Outfit: Feeling Festive in Plaid

They say there are two types of people: those who live to eat and those who eat to live. Clearly, I am the former. With the holiday season putting me in a very festive mood, I find it all too easy to overindulge this time of the year. I'll reach for that extra helping of mac n cheese or slice of pizza, that extra piece of decadent truffle chocolate or delicious Hokkaido cheese tart. And with all that eating, I've come to rely on A-line dresses like this festive red/navy plaid number (worn last year here) to hide my food baby.

And also with all that eating, I do make an effort to get some exercise in during the weekend like taking long walks and exploring pretty places. On this occasion, we happened to wander into a private neighborhood park quite by accident and decided to take a look around. We didn't expect an admittance fee, but we paid it anyway. It was only a few dollars so we thought why not. And it was well worth it. The grounds opened up to large expanses of grassy picnic areas ready to accommodate small family parties. Our favorite was the outer ring, which revealed lush green vegetation and numerous trees of different breeds, all accordingly labeled. We came across this beautiful rose garden but it was unfortunately closed off to the public due to renovation. It was achingly beautiful the way the sun glinted off the white painted wooden arches and how the delicate blossoms seemed to shimmer. We vowed we would one day return to traverse this fragrant garden.