Lately

 

It's the last day of November - I can't even believe it! November has had that strange quality where it seems like it sped by, but at other times it feels like it has been November forever! I also feel like; as a whole, this year has flown by on wings! It's seems wild that there are only 31 more days in this year (because we aren't counting today - it's almost done). 

I haven't written one of these Life Lately posts... well, lately. So I figured I'd close out November with this post and then it's on to December! 

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Wearing - All my sweaters! I know some folks are sad the chillier weather has arrived in full force, but I am quite happy about it. I love a good sweater, scarf and boot combo and the season for that has arrived! I'm sure that eventually I'll be over the cold - but for now, I'm enjoying tugging my boots over my jeans, swirling my scarf around my sweater and taking in the chill in the air!

Eating - Soup & Stew season has arrived and I'm living in my glory! I have said here many times that I could eat soup daily; which most people are less thrilled about when it's August and 95 outside. However, once the temperatures drop - everyone loves some chicken tortilla soup, a little dash of potato soup, maybe a crock of beef stew or a bowl of taco soup! And who doesn't love chili when it gets a little chilly? Goodness I'm glad soup season has arrived!

Drinking - Okay... I'm not drinking it yet, but starting tomorrow I will be! I have the Aldi Coffee Advent Calendar and the Waterdrop Advent Calendar! I cannot wait! Twenty-four days of tasty cups of coffee and refreshingly flavored waters - yahoo! I've had the Aldi Cheese Advent Calendar before and that was an experience, but this year I couldn't resist going for the coffee calendar and the flavors listed include: Candy Cane, Gingerbread Cookie, Mint Mocha, Toasted Marshmallow ... and twenty more!

I recently started drinking Waterdrop - which is an all-natural, herbal water flavoring that you drop into your bottle of water and it dissolves and lightly flavors your water! I love my bottle and I've really enjoyed the flavors so far, so I can't wait to hopefully try some new flavors with my advent calendar! 

Watching - The second season of The Gilded Age has been delightful so far, although I do need to catch up on the most recent episode! While I enjoy the storylines on the show, I have to admit that I'm always blown away by the costumes! Have you ever seen such detail and delightful colors and styles? The show is a feast for the eyes, while the storylines are a feast for the mind! It's such a great show and I hope it's on for a few years yet! 

I started the final season of The Crown and watched the first two episodes the week of Thanksgiving - but I haven't been able to watch the second two yet. I know the second two episodes (of the first four released) will largely be about the car crash in Paris and the subsequent funeral and I know I will likely cry buckets of tears, so I just haven't gone there yet. But maybe this weekend... we shall see. I know the final six episodes will be dropped on December 14th, so I want to be caught up by then!

Listening - Christmas music, of course! I've been listening to instrumental Christmas music for the last few weeks and I've transitioned to the Christmas station in my car in the last week. I do wish I could find a good podcast to listen to! I can't find one that really just hooks me and so I'm absolutely left wanting in that area... Anyone have any good recommendations?

Reading - Well, at the beginning of the month I read What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez and loved it! It was set in Ancient Egypt and had romance, mystery and of course, all things Egyptian, so it was right up my alley! I also discovered the author has a couple more books and so now I'm interested to read those! I attempted... and unfortunately didn't succeed... in reading the book The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller! I wanted to like the story but I found the characters to be a little bit one dimensional and the plot just never really took off for me. I did my best, but this is the first book this year that I had to give up on! 

I'm looking forward to my Book of the Month delivery: The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johnasen; aa twist on the Nutcracker... and The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, which is a who-done-it that takes place in Maine! 

Wanting - I truly want to have a healthy December! November has been one little health issue after another and while nothing has been serious, it has just been pesky and frustrating! The first little health issue was an infection that required antibiotics and once those were done, I discovered I was allergic to one of them... and that required steroids... it seems like on thing has lead to another and now my hormones are all out of whack. So yes - I'd love for December to be a healthy month! Please!

A white Christmas would also be nice... I've never had one of those before! 

Quoting - "The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung". - Phillips Brooks

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Now onward to December and the final month of two thousand and twenty-three! Let's make it special!

Luckett's Holiday House & Market

Today I've got a little swing into the Christmas season for you! I mean - tomorrow is November 30th and let's face it, we've all got our trees up already, right? I've had mine up for almost a month at this point and while some would say that's excessive - Science has proven people who decorate for Christmas earlier are happier. And I'll take more happy any day of the week!

On Saturday we went to Luckett's Market and Holiday House - located in Leesburg, VA. My friends and I attended the Luckett's Fall Market back in October and last year I'd seen posts about the Holiday House but tickets were long since sold out. So this year, I made a request early and was gifted tickets for my birthday! This is essentially a picture heavy post - so enjoy! 

Luckett's is a restored general store that dates back to 1879 and it has antiques, vintage goods and home furnishings. They also do a Holiday House that is accessible with tickets - and the tickets sell out quickly! We talked with an employee on Saturday; they only use the house for Christmas and they start decorating in late June/early July. They start with the wallpaper! That's right - they put up new wallpaper every year! *mind blown*

 

Everything in the house is for sale - so if you see something you like, you just plop it into the red basket they give you when you head into the house! I was so tempted by the basket of small stuffed Watson pups... they looked just like my boy. 

The house itself is just part of the Luckett's experience - they have multiple stalls with gardening, outdoors, metal works and more unique gifts all over the lot. There is plenty to take in and I'd have to say that if you can't find something here... you might be out of luck! They have a little bit of everything; heck, I even saw a taxidermized squirrel. *shrugs*

I'm sure some would say I took too many pictures - but I don't know if there is such a thing when there are so many glorious Christmas decorations at every turn! You have to snap pictures of them all!

The main store was filled to the brim with fascinating pieces - I'd love to go back again when it's not the holiday season and the store is potentially just a little less crowded. The vendors set up outside are apparently present for most to the year, so I think an early Spring visit would be lovely!

After our visit to Luckett's - we headed to one of our very favorite restaurants in the NoVa area: Clyde's Willow Brook Farm - for dinner! The service and food were fantastic as usual! Every visit is always a great one and I always look forward to going back again and again.

Have you ever been to Luckett's? If so - let me know!