Magic

No, not the Harry Potter kind of magic (although I LOVE that kind, too).

The kind of magic that happens when the lights, the music, the laughter and chatter fill a room to the absolute brim with full hearts and good intentions.

Last night at The Copper Hen, Johnna Holmgren, one part of the ever talented Fox Meets Bear, hosted an event to be remembered: Champagne and Chandeliers. An activity night built around creating festive Eucalyptus laden wreaths, culminated into much more than just arts and crafts.

My favorite part about the Minneapolis-St. Paul community is the genuine charm of everyone in it. Amongst Instagrams and the pop of Veuve bottles, you heard the sound of people getting to know one-another with an authentic curiosity.

Johnna, the kind of person who calms the spirit with her presence, gave an overview of the wreaths but also took the time for introductions. I found this so incredibly valuable to unifying the space that I was too distracted to think of anything particularly clever to say come my turn.

We began our wreaths and instantly I was transfixed on working with the beautiful varietals of Eucalyptus, and the night's greenery VIP, Myrtle. It was a creative reverie with candles, brick exposed walls, and glowing touches of copper.

There was no pressure to compare wreaths and no compulsion to rush. The perfect antagonist to the previous days' Black Friday through Cyber Monday chaos. A wreath. So simple, and symbolic of whatever your heart's desire and yet each wreath that was built seemed to invigorate each creator with a similar current of energy.

Of course, I was also smitten with the food. In the excess of Thanksgiving, (and in the excess of pizza I regularly consume), the boards of cheeses were just the right kind of indulgent. A cheddar bleu (yes, it's a real thing) and a triple cream brie (yes, it's as glorious as it sounds) were among my favorites. Savories were abound but despite not being a huge cupcake person, I could not resist the beautiful house-made gingerbread cupcakes with a sinful layer of cardamom cream cheese frosting. It took all of my willpower not to abduct an entire platter and perform experiments to discover the secrets behind such a ridiculous combination.

If you're hungry, you should be. I am, and I was there. And I will most definitely be back.

In your holiday season, I hope you can discover this kind of magic. The pure and honest kind that reminds you what the festivities are truly all about.