my december favorites.

1. Star Wars holiday sweater - "tacky" sweaters that are actually cute are all the rage right now, and I couldn't resist this one from Target. It was perfect for our holiday Spirit Week at school, and my students loved it.

2. The Hamilton Mixtape - My mom got me this album for Christmas and I am obsessed. If I didn't love the songs from Hamilton enough already, now we get new versions from The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Aloe Blacc, Usher, Sia, Regina Spektor,  Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Ashanti, Andra Day, John Legend, Chance The Rapper, and more.

3. Keep Collective time key - I love Keep Collective jewelry, which consists of leather bands and interchangeable charms. I recently treated myself to a rose gold "time key," which transforms any of my bands into a watch.

4. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - I got a sample of this magic Vitamin C potion with my Clarisonic Mia cleansing brush and I can tell that it makes a big difference to my usually-dull winter skin.

5. Samsonite hardshell luggage - My big Christmas gift from Mr. Q this year; now we are ready for business travel! I got the indigo (for UVa) and he got burnt orange (for Virginia Tech).

year in review: most popular posts of 2016!

One of the most interesting parts of blogging for me is looking back on the year's post to see which were hits with readers and which were misses. I use Google Analytics, Blogger, and Pinterest to see what posts were popular each year and where visitors to Beyond the Aisle come from. I wasn't as diligent about blogging this year, and my visitor count and page views for 2016 definitely reflect that, but I never started doing this to enter a popularity contest!

Visitor stats from 2016:

Visitors - 13,571
Pageviews - 18,471
32% of Beyond the Aisle readers are ages 35-54, 31% are 25-34 years old, and 21% are 55-64. 90.3% are female.

Visitors from these countries visited Beyond the Aisle in 2016:

1. United States
2. Germany 
3. United Kingdom
4. Canada
5. Russia
6. Austria
7. Brazil
8. Netherlands
9. France
10. Australia

These cities are home to the most Beyond the Aisle readers:

1. Boston
2. London
3. New York
4. Darmstadt
5. Stuttgart
6. Charlottesville
7. South Boston
8. Malsfeld
9. Colorado Springs 
10. Cologne

Most popular posts this year:

10. January Literary Junkies
9. 5 Fandom Friday: Favorite Fictional Foods
8. Winter TV Preview
7. Potter Month: House Pride!
6. November 21 Clicks
5. Winter in Entertainment
4. July 18 Clicks
3. Building a Business Trip Capsule Wardrobe with Stitch Fix (#7)
2. My March Stitch Fix #5
1. My May Stitch Fix #6

drowned in moonlight.

I've written quite a bit on this blog about how much Star Wars means to me. It's a link to my dad in that it's something he loved and shared with me. It's one of my inspirations as a writer and creator. I don't think I can even put into words why it was so important for me at the age of ten to see a princess with a blaster taking charge and not taking any crap, but also being vulnerable and loving her friends fiercely. As an adult, learning that Carrie had bipolar disorder and was very open about it was so important to me in a world where mental illness still carries a stigma. As a woman, I loved how blunt she was about the fact that she had aged like a real human being and didn't give two hoots what anyone thought about how she looked. Finding out that the world lost Carrie Fisher yesterday was crushing. I'm thankful that we have her body of work as an actress and a writer. I wish I could have been wherever the people who loved her were yesterday, hearing the stories that the rest of us were never privy to. I'm thankful that she got to share so much of hers with the world.

Leia Organa by kittrose on DeviantArt

pinspiration: millennial pink new year's eve

Well, darlings, we're wrapping up another year here at Beyond the Aisle, and my thoughts this week are on 2017, and, of course, New Year's Eve. While the experts at Pantone have named Greenery the new Color of the Year, I'm honestly not over 2016's Rose Quartz and it's many permutations - fall's Dusty Cedar with its decadent 70's vibe, and of course the ubiquitous shade journalists have dubbed "millennial pink." My ideal New Year's Eve party would be laid-back with a bohemian vibe, plenty of champagne, a plethora of pink, the potential for a Nerf gun war, and, okay, some actual greenery thrown in as a nod to the New Year to come and all of its possibilities.

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?

this week's clicks: happy boxing day!

get your week off to a colorful start...

• I hope that you're all having a wonderful holiday week with your families. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to actually rest and relax with a good book (currently, The Queen of the Tearling) - that stack of papers to grade can wait until 2017, right?

LISTEN.

• Hat tip to my hip mom for telling me about this amazing year-end Carpool Karaoke from James Corden and friends! How did he keep this a secret???

SWOON.

Michael and Carina Photography via Style Me Pretty

• Speechless over this elegant Charlottesville wedding.
• I look forward to Lia's NYE printable hats every year.
• Sparkly, fun New Year's inspiration from Swooned.
• The perfect low-effort, high-glam hairstyle for NYE.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Dawn Nicole, Oh So Lovely, Soggy Musings
• Love these unique birthstone necklaces - New Year's gift?
• Interesting: Planned Parenthood donations are up 40%.
• Pinning all the best last-minute New Year's Eve ideas.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: inspiration for a cozy rose gold NYE, Literary Junkies, December in Instagram, most popular posts of 2015 and personal faves.
• 2014: most popular posts of 2014 and personal favorites.
• 2013: most popular posts of 2013, my personal favorites, and a NYE tablescape.
• 2012: avorite posts of 2012, gold and blush NYE inspiration, favorite movies and books of 2012, organization goals for 2013, gray wardrobe picks and home decor ideas. 
• 2011: gold/champagne inspiration for New Year's Eve and organization goals for 2012.

sunday simplicity.

Lauren Fair Photography via Ruffled

"I thought maybe we could make gingerbread 

houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice 

skating, and maybe even hold hands." - Elf

Marissa Lambert Photography via Style Me Pretty

welcome, winter.

Lauren Miller Photography via Junebug Weddings

"One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, 

gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings.”

― D.E. Stevenson

Lauren Miller Photography via Junebug Weddings

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste has a new holiday album out this year - love this track with Aloe Blacc.

SWOON.

Carla Choy Photography via Style Me Pretty

• Can I pretty please be invited to this glam dinner party?
• Drooling over Camille Styles' chocolate + cheese board.
• A fun and lovely paper wedding send-off garland.
• Chic NYE inspiration from photographer Izzy Hudgins.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Giants + Pilgrims, Sea of Atlas, Smashing.
• These cute, affordable earrings are perfect for the holidays.
• A DIY CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE from Alana Jones-Mann.
• Have you seen Pinterest's 100 trend predictions for 2017?

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: my treat yourself wish list, decoupaged world map ornaments, and a mini home tour featuring a glam woodland tree.
• 2014: my holiday home tour.
• 2013: my favorite account of Christmas, wrote to Santa, showed off my chalkboard ornaments and shared a holiday home tour.
• 2012: a Sunday Social all about favorites, gave a holiday home tour and ideas for displaying cards, and rounded up my blog loves and my own most popular posts of 2012.  I also shared my December in Instagram.
• 2011: my favorite things in our home. 

sunday simplicity.

Katie Osbourne Photography via Style Me Pretty

There's another horizon out there, one more horizon that 
you have to make for yourself and let other people discover
 it, and someone else will take it further on, you know.

- Gordon Parks

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• I've had this tune stuck in my head for weeks now and it was driving me crazy because I didn't know what it was called, what the words actually were other than "In the silence of the night..." or who sang it - thank goodness The Santa Clause was on TV last night and I realized it was from the scene where the characters visit the North Pole for the first time. The song is "The Bells of Christmas" by Loreena McKennitt. It's a shame it's so hard to find, because it's absolutely magical.

SWOON.

Mary Margaret Smith Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

• From EAD, a winter wedding with a bright pop of color.
• A lovely redwood forest wedding from Lauren Fair.
• An evocative editorial in Italy from Michael and Carina.
• Love the palette and florals from this white barn wedding.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Sarah ❤s, The Blog Market, Flipsnack, SALT. 
• Read It Forward is giving away 50 books and a bookshelf!
• Love Liz's simple, welcoming farmhouse Christmas entry.
• Ashley's home is a rustic, snowy winter wonderland.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: My wellness wish list, fall in Instagram, favorite holiday traditions, and a glam woodland Christmas wreath.
• 2014: Roanoke's Festival of Trees, rounded up ideas for a wedding inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and my blog loves.
• 2013: a Sunday Social all about the holidays, pulled together emerald green and gold wardrobe and wedding/party inspiration, shared my favorite no-bake cookie recipe, and recapped my December in Instagram.
• 2012: holiday advice for letting go of perfect and enjoying the holiday season, and 7 winter date ideas.
• 2011:  a paint chip mosaic, poinsettia wreath, no-sew tree skirt, and how I decorated our tree.

sunday simplicity

Mishelle Lamarand via Intimate Weddings

“How we need that security. How we need another soul 
to cling to, another body to keep us warm. To rest and 
trust; to give your soul in confidence: I need this. 
I need someone to pour myself into.” ― Sylvia Plath

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Of all the holiday songs I can think of, the one I probably would've said least needed to be covered was the novelty song "Mele Kalikimaka," made famous by  Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 and featured prominently on the soundtrack of everyone's dad's favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Until I found out that Kacey Musgraves has a new Christmas album. This song is cheesy, retro perfection with a Texas twist thanks to the Quebe Sisters.

SWOON.

Sposto Photography via Style Me Pretty

• From SMP, a muted take on the top colors of 2016.
• Domino rounds up cozy winter wedding details.
• I'd love to stay in this sweet Christmas guest room.
• Festive dessert table inspiration from Swooned.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Lime Ricki, ❤ Mae, Minding My Nest, Red Stamp.
• My mom used to make this potato candy when I was a kid!
• Helpful: what donation centers really need for the holidays.
• Pinning all the winter work wardrobe and beauty ideas.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: My geeky Christmas wish list.
• 2014: A DIY cardinal wreath, winter wedding guest outfit, and holiday book review.
• 2013: Why Christmas is complicated, great holiday party dresses, my wishlist, my all-time favorite Christmas movies and songs, and a historical fiction book review.
• 2012: Easy holiday party ideas, emerald green wardrobe and home picks, gift guides for the geeky girl and manly men in your life, and my 12 favorite Christmas movies.
• 2011: Homespun holiday decor ideas. 
• 2010: After our engagement, I shared our love story.

sunday simplicity.

Nancy Ray Photography via Style Me Pretty

"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love." -Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace