While previously the holidays centered around family (and it still does!) I now am also lucky to have friends in London who feel like family to me. I try to keep old traditions going, but it feels really special to make new ones too.

Each year brings about changes, but I love an annual tradition to keep me feeling grounded (and as something to look forward to, no matter what the time of year). This particular tradition feels extra special—and wrapped with a ribbon, no less.

Because no matter what is happening right now, there is always something to smile about.

Here are a few things that are making me particularly positive:

Despite just how baffling the news stories might be, I think it’s good to stay abreast of stories that might affect me or my community, what’s going on worldwide. Here’s my routine for checking the news and my go-to sources for stories.

And don’t worry, I’m also giving details on this outfit, it’s how I do casual—a little bit extra!

Quite some time ago (we’re talking years!), I started this series, called ‘Latest Obsessions.’ It’s a place where I can note down a few things that I’m intensely loving this moment and share them with you. Here’s what I can’t get enough of this month:

It’s been a little over three years since my husband and I made the life changing decision to move to London and quite frankly, it’s hard to imagine a life anywhere else. Yes, even on the rainiest days, I’m still in love with this city.

Without a doubt, moving here has the best decision of our lives and to mark the milestone, I thought I’d reflect back on the past few years with some questions to myself. A fun exercise that’s filled me with so much gratitude towards this place and the people and places that make it so special.

Earlier this year, we were lucky to have our friends, Kyndall Elliott and her husband Ronnie, visit us from Idaho. Kyndall is an incredible wedding photographer and I was so lucky that she volunteered to take a few photos of me around Notting Hill.

Because I learned so much while Kyndall was around, I asked if she might do a Q&A for the blog, answering a few questions about working with a photographer (plus a few photography and editing tips too!). Her answers are, like Kyndall herself, amazingly helpful:

I thought one of the benefits of growing older would be having better (or at least less temperamental) skin. Until recently that’s definitely not been the case! 

Every month my skin would get bad, particularly around the jawline—hello hormones! Unsightly breakouts seemed to be the norm and I thought that I’d just have to accept that, yes, as an adult my skin is only slightly better than it had been in my teens. 

It's taken years of trial and error to get here, but I'm so happy to have found simple a routine that suits my skin! Here it is.

Initially, this blog post was going to be all about my new color obsession: saffron yellow. But then I looked at the photos and thought I'd say a bit more. Go a bit deeper. So, today, I'm going to say why you should never stop being curious. Never stop opening your mind to new things. And never shy away from asking a few questions.

Why'd these photos get me thinking that way? Read on!

A couple of months back, I had the absolute pleasure of attending an Instameet out in the English countryside. There were plenty of activities planned, but the highlight for me, hands down, was a Bobbi Brown masterclass

Despite holding a glass of bubbly in one hand, I took rigorous notes throughout because I truly found these tips so helpful—and I think you might too!