Life & Real Estate | 12.29.23
A new year, a fresh start: There is something that feels so refreshing, so expectant about the coming new year — especially after the hustle and bustle of the weeks leading up to Christmas. For me, the stretch of days between December 26th and January 1st is a time to tidy and edit my home, soak up a rare quiet week, and work on a few projects at Melanie Everett & Company without distraction or deadline — including this blog post!
A pink tent for Christmas: When we arrived at my parents’ house a few days before Christmas, my dad asked if he could give the girls an early gift. Of course, we said, and they proceeded to unwrap a very special something. It was a tent! A pink tent, with polka dots and twinkle lights. My dad and Andrew set it up in the basement, and from that point on, the tent was the only thing on Holly’s mind until we came back home on the 26th. (Remember the scene in The Holiday where Jude Law’s girls crawl into their magical tent? I kept thinking of that!)
Five years with Andrew: On December 8th, 2018, Andrew and I became man and wife. We married in Palm Beach, Floria, in a beautifully intimate ceremony officiated by my dad. Afterward, our group of 10 headed into town for dinner at Renato’s. Fast-forward 5 years, and here we are with our beautiful daughters and a wonderful life we’ve built together. Praise God! To celebrate our 5th anniversary, we booked a staycation downtown and had the very best time. We walked around the Gold Coast (it was unseasonably mild that day!), dined at Bavette’s, admired the holiday decor at The Pensinula, and enjoyed time together, just us two.
A night at Zoo Lights: Just before Christmas, M&Co. partnered with our go-to lender to host a festive event for our mutual clients. We bought 100 tickets to Zoo Lights and invited our shared clients to snag one. On the day-of, our guests picked up their tickets, hot cocoa, and macarons at Vanille Patisserie, which is just around the corner from the Lincoln Park Zoo. This was such a cute event, and I loved catching up with past clients as the night went on. Afterwards, a few of us from my team grabbed dinner and drinks at the ever-cozy Gemini — a treat!
