So on this Christmas Day 2011, I thought it would be fun to take you on a quick trip down memory lane—holiday style.

My dad took this photo of me when I was maybe four years old. (Lovely ’70s furniture in our old apartment, right?) My mom is holding up one of my gifts: a pink crocheted shawl from the now-defunct, Philly-based Strawbridge & Clothier department store. As you can tell from the expression on my face, I absolutely loved this shawl. And Andrew thinks this also marks the first time I fell in love with clothes and fashion.

Childhood: enjoying a girly pink shawl

Now fast-forward about thirty-two years to December 2009. Using his old flip-top feature phone, Andrew snapped this photo of me. (He insists on mentioning that he has since upgraded to a premium smartphone.) I was trying on my new Kate Spade “Bah Hum Bug” merino wool, fleece-lined ski hat. My attempt at doing a Scrooge impersonation failed miserably so I resorted to a smile.

Adulthood: enjoying some cheeky messaging

I hope this holiday is a memorable one for you and yours.

Merry Christmas!