Let’s face it: We work hard for the holidays! That’s why even though they’ve passed, I want to give them a bit of recognition (then onto those January 2019 goals!).
The Craft Fairs
This was my busiest craft fair season yet! Meaning I had two fairs, but for a low-key side hustler like myself, this is a big deal! And it’s also a lot of work.
But I think it really paid off! The Black Friday Makers Market + Pub-Crawl was really a lot of fun. It started out pretty
The peak of the craft fair season (yes, the two-show season), though, was the Cream City Creatives show. It was a 2018 goal of mine to set up shop at a show in Milwaukee and I did it! it was a lot of fun! My heart was warmed to see a lot of my friends and family come out. A sweet pal of mine, hot off the heels of a months-long trip, stopped by – and she took home my one-and-only Gilmore Girls hoop. That made me feel pretty good.
The Food
December is always a good month for food. I mean, the Christmas cookies alone. But this month was particularly good because I got to hit up a new haunt: Don’s Diner.
Inside, it’s precisely the vibe I like. A mix of old-fashioned soda fountain and Grandpa’s den. It’s really great. And the food and drinks are top-notch. I ate every single bite of the Naughty Angel burger (a brisket burger topped with beer cheese sauce) and had the best flourless chocolate cake – with fermented raspberry sauce (trust me, actually very good) – ever. I want to go back all the time.
I also baked up some classics and new recipes this year. Obviously, pioneer molasses and cream cheese pillows were on the docket. I also made this Nantucket cranberry tart (good reviews), this mint-chocolate chip cheesecake (great reviews) and this silky chocolate pie (which I really liked).
The Shopping
I like to take a day off every December to tie up loose ends. Usually, this day is a bit stressful, but thanks to a lot of shopping in advance, this one was pretty chill. In fact, it was almost like taking myself on a date. I had a blast.
First I stopped at Stone Creek Coffee for a few gifts and their hilarious and wonderful seasonal Bumble blend for Christmas morning. It was nice just to relax there for a while and pretend like I was the kind of wealthy person that happens to be out and about in the middle of the day. It’s a fun charade.
However, all that compares to visiting Studio Ric Rak in the Wauwatosa Village. This is hands down, my favorite little antique store. It’s packed to the gills (in a good way, not a cluttered way) with vintage gems all at good prices. I stopped by to pick up a great piece of Pyrex for my mom, but spent most of my time checking out these handmade putz houses. The owner of this shop is so funny and charming and she makes these all from vintage ephemera. I love them.
After stopping by, I called my mom and told her about all the cute putz houses. I got one from Santa for Christmas. How about that. From her lips to Santa’s ears, I tell ya.
The Party!
As you may know, every year Michael and I host a day after Christmas party. I want to call it Boxing Day, but it seems too much to have to explain in case folks don’t know when or what that is. I digress.
I’ll say it: This was probably one of our best parties yet. It went off without a hitch! Without a single hitch (other than the late arrival of a cheese tray)! We managed to throw a party that wasn’t overly stressful and had just the right amount of food (and by that, I mean we still had leftovers, but not enough to last us for a week). This year was pretty darn relaxing. I got to just sit and shoot the breeze with my family while shoving my face full of spinach-artichoke dip and sipping sparkling wine (a new addition to the drink menu). It was great.
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Well, that’s my silly holiday wrap-up. I hope you had a great one, too!
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