grow before i go.

Okay but..can you actually believe I never noticed that!? I mean, I was a running mess all year long since..literally forever so... Yeah, no, I'm not the most reliable person to talk about burnout but, no, I'm with you. Sign me up, I'll be your lab rat. And I'll even share the snacks.

Y'know, I definitely can. Unless you stop to ponder it, it just kinda... floats you by. That, or if you're me and quite literally capitalizing on the holiday cheer. Eh, reliability, shmiability. If anything, I'm just looking to commiserate with snacks. Welcome to the study. We meet on Tuesdays at four. This week, I'm making peppermint bark brownies.

Twist my arm, and we'll hold a solid hibernation weekend. Me, you, Sadie, Bradley — I'll get us all matching pajamas and we can make a big ol' pillow and blanket fort that we do not leave for forty-eight hours minimum to bounce back from the holiday hangover. It feels like time is shorter? Even with the time change, an hour just doesn't really feel much like an hour during the sunset months of the year. That, and the time change totally throws me. What do you mean it's midnight level dark at five pm? This is why hibernation yearns for my participation. Any seasonal coffee drinks really scratching the itch this year? I feel like I'm the teensiest bit out of the loop with what flavors are a hit right now and the best way to get in the spirit is with an up-to-date holiday flavor profile.

WHO: Matilda & OPEN (2/5)

"Hm," Andie feigned her curiosity, the light tap of her index finger to her chin unable to fully sell her musing when in the same leagues as the grin sprawling over her lips. "I'm going to go out on a real far branch and say you? Maybe? Possibly?" Her sights followed Matlida down into the booth, Andie already having taken up the side facing out towards the bar with the slightest view of Mack's entrance to keep an eye out for her evening's company. The perk to being the owner of a business and therefore, her own boss, meant that she arranged her own schedule however she pleased, and a morning of payroll and stock orders meant Andie was treating herself to the rest of the day off. Her staff had things covered at the store, and with the onslaught of Christmas decor filling her every waking thought, she figured she'd earned at least a beer. And possibly a burger. And whatever other food sounded appealing in the moment. "Waitress just walked off," Andie replied, nudging one of the menus across the table top in Matilda's direction. "Would've gotten you a water but, seeing as how that doesn't necessarily fit the bill for getting daydrunk at Happy Hour..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. "That, and I didn't wanna be too presumptuous." One of her elbows planted onto the table, Andie leaning her chin onto her balled up fist. "So, OR all-nighter, huh? What was it this time?"

I'm not a scientist, but there's variables or things you need to consider like, how the data is going to be different between people whose lives are ingrained with all the holiday-ness of the holidays, and those who just deal with the holidays themselves. Work is maybe a little busier for me at Page Turners, but people also aren't exactly causing Black Friday mayhem or anything. And for the family part of it - you deal with what you've got to deal with and make sure to take breaks from people or situations if you need to.

You may not be a scientist, but your brain's got far more wiring that lends itself to thinking like one than mine does. Really, the underlying theme of it all is just me seeking out the reassurance that the holidays aren't going to be some kind of glitter-infused self-implosion with all the change going on at the busiest time of year. No big blow out deals this year for Page Turners? Not that you'd have to compete with the big name brands since you'll have my money regardless, but something about the words 'Black Friday' stapled to a deal and a steal really sends the consumers over the edge. Or, at least, it used to. Feels like these days it's all mellowed out to what it used to be. Is there anything in particular you're excited for with the holidays as they approach?

It is! But I love it, especially this time around. Neither have I, really. So this must be really fun for you! I’m assuming here, that a seasonal shop would still have plenty to offer. I am hoping so but at the same time, that is entirely the goal here too. Big things—I’ve got my boyfriend to help me out this time around and we actually had a lot of fun with it. We had a lot of decorations. Not quite subtle but nothing too much over the top. Pumpkins, a bit of spookiness, all of it. So I would say it was just right. Elena gave me the idea of incorporating sea glass in Christmas decorations this year, so I think I want to give that a try. @staubins

It's been beyond fun — and even that feels like an understatement, honestly. Sure, I'm up to my eyeballs in things like payroll and wholesale orders, but I think I'm keeping my head above the water. It helps that I'm surrounded by my most favorite scent profile day in and day out and that there's no need to try vacuuming up the glitter, because it's permanently embedded into the floors. There's something truly liberating about that. That sounds like so much fun! Is this your first holiday together? You really can't beat the classic nature of the pumpkin and all its versatility. Paint, carve, plastic, real: no wrong answers. For the Christmas tree, totally different. There are in fact right and wrong responses to how you do that. Sea glass? I've honestly never even thought about that but Elena — and you — might be onto something. What was her suggestion for how to do it up?

Honestly I wouldn't know, but then again the craziest time of year for me is like August through October. Something about the holidays that causes people to decide to sleep together. Then I wind up delivering babies during the latter part of the year. But sure, good snacks and good company are always welcomed in my book. How can I help?

The holidays are a pretty frisky time — maybe it's the liquor? Or maybe it's a survival instinct, colder weather meaning you've gotta share your bed with someone, and if things happen then it was merely a life saving measure in the name of heat generation. Do the calls ever interfere with your holiday plans? I mean, babies are born every day. Someone's gotta deliver 'em. Can't exactly tell the moms to put labor on hold. Honestly, just reassurance that I'm not going to burn out and become Scrooge after this year's Christmas rush while simultaneously running a business solely revolving around the holidays would be nice. I don't wanna be Scrooge. I like being all... whimsical.

WHO: Cage & @staubin

A new home meant a new set of troubles swept underneath her wing — Andie's new countryside abode was everything she could've dreamed of, which meant that it was unlike any home she'd ever lived in. No modern state of the art appliances, no cohesive furniture, not even that nice of floorboards. It felt very much like a fixer upper, something her realtor had made the futile point of disclosing, but the charm in it had been undeniable. Andie wanted a project, something to keep her tethered. So a new splash of paint was called for, and with it, a few of the basics she'd need in her minor cosmetic pursuits while working up the gumption to start something bigger. She'd idly drifted through Rocky Ridge Hardware, combing the aisles with a list on her phone of 'must haves' and 'can waits,' a screwdriver sitting somewhere near the top of the former. Andie turned down the aisle, stopping dead in her tracks at the silhouette framing the aisle right where she, naturally, was headed. She sauntered over carefully, and the closer she got, the heightening of the silhouette's familiarity. It wasn't until she caught the profile that it all clicked with her, registering about the same time their eyes caught. Caught indeed. One of Andie's hand lifted in an awkward half wave, an uneasy smile pricking the corners of her mouth. "Howdy, neighbor," she found herself saying, every syllable more regrettable than the last.

Who: Eliana Vagh & Andie St. Aubin ( @staubin )

The day after Halloween in years past would've been spent nursing a hangover, combing the aisles of a grocery store for the bags of leftover candy now at a markdown price — today, though, she was fully in business mode, a quick pit stop to one of the accounting offices to pore over more paperwork regarding her newest home and business acquisitions. So much new in her life, so much that belonged to her in a place she hadn't belonged to in years. And now, it fully had its grip on her, the tight-neck squeeze of the elevator's confines holding her hostage. Grinding her day to a stop.