The Kids Table

Often when we would host or attend dinner parties and holiday events with my family, my sister and I would be stationed at the "kids table" away from the adult chatter. As the oldest cousin, I absolutely hated this tradition. I wanted to be part of the adult conversations and thus, spent my time at the "kids table" eavesdropping on the conversation nearby. (To this day, I don't miss a trick). I always found adult conversation so intriguing - the political and economic debates, the neighborhood gossip, the sexual puns and nearly all the subjects they "thought" were shielded from youngsters not in the main show. While I am in support of this tradition now in my adult age, I do think the Thanksgiving Holiday begs an exception. The beauty of the holiday, in my opinion, is literally getting everyone together to enjoy each other's company. It is time to relish in the organic havoc that might occur at the dining table, a time to converse with someone you wouldn't ordinarily interact with, and a time to reflect on your collective experiences, triumphs and failings in the past year. This year, nix the kids table.

Take Me There

If I were to be gifted with the superpower of teleporting, well kids, this is where you'd find me. The light might be darker and the room would be illuminated by the flicker of candlelight. James Brown, Stan Getz and all my favorites would sooth me during a long soak while I watch a glimmer of the cityscape from my windows. Image via. 

Young At Heart

My Grandmother loved reading - absolutely loved it. I have vivid memories of her reading to me (usually fairytales and poetry), and as a result, the hand-written letters she would write to me from time to time, were quite poetic and tender. I think I've inherited her knack for loving words, although I don't find myself having the time to immerse myself in books as of late, I still make time to put pen to paper and write to others, or even to myself. I still cherish the letter my Grandmother wrote to me just days before she passed away. It's stained with tears from my emotional reflections and folded in four equal parts, from being tucked away in one bureau to the next. On holidays, she would often gift me with a new book with a sentimental note, always inscribed in the front cover explaining why it was important that I read such text, or why it reminded her of me. Perhaps this is why I love giving books as gifts to this day... I was so delighted to find the release of the large-scale fairy tale books from Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. I think these would make spectacular gifts for anyone who grew up with these magical children's stories. Purchase here. 

'The World's Most Important Car Company'

Morgan Stanley has called Tesla Motors 'The World's Most Important Car Company', that is, the company that has ~$28B in market capitalization. The Model S, the seductive sports sedan released in 2013, can be seen on the daily in California, quietly whipping around the steep hills of San Francisco, on the 101 headed to its driver's post in Silicon Valley, or perhaps on weekends, whisking a couple away to a winery in the Mayacamas. No matter where the car (and driver) finds itself, heads continue to turn. The year the Model S was released, it earned the distinction of Motor Trend Car of the Year, outselling the Mercedes Benz S Class, the BMW 7 Series, and every other large luxury sedan. Impressive stuff. As the company is still a topic of fascination for car fanatics and the business world, Business Insider released an article about Tesla Motors in early November of this year. The article is rather provocative in content, detailing what many argue is the real origin of the company, which involves a date in Disneyland, a New Zealand-born race car driver and an embarrassing NYTimes article...read the article in full, here. 

Above: Elon Musk (Co-Founder & CEO), celebrating Tesla's IPO.