Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

Gather 'round the open fire for Chimneyside Chats - a monthly feature with holiday stories from our favorite artists. See what's in their stockings this year as they reminisce on Christmas memories, share their favorite recipe and more! Here's what songwriter Alexa Villa had to say:

Growing up, every year for the holidays my family would take a road trip. That trip usually included Las Vegas and one place else we hadn’t been. I remember going to Lake Tahoe one year, Seattle another, or San Francisco, etc. and on our way home we’d always stop in Vegas for Thanksgiving. We’d usually have that classic meal at a hotel buffet on the strip and if the restaurant was full we’d go to Denny’s. I know this sounds totally counter-traditional but it was our tradition. It wasn’t particularly fancy but there was always something magical about the four of us packing into a car together at around 3 a.m., getting on the road and blasting Deep Purple that I’ll never forget. The holiday for us was more about spending time together, adventuring somewhere new, than it was about a specific recipe.

My third Christmas