tonic. Now I cannot WAIT for the boys to come home — always feels so good to have the chickies back in the nest!!!
Now, please tell me, if you’d like, about your weekend — the highs, the lows, anything you’d like to share. Lots of love, as always. xoxo
P.S. 10 readers share happy moments, and the best movie I’ve seen in ages.
