“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” - Rainer Maria Rilke
With each new year I feel a little more confident in saying and knowing that I am not the kind of person who likes to make New Years resolutions. They make me feel trapped in a weird way. I love a new goal - or something to work towards but to give myself a resolution feels so…permanent. So instead I have found a beautiful idea for welcoming the new year: In through the front, out through the back. In Irish tradition, at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, those seeking good luck in Ireland were recommended to enter their house through the front door and leave through the back. I love the simplicity!
This week I am sharing some of my favorite things of 2023, a Moodboard for the New Year and a fun Playlist.
Here are a few of my favorite things of 2023:
The best book I read: It took me months to finish but Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver was hands down the most beautiful book I read this year. It is a story that will pull at your heartstrings about a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Very early on in the book he becomes an orphan and braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he shows a resilience that is most admirable.
Runner up in books: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. This was chosen as the winner for best fiction in 2023 by Goodreads and their synopsis sums it up so perfectly: “With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.” I will add that it is darkly funny and the reason I kept wanting to read it.
The best Podcast I listened to: I am a Podcast addict so I feel very well versed and confident in bringing you the best and my favorite and most frequented was Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviews older and wiser women such as Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett, Amy Tan, Diane von Furstenberg, Isabel Allende and Fran Lebowitz and the conversations are funny, educational and incredibly touching.
Runner up in Podcasts: I am also a true-crime lover and binged this true story of Scamanda. This one is wild. I’ll let the title do the talking for this one…just trust me!
The best Recipe I made: I made this Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken numerous times this year and it is always a staple for cold winter nights. Serve it with some crusty bread and come back to tell me how much you love it too!
Runner up recipe: Sheet Pan Quesadilla with Jalapeño Ranch. For game day or any day at any time. So SO good and simple to make.
The best Playlist I listened to: Um. So many. And the best always depends on my mood. But HERE is a really fun one with songs I’d never heard before and the whole vibe is happy, chill and Summery. (I know it’s Winter but that does not inspire me what-so-ever! haha)
The best Newsletters I’ve read this year: This year I’ve been so inspired by Newsletter writers and they have encouraged me to continue to write this one. Here are three that I read religiously: The Imperfectionist by Oliver Burkeman,
and .
Each month I make a mood board as a creative exercise and call it Field Notes. I usually elaborate on each month’s theme and includes links to relevant articles, videos, products, and more. But today is a bonus entry for December so I thought it’s be fun to make it more interactive. If you click on the image below, it will take you to the interactive board where you can place the images however you see fit. Note: While you can technically do this on mobile I suggest trying it on a whatever kind of computer you have to enhance the fun! The theme for this board is GOLDEN. I plan to make 2024 full of light, gold and good.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2f24f8e-3346-4a58-89b8-2367a5bd6f49_1080x1920.jpeg)
And finally to wrap things up here’s an ongoing playlist I’m creating for this year and beyond. Please enjoy!
I’ll see you all next year! As always thank you so much for being here.
Happy New Year!
Flutter On,
Sara