1. Vive la France. The terrorist attacks in Paris last week were absolutely heartbreaking and inhuman. Last Saturday evening I spotted this lovely candlelit tribute on a stoop in my neighborhood, so I wanted to share it here.
2. Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! Yesterday was Beaujolais Nouveau Day, an annual French tradition. On the third Thursday of November, the first bottles of wine made from that year’s grape harvest are released for consumption. The point is to celebrate the end of harvest season by drinking a young, fruity wine made from grapes that were hand-picked and fermented only weeks prior. Basically, Beaujolais Nouveau is a party wine! I bought this bottle of 2015 Paul Durdilly “Les Grandes Coasses” Beaujolais Nouveau to enjoy with dinner last night—and to raise a glass in honor of those senselessly killed or injured in Paris.
3. The Leftovers: OMG, if you are not watching this HBO show, do it…like, yesterday. The first season was solid, but season two is phenomenal. It will make you so ill at ease, but in the best way possible. The acting is top notch; if Carrie Coon and Regina King don’t get Emmy nominations for their work (particularly in episode six’s ultra tense questionnaire scene), something is VERY wrong. Every role on The Leftovers is incredibly well-acted, but I’d also argue that for the most part the female roles are stronger than the male roles, which is—sadly—rare. So. Who wants a hug?
4. What has two thumbs and gives zero fucks about Starbucks’ “war on Christmas?” This gal!* Honestly, don’t people have something better to do with their time than complain about the lack of Christmas spirit on their $5 latte cups? Boo, where are the fucking blue cups for Hanukkah?** For the record, Starbucks sells freakin’ advent calendars and a Christmas blend. Below is a photo of my “Why Does Starbucks Hate Christmas?” holiday cup from yesterday morning. It contained a delicious nonfat caramel bruleé latte. Yum.
5. Our new quilt! The quilt on our bed had begun to turn a little shabby, what with the cats snagging their claws on it and barfing on it from time to time (usually as a welcome home present when we returned from trips). We got to the point where it was time for something new, so I ordered this Threshold quilt on Target.com that cost less than $60 thanks to a Veterans Day discount! And so far, so good. It’s amazing what a new quilt can do to refresh your bedroom.
*For the record, I was raised Jewish and never celebrated Christmas. Nor do I celebrate it now.
**Just kidding, I actually don’t give a shit.
