Happy end of December and end of 2025. Let us hope that 2026 is a better year. 

In the meantime, I got a couple new items of clothing for Christmas! A purple cardigan top and some purple loafers!

Hello!! We've got an interesting assortment of bakes for this roundup! Some holiday bakes and random "I'm in the mood for this" items.  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is ready for New Years Eve! We will be having jukn food at home on the evening and then depending on weather will smoke some meat or make pizza on New Years Day! 

Fudgy Brown Butter Brownies

I wanted to make something quick-ish and easy and these brownies fit the bill! I don't think I had the right type of dry milk powder, because my mixture was a little chunky, but the flavor was still amazing and the texture worked itself out during baking.  

Moelleux au Chocolat 

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Apple Cider Cake

I have made this cake multiple times and it always comes out great. The first time in a loaf pan and some mini cake pans, the next few in my bundt pan. I made the glaze for the first time, normally I skip it to make it a little less sugary, ha ha.  They always came out a little short because my bundt pan is a 12-cup capacity and the recipe is for 10-cups. This time I decided to scale up the recipe to see how it would turn out. That did the trick, obviously. Now I'm going to have to scale up all my other bundt cake recipes! 

This is the bundt pan I use and, as mentioned above, its a 12-cup capacity. Note: I bought a bundt cake keeper a few years ago and it comes in really handy for storing and taking the bundt with me somewhere. I also put other baked goods in it to keep them air tight.

Gingerbread Cookies

Confession: I have never made gingerbread before. I just don't really care for the flavor or super crunchy texture. I decided to finally try Jenna's recipe because she said on Instagram that it wasn't too "spicy" and wasn't dry. I actually kind of enjoy them! Plus they were fun to decorate.

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Raspberry Frangipane Bars

I have had this recipe in my "to make" folder for a while and thought it would make a nice Christmas treat! It was fairly simple to make and I really enjoyed them! There were so many desserts at our celebration that we ended up with a bunch leftover. Fine by me! Ha ha. I didn't get a great photo of the finished bars because we were crazy with celebrations, so we'll have to go with these.

Pizza (King Arthur Baking Class recipe)

I'm going to count this as baking, because it went in an oven! But not the regular oven... my parents surprised me with an Ooni Koda 2 pizza oven for Christmas! I wish my mom caught my face on camera when I opened the box because I'm sure I looked nuts. Of course our first order of business the day after Christmas was heading to BJs to get a propane tank and fill it up so we could use the oven! 

Our first pizza was a bit of a fail because we don't have a pizza turner yet (this was a test to see what accessories we actually needed, haha!) and it was too big to turn with a small grilling spatula. So we split the next ball of dough I had made in four to make mini pizzas that were much more manageable! I can't wait to try a bigger pizza once we get our tuner!

For our second Thanksgiving I was able to dress up a little bit more since we'd be at my Aunt's house with no dogs to jump on me, ha ha. I had wanted to wear this outfit back in October for my birthday trip to Woodstock but figured it would be impractical for walking around and saved it for Thanksgiving! 

For holidays - or any day really - I always love to break out my Aurate jewelry! They've got everything from beautiful gold rings and gemstone jewelry to diamonds! For this look I stacked a couple of my station necklaces and wore my pearl studs. If you're still on the hunt for the perfect gift for a loved one I highly suggest checking on their offerings! There's something for every budget and I am always complimented on my pieces. I grabbed my sister a cute pair of pearl drop earrings!

This is my first time wearing these booties since I got them fixed at the cobbler! When I bought them over 10 years ago they had some wrinkles in the insole so I got them "cheap" and thought I could get past the annoyance. But I found the more I wore them the wrinkles were too big to ignore. So they sat mostly unworn until I finally brought them to the cobbler this year! They aren't perfectly smooth now, but much better than before! Excited to wear them more often again!

Also broke out my vintage leather skirt. I found a very similar skirt that you can buy, it might actually be exact. When I bought this skirt in 2013 (for $10 at Coco's on the Green!) it was actually midi length but I had my Mom shorten it because it overwhelmed me. The skirt I found looks much l like my original and could be shortened to get the same effect!

I expected it to be a little chilly on our drive home so I grabbed my Burberry coat too!  This and my Prada bag are two of Christian's favorite pieces I own. He likes to say he talked me into buying them, ha ha. I almost didn't buy the coat because I didn't need one, but I did really want it. So the fact that he really liked it pushed me to splurge. So he did make me feel less bad about my decisions ;)

Sweater: Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped sweater (The RealReal) 

Leather Skirt: Sienna Studio (Coco's on the Green)

Lace-Up Suede Booties: Gianvito Rossi 'Finlay' lace-up boot (Marshalls)

Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)

Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique

Earrings c/o Aurate Pearl Studs (rose gold)  

Necklaces c/o Aurate Organic Pearl Station Necklace & Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in Rose Quartz

Shop the look: 

We had a couple different Thanksgiving celebrations this year, as we do most years. First was at my Mom's with just my siblings; this year we also had my sister-in-law's brother and girlfriend over. Since there would be dogs and lots of food at this gathering I went with a comfortable outfit of jeans and a sweater. 

I've been wanting to break out these old Free People flares for a while but I need to wear them with tall shoes so it had to be for a special occasion. They are so fun and always make me feel very tall! I think the last time they made it on the blog was 2019, yikes! Their first appearance was September 2011, so they're 14 years old! I was able to find a couple on eBay and linked them below if you want a pair!

Funnily enough, the major pieces are all from Marshalls throughout the years. Funny when that happens!

Sweater: Marled (Marshalls)

Jeans: Free People (Marshalls) 

Pumps: Coach 'Nacie' pump in burgundy (Marshalls)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

Necklace c/o Aurate Aura Beaded Necklace 

Necklace c/o Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Heirloom Ring

I added a new basic to the closet this month - a cozy brown cardigan I found at Marshalls. I've been keeping my eye out for a great brown sweater or cardigan for a while now and just happened to flip past this on the rack at Marshalls. It was the only one and was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't find it online, but it is very similar to this sweater, also on their website and this wool & cashmere option.

Earlier this month, Nood sent me a couple of their products to try out. This is not something I usually talk about on the blog, but as someone who hates to wear bras I love when I can avoid that. I had been using another brand of non-adhesive nipple covers previously, so I was curious to see how Nood's covers differed. I received both their non-adhesive and adhesive covers.  The smaller size made them stay on easier and just like my other brand, they were invisible under my clothes! I wear the non-adhesive ones under tighter shirts and use the grippy with looser shirts. I'm interested to see how wearing them for a longer period of time goes, I've only had them a couple weeks at this point but I am very happy with them. The adhesive ones take a bit more maintenance, but it's worth it!

Only sharing this a month after my birthday, no big deal, ha ha. Christian and I took our annual trip to Vermont for my birthday. Instead of camping in the car like we usually do, we stayed at Jackson Gore Village in Ludlow, VT to try out a new area. We always make a stop in Woodstock because it is so pretty and this year was no different.  I'll share our itinerary for the day after the outfit photos! 

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

 

Originally we were going to go to the other side of southern VT to explore but one of my favorite bakers, Gesine Bullock Prado, had a new book coming out and was doing a talk and signing in Woodstock so we just had to go. ;) Her book, My Harvest Kitchen, is a mix of gardening and recipes. Christian is the gardener in our household so he was very excited to hear some of her tips and tricks on the subject! After the chat we had her sign our book and thanked her - while also telling her one day we'll take one of her baking classes! 

Now let's rewind to the beginning of the day. We left the house around 6am and parked around the Woodstock Green right at 8:55am. There were tons of parking spots when we arrived but just 10 minutes later it was full up, crazy! After taking obligatory photos in front of the covered bridge (with no crowds and no cars, thankfully!) we headed to Mont Vert Cage to have breakfast because we've always wanted to stop there and never did. 

Unfortunately, we were very underwhelmed. The process of having to wait in line to order food and then find a table and wait for the food was not the most enjoyable. People were also holding tables for family that were still in line so that made it hard for people who already ordered to find a table. The food was also overpriced for what it was. Neither of us were really satisfied with our meals, so this will be a skip from us from now on, unless there is absolutely no line.

After that we window-shopped through the local spots and then took more touristy photos with the mums in front of the Woodstock Inn. One day we'll stay here, but it is very expensive and always booked up.  Then we headed to the library to wait for Gesine's chat. That ended around 2 so we did some more walking around town and visited Faulkner Park to try and get some animal photos with Christian's new lens, but they were shy. 

Before we left we stopped at Woodstock Scoops for an amazingly delicious Maple Creemee. SO GOOD. They use local dairy and Vermont maple syrup. Once we finished our ice cream we drove over to Plymouth Cheese on the way to our hotel. Christian picked up some of their Vermont Cheddar and I grabbed some "jamples" of jam.

We checked into the hotel at 5 and headed right back out again for dinner at On the Rails. I was a little scared to try Vermont pizza but we actually really enjoyed it! The onion rings were also delicious.  On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the grocery store and picked up a mini birthday cake to end the evening! 

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What I wore for our second day in Vermont for my birthday weekend last month! We started our day having breakfast at The Hatchery in Ludlow. We checked in around 9:15 and then walked around the conveniently located farmers market on the street directly next door until our table was ready.  I had the most amazing cinnamon bun french toast and Christian had home fries poutine! Delicious!

After that, we were going to check out a local Cider Festival but we had too much time to kill before it started and it was in a very small town with not much else to do. We decided to skip ahead to a quick walk through The Vermont Country Store. Unfortunately it was full to the brim with leaf peppers and was the busiest I've seen it since the 90s! We have been going every Summer during our camping trip since the early 1990s so to see it this busy in the Fall was crazy! Since it was so crowded we left pretty quickly, took some outfit pictures in front of the store and at a nearby gazebo and moved on to Hogback Mountain and the 100-mile view. Even though we missed peak foliage, it was still very pretty! After enjoying the view for a bit we grabbed a maple creemee (the one we had in Woodstock was better) and began our drive home. 

These are actually one of my most worn pairs or shoes in Fall and sometimes Spring because they are so easy to just slip on and off when I'm running to the grocery store or somewhere fast. They don't often make the blog, but they deserve to, ha ha. I brought them on this trip as a backup pair of shoes if my other pairs hurt my feet. Spoiler: I killed the top of my heels (the part where the top of a flat rubs against your skin) walking too much the day before so I needed backless shoes. 

Sweater: Polo by Ralph Lauren cashmere waffle knit sweater (Marijane Boutique)

Jeans: Free People 'Jax' Patchwork Jean in black 

Shoes: BCBGeneration Yerra slip on sneaker (DSW)

Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

Happy Halloween!

No new closet items this month. I did get a gift from a promotion Hulu/Gilmore Girls help on Instagram - an "I am an Autumn" sweatshirt that has become my comfy around he house top, ha ha. I also finally posted my closet update from September! Go check it out to see what I added and improved. 

Was pretty boring around here this month except for my annual birthday trip to Woodstock, Vermont. I was also supposed to go to Disney last weekend but my best friend wasn't able to work it out so we cancelled. Let's hope I can get back there soon, the withdrawals are real!

 THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
2. Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)
   

Basics:

1. Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
2. Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt  in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
3. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
4. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99) 
5. C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
6. Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
   

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
2. Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

1. Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
2. Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

1. None
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None
   

Gifted from Brands:

• None
  

Spent in October: $0

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

It's almost Halloween! We've got a couple on-theme bakes in this round-up, but I didn't do much "Halloween" baking. 

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

When Tessa of Handle the Heat posted a preview of these on Instagram I knew I would have to make them. She said it was like a brownie and cookie had a baby and that is the perfect description. They are AMAZING. I don't usually like milk chocolate but the mix of different types of chocolate was perfect here. Will definitely be making them again soon.

Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

I needed to make a quick breakfast for a trip I was taking with my parents and since we still had a bunch of zucchini these muffins seemed perfect! I didn't make the glaze before we left because I was freezing them, so imagine some glaze on top! Everyone gobbled them up so I only had 2 myself, ha ha!

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake

I saw this on King Arthur's Instagram account and knew I had to make it with the wild blueberry jam we bought in Maine! The recipe has you make your own, but I used the pre-made. That might be why my color isn't as vibrant. It was still delicious! I only had a few slices and left the rest for Christian - I made it for him to have when I was away.

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Brazilian-Style Chocolate-Glazed Carrot Cake

While I had my membership for Milk Street I went through the site looking for fun recipes I'd like to try. I'm not a carrot cake fan because of the cream cheese frosting and general texture but this recipe looked amazing! We had carrots leftover from a few dinners so I whipped this up over a weekend and it was delicious! The carrots and wet ingredients are put in the blender so it comes out really smooth and bright orange. Such a fun bake! I'm probably going to remake it for one of our Thanksgiving gatherings because it's dairy-free and one of my aunts is lactose intolerant.  

Slice & Bake Ghost Cookies

These were a cute, easy bake for a night where we didn't have any desserts left. I started them in the morning and then baked them up before dinner. They're a great shortbread cookie with a fun Halloween twist!

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Monster Brookies

I was very excited when Jenna shared an updated version of her monster brookies to go along with the regular brookie recipe I love. I swapped out Reese's Pieces for Halloween colored M&Ms because we don't love RPs, ha ha. I think I prefer the regular cookie recipe for the top vs a monster cookie. The peanut butter and oats were a bit much for us in combination with everything else. So if I did this again, I would use her regular brookie recipe, add the Oreos in and still add M&Ms!