A Beautiful Mess Podcast

This week we're sharing our goals for the new year and our process for creating tactile vision boards. We'll get a little woo-woo and share our experiences with manifesting and debating a literary hot take.

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Emma's goals for 2026:

• Query The Wedding Photographer
• Write first draft of Sundaes are for Lovers
• Write first draft of "Icon"
• Do a quarterly visual art project
• Cook her way through a cookbook

Elsie's goals for 2026:

• Query The Surrealist (hoping to get a fiction agent and then sell the book)
• Complete "Project Lighthouse"
• Launch my weekly newsletter: The Lost Arts - sign up at elsielarson.com
• Be active on social media (have a professional relationship with it)
• A lot of small goals like create mini routines, take photos every day, get nails done, read 52 books and go on walks

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're recapping the goals we set for ourselves for 2025, what we accomplished, what we didn't and anything that we're keeping on the list for 2026. We're talking about what makes a good goal and our personal goal setting criteria. We're also sharing our weekly book report and beginning a new segment where we debate listeners hot takes at the end of every episode!

The goals we set in our 2025 NY Goal episode:

Emma:

Get a minivan - No

Ambitious food blogging list - Had to pivot in April

Pitch cookbook idea - Did pitch but not working on right now

Emma's romance (outline and write half) - Yes

Elsie:

Write every day - No

Query my novel - Yes

Write second novel - Started it

Launch art website and sell art - Did sell art but didn't make a website

One renovation to rule them all - Yes

Most proud to have accomplished in 2025:

Elsie - Got passports and taking first trip

Emma - Finishing her novel

Unforeseen project you spent a lot of time on in 2025:

Elsie - Rewriting her novel

Emma -Hugo

Accomplishment that wasn't on the list:

Elsie - Retraining for a new career

Emma - Celebrated 40th Birthday

Book Report:

Emma - Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Elsie- The Uncool by Cameron Crowe

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're recapping our favorite things from the past year, including movies, books, purchases, favorite memories and new things that we tried.

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Favorite movie:

Elsie - Weapons and The Italian Job (1969)

Emma - Wicked: For Good

Favorite book:

Elsie - The Wedding People and 100 Years of Solitude

Emma - Lessons in Chemistry, Funny Story, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Favorite purchases:

Elsie - Louise Carmen Journal and her kitchen

Emma - Lavender Birkenstock Clogs, pastel lime green sweater, blue sweater, scarfs, and new tattoo

Favorite memory:

Elsie - Going to italy

Emma - Hugo walking and going to Italy

Favorite new thing you tried:

Elsie - Water color painting

Emma - eyeglasses and eating raw fish/sushi

Favorite candle:

Elsie - Walmart Fresh Cut Frazier

Emma - Bath and Body Works Leaves, Burlap Bag, and Thistle Farms

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're doing a Comfort rewatch episode for a holiday movie that we love, The Family Stone from 2005 and we're dedicating this episode to Diane Keaton.

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Try their products and support our show by going to DrinkLMNT.com/ABeautifulMess

Cozy interiors:

Front room with the Christmas tree

Entryway

Favorite moments:

Emma - Love story between Amy and Brad, when the sister can't get the engagement ring off her finger, and the mom and dad in bed when they show she's had a mastectomy

Elsie - Bar scene, opening scene of Diane Keaton looking at Christmas tree, Judy Garland scene, and when she spills the egg mixture on the floor

Moment you cringed the hardest:

Emma - From the beginning when they are really mean to Meredith

Elsie - When he goes for her sister

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we are riffing about our favorite Christmas cookies to make every single year, and we're updating you on our novels. So two of our favorite subjects, cookies and novels!

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Top 3 Christmas Cookies:

Emma - Butter cookies, Snowball cookies, Peanut butter Blossoms, and Puppy chow

Elsie - Sugar cookies, Gingerbread cookies, Thumbprint cookies, and Oreo truffles

Novel Update:

Emma - On third draft - still need to have it proofed one more time

Elsie - Rewrote entire novel after getting feedback on it

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're going to share ideas for putting together advents, unique ideas, low cost or free holiday gift ideas, epic personalized gift ideas and neighborly gift ideas. And we'll also share our book report.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

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Adult Advent Ideas:

Books

Lipgloss

Hair oil

Dutch oven

Water bottle

Small treats

T-shirt

Kid Advent Ideas:

Reuse old toys

Cookies

Candy

Snacks

Creative Gift Ideas:

Watercolor post cards

Fancy set of watercolors

Journal

Low Cost (or free):

Used book that you loved

Pictures

Epic personalized gift ideas:

Leather bound of their fave book

CD player with CDs

Record player with records

Go on Etsy

Jewerly

Recipe engraved on cutting board

Quilts

Fancy food

Snow outfit (for kids)

Art

Neighborly gifts:

Teachers - Have kids make cards with picture and money inside

Jar of baking ingredients

Free library

Book report

Elsie: Piranesi by Suzanna Clark Emma: Apprentice to a Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we are talking all about holiday traditions, things we do for Christmas, things we do for Thanksgiving, anything cozy, interesting or quirky. And at the end of the episode, we'll also have a book report.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/abm

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Themed Thanksgiving Ideas:

Greek

Ralph Lauren Polo Bar

Indian

Dim sum

Chinese

Mexican

Book Report:

Elsie - Audition by Katie Kitamura

Emma - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Alma Cuervo

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing all the details of our recent trip to Italy, specifically Florence and Venice. If you're planning to travel to one of those places, or if you're in the mood to just travel vicariously through our stories, it's gonna be a big story time episode today.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

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Visit GrowTherapy.com/MESS today to get started

Florence:

What we did :

Art museum

Combo movie theater/book store

Perfume shop

What we ate:

Cacio e pepe

Squash blossom

Gnocchi

What we bought:

Got tiny tattoos

Emma - silk scarf, stove-top espresso maker charm necklace

Elsie - moth and butterfly platter, Italian translation of The Secret History, 3 toys for Oscar, marbled journal, tiny marbled books for kids

Venice:

What we did:

Canals

Peggy Guggenheim collection

Gondola tour

What we ate:

Pizza

Pasta

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Book report

Elsie: Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico Emma: Secret History by Donna Tartt

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing our holiday seasonal bucket list and how to make your own. If you're like us and you get a little overwhelmed by the long to-do list this time of year, we definitely recommend creating a bucket list to keep the magic in your schedule during the busiest season.

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Elsie:

Polar Express

Cookie baking marathon

Christmas movie marathon

Be extra thoughtful and creative with gifts

Put favorite books in her free library

Emma:

Polar Express

Sunday night dinner and treats

Make Hugo's first hair ornament

Holiday Movie Night

Take Oscar to paint pottery

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing our stories about how we're changing careers in our thirties and forties. What led us to this point and the logistics of making it happen. If you are in a similar position or dreaming about starting a new career, we hope that this episode will be helpful and encouraging for you.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

Visit GrowTherapy.com/MESS today to get started.

When approaching your second act:

Give yourself every bit of training you would give your kid

Invest in your education

Form a business plan in phases

Interview other people who are doing what you want to do

Start small

How to find support during this time in life:

Find groups of people doing the same thing

Talking to a therapist

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.