Sip & Shop - Dec 2025

The 5th anniversary of our Sip & Shop tradition felt like a small milestone in the story of our friendships—half celebration, half ritual, and fully one of my favorite ways to welcome the holiday season. This year was extra special because my dear friend Traci joined us for the first time.

Boozy Brunch at Simply Crepes

Traci and her husband Ken were the very first friends we made when we moved to Canandaigua almost thirty years ago. From wild weekends in Las Vegas for the World of Concrete to long summer days filled with pool parties, boat cruises, dinners, and celebrations—we’ve lived an entire chapter of life together. Having her with us this year made the day feel beautifully full-circle.

Our tradition began, as it always does, with indulgence:

Brunch at Simply Crêpes, where hours slipped by in that perfect late-autumn glow. We ordered boozy coffees, shared a flight of mimosas (because how else do you begin a girls’ holiday outing?), and lingered over crepes and conversation that moved easily between belly laughs and the kind of stories you share only with the people who have truly known your life.

Eventually—reluctantly—we pried ourselves from the table and stepped out into downtown Canandaigua, ready to shop.

We visited every store, the way we always do, making sure to give a little business to each shop we passed. It’s part holiday tradition, part love letter to our community. The sidewalks were festive, the shop windows glowing with pine and twinkle lights, and the whole afternoon had that warm, small-town magic that feels like a Hallmark movie but with better cocktails.

As always, the day wasn’t really about the shopping.

It was about honoring another year of friendship, rituals, shared history, and the comfort of being with women who have walked decades of life with you and still show up for the moments that matter—big and small.

Sip & Shop, Year Five.

May we have fifty more.