Merry Christmas

I've been neglecting Christmas and blogs lately between working long hours and chemistry tests and finals. Friends have been visiting and shopping has been obnoxious and I have been frustrated and tired and stressed. Christmas gifts have not been sent out to friends yet and there may still be a stack of Christmas cards, addressed and stamped, sitting on the passenger seat of my car.

But now it's Christmas. A white Christmas, in fact. And I am drinking a cup of christmas tea and watching A Christmas Story and Elf before family comes. And it's perfect.

I wish you all glittering trees, happy presents, and a warm cozy day of family and friends.

This is What Christmas Looks Like

Christmas Cards, a la Martha Stewart glitter stamping. 100 stamped glitterified cards is officially more work than one really wants to do.

Outrageous Coconut-Cream Meringue Cake

Canton Lights on the Square, with sisters and brother and mother and dad. Cocoa and antiquing and lovely lovely things.

Lovely old bottles in a local shop. I want them all.

Presents wrapped, ready for post office and tree.

Deer Might Fly

My parents have gone to New Orleans for their thirtieth wedding anniversary and my youngest sister is having hordes of wee friends over to go into the town square and ride in a cart pulled by an old horse and these hordes will drink cider and eat beignet. I am making these hordes pizza. I have finished my Christmas shopping and just keep listening to this song over and over again. Because it's lovely.

Merry Christmas

While waiting for Christmas

Go to the library (I am a big supporter of Library as a concept) and get To Catch a Thief. It's not a Christmas movie but it's pretty and entertaining and a good movie to watch with one's mummie and daddy and the dogs and three cups of tea.

Wedding

The Oldest-and-Best friend got married. And it was beautiful. And she was beautiful. And I who abhor first dances was converted because the two of them were so unbelievably cute. I might even dance at my own wedding (I am a grouch, I hate dancing. I didn't dance at the Oldest-and-Bests wedding. I did run out and get her White-Out and a white shirt for her brother and Pop-Tarts for another brother). I wore pink. And cried. And hugged all and sundry. David and I met at The Oldest-and-Best's engagement party (her husband [!!!!] is one of David's bests) so that was nice too. Lots of full circley, snuggly, soft love and happiness. The next day I flew to my parents house, leaving Susie behind (because they wouldn't let her on the plane, we got to the airport and those bastards wouldn't let her on) with David. I am going to stay here. Just for a little while.

This is the flower girl, Philomena. Seen before as a flower girl on this page (in her other big sister's wedding). She's having quite the year. She's a monster. I wanna squeeze her and play with her hair and spin her around but she's a monster. As this photo makes abundantly clear.

Pure Love

I'm slightly obsessed.

Weekend, Almost

There are many things I cannot wait to do this weekend including christmas decorating, shopping, Bryant Park, Manhattan on Saturday night, and naps but what I am looking forward to most is digging into this ball of yarn. Unfortunately two days of work, one disc of Big Love, three chapters of chemistry, and one chemistry exam stand in my way.

Advent Calendars

I don't have an Advent calendar this year. For the first time in at least 22 years (whatever, leave me alone) I have no little doors to open each day of December leading up to Christmas. I hadn't thought of it at all but now that I have I feel as though I have failed in adequately following Christmas tradition and turned my back on one of my favorite childhood holiday activities. This realization saddens me because I am not an adult yet dammit and I think I need to remedy the situation pronto.

My mother bought me an Advent calendar from Germany the Christmas I was five years old. It was a Christmas tree and the little doors opened to reveal the ornaments. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I've been looking for a similar one for ages to no avail. These, however, are still pretty awesome and make me nostalgic for childhood.

Sabbatical

Things kind of came to a head this weekend. Bachelorette party was great, then I got unbelievably ill and eventually had to be spoon fed water so I didn't die of dehydration, then David had a terrible cold and lost his voice and needed to spend the day unconscious and in bed. Under normal circumstances, these events would be minimal and fine. I am in my fifth months of living alone, without a job, sometimes going days without seeing anyone else. There were a lot of tears this weekend, and sobs, and calling of mothers in hysterical tears and sobs. My flight home for Christmas has been pushed up to next Sunday. The day after The-Oldest-and-Best's wedding. I'm going to get Susie a car carrier and we're heading back to the south, to spend a month with family. Our tickets are one way. We don't know when we're coming back to Pennsylvania or what's going to happen. We know we need sisters, and Daddies and Mummies and snuggly Christmas trees and safe spaces.

We will send a post card from the safe space. When we find it.

This is why Mountain Dew is no longer part of my life

It's after two. The dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and stove are all going. I've baked 4 dozen cupcakes. I am wondering if it's a bad idea to frost them now. Probably. I went to help The Oldest-and-Best Friend with assembling favors and I ate a lot of chocolate and a Mountain Dew. Which I shouldn't do. I also had a left over piece of shower cake and a glass of milk. All of this after crying for a couple of hours. I think I might have problems. I came back and played with glitter, fabric, an iron and flour and food colouring.... and ate a lot of cake dough and more milk and listened to about five hours of NPR podcasts. Which I love.

Also: I learned I had the words to Don't Stop Believing wrong. Stupid Glee sorted me out. I know you ALL love Glee. I KNOW. You love it. Every single person except me loves it. I maintain it's because I'm the only one with good taste. In TV. On the planet. Bastards at NPR made me listen to it.

P.S. Yeah. I posted a picture of my dog. She's kind of cute and white and fluffy. And in my bed. Where I should be.

You Might Be Getting One Of These

I know. I am a child. But I'm poor and glitter and paper is cheap. So are glue pens. I made these shenanigans with glitter and glue pens and paper. And shut up. This might be the last Christmas I can sign my name to a pink glittery card.

P.S. I also have terrible handwriting and can't draw to save my life. But I can make chocolate orange cake so these things don't bother me that much.

KimoYES

I've recently realized that there is a small silk-kimono shaped hole in my heart and I'm pretty sure this Natori is the only one that will fit. It will be perfect for our soon-to-be-completed deck which will from this point forward only be referred to as the lanai. And then I and my beautiful silk kimono can lounge on our lanai in sunglasses (to hide hangovers, of course) and drink tea and (if we're feeling up to it) drink bloody marys and mimosas and eat cheesecake and spy on neighbors.

Baking Bread

Cooks Illustrated I tell you. God's. Gift. To. Hannah. Almost No-Knead Bread. Because for serious, f*ck Mark Bittman and his shenanigans.

Get a 14 day trial membership or buy the damn magazine. For me. Or you. Whatever.

Pies, Apple. For Hannah

Cooks Illustrated is the best and most wonderous food magazine. It is. So. GOOD.

I think I need to eat this skillet apple pie. Please.

Glass, Ribbon, Paper, SEQUINS

I went a bit nuts over the last two days on the couch. My kitchen looks like Whoville and the dining room is on it's way. Admittedly the house if filled with fabric and ribbon and paper and glitter and looks absolutely filthy (cleaning commences in earnest this afternoon, the bachelorette etc need clean sheets and towels and places to sit and eat). I decided that since my Christmas card list is relatively short I could man up and make them myself so the house has to be deglittered (cards will be shown once the kitchen is clean, this is my resolution).

For My Hair

I would like some of these gorgeous clips from Ruthie Sayles. Her house is one of my absolute favourites ever featured on Design*Sponge's Sneak Peak. Its amazing. Go look at it.

Best Christmas Movies EVER: Meet Me In Saint Louis

Meet Me In Saint Louis was my favourite movie as a little girl. I watched it over and over and over again with my little sisters and when I lived in England by myself my mum sent it to me and I watched it and cried a lot. It shouldn't be watched alone. I might wait until I get to my parents house to watch it this year. It should be watched snuggled with sisters and a mum.