Welcome to B2B Weekend Vibes – a weekly roundup of current goings-on From the Bay to the Beach. Here you’ll find a few of my favorite things and a peek into my week. Yay – it’s Friday!
In this post – fall in the Bay Area, helpful resources for cooking on Thanksgiving, cute layered fall outfits, and a fun new Christmas movie.
Back to the Bay
We’ve migrated north to our Bay Area home and Mother Nature has welcomed us with fall leaves and a windy rainstorm this week. Quite the change from San Diego. We love being up here though, because we get to experience the changing seasons and the holidays, and then come January we can head back down south to avoid the dark, cold and rainy winter months.
Fall Decor
I did myself a favor before we left by putting away the summer decor and adding a little fall flourish here and there. It was nice to walk into a clean house that felt seasonally appropriate.
I also decorated our tiny porch for fall before we left. My favorite addition this year was to plop a fake pumpkin in the black urn on our porch, nestled in some fall leaves. It will be easy to switch out when we decorate for Christmas in a couple of weeks.
Cooking
I also find that I’m more in the mood to cook when we’re in the Bay Area vs when we’re in San Diego. I think it’s because we spend more time indoors here in the winter. Plus it’s more fun to cook when the weather’s chilly outside because it makes the inside of the house feel cozier.
Dutch Oven
I just scored a new Viking cast iron dutch oven at HomeGoods. I love the color because it matches our kitchen tile and cabinets perfectly. (Super important right?)
I’ve been researching recipes that call for a dutch oven so that it’s not just sitting around on our stovetop looking pretty. I think I’m going to try Ina’s no-stir oven baked easy Parmesan “risotto” recipe first. I love risotto but I always shy away from risotto recipes because I don’t want to stand around stirring a pot for the better part of an hour. This recipe starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. How easy is that?
Ina Garten – Thanksgiving Part 1
Although I mentioned previously that I’m not cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year (I’m ordering it from our local specialty grocery store) it’s fun to see how a pro like Ina prepares for the big day. Here she lays out her cooking plan – with recipes! – starting on the Monday before Thanksgiving. So much easier than trying to cook everything in one day!
More Thanksgiving Inspiration
Speaking of recipes, I have a cute little book to recommend for Thanksgiving, particularly if you’re hosting and/or cooking. Written by Sam Sifton, a former restaurant critic for the New York Times, Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well is short and sweet at 125 pages. However, it’s full of great recipes and advice for how to host a Thanksgiving dinner. The book covers everything from what kitchen equipment you need to setting the table, plus lots of recipes for sides and desserts. He even devotes a whole chapter just to turkey recipes and advice on how to best prepare such a large bird. My favorite chapter is the last one, called “Clean Up and Leftovers”. I’m always wondering what to do with all of the leftover food, other than make sandwiches. Although, I do love a good turkey sandwich!
Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well: A Cookbook
Buy Now →Fall Layering
Now that I’ve been reunited with the warmer pieces of my wardrobe, I’ve been thinking about how to style them. I have all three of these vest styles. I love layering under vests because I don’t have to take them on and off all the time like I do with a coat. Plus, I don’t like feeling hot and having my arms free is more comfortable. Here are some of my favorite ways to style vests.
This cute vest/jacket hybrid by Evereve is a perfect layering piece. I’m planning on wearing it over one of these light turtlenecks with track pants, sneakers, and a sporty crossbody belt bag.
I snagged the black version of this Vince Camuto sweater vest on sale recently. It works great layered over a thin turtleneck sweater with a pair of slouchy jeans, a suede bag, sneakers and a leopard belt.
This puffer vest from Coldwater Creek is so light and comfy. I’m layering it over a turtleneck or leopard print sweater and matching corduroy jeans, along with a tote and neutral sneakers,
A Merry Little Ex-Mas
As if! Calling all “Clueless” fans! There’s a new Alicia Silverstone Netflix movie out and it’s pretty darn cute. “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” stars Alicia as Kate, an almost-empty-nester mother of two. Oliver Hudson is great as her soon-to-be ex-husband. As the town doctor, he has allowed his job to take over his life, thereby inadvertently neglected his marriage. Kate is a rigid eco-conscious perfectionist who wonders if she gave up on her own dreams of being an architect by following her husband to live in the small town where he grew up. The story follows their attempt to celebrate one last perfect Christmas as a family before they “consciously uncouple”.
While the plot sounds a lot like an average Hallmark Christmas movie, it’s actually much more clever and funny than that. Alicia Silverstone still has the perfect comedic timing and all of the sass that made her so funny as Cher in “Clueless”. This is one of those holiday movies that has just the right amount of Christmas cheer without being sappy. Be sure to add it to your holiday watch list.
In case you missed it…
There are a couple new posts on the blog this week. Be sure to check them out!
Styled 2 Ways
MaryJo of Masterpieces of my Life and I are sharing our thoughts on themed Christmas trees. I’ll show you how to design a themed tabletop tree that’s perfect for smaller spaces.
How to Make a Gift Opening Kit
I’m also sharing how to make a gift opening kit to help you stay organized on Christmas morning. These essential tools will help you keep gift opening stress-free.
