His And Hers Sweets: Herbaceous Holiday Treats

I’ve really never taken the time to get into the holiday spirit. Not because I don’t like the season or because I’m a scrooge, but because I just never take the time for it. And it always seems to get very expensive, so I sort of just take it easy. I bought lights for our house the first year we were in it, then I left them up until they started falling apart (about a year later), so I mostly don’t trust myself with holiday decorations at this point. But this year has been different – except I’m still not buying new lights for our house. I’ve been making snowflake cut-out cookies until hell won’t have ’em and of course listening to Mariah Carey holiday music nonstop. 
This shoot with Candace, Lindsay, and Jenny definitely helped, too. Gotta get your house smelling good and start thinking about pretty things. I may not allow myself Christmas lights, but good smells and snowflake cookies are totally allowed. I can’t even comprehend how amazing a winter wedding would be with these beautiful embellishments and treats – a full display of packaged up little sweets. Imagine being a guest at that wedding?!
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About the Styling: Angela’s pastries are always as delicious to look at as they are to eat, so I decided to trim a tree made of evergreen and herb sprigs with her pristine but rustic little packages of pastry goodness. My family used to deliver holiday gifts of handmade baked goods to family friends, so following that tradition, we packaged up Angela’s pastries using hand-painted wrapping paper and snowflake gingerbread cookie embellishments. These sweets are perfect for cozying up with loved ones with a cup of hot cocoa or tea, so we convinced my husband to hand model for us. Happy Holidays!
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About the sweets: I always know that Candace is going to find a really unique way to style whatever they’re doing, so there’s no way I could stick to exact holiday classics for this. I love rugelach, but it’s sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle of pies and other traditional holiday cookies. My best friend makes it every year and is a rugelach master, so she was my inspiration. I added in rosemary for this herbaceous theme – but just enough to make it fragrant. The pear upside-down cake, I think, is so sexy and lovely. I just love the shape of the pears on top and the deep color of the cake. With a hint of fresh sage, everyone knows there’s something else in there, but, again, it’s just enough to make it fragrant. Now, cozy up and be merry! 
Happy Holidays! Hope you have a lot of fun with your friends and family!