Christmas Time

I can't help it...I love Christmas.  I think part of it is just that I have really good memories of Christmases throughout my childhood.  Traditions are big in my family.  Starting on Thanksgiving, with Miracle on 34th Street and ending on Christmas Eve with White Christmas, my family probably watches a Christmas movie every single night.  Of course they save the best for when I come home, like It's a Wonderful Life and Muppets' Christmas Carol.  We always do one present on Christmas Eve, which is always pajamas.  Then my older sister and younger brother get up before dawn to gaze at the Christmas tree in all its glory and start the coffee and tea for the old people (aka those of us who loathe early mornings, even on Christmas...so me and my parents).  They wake me first so we can have some sibling bonding time before the parents are up.  After that, the goal every year is to frighten my parents awake.  I think we've managed to actually scare them once in our lives.  Maybe.  They are usually awake before we even think of waking them.

Since I'm the only one not living in the same town as the rest of my family (not even the same state actually), it can be a little harder these days to keep the Christmas spirit alive.  I'm sure some people must think I'm nuts for Christmas, but I try to keep it in perspective by telling them that I'm the grinch in my family.  But I always get a tree.  I don't hold to the steadfast rule, mandated by my sister, that only Christmas music in allowed from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day.   But I do like to listen to Bing more often then not during this season.  This year, my fella and I made our own advent calendar.  It's not perfect but it was fun to make and more fun to open the boxes every other day (we alternate days so we don't have to have a calendar for each of us) and see what he's put inside.

The long green ornaments are vintage!

I love the round light bulbs

Our little advent calendar made of small matchboxes

With buttons for the knobs

As we do a day, we turn the box around for the number to show

From the back

Spanish Remnants

My boyfriend recently returned from a month-long trip to Barcelona where he was working on a film.  He returned with many treasures for me, all of which are remarkable in their own way.  Of course he didn't get anything for his mum.  Fearing the potential-mother-in-law grudge I knew might befall me, I told him he had better give her the bottle of wine from Spain he had brought back with him.   A little while later he went out to lunch with his mum and he informed me that she asked him if he'd found a girl he liked better than me in Spain...
Now, we keep the wine.

These are real flowers that have been dipped in some kind of resin

Made with a beautiful purple wood 

Yes, I love owls.  But who doesn't really?

I love copper, even if it leaves my finger green!

Lovely silver ring

My one request was for a shawl...

...and he got me two!

The big surprise was this beautiful leather purse

Autumn Surprises

This is my favorite time of year.  I believe the holiday season has the potential to bring out the best in everyone.  And while it is fun to receive gifts, it can be so much more fun to give them.  I love the challenge of gift hunting.  Even finding that item in the corner of the shop, the shaft of light from heaven pointing you towards it...a chorus of angels singing "This, this is the perfect gift to give so and so!" as you pick it up and hold it in your hands.  And if most people feel the same as I do, it's not even the gift that's important.  Just the fact that they took the time to think of you makes me so happy.
Case in point, I just received an unexpected package from an old friend of mine...

 First I love all the little personal details.

And a little note, just for me.

 Even the tea in the cup is arranged grey, purple, grey, purple, grey.

And homemade biscotti! So yummy.

A pumpkin for a bit of fall spirit.

This just happens to be a quote from one of my favorite men:

And in the box...a cosy hat for the cooler weather!  Handmade of course. 

I love you, Jessica!

Plant Babies

I have recently become quite taken with gardening.  I can't do much since I live in a second story apartment, but that's probably for the best.  Admittedly, I don't have the greenest thumb in the world.  Here are some of my most recent creations/acquisitions.  

These two are air plants and really have no root system.  I have a third but didn't take a picture of it for some reason.  So neat!  

These are little succulent gardens that I put together.  A new hobby that is surprisingly fun.

Masquerade Ball

My sister-in-law has a themed birthday party every year in December.  This year's theme is Animal Masquerade.  Seems like an easy thing to find....unless you have standards but don't want to pay over 50 bucks.  Here are some neat ones that do meet my standards, but not my price range:

Simple Pleasures

Surely I'm not the only person who really loves something that is packaged just right!  This tea I bought in Ashland, OR for example:

 Lovely presentation!

 Even the way it's wrapped up just right

 And throw in some sucre as well

Art

Some of my recent acquisitions by artist William Steidel

Good Enough for a Beginning

After creating this blog ages ago, my sister has inspired me to give it an actual go.  I don't know how cathartic public journaling can be, but I am curious to see where it takes me.