FROM: STELLA

TO: LAURA

1. I am looking for new cookie recipes to try while I am home this week. Thinking about making these Pistachio and Orange Cookies, these Butter Pecan Cookies or maybe even these Matcha Tea Cookies!
2. Still can’t stop thinking about all the delicious food we had in Italy! We’ve been having some yummy circle crackers for snacks all week long (Laura’s dog actually sampled a few, too, oops!) and my dreams have been fully centered on gelato from a lovely little place in San Gimignano!
3. My sister, dad, and I are road tripping to Jackson, Mississippi to see my grandmother for the holidays! I’ve been there lots as a kid, but would love to explore other areas I haven’t seen yet, so did a bit of research and found these awesome “not to be missed” Jackson things [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. Also found this book on ‘100 Things to Do in Jackson, MS Before You Die‘ which could be a fun checklist to work on during my visits!
4. We’re heading to Santa Barbara the first weekend of January and I just found a great looking sandwich place from the Yelp 100 List (2017) that will definitely be a must-stop!

FROM: LAURA

TO: STELLA

1. My fiancé and I were deep in the throws of kitchen renovations this week and are therefore still without a stove or oven. I was pretty impressed with our ability to stay fed without eating out at every meal, and this Buzzfeed post on microwave recipes definitely came in handy!
2. We’re seeing the Nutcracker in L.A. on Sunday and I couldn’t be more excited. I was inspired to get tickets after reading Emily’s post about “The 10 Most Underrated Characters in the Nutcracker” and realizing it’s been a few years since I’ve seen it. When I was a kid I was one of the children hiding under Mother Ginger!
3. Loved this post by Mliae about supporting your favorite bloggers without spending a cent! Such a lovely post about ways to encourage and validate fellow bloggers’ work!
4. My mother and I just booked a trip to Chicago (halfway between Los Angeles and New Hampshire, where she lives!) for the last weekend in January, which also happens to be two days before her birthday! Let the present brainstorming begin… some of my favorites to give from years’ past have been: ‘B’ by Sarah Kay, Ohm Necklace, and a post-yoga sweater.