The December Edit
A silver baguette, a mystery guest, a move to Napa, and a word for the year!
The Monthly Edits are a round-up of eats, reads, finds, and experiences. They also include Lauren’s Lists—a collection of links from around the web to capture your attention or get you thinking. Buon appetito!
December has been brisk, clever, and merry. I baked cookies (linked below), renewed our passports (no, we’re not going anywhere—they were just expiring), and attended a few fun festive dinners. The month started with a plan of having two weeks off at the end of the year to rest and recover. Scott and I booked ourselves an Airbnb out in the woods to escape the city and scheduled time with family and friends around our getaway. But on the first Saturday morning of this month, I woke up and thought: maybe we should move for the new year? I’m so tired of this space.
Scott needed no convincing, so we’re moving to Napa! Well, not really Napa. We found a beautiful suite in Oak Bay that will provide us with three times (yes that’s correct, 3X) the amount of space than our ultra-cozy downtown apartment. So I’m pivoting, rolling with the punches, and accepting the loss of our super relaxing holiday plans (and the very cute Airbnb). I’ll be packing boxes and cleaning house for the new year and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to sit in an empty living room and order pizza with my favourite guy as we plan the layout for our next adventure. It will make 2024 really feel like a fresh start—one that will provide space for hosting, creative projects, and endless opportunity.
Alright, on with the December edit!
For eleven years in a row now, I have selected a single word at the start of the year to guide/theme my days. I was introduced to this practice by Susannah Conway back in 2013. A friend of mine printed out and gifted me one of her gorgeous journalling workbooks (free to download—highly recommend!) and I’ve been hooked ever since. 2023’s word was ‘authenticity'. I didn’t know exactly how this word would pan out when I selected it back in January, but that’s how things typically start. Looking back, it makes total sense—I started a newsletter in June and shared some really personal stories and unglamorous realities. It’s no surprise that my most read articles this year are examples of this authenticity; thank you so much for letting me bring these truths to light.
My most popular essays of 2023:
A real look into the small business I started (then ended) and how I let the ‘Girlboss’ mentality get the best of me.
How getting off Instagram was probably the best gift I gave myself in 2023.
A personal favorite about how the Eras tour was much deeper than just a movie about a concert. PS: Taylor was named person of the year for 2023.
I went through the camera roll on my phone this month and there was barely anything there. No pictures from the holiday gatherings I attended—which is a sign I had a fantastic time (but also kind of a shame because… memories?). My OOTM needed to include this silver baguette 🥖 bag that I bought for the holidays, and this happens to be my only photo of it, so there you have it. Ta-da!
Lauren’s List Vol. 7
The high-stakes art of naming apartment buildings.
Mexican chocolate crinkle cookies (!).
The beauty of intersecting stories.
25 of the funniest SNL holiday skits (via Kaitlyn).
Cute holiday phone wallpaper.
Olivia Coleman talks fame and 007.
Winter covers of The New Yorker make me so happy!
Spaces: Niagara Falls’ new boutique hotel, interior trends for Pantone’s colours of 2024, & a north London cottage.
Finds: super chic travel toothbrush, brass matchbox sleeve, + a pink lightbulb.
Happy Winter Solstice! ❄️ Yesterday marked the official start date of the frosty season and (thankfully) more daylight for those of us where the sun is currently setting at 4:19pm. Thank you again to everyone who entered my stocking stuffer giveaway. The winner (congrats Emma!) was contacted and has a lovely little parcel on the way to her now. I wish I could deliver this one by hand since it’s headed to the UK! It’s such a treat for me to send gifts in the mail, I’m a pen-pal at heart. The stocking stuffer giveaway will most certainly return again next year.
My favourite grocery store in town (which is really more of an art gallery for food items) has rooms dedicated to different delicacies depending on the season. Christmas is always extra special so I was excited to see what the rooms would surprise me with during my last visit. Pictured below is the Italian soft nougat room—a little slice of heaven. The piano room, which is one of my favourites, was filled floor to ceiling with tiny jars of chocolate covered kumquats and cherries. A lovely man was there playing classical Christmas music for us to shop in spirit and I went home with my very first slice of pistachio nougat (along with some other groceries, of course)! I could go into much more detail about this space but I’m planning a Living Rooms article in 2024 to more formally introduce you to this magnificent marvel, so I will leave you in wonder until then.
This month in reading:
I had a few books in mind for December but the library contacted me about a pre-hold I had placed this summer on a book that hadn’t been published yet. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose—which is a sequel to The Maid. It was a very light and feel-good read, a classic whodunit. Exactly what I needed through the busyness of the holidays and a last minute decision to move.
This month in watching:
You all know I’ll watch anything Timothee Chalamet is cast in. Which means I obviously went to see Wonka last weekend. I just have a deep love for the man’s vulnerability and emotionality on screen—he is brilliant and such a joy. The movie was fun, fantastical, and heartfelt. Both Scott and I cried (but we kind of cry in… everything?).
It was my pick for our movie night crew this month and I went with NYAD. The new biopic about Olympic swimmer Diana Nyad who was the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a cage (in a single swim—like no stopping to sleep at night). And did I mention she was 60 years old? It was hard and uncomfortable to watch, but in the end it was a beautiful tale about having faith in yourself, true soul mates, and the incredible strength of the human body. A very raw and inspiring story.
The Holdovers came up on a few google searches for “holiday movies” so we gave it a go. Set at a remote prep school in 1970, a bitter history teacher is forced to stay on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go. Every once in a while a movie comes around that shakes up some deep emotions—this one kept us awake and talking into the early hours of the morning. Nostalgic and poignant (many tears were shed).
📣 That’s a wrap on 2023! 📣
Today’s issue (#22) will be my last for the year, woo! You won’t see my newsletter for the next few Fridays as I’ll be offline enjoying the holidays and getting ready for our move. Sometime in January I’ll be back to my regular posting schedule—miss ya’ll already.
I hope you’ve had a merry December. Wishing each of you a wonderful holiday season and an abundant start to 2024! Thank you so much for reading my words this year and being a part of the YGL community—it means the world. As always, I would love to hear from you!
Thoughts on Pantone’s colour for 2024 (Peach Fuzz)?
Will you be watching Emily in Paris Season 4 next week?
Best/worst moving stories?
I couldn't agree more with Aoife's comment describing this round-up - I feel this way about your newsletter in general. I also choose a word/intention every year. My word of the year in 2023 was 'belonging'. And more specifically around the theme of belonging to myself, which was inspired by a podcast episode by Brene Brown. I am going to be spending some time this month to reflect back on my year and come up with my word for 2024.
Also, thank you for sharing my Clerestory article! I am beyond honoured that you chose to share it in your newsletter. It means so much to me.
I've saved your article about skiing to read when I have more time. When I glanced at it, I was so compelled by how much I felt like I could relate to what you wrote.
I hope you had a lovely holiday season Lauren! Looking forward to more newsletters in 2024 :)
Thank you again for doing such a lovely giveaway, and for sending it all the way over to the UK for me. I also love doing a word for the year. 2023's was 'deepen'. 2024 is going to be 'vitality'. Have a great end to the year, and all the best for the new one coming!