What Would You Do With These Goodies?

Angela Gaspar Photography for YOU + ME*

We'll tell you all about it as part of our Un-Gift Guide today on Holiday.

We hope your Monday is just the beginning of a lovely week!

A Gift for You!

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Happy Friday, friends. Has anyone else noticed that when Christmas falls on a weekend, it makes the whole month of December more hectic? One less holiday weekend means everyone with typical M-F jobs has to cram parties, cookie baking, caroling, present shopping, and tinseling into three weekends instead of four. I just realized that's why our weekends seem so jam-packed this year.

So my challenge for all of you is to take some time this weekend to enjoy the holidays in your favorite way. Maybe have a lazy breakfast of your favorite treat (may we suggest boozy cocoa and/or these muffins?) in front of the tree while listening to festive music or have a couple friends over for eggnog and gift wrapping.

Download me here

If gift wrapping is on the agenda, you're in luck! Our gift to you is a whole page of holiday packaging ready to adorn a present, bedeck a box of cookies, or tie on to anything that needs to look a little more festive. Skip on over to Holiday to download it today.

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Birthday, Claire!

Dear Claire,
Thank you for coming into our lives. Your arrival was one of the happiest times; I remember so distinctly meeting you for the first time. You were so tiny and perfect, and your existence seemed like such a miracle, and the fact that you are growing into a vivacious, caring, and funny little girl still makes me feel like life is miraculous. Your mom is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know, and it has been so fun to watch you grow up and every day become more and more like her. I love, love, love watching you grow, and I can't wait to see who you become. You are a kind, funny, and generous friend to Emi, and she loves you more than anything. It makes me so happy that when she grows up, Emi will have a friend that she can say "she's more like a cousin" about. Above all things, Claire, remember that if your mom won't do this to you, I totally will:

Love, love, love,
Miya

Queenie Cooks: Hot chocolate, boozy and non.

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in New York City, wintry winds and bone-chilling freezes are upon us - finally! And yes, by "finally," I mean, "yay!" See, unlike many normal human beings, I crave the cold. I absolutely love wintertime, especially when it's new and fresh and crisp and clean like it is in New York in December. (Snowstorms in March are, I grant you, a bit tiresome.)

Wintertime - and especially the holiday season - means sparkly decorations and twinkly lights, and it's a time when cocktails come in two varieties: hot and cold. Yes, winter is the season of the hot buttered rum and hot toddy, but also of eggnog and shaker upon shaker of brown-liquor cocktails. It is also the season of spiking. Sure, summer has spiked lemonade, but hot spiked drinks are really where it's at, if you ask me.

You toss a little whiskey into your coffee, or maybe some rum into your tea, but my heart is with the combination of smoky, sweet bourbon and rich, creamy hot chocolate. When my apartment turns so delightfully chilly that I need a blanket to enjoy sitting on my couch, I turn to this tried and true combination to warm me up from the inside out, and it works every time.

Hot chocolate I have known and loved; both photos from my trip to Prague in 2006.

Now, don't go trying this with hot chocolate from a box, canister or (heaven forfend) a paper packet. If you're treating yourself you should, well, treat yourself. You deserve quality chocolate. Really, you do. (I typically go for Scharffen Berger for this recipe, but Guittard is s slightly less-expensive, still-really-tasty option.) And don't go skimping on the whipped cream, either. This hot chocolate means serious, thick business, and you'll want the cream to cut through the richness of it all.

Last, but certainly not least: if you prefer to go booze-free here, please do so. This recipe is in fact originally a non-alcoholic one; I just have a tendency to enjoy the holidays as an excuse for profligate cocktailing. There's no need for you to fall into my debaucherous ways.

Though I'll be over here with the bourbon if you decide you must.

(Spiked) Hot Chocolate
Adapted from Pierre Hermé

2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
4 tbs. bourbon
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Bring the milk, water, and sugar to the boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chocolate and, stirring with a whisk, heat the mixture until one bubble pops on the surface.

Pull the saucepan from the heat and whip the hot chocolate for one minute with an immersion blender or in a regular blender.

Divide the bourbon evenly and pour it into two large mugs. Pour or ladle the hot chocolate into the mugs, dividing it evenly between the two. Stir gently a few times to distribute the bourbon throughout the chocolate. Top with the whipped cream and serve immediately.

Alternatively, you can pour the hot chocolate into a container to cool. The hot chocolate can be made up to two days ahead (without the bourbon) and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Serves two, generously.

Miscellaneous Miscellany!

Hi, friends! Hope your week is going well; ours is just flying right by. Plus, we're taking the girls to go see Santa at Macy's tomorrow. It's becoming a tradition to take them on Claire's birthday. Last year, we got a confused face from Emi; this year, I am predicting tears (which make for great Santa pictures, too). I've been looking forward to tomorrow since October, so I'm hoping today will fly right by so we can hurry up and go already.
Could there be any more cool stuff hitting the interwebs right now? I really don't think there could be. Here are a few of my favorite things this week:

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Let's talk about the styling for Roxy's little girl line. Not too girly, not to grown up. I am loving it. 

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Also loving this super modern family tree from Martha (of course). She's got a roundup of 12 different ideas up, so head on over there to check it out.

 

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Coolhunting has opened their first pop-up store in collaboration with Gap. This has to be the coolest holiday pop-up ever. I can't wait to get over there. 

And also,

-Two new sites that launched this week that are gorgeous and gorgeous. 

-Jordy is a pen man, but if he liked pencils, he would be getting these for sure. They're awesome right on down to the Futura. (Thanks, Michelle, again!) 

-Such a cool way to document a trip.  

-Just met this lady tonight, and I am excited that I'm going to be able to say "Oh, I knew her when..." when she blows up.  

-Sarah from Blossom and Branch is insanely talented. We worked with her on a shoot last Thursday that she absolutely killed. And, she's the nicest person ever, to boot. Do we have a little girl crush on her? Yes, yes we do. 

Happy Wednesday, friends! We hope you have a great day, and that your week is happy and productive. Do you have any cool things from around the internet that you've stumbled on lately? 

Gifts For Those That Make Your World Go Round

Dear YOU + ME*,

I consider myself pretty on top of my holiday shopping, but I always get stuck when it comes to gifts for some of the people who make my daily life run smoothly. I'm talking about people like my mail carrier, the UPS guy who I know all too well, my doorman, and my hair stylist. I know cash is always appreciated, but it feels a little cold when I actually know most of these people pretty well. Can you help me figure out the right balance between cash and a more thoughtful gift?

Thanks!
D.

Dear D.,

This is such an important question. You sound like the kind of person who makes an effort to be thankful to the people who make your world go round on a daily basis, but it's particularly nice to show them that you're appreciative around the holidays, especially since everyone is probably leaning on them extra hard right around now (you should see the stack of boxes Kenny, our UPS guy, has been wrangling lately). We have a few ideas that will make your tipping and gifting a little easier.

Courtesy of Blueprint Magazine

The first step (and it sounds like you've already started this) is making a list of who you want to thank and whether they typically receive a cash tip or a gift. Make it easy on yourself by turning to this handy guide from the former Blueprint magazine (*sniff).

Do you know anyone who dislikes peppermint bark? Me neither, that's why it's a great gift

Next, determine how much cash you will need and pick up some crisp, large bills from the bank. A wad of crumpled bills from the bottom of your purse just isn't going to feel like a holiday gift. The truth is, even though cash can feel a little cold, it is tremendously appreciated. Our family tends to give cash gifts with a note of thanks written on our holiday card. This is particularly nice if you're not hand delivering the gift since photo cards help the recipient place you.

Coffee from your local roaster and homemade chocolate biscotti

If you feel like your relationship with the giftee has a personal component, you can most certainly give baked goods or a homemade gift too--just don't skip the cash, no matter how good your snickerdoodles are.

A simple, but high quality calendar, like these from The Paper Thieves

For those individuals who can't accept cash tips or for whom a small gift is just more appropriate, we've included a few thoughtful and always appreciated ideas.

A cute tote with something small inside

We hope your holiday season is filled with joy!

xo,
ME*

Do you have a question for us? While we can't promise to answer every question that comes our way, we love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello[at]gmail[dot]com.

Co-worker Gifts!

Happy Monday, friends! I'm over gathering a few ideas for co-worker gifts on Holiday today. If you head over there, you can see what Elisabeth and I did over the weekend, find out who I went all star-struck over, and maybe get a glimpse of my newest tattoo. Put on your sparkliest, most glittery outfit and meet us over there stat!
xoxo

Still Thankful

Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale

Yes, this week has been a little lighter than normal in the posting department, but we'll be back in full swing on Monday. The past few days have been full of wonderful adventures and we keep marveling at the fantastic, creative people we have in our lives--yes, we mean you. Here it is a little more than a week after Thanksgiving and we find ourselves more thankful than ever for friends, both old and new. We're also thankful for our families who love and support us in all our endeavors, so we hope you'll understand if we spend today giving them our full attention (there may be some Christmas trees, hot cocoa, and mistletoe involved).

Oh, and tomorrow we're going to spend some quality friend time together checking out the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale. We hope to see you there!

xoxo,
ME*

Soup's on!

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Hi kittens, we're off on a big, exciting shoot today, so in lieu of a recipe, why don't you hop on over to 101 Cookbooks and check out my favorite soup ever? Sorry for the light posting; we'll be back with bells on next week! xoxo

A Little Bit of Loveliness

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There is a huge weeping willow tree near my grandparents' house and every winter the owners of this tree smother all of its hanging branches in white twinkle lights. I wish I had a photo for you, but you'll just have to picture this tree times a million. There is a lot happening over here this week (all good things!) and imagining this tree makes me feel both relaxed and festive--a perfect combination. Have a lovely Wednesday!