Time for another, ‘sit with me, and sip your coffee’ kind-of-a blog post, while we meander through thoughts of the holiday season.

My little corner of the world has finally hit the gloriously slow(ish) chapter of December. The girls have wrapped up the last of the semester. And as a family, we are closing some chapters, and jumping into new ones with anticipation and excitement.

We have officially decked the halls in my home, and as I am sure you could guess, I LOVE decorating for the holidays – Give me all the twinkle lights and wreaths. Miniature bottlebrush trees and bouquets of greenery. It all gives my heart a squeeze and I’m in holiday heaven!

The holiday season is filled with goodness, for so many reasons, but one I adore the most is the push to slow down. There is so much we tell ourselves we need to do, but all of the sights and smells and traditions of the season intentionally push me towards pausing. And soaking in the tiny details of each moment. Moments so unique and special I am more keen to experience them.

A fun addition to all my Christmas happenings is the store in Flushing! This little gem really has become an extension of my home, and having the store during the holiday season is all-the-things of fun and whimsy. Decorating the front windows was like getting to create a little winter wonderland, complete with explosions of peppermints and the perfect vintage Santa. 

You guys, I searched HIGH and LOW for the exact vintage Santa I was envisioning, and it was Ebay for the win! But he is perfectly old world and quaint, and makes me smile every time I pass by the store front.

In Flushing, the downtown has a tradition of a candle walk every early December. It was so magical and peaceful watching the candles flickering in the dark, and my heart overflowed with thankfulness, getting to be a part of this tradition because of the store. I never could have imagined the gifts of friendship and connections the store would have given me this year! 

As each year comes to an end, I try to be intentional in reflecting and counting my blessings, and per usual, I am feeling so grateful. Certainly, there were bumps that caused bruises, like most years, but the mountaintops of the year shone brighter. I have learned so much and grown such sweet friendships along the way. And because of YOU I get to do what I love and adore everyday!

I do want to end this little letter acknowledging my sweet teachers. You are the reason behind my ‘why’ at Schoolgirl Style. The love you pour into students daily is the drive behind all I create and do. And I’ve been thinking about the lingering effects of having lived through a pandemic. Particularly the effects on students and teachers, and my heart has been so tender towards this.

I want to acknowledge the magnitude of the tidal wave caused by two years of unknowns, and you are bearing the brunt of this wave in the world of education – the gaps in learning, the trauma, the exhaustion. I see you. And I so treasure you.

So the most sincere wishes to YOU, my teacher friends, as most should be reaching the end of the semester! HOORAY and virtual high five! December is a whirlwind of working to create all the magic and fun within the four walls of your classroom, with student energy reaching all-time-highs. That stretch between Thanksgiving and the Holiday Break is one of memory-making, corralling, and oh-so-much glitter. It’s delight and exhaustion all in the same.

I hope you were able to soak up all the moments with your students, and now that you are sending them on their two week vacation, I hope you take time to enjoy the season for yourself. Linger in your pjs and slippers, slowly sipping your coffee (while it is still hot). Stare out your kitchen window and soak in the beauty of winter — the way you can see the crisp in the air and how the sun has changed the way it dances through the now bare trees. Take time to soak in all the glory this season has to hold. 

Take time to count your blessings. We are in a season of traditions and time with family. Cozy fires and Christmas tree farms. Baking cookies and holiday lights. Hot cocoa with marshmallows and decorating gingerbread houses. It’s a season of laughter and joy. Peace and hope. It may also be a season with moments of missing loved ones, and in the missing, remembering the love. But my sweet teacher friends, I hope your heart is full of comfort and joy. I hope this, and so much more, because teachers are just so special – angels walking on earth. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Melanie

PS Stay tuned in the coming months — we have some FUN things planned for our teachers!