I am writing on this Christmas night with a heart full of joy and gratitude. Finn and I take off for Florida tomorrow morning to spend some time with my family but Christmas in Charlotte was truly special this year.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to form bonds with some of my friends that make them feel like family. We have shared quite a few Thanksgivings and Christmases together and while I do miss my family on these days, I deeply value this “other” family.

Here are some highlights from Christmas 2018 with my “friend family!”

My friend Sarah is one of the creators of Girl Tribe and I stopped into her store to do some holiday shopping. If you live in the Charlotte area, you have to check it out. I’m so proud of all that Sarah has created with her business. She is a friend who inspires me through her resourcefulness, wit and creativity.

On Christmas Eve I attended a candlelight church service with Dorie and then joined my friend Jen for dinner with her family. Jen has four small children and she and her sweet fam are some of my favorite people ever. I don’t know how else to describe it other than I feel warm and totally at ease when I am with them.

Let me explain the crowns…Jen had a Christmas Cracker at each place setting that had a prize, a joke/riddle and a crown. I had never heard of these before but apparently they are a thing! We all wore our crowns for the rest of the night after breaking them open.

We had beef tenderloin and twice-baked potatoes for dinner, along with yeast rolls and a salad. Everything was so delicious.

For dessert I brought a cranberry orange bundt cake with white chocolate buttercream. It was incredible but hold onto your hats…it had FIVE sticks of butter total between the cake and frosting. Here’s the recipe for those of you who are on team butter with me! 🙂

Christmas morning looked like baking and gifts with my girls. I got them both elk antlers and then two new balls for Zoey and a soft squeaky toy for Sullie (her fave). Yes, that is dirt on Zoey’s head. I have no idea how she manages these things.

I baked a red velvet cheesecake with Oreo crust and a white chocolate, cranberry and pecan tart. Fun story. I didn’t get to try either one of my desserts because Zoey ate the pieces I brought home from our Christmas dinner off the counter (I had to leave Dorie’s before dessert to get Finn ready for bed and down). THAT GIRL!

Before we took off for Dorie’s to celebrate Christmas, we went on a long walk while I chatted with my mom and grandmother.

Finn’s dad dropped him off around 1:30 which was such an unexpected gift! It was supposed to be later in the day so I didn’t think he’d be coming to Dorie’s with me. I decided to be extra festive and wear my crown over! 🙂

I made a salad with mixed greens, roquefort, candied pecans and dried cranberries with an orange vinaigrette.

I also baked these sourdough yeast rolls. My dad introduced me to the recipe. They were SO GOOD and super simple!

I also made a cranberry brussels sprouts dish that was just so so. Here is my dinner plate…we also had Honey Baked Ham and mac and cheese that Dorie made that was very tasty.

I just can’t thank Dorie and her girls enough for wrapping me and Finn up in so much love and support.

I am signing off tonight feeling like all is calm and all is bright. 2019…I am ready for you.

Merry everything, friends. Thank you for being here.