The summer post about French country entertaining in Montrozier was about ease and seasonal cooking outdoors. This is different, it's winter in the city. Still relaxed, still homemade, but more polished. The casualness comes from elegance, not from being rustic. But the idea stays the same: prepare ahead so you're present with guests. Use beautiful things you actually own. Make it feel special without making it stressful.

All of us at Elsie Green are collectors at heart: we love to gather pretty things that make our house feel like a home. 

In France, we don't have Thanksgiving. So when we celebrate it here, we're creating our own version without the weight of tradition telling us what it should be. 

This year, each of us at Elsie Green has decided to manifest on one word for 2025. The intent is to keep this single word as a guiding light for the year, a word we can each have as a concise and potent focus, whispering motivation and inspiration when we need a little reminder or nudge in the right direction. 

The week between Christmas and New Year's is perhaps my favorite of the year. The excitement and anticipation of Christmas has worn off a little bit, and it's time to do absolutely nothing. You can lounge freely in your Christmas pajamas, eat leftovers with abandon, and catch up on all the content you've been neglecting in the hectic run-up to Christmas.