happy winter solstice! how will you celebrate this, the darkest day of the year? perhaps with feasting, gambling, or a libation? i will be working for most of the day, so my celebration will include eating gingerbread men (head first, obviously) and listening to Anna Calvi on repeat. i discovered her through my friend Tim and was lucky enough to see her play in town a couple weeks ago. if she is touring where you live i highly recommend checking her out. i also can't get enough of this video by Erato, covering Robyn's Call Your Girlfriend. if you haven't seen it, you definitely should.  

a couple of weeks ago, i told my mom that i needed to learn how to make a few of her most delicious recipes and that she would have to show me first hand because her written or verbal directions often include  things like"oh, and add a heaping teaspoon of this, but not too heaping" and "add this item, but not too much because then it will be too much, but if you add too little it won't be very good". this is not an exaggeration. so, i drove out to the 'burbs with so many scotch peppers in hand that the lady working the cash at the grocery store had to ask me if i really needed that many, and together my mom and i made some pretty serious homemade pepper sauce.

i'm really happy with how it turned out, but it is very, verrry spicy! a glass of water nearby is a requirement.

the next week or so will be hectic, but i'm looking forward to dropping off presents to friends (maybe even some of the homemade goods above), visiting family and friends, the endless eating ahead, and the driving in between. aside from all of those things, i think the things i like most about this season are the lights, dressing up, and the generosity going around.

from the top left going clockwise: 1. Nathan Phillips Square, 2. the lights at my work holiday party, 3. all dressed up for the party with a dress from Bicyclette and a belt from The Future of Frances Watson, 4. two records that were given to me by the lovely and talented folks at Bakerbots.

i hope your holidays include lots of food, laughs, and naps. xo.