Shortly after 6:00am on Christmas Eve, Natalie and I drove downtown with our friends Raquel and Kate. A few weeks ago, we signed up to serve breakfast at Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen in Baltimore. My high school highly encouraged students to seek community service opportunities, and girls were given the chance to sign up each week to volunteer for various local charities. We all agreed that we missed regularly volunteering, so it was a great way to start the holiday.

Natalie and I were in charge of cooking a pot of oatmeal that we could barely see into–and that made my arms sore from stirring the two-foot long whisk so aggressively. Once the bowls were filled with hot cereal (and after several spoonfuls accidentally landed on the floor…) we helped Raquel and Kate finish setting the tables.

As 92 Q Jams blasted through the kitchen (“Ca$h Out” doesn’t quite have the same effect that “Silent Night” does the day before Christmas), the dining room began to fill. Our shift ended around 8:30am, after all of the visitors were fed and the tables were ready for the next group.

I was supposed to go to the SB office to complete a few intern tasks, but I was unexpectedly given the day off! Instead, I spent the morning leisurely lounging on the sofa watching a documentary and folding a load of laundry.

Since I wasn’t interning, I was able to attend mass with my family in the late afternoon.

{Leather-paneled Cape (seen on model here), Animal Print Button-Down, Pixie Pants, Black Pumps, Gold Runway Watch, Pavé Link Bracelet, Bow Bangle (similar)}

As the pastor delivered the message, we watched snowflakes fall through the large glass church windows. The view was breathtaking and the service was uplifting.

Afterwards, my family and I were invited to attend the Feast of the Seven Fishes at our neighbor’s house. Naturally, I was allergic to six out of the seven damn dishes, but I drank enough wine and ate enough cookies to constitute a meal.

We wish our relatives could have joined us again this year, but we had so much fun at the party and stayed for several hours.

Did you have a white Christmas this year?