Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String: A Peek Under Our Tree

Merry Christmas Eve! I honestly can't believe tomorrow is Christmas because it's sunny and 80 degrees outside right now! I actually wore a tank top and flip flops to the store yesterday, can you believe it? I guess that's typical Florida weather for you. So although it may not feel like Christmas outside, I've done my best to make our little apartment feel as cozy and festive as possible. Of all the decorations, I think what I love most is our tree (a little too large and stuffed into the corner, oops!) and all of our pretty gifts underneath. I love using brown craft paper to wrap gifts and I think this year we did a great job of making each package look fun and colorful, despite the plain brown paper. Here's a peek of what's under our tree:

What I Wore: A Casual Thanksgiving

Happy Black Friday, everyone! I'm currently still in my pjs and sipping coffee on the couch while James cooks breakfast (you'd think we'd still be stuffed after yesterday, but nope!) and this is exciting news because it's the first Black Friday in about 8 years that I'm not working at all! I no longer work in retail and it feels amazing to be relaxing after Thanksgiving instead of dealing with the madness in the mall. Good luck to all my retail workers out there! You're awesome so don't let any crazy shoppers bring you down :)

In Our Kitchen: Taco Soup & Banana Bread

Quick and simple recipes are the BEST. With a busy life and a small apartment kitchen, I don't really have the time or space to test out my Food Network skills. Last night, I made an easy taco soup recipe for the first time and it was amazing! I used ingredients that I knew my picky-eater fiance would be ok with (he loved it!), but you can find tons of other variations of this on Pinterest. 

What I Wore: Drinks & Date Night

Last night, James and I had a lovely evening out to celebrate 6 years and 5 months of dating AND the fact that our wedding is officially 6 months away! So exciting! We started with drinks at one of my favorite places, the rooftop bar of Black Sheep and then enjoyed a tasty dinner (and some more drinks of course) at Hawkers. I love date nights :)

Recent Reads

In case you haven't already noticed, (spoiler alert!) I'm a huge bookworm. Yep. It's true. Over the summer, I had so much time on my hands that I was reading a few books a month. Talk about bliss! Lately, I have a lot of other things taking up my time (work, wedding planning, football games, Netflix...) so I've been reading quite a bit less. I've actually had to renew the books pictured above two different times because I just can't find the time to curl up and enjoy them.

A Few New Accessories For Fall

I love any excuse to go shopping and the seasons changing is always a great one. Thank you, Mother Nature! I've also been in desperate need of some new work clothes and I figured these two reasons combined equal a trip to the mall along with a "Get Out of Jail Free" pass to use when my credit card bill arrives next month. Adulting? Never heard of it....

DIY: Quick & Easy Fall Banner

I'm a huge fan of the banner trend. Not only are banners pretty, but they also have such a fun, whimsical feel to them. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that hanging a banner instantly gives a space a "let's celebrate" vibe. There are a million reasons to decorate with banners and who doesn't want each one to feel like a party? Today's your birthday? Let's celebrate! Just married? Let's celebrate! Excited about fall? Let's celebrate! Game day? Let's celebrate! TGIF? Let's definitely celebrate!