Sydney Carlson’s Guide to the Holidays

Sydney Carlson loves to serve.

“I hosted a big Friendsgiving this year — it wasn’t even an option” she says. “My friends were like ‘Sydney, Sunday at your house?’ So, I think this is what I've come to, but I honestly love it.” You can understand why her friends — a solid crew in the LA scene that includes Stas Karanikolaou, Drew MacDonald, Kelsey Calamine (aka @fatherkels), and sister Devon Lee Carlson — have made her the de-facto hostess of the group: this year, Carlson turned her quarantine hobby of cooking into a bonafide business with the launch of Lynnee, an aesthetically-pleasing and kitchen-approved line of cookware.

“When I was moving out of my parents' house for the first time years ago, I realized I needed cookware,” Carlson, who, alongside her sister, is also the co-founder of the wildly success Wildflower Cases. “Being a girl in my twenties that loves fashion and dressing up, a hot pink pan was all I wanted and I couldn't find it anywhere. I also wanted it to be good quality and durable and I just couldn't find it. An light bulb just went off in my head and it was like, ‘Wait, should I make it?’” After spending nearly four years developing the perfect product, Carlson launched the hot pink frying pan of her dreams, along with festive kitchen accoutrements, including leopard print apron and matching oven mitts. Next year, she plans to expand the business even further. “With each pan and pan color comes with a whole new world,” she teases.

The pan a constant companion for Carlson both in the kitchen and on her Instagram and TikTok, where she posts recipe videos for everything from green bean casserole to chocolate olive oil cake, with each video amassing thousands of likes, making her one of Gen-Z’s modern day Martha Stewarts. With that in mind, we asked Carlson to help create a sort-of modern day etiquette guide to navigating the holiday season.

Go-to dish: It's been a bolognese for years. My friends request it now if they're coming over. It's always a bolognese.What's funny is that the bolognese recipe is vegan. It started with Beyond Meat and it was just so good we've always done it that way. And garlic bread, always. Can't go wrong.

Go-to cocktail:I love a whiskey sour. It is so delicious. The sound of the egg white, sometimes people are like, ‘What?’ but it is so good. I also got these wines recently that are non-alcoholic that are great.

Go-to holiday hosting outfit: Definitely a dress of some sort. I wanted to say fur, but that's for if I'm going to a party. You’re going out somewhere with fur but not putting it on for your own party. So some sort of dress silk in the red frame genre.

Yes or no — theme parties: Yes. Especially with the holidays. Last year we did a Christmas party and everyone dressed up in fur and red, and it's just so fun to do that, so I'm down.

Ugly Christmas sweater parties: Yes, and I need to find one this year. I’m not hosting one, but if I go to one, I need a new sweater.

Hostess gifts: I don’t expect people to bring me one. But this last Friendsgiving that I hosted, my friend told everyone that they have to bring an ornament, which was really cute. After dinner everyone sat down and each person would go up one at a time and show what ornament they brought me and put it on my tree. I personally love to bring cookies or wine. If I have the time, I love to bring a cookie.

Putting up your Christmas tree early: Mine has been up for weeks. I put it up a little bit before Thanksgiving.

Listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving: Listen to it after, but I always have those six-hour cozy, beautiful scenes with snow and a fireplace up on my TV and it has soft holiday music all day.

White Elephant gift exchanges: I think they're great, but people get very serious. If you know you brought something good, it's fun.

Re-gifting: I want to say no just because if the person finds out, I feel really bad. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. If you have no option, fine, but I'd be worried about the person finding out.

Misteltoe: Of course. The more the better.