Mat: Pottery Barn
It's Thanksgiving! Also known as the day where I eat a shit ton of coffee cake, unsuccessfully attempt to watch the entirety of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, waste about an hour trying to find an open Starbucks, and sweat through my sweater that it's way too hot to be wearing.
The best-worst part about holidays is always this: That you know exactly what to expect. Some traditions are sweet, some are overdone, some are actually enjoyable, and all of them are familiar. Tradition is comfortable, and sometimes that's a great thing! But other times, it leaves you going *SMH* all day long because you feel like you've lived that 24 hours about a thousand times over and you're wondering if you'll eventually carry on those traditions when you have children and if they will be writing a blog post about how monotonous those holiday traditions are when they're older.
With all that being said, I really do love Thanksgiving with my family -- and we have some pretty great traditions. And even though I want to go feed the homeless and try doing a turkey trot and maybe finally spend the holiday with a friend my age, I still enjoy the monotony of my mother's favorite holiday. In case you were wondering, this is what we've been up to (this year and the 21 before that.)
Sweater: Abercrombie & Fitch, Jeans: TopShop, Shoes: Clarks
Coffee cake.
This is undoubtedly the most exciting part of my Thanksgiving holiday. I only let myself indulge in baked goods for breakfast, like, three times a week, so I greatly look forward to sitting down with half of a coffee cake on Thanksgiving morning and shoveling it in my mouth until I feel like I'm going to die. This year, I awoke to a house without coffee cake. As the children say, I was shook... And then ventured out to find some for myself. Spoiler -- They had some at the Starbucks at Kroger.
My mom watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until Santa shows up at the end.
I think I may have been born into the wrong family, because I don't like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not that I don't looOOoOOve watching a ton of giant balloons floating around a crowd that looks miserable because of the cold, but, like.... I don't like don't looOOoOOve watching a ton of giant balloons floating around a crowd that looks miserable because of the cold.
My dad using the phrase "There's too many cooks in the kitchen!" multiple times in one day.
It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my dad's amazing, wonderful, yummy turkey! But he's often cooking for 3-4 other families in a sweltering hot kitchen where the dog won't leave him alone and I'm always in and out trying to get napkins for when I spill my coffee cake on the couch..
A photoshoot before our family friends arrive for dinner because we all look so stinkin' good and festive.
Ah, yes, my personal favorite. Each year before our guests arrive for dinner, I force everyone in my family (and any friends I've dragged to Thanksgiving festivities with me) to take some super cute super fun pics out front because I believe they look beautiful and amazing. Also because I am a tyrant of a photographer and feel the need to obsessive compulsively document everything in my life.
Me taking 6 rolls from the bread basket as soon as it hits the table.
Tom who? It's all about the rolls, let's be real. I like to do this thing where I like to make what I call "Thanksgiving sandwiches." I take a roll (okay fine, six rolls) and add the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on top. By the third "sandwich", though, I pretty much just give up adding anything else and just eat the rolls.
ALL the cute decor.
This year, we're living in a Williams Sonoma add with our festive napkins and neutral place settings. I'm also such a sucker for chalk lettering around the holidays (especially in Texas), and I'm happy that my mom still uses the cute little signs I made her years ago! I can't guarantee a Longhorn win this weekend, but at least we're showing off our spirit during the holiday.
Table Settings: Williams Sonoma, Chalk Art: Michael's, Football Sign: Round Top
Anyways, just another Thanksgiving at the Hill house! Of course I wish I was spending Thanksgiving at Rosemary Beach, but I can't complain because Thanksgiving dinner always tastes better in Cypress anyway. Does your family have any weird Thanksgiving traditions? Let me know below!