Ryan and I never watch NFL games, except of course once a year during the Super Bowl; we aren’t fans of any particular NFL team either, so it’s kind of nice to be a neutral party where that’s concerned. I have to say that this year’s game was quite enjoyable and, in my opinion, Justin Timberlake did not disappoint with the halftime show…I mean, that thing he does with the mic stand (I don’t care if it was tied down, it’s still the coolest) – wow! And then, of course, there are all the clever commercials; this one and this one (I’m a sucker for Dirty Dancing) were a few of my favorites this year. Honestly, for me, the highlight of my Super Bowl Sunday is watching the Puppy Bowl; I had fun creating my own Puppy Bowl trading cards (here and here) and I believe this year’s dogs were all rescues from different natural disaster zones which makes it even more heart-warming. Maddy seemed to enjoy watching too; here’s her pre-game warm up.

With a winter weather advisory in effect and 3-5 inches of snow accumulation possible here today, these sweet, pink blooms and this adorable pup make my home feel even cozier and all the more inviting. Also, I love that Maddy has a habit of crossing her legs when she’s laying down – she’s my little lady. I’m looking forward to heading home this evening and enjoying a hot bowl of Butternut Squash & Poblano Chili with Toasted Pepitas & Charred Lime for dinner, likely curled up by the fire with a movie on. The Breakfast Club just happened to be on last night so we watched it of course; maybe another John Hughes movie – Pretty in Pink, anyone?

Here we are in late January and it’s been a dark and dreary week filled with little sunshine, some rain, a few snowflakes, and some very thick fog; I can’t help but feel the urge to hibernate this time of year and these photos of Maddy dozing off on our rug reflect my current mood. For me, this makes all the things that make me feel cozy, warm, and comforted all the more appealing of course and I’ve been curling up right by my fireplace as often as I can. “Treat yo self!”, as they say. Per this article in The New Yorker, “Winter is the most hygge time of year” and I couldn’t agree more.

We recently celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary; I am endlessly thankful for my marriage and the partner I have in Ryan! We enjoyed some delicious dining out last weekend (Bigalora for brunch, Cafe Zola for dinner, and the Allen Rumsey Supper Club for drinks) and treated ourselves to a yummy recreation of our wedding cake for dessert (Cakes by Rubina).

The high temp today is 10, with an actual low of -5, and with the current wind chill it feels like -8; for the next two days our high is supposed to hover somewhere around 10 and we’re expecting more snow on Sunday. While the fresh-fallen snow is lovely to look at, from the comfort of my own warm home, it isn’t all that fun to walk outside into when the highs are this low in my opinion #winterainteasy. All those slow-rise mornings and days spent lounging around in my sweatpants in front of my fireplace have me mourning the end of the holiday break; Maddy seemed opposed to it too when Ryan was working on catching up on some emails yesterday (pictured below), ha! Luckily, tomorrow is Friday and I’ll have another weekend ahead of me to lounge to my heart’s content. The cold weather and snow don’t seem to faze Maddy though; she delights in bounding around in it, which you can see for yourself in this video here. We’ve also discovered her love for the heat vents inside the house, which is quite comical to witness as she scoots herself underneath the furniture in order to place herself right on top of the heat vent and naps the day away…just be sure you have a warm blanket and you’re all set.

We spent a cozy Christmas at home by the fire here in Michigan this week. To my delight, it snowed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day too and I got that white Christmas I was hoping for; it was beautiful! Temps have now dropped to frigid highs in the teens here and I’m extra grateful for having this time away from work where I’m able to stay in my warm bed a bit longer and linger by my fireplace at home for as long as I like. I hope you all enjoyed a warm, cozy Christmas too and are enjoying what’s left of 2017.

We had our first real snowfall of the season here in Michigan this past week and I must admit that seeing the world outside my windows covered in a blanket of fresh-fallen snow brings me joy; Maddy seems equally pleased with it and happily bounded through it like a snow bunny (you can watch a bit of that here). It truly is beautiful and we’re expecting more today and overnight to accumulate. What better to put you in the holiday mood than snowfall? I made a point to watch White Christmas over the weekend too. With a beautiful, snowy landscape in mind…feast your eyes on these: Alaska, Iceland, Norway. After all that ice and snow, maybe you need a nice crackling fire to warm you up? If you can’t enjoy a real one, here’s a virtual one for fun.

We spent the weekend decorating our home for the holidays; we picked up our fresh evergreen wreath from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, stopped by Downtown Home & Garden for some amaryllis bulbs and enjoyed their Annual Christmas Party, and put up our tree and decorations at home. Maddy wasn’t sure what to think of our spinner ornaments on the tree at first (see video here and here), but she seems to have gotten used to them now…lol. As Lucy says, “You know, deck them halls and all that stuff…”

We traveled back home to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday week and enjoyed some delicious food and drinks, and of course most excellent company; I loved being able to put together floral arrangements and help with setting up the Thanksgiving table (Debbie’s Grandmother’s linens, silverware, and china are beautiful). We shopped, we dined, we were able to visit with family both in the Dallas area and Gatesville, we went to “ICE! and Snow Tubing” in Gaylord and Magnolia Market at The Silos in Waco, and we even squeezed in some buffalo plaid family photos at the end of our trip. It was a treat to have an early celebration of Graham’s first birthday too while we were there together. You can view more photos from our trip here.

There’s something truly magical about a foggy fall morning; we were lucky enough to experience just that this past weekend and took advantage of it with a nice, long walk in our neighborhood. When we started our walk, the fog was thick and heavy, but by the time we got home it had started to lift. Here’s a brief video I took along the way.

Fog
by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.