CTL Weekly 12.20

Happy Friday friends. And hello from the land of Christmas preparations. How are we feeling? Prepared? Overwhelmed? I’m fairly prepared except for meal planning. Thank heavens we have one more weekend to figure that out and then I’ll hit the grocery store on Monday because I don’t brave a grocery store or Costco or Trader Joe’s on a weekend unless I have to. Are you the same?

Here’s what I saved to share with you this week:

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There are so many details to study in this Christmas tour of a 1930s Virginia home. Here’s a video tour of the same home.

I love glass ornaments because of how pretty they look on the tree. My go-to is Old World Christmas glass ornaments – I usually add a couple every year. This year it was this sweet Rudolph for Madeline’s stocking and this English cottage ornament to add to my own collection.

The best Christmas movies for interiors lovers (and where to stream them).

I love this idea: chocolate Texas sheet cake in bundt form.

The Skating Minister has gotten a lot of attention from visitors to our house lately. I get it…I loved him from the first time I saw him on someone else’s Instagram. He’s available as both downloads and prints on Etsy. (Here’s a little history on him in case you’re interested.)

Holiday cocktail idea: cranberry-orange sangria. Not a sangria fan? Here are 20 more holiday cocktail and mocktail ideas.

These are the books most checked out through the NY Public Library in 2024, both city-wide and by borough. I love perusing these lists each year.

Tom and I just finished and really enjoyed Black Doves on Netflix. It’s a spy thriller, so it’s violent in parts, but there are also moments of humor and the actors are great. It’s set in London at Christmas so it’s the perfect time to watch.

I created a couple of Christmas playlists in case you need one for your holiday: Christmas Party is festive and upbeat and Silent Night is slower and more spiritual.

P.S. Movies to wrap to.