this December has been one to remember!!!

i got to host visitors every weekend i was in NYC, turned 25, did all the Christmas activities, sent out my first Christmas card, and experienced SO many memorable moments in the in-between.

MY 25TH BIRTHDAYYYYYYY

we milked the occasion any chance we got that weekend, from getting free shots at Via Della Pace to cheese ice cream with huckleberry at Chez Fifi on the house. my family made it all the more special by flying in to celebrate with me for 24 hours, even making it to Balthazar for breakfast the day of before i headed off to work. later that evening i carried on the celebrations with my Georgia Tech girls in NYC, where we had a steak frites feast and coloring session at Funny Bar.

a highlight was getting to experience all the Christmas-y things at night for the first time, like seeing the Rockefeller tree and Saks light show. i also can’t believe i’m 25, and this is already shaking out to be one of my favorite years yet:).

XMAS CARD

my incredibly talented and artistic sister Emma designed a hand-drawn Christmas card for me to send out to all my loved ones. we made a cartoon version of me wearing my Mimi’s coat and carrying a bow-adorned Christmas tree as the focal point.

(Mimi in said coat)

the motif was inspired by Christmas cards found on Pinterest. we kept things colorful and fun by using a similar color palette in the coat with the tree, and Emma tied it all together with a bow with her gorgeous handwriting.

we can say that we also took a “business in the front, party in the back” approach with commissioning Emma to handle the presentable front compared to my handwritten message on the back.

she does commissions for cards, invitations, art pieces and even bathroom murals (check out her website and Instagram!!).

SANTACON WEEKEND

Chloe and I had our GT girls Leah & Nina come visit for the weekend. we laughed so much that i think a year was added to my life.

that Sunday, 12.14.2025, has gone down in the books as one of the most magical days of my life. it snowed earlier that morning and was cold enough to stick throughout the day, which created the grounds for a winter wonderland in the Upper East Side.

we saw a few stoops decorated for Christmas before making it to Butterfield Market to show Nina,

and then booked it to Central Park to frolic in the snow. we saw lots of cute pups and threw snowballs (both pictured above), almost slipped down an icy hill, and took in all the beautiful sights.

part of 5th Ave was closed off for the afternoon to allow for holiday festivities to take place on the street, so we made our way south with the Rockefeller Tree as our stopping point. along the way we popped into Cartier, saw a couple different bands performing Christmas songs, and got hot chocolate from Daily Provisions. this was the type of day you see unfold in the Christmas movies.

OH-IO IN NYC

two of my best friends from Columbus came up to visit to catch the tail-end of the holiday season in the city. i’m pretty proud of how our itinerary unfolded throughout the weekend:

FRIDAY

• iced coconut water matchas from Sorate
• brunch at Breakfast by Salt’s Cure
• shopping on Elizabeth Street in Soho (Reagan got the most gorgeous ring from Millie Savage!)
• an afternoon drink at Mother’s Ruin
• pre-Rockettes drink + snacks at Obvio
• THE ROCKETTES CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR!!!
• omakase at Sushi By M
• dancing at ACME

SATURDAY

• brunch at Felix
• more shopping around Soho – this time on West Broadway and Mercer streets. Your Grandma Did It Better and Annie’s Ibiza are must-sees! (+ bonus points if you stop by the fur pop-up off Broadway)
• Blank Street for the Strawberry Shortcake Matcha
• migrate to Noho for shopping along Bond Street
• dinner + drinks at American Bar
• more drinks at Sloane’s (which is by far one of my favorite spots in the city and is great to show visitors)
• dollar slice at the pizza place next to El Churro
• Swedish candy haul from BonBon!!

BACK IN THE A!

holiday festivities were in full swing by the time i made it down to Atlanta. we had the Shaw family Christmas party, a hibachi catch-up at Nakato with Shea & Chloe, Christmas Eve dinner at Bistro Niko with Poppi, followed by Christmas brunch at the house put on by my mama.

i got to spend lots of quality time with the family,

so much so that James and I reached flow state and showed up to brunch wearing the same outfit.

we rewatched lots of Christmas movies and threw two critically-acclaimed movies we’ve never seen before into the mix, the Swedish film Fanny och Alexander and Barbra Streisand’s Funny Girl.

i was unfortunately sick and down for the count for the majority of my time at home, but that gave me all the more reason to get in some quality r&r. me and Emma made Jen Jones’s flu soup to build back some immunity yesterday, and it pairs perfectly with a piece of buttered sourdough.

the month of December was such a special way to end such a special year. i can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store and am so grateful to have been able to spend this time catching up with loved ones in these beautiful places. wishing everyone a happy & healthy rest of your holiday seasons!

💘, HANNA