Nick and I went to see Joanna Newsom when we were in Michigan and it was absolutely amazing. I've been a fan of Joanna since at about 2006 and It was so special to hear songs live that I had listened to alone in my room years ago. 

Joanna was sweet, funny, and seemed to be putting all of her energy into her music. She's truly an artist in every sense of the word. It was pure joy to watch her (and the other musicians) perform. Would love to go see her again!

This year we accidentally started a new Christmas tradition: book Christmas tree! We collect a lot of used (and new) books around here, and it's so much fun to get our favorites off the shelf and admire them in a new way. This little tree is cuter than any real tree, if I'm honest!

In December, I fulfilled a long-time dream of mine : to go hunting! It was a bust, with hiker voices echoing across the woods and a lady whistling for her dog, but it was still fun to sit in the woods and listen to squirrels pretending to be deer.

A hunter must keep his mind sharp with reading, don't you know?

And finally, I celebrated my birthday. I had ambitions of making a new dessert from British Baking Show, but I just couldn't do without my old favorite, Ina Garten's Double-Chocolate Layer Cake. I crave it every year!