Tuesday Miscellany: ‘Tis The Season…

liquidambar leaves

We’re still not quite at Peak Foliage here in Southern California, but we’re close…

The holiday season is upon us, and with it the onslaught of sales and special promotions and gift guides. I enjoy shopping for gifts but no longer have a big list of people to buy for. Honestly though, creating gift guides isn’t my forté, and other than one or two targeted areas of interest, I really don’t enjoy doing them. (There, I’ve said it.) I do have one gift guide in the works (to be posted in a few days) and one conceived, but that’s it. However, if there are any specific people or situations you’d like some gift ideas for, just let me know and I’ll be happy to see what I can suggest.

As far as sales go, I will keep an eye out and share anything that I think might interest you, but again, I’m going to be selective, and won’t bombard you with random stuff. For the most part, “regular programming,” seasonally updated, will continue here.

So, sales. Well, Net-a-Porter’s having a big one. It’s not all just high-end designer stuff. Did you know they carry a selection of J.Crew? And Sam Edelman shoes? Clare V bags and accessories? I should mention that they offer free shipping.

v-neck wool cashmere sweater

This Vince wool-cashmere v-neck sweater is 30% off. I have and love this sweater and it will probably be going to Paris with me in a couple of weeks.

blue wool single-breasted coat

Isn’t this the prettiest color? This wool-blend coat is 40% off.

For a limited time, Talbots is offering 30% off all full-price tops and sweaters, and 40% off regular-price shoes and accessories.

fair isle cap with faux fur pompom

Here’s a fun little cap with a faux fur pom-pom.

scalloped edge flats

I like these subtle metallic scalloped edge flats too.

We’re hosting the family Thanksgiving this year, but I’m only going to do minimal cooking, as jeune homme will be with us for the weekend. We’re picking up some pre-made dishes, I’ll cook up some fresh veggies, our aunt is making a turkey, and BIL will be bringing some of his famous Roasted Root Vegetables. We’re keeping it loose and casual. Once I figure out what I’m wearing, I’ll share.

How will you be celebrating Thanksgiving?

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13 Comments

  1. My husband and I head up to beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. My adult children will be with their father, and my parents and in-laws have passed. So my older brother and his family invite us to their time share in Fish Creek (pronounced “Fish Crick’!), It’s a beautiful place, and few tourists at this time of year. We stop for excellent aged cheese on the way up, and I’ll bring three pies I’ll make tonight. The place we stay at has an indoor pool, sauna, and other nice amenities. We’ll extend our visit for the weekend and explore the peninsula. Sometimes it snows, and that’s a beautiful beginning to the season. The day itself will be full of food, of course, and games and reminiscences.
    This will be my first Thanksgiving with my braces on! I am still finding eating a challenge. Not only because of the discomfort, but the “gross” factor. So I will be excusing myself from the table to brush, rinse, pick….(I have already lost 4 pounds due to these!)

    I have barely thought about Christmas, other than knowing that I plan of keeping it as SIMPLE–yet ELEGANT–as possible.

    Have a blessed Thanksgiving and know that I am grateful for your blog, which I read every morning at 5:30 when I get up, coffee in hand.

  2. Your Thanksgiving celebration sounds perfect!
    I am busy thinking about Christmas celebrations and will have nine for lunch ranging from Great Grandad aged 85 to Grandson Henry aged 8 months! I love reading your posts and am in need of some advice. We are travelling to California next April and I need some thoughts on what to pack! We are driving but staying in hotels so will hopefully be able to get some laundry done. Our itinerary is as follows, San Francisco, Amador City, Jamestown, Oakhurst, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Moro Bay, Carmel and back to San Francisco. So I have no idea what the weather will be like and will it vary from the coast to inland.
    Some tips and advice would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks, Jane

    1. If I may jump in here. Temps can vary considerably in California, but basically for April daytime temps, SF will be cool and foggy, 50’s -60’s with pockets of sunny and warmer areas where the fog burns off. Inland in the Gold Country, Sierra foothills, it can be warmer and sunny, 60’s -70’s but with cooler nights. Santa Maria a bit inland, but is on a coastal plain, and thus can get cool and foggy, or be warmer and sunny if the fog burns off, 60’s and 70’s. Santa Barbara is likely to be cool and foggy, as the town is right between the coast and a mountain range. If you head over the mountain range to go wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley, it can be much warmer and sunny, so coast 60’s, inland possible 70’s. Same with Morro Bay and Carmel. Along the coast probably foggy but inland can be much warmer and sunny. Sometimes the coastal areas can be sunny and a little warmer in the afternoons if the fog manages to burn off. Hope that helps.

  3. I saw a young woman in a hot pink coat last weekend, and she was so fresh amid a sea of black and brown.
    Another thing I’ve noticed around here: colored tights. Red, turquoise, purple, orange, green, even floral. Too many for it to be a coincidence.

  4. I will be assisting lovely DIL as she hosts her first Thanksgiving for her large family. She has 7 brothers and sisters and most will be attending. It will be different for Mr. K and I since two of our three sons won’t be with us. So I feel more like part of the catering crew than guest, but that is ok. DIL has celebrated at our home for the last 10 years and hosting for her family is a big deal. Within the last 5 years, they lost both mother and father, so this celebration is important for them. I will be wearing a comfortable mariniere tee and very nice jeans (not my usual Thanksgiving attire, but I will be busy.)

    And the day after, I head for Boston for a week, stopping by middle son’s house in Central MA for lunch with the grandkids. Youngest son will be heading for Hong Kong on Thanksgiving Day to visit his new wife’s grandparents, and she graciously offered their apartment in the North End to us for a week. Very excited!

  5. Love those silver flats!
    I have started my Christmas shopping but we never really go overboard with gift giving. I prefer to keep things simple and try to find consumable hostess gifts these days as we all have enough stuff!
    Your leaf image is so lovely it would make a great greeting card !

  6. We are hosting Thanksgiving this year with both of our children coming in. With friends and family we will be 9 or 10 people. I love Thanksgiving, but while I have simplified the menu to some degree 3 celiacs and 3 lactose intolerant people in the mix complicates food matters! I’ve been doing this awhile, so I will manage, but it does make more work. I am wearing black crepe pants and top with bare top of sleeve. Cooler for the kitchen!

  7. We don’t have Thanks.Giving in Australia, so Christmas Eve it is for me & my family, I’m a Finn so still celebrate Christmas on the Eve!! It will be at my house usually around 14 of us! I do most if not all of the cooking as I & family still prefer my Finnish Christmas food, I prepare ahead few dishes which can be frozen, & cook last minute ones on the Eve, Usually get up around 5am!! By the time it’s evening I’m so tired that I flake out on the couch, hot & sweaty thanks to our hot weather!! The next day Christmas Day I prefer to do nothing but lie on my couch in nightie, & look at the crumbled up wrapping paper, toys still half undone, bits of wire etc strewn all around from gadgets, batteries that need to be put in toys, maybe some pressies still not opened by some adult, too under the weather to bother!& thank the Lord that it’s over again until next year!!

  8. Our older daughter, who has two children ages 2 and 4, will host at her home in the far reaches of Chicago, and our younger daughter and her husband will come from Los Angeles. My husband and I will provide side dishes and dessert. It will be small but intense with the little ones, and whatever I wear will be machine washable. I too give thanks for your blog; it provides lots of ideas and food for thought. I just ordered the Vince sweater–and will wear it somewhere far from my grandchildren! Let’s all do our best for a peaceful and loving holiday.

  9. I have dual Canadian-American citizenship, so have experience of the October Canadian Thanksgiving and the November American one. We live in New York state away from relatives, so it will be my teenage son, husband and me. I’m doing Cornish game hens, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc.
    Panettone (sp?) for dessert and pumpkin pie. Can’t wait.

    My mother used to get almost frantic doing Thanksgiving for a large crowd, but did a great job. We always had what we called “Christmas pudding”. It was a hot plum pudding that my mother paired with a yummy molten golden caramel sauce. I wouldn’t be able to do a plum pudding from scratch, but have gotten Crosse and Blackwell puddings in the past and made caramel sauce for them. I think this is a Canadian thing deriving from British and Scotch-Irish forebears. We loved it so much we made her do it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas…

  10. Dear Susan, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I’m grateful to have met you this year and hope that your trip to Paris is wonderful. And that blue coat is delicious! xo

    1. Judith, thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to you too! It was such a delight to meet you, and I hope we’re able to get together again soon.