Welcome to ‘The Group Chat’
I’ve been feeling a pull to get back to basics and what better way to do that than with good, old-fashioned blogging? The new name for this space has been lingering on my mind for months now! It’s exactly what I want this space to be. Nothing in The Group Chat Is off limits. Authenticity shines and there are no filters here.
I’m writing this from my bed. It’s Saturday morning and I’m calculating the logistics for the next 2 days and how we will make it all work. Cooking our respective dishes for family dinners, planning for traffic, scheduling in phone calls with my friends and family in Ontario, contemplating whether or not I’ll have time to return the pair of jeans I bought on a whim before or after Christmas. But, if I do it before it would line up perfectly because we’ll be over on the north shore anyway. Decisions, decisions!
‘‘Tis the season to feel overwhelmed and under-slept.
Anyway, Dave and I hosted a dinner party on the eve of the Winter Solstice for some of our closest friends. I am in my hosting era and nothing is bringing me more joy than feeding my loved ones and creating a relaxing and vibe-y space for us all to gather.
First and foremost, I felt absolutely beautiful thanks to learning how to give myself a blowout and finding these pants. You could say my outfit sleighed, and well, you’d be correct. I asked everyone to dress as if they were going to a party in an NYC loft. Everyone understood the assignment!
I am of the Pinterest era! When it first came out, I was obsessed. So much beauty and inspiration for home decor and entertaining. Our home is our little oasis and I’m always puttering around making it comfortable and cosy. I knew I wanted to do something special for this party so I amped it up a bit this year on the Christmas decorations.
I rented some chairs, table cloths, cutlery, and water goblets, pulled out the plastic collapsible table from storage and put my table scape hat on. We’ve been watching a lot of Below Deck and I joke that if I ever got into yachting, (I’m never getting into yachting) I would be the gal setting up all the dinners for guests. Dave’s mum and I foraged the greenery and created little bundles for everyone to take home. She also lent me her napkins and some pretty silver trays for tea lights. I printed name place settings on a quiet morning at the office and pulled together stuff I already own to give it that “WOW” factor.
I asked each guest to bring one thing to contribute to dinner. Some of the items requested were: a bottle of champagne, nice olive oil, my favourite olives, special focaccia (from Duso’s if you’re wondering, and yes it is worth it), red wine, a case of San Pellegrino. The idea was everyone bring a small something without a lot of fuss, and in return you get an evening of food, drinks and good company.
I made a festive punch with Prosecco and a pre-mixed juice from Trader Joe’s. A little welcome-to-the-evening drink to get things started. Dave did a lot of the logistical work for the evening; he got our record player fixed, picked up the rentals, picked up the cake, and helped me move all the furniture around. He also got out the old point and shoot film camera and made sure to take photos of the evening! That being said, we didn’t get a single photo together which is par for the course when you’re married to the photographer.
Oh! Dave and his mum also pre-made two lasagnas earlier this month to freeze so we could just pop them in the oven and enjoy the evening. Shoutout to Trish for gifting me all this help as a birthday gift. ♥️
The best part of the night was seeing all of our friends together. Everyone so unique and quirky in their own way! I love that about the people in my life. We all come from different walks, but we all know how to laugh and have a good time together no matter what. I did tell everyone that this was a belated birthday/solstice dinner but honestly, I wanted to celebrate these people because they mean a lot to me. Everyone accomplished something amazing this year and everyone in the room has stood by me through some of my highest highs and lowest lows. Plus, Christmas time with families, extended families, in-laws, and being alone for the holidays can bring on a lot of stress, so this was a comforting segue into the holiday dash that is coming. I love my people and this was my way of saying “You’re amazing, thanks for being in my life”.
We finished off the night with a special cake made my Suki’s Cake Shop. Orange cardamom with vanilla buttercream and a whimsical floral topping! Check out her cakes here:
https://www.instagram.com/sukiscakeshop?igsh=ODA1NTc5OTg5Nw==
Everyone was out by 10:15pm which was perfect because I told everyone ahead of time they need to leave by 10:30! You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. 😜
It was a success and maybe the beginning of a tradition?
Christmas was special for me as a kid. We went through it as a family but Christmas felt like the one time of year where everyone kept it together to create magic for my sister and I. My mom always went above and beyond for Christmas. If she had to steal something to make it special for us, she would and that’s no joke. She was a fucking G and she always pulled through for us. I didn’t steal anything this year, but I definitely had her in mind. I wish she was here to experience this with me. So that I could show her some of the magic she deserved too.
Throughout my entire life I’ve been welcomed into peoples homes and taken under the wings of many. Now it’s my turn to extend that to the people I love and care about. Come as you are and leave with a full belly and a warm heart.
That’s all I wish for my loved ones.
Happy Holidays xo