With family arriving tonight for our very first Christmas in Richmond, we wanted to share our holiday card with you first — because you’ve become like family to us. This little blog wouldn’t exist without your visits, comments, and encouragement, and we’re truly grateful you keep dropping by.
We shot this photo earlier in the month using a handful of ribbon we’d found marked down at Michael’s after last Christmas. A few of those ribbons even made their way onto our tree afterward. The holiday card is actually the result of two images merged together — getting Clara and Burger to sit perfectly still next to each other for a single frame was more than we could ask for. Toddlers and chihuahuas have minds of their own, which makes for great outtakes and even better memories.
If you enjoy the bloopers as much as we do, we’ve shared some of the outtakes on our other blog posts — there’s one we jokingly call “The Peeper.” Between attempting coordinated grins, wrangling ribbon, and bribing with small snacks, the shoot was chaotic in the best possible way. Those candid moments are what make holiday cards feel genuine and personal.
We hope your holiday weekend is filled with joy, family time, good food, and some well-deserved rest. Between Christmas and New Year’s there’s often a swirl of errands, gatherings, and quiet moments all mixed together — we get it. Despite the season’s hustle, we plan to keep posting short, helpful updates every weekday from Monday through Friday over the coming week. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll also share some peeks at our cabinet priming and painting progress, with a bigger reveal planned for around the first week of January.
On a related note, we just learned we have a major book deadline on January 4th — the entire final manuscript is due. Yikes indeed. So if you’re wondering what we’re up to between now and then, picture us juggling paintbrushes, laptops, a curious toddler, a very opinionated chihuahua, and the occasional sprinkle-covered cookie. We’ll likely be multi-tasking a lot: drafting chapters one moment, patching trim the next, and attempting to keep little hands off wet primer whenever possible. The holidays for us are a mix of cozy family time and last-minute project sprints, and we’re embracing both.
We’re sending warm holiday wishes to every one of you reading this. Thank you for being part of our community — your enthusiasm makes these projects and stories more fun to share. Stay tuned for daily updates next week, a cabinet makeover reveal in early January, and a few more behind-the-scenes glimpses into our holiday chaos and cheer. Happy holidays!
Update: We’ve also rounded up some of our favorite holiday decor finds on the blog — many budget-friendly options are under $15, if you’re looking for simple ways to add seasonal charm to your home.