Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope wherever you are in the world, you know there is a girl in Chicago who thinks of us as close friends- sends you the warmest wishes, some homemade hot chocolate & cookies (well, if I knew who you actually were, and where you are...I would on the latter two) and a great big hug. (I send you all cyber-hugs!! Big bear ones!!)


Have a happy weekend, a wonderous Christmas, and a beautiful New Year!

Photo from here. Via here, thank you!

Busy Busy....

The boys and I are a whirlwind of activity today... baking, making...wrapping presents and each other up in scarves...tasting and trying and buying.... What are you doing these four short days before Christmas eve? Print by Laura George.


I should also mention, today is the day two years ago my world became a more chaotic, more active, more haphazardous, and eternally more fun- today is the day my Little Blue number 2 came in to view. Happy Birthday Avery, (my Mister Tubbles,) Mama loves you and your spirit so very, very much.

Holly Jolly

Actually, there is no holly. There is winterberry, but nothing really sounds snappy with winterberry. A matching pair of urns I put together for a business for the holidays....

I used balsam, princess pine, the afore mentioned winterberry, dogwood and fan-tail. Its the fan-tail that is sticking out kind of crazy below.

The greatest part about winterberry is, that aside from the amazingly bright red color it has, is that it will stay this pretty outside until February. (Or whenever you decide you've had enough of it....)


Are you ready for next weekend? No? Me either. I don't care how far in advance I start planning, I always seem to find myself extremely short on time this last week. Its alright, I enjoy the hustling and bustling and baking and wrapping and all- its just I wish I could stretch this time out, just a wee bit longer to really savor each and every moment I have as if it were a full day...not just a tick of the clock. Enjoy this time, and happy weekend!

And Now, A Break From Christmas...

I had a meeting yesterday with a bride for next summer. Her wedding is going to have a laid-back, fun but very vintage-y feel. Drawing inspiration from everywhere, these necklaces from A Luscious Thing came to mind while we were talking and I thought they were so darn pretty, I should share with you too.

Completely vintage, regrouped, re-purposed & sometimes re-colored, these necklaces are created to make you sigh just a little & your neck jealous of the mannequins and paintings shown wearing them.

Romantic- but not too serious, and completely delicious. (Er, Luscious....)

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,
I have been a mostly very good girl this year and I would like these please....



Of course, new underwear & a camera that has a really fabulous zoom lens for taking super-duper up close pictures of flowers and butterflies wouldn't be too bad either.
Love,
Becca

(You never know, Santa could read my blog....)

Red

This morning I was treated to the loveliest dance performed by Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal. They started out together on my neighbor's lilac bush, twirled about onto the fence post, and then he lead her gracefully into a waltz that flitted about all the spent seed-pods in my garden. For a moment I thought I saw them strap on some ice-skates and do a quick turn on the frozen bird bath, but that was just my imagination. Finally he snapped a berry off a bush, gave it to his lady love & flew off to the next yard. She blushed slightly at his gesture & just sat upon a hydrangea head for a moment- looking content- and then dashed off to rejoin her man.

I do enjoy cardinals in the winter time. That splash of red he gives off against all of the white around here is very refreshing. (She is very lovely too...don't get me wrong...he is just more showy is all....) This pretty print by Mincing Mockingbird is called In the Beginning We Called it Love and I thought it quite appropriate since my bird photography skills just aren't quite up to snuff. Ezra asked what the two cardinals were doing when he saw me looking out the window and I replied, "Dancing." He seemed unimpressed with my answer but liked that whatever they were doing, they were doing it together. I told him that they were married and he asked who married them- I said maybe an old owl, or perhaps a friendly neighborhood chipmunk...he seemed more impressed with that answer.

Let it Snow

Last week Ezra was in quite a state. It was the last day of November, and we had not put our snowflakes up on our windows. For those of you who are new here, my son (and maybe I do too) believe that our snowflakes are magic and once we put them up on our windows it is sure to snow. Well, that night I brought some snowflakes up from the basement from last year, and we started in on a nice new stack of white paper to add some new to the old. We put them all over the windows on the first floor and come December 1st, what can I say...it snowed. Yesterday I finally got around to putting some up in the bedrooms, and yes...it snowed some more. Magic? Hmmmm. I'd like to believe.


Click here for directions on how to make your own fluttery friends.
Happy Weekend. (Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.)

Snow Queen

I am in love with this hand cut (!) beauty by Papercutdiecut. Isn't she pretty? She completely appeals to my need for paper snowflakes.


What, you didn't know cutting out snowflakes is one of my favorite-est Christmas pastimes? Hmmm. We'll have to remedy that. I wish I could wear snowflakes in my hair. Maybe I'll try.

All Aboard

After what I'm sure was a lifetime of waiting and begging for our "Christmas Boxes" to be brought up from the basement, Ezra finally got his wish. Sunday, four huge black boxes labeled XMAS came up the stairs, their lids ready to finally be lifted. The contents inside patiently waiting to be re-discovered...hugged, remembered, put out, displayed and watched. Since Sunday (and I swear my children do other things than watch television...) we have now watched The Polar Express 5 times. Yes, five. Yes, today is Tuesday.

I might be singing a different tune come the 25th- but I don't mind watching it-or hearing it a couple (or more) times a day, it is visually a beautiful movie, with an equally beautiful message.


Jamie and I keep reminding each other how excited we used to get as children (and how excited we still get- but we are a little bit better about the waiting for things part now- ) and that we probably used to drive our parents equally as crazy with the same questions Ezra is asking us now..."How many days until Christmas?", "When can we put up our tree?", "Why can't we put our lights up now?", "Can we watch The Polar Express again?" (Well, not that last one....)

We just smile and hug him and tell him he has to be patient, and wait.

And believe.

Wooded Wonderland

Oh sweet temptation, thy name is Anthropologie. This year, for their holiday window displays you get the feeling that you might have been whisked off to some enchanted tree farm, or dropped mistakenly off in a Bavarian forest - delighted none the less at what there was to offer.

I fell completely under the spell of a few sweet sweaters, bathing supplies, bedding, baubles, books (oooh, the newest edition of the Penguin Classics are too darn good!) and well, lets just be honest- the whole store, mostly.

There were days that Anthropologie invited their loyal followers to pitch in and lend their design coordinators a holiday hand, did any of you give it a go? (Let me know!)


If I were a faery or a sprite, I think I just might take up a Christmas rental here.

Wouldn't you? (Its furnished and everything....)



Enchantingly wonderful.
All images via here, thank you.

Friday Flounce

A self pronounced tom-boy, I never had fantasies as a child of myself twirling in a tutu to the Nutcracker. Is it wrong that as an adult (and still more or less a tom-boy) I do fancy myself fluttering about in one of these?

Da-da-da-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-da-da-da-da-dum....(That is me, and hopefully you da da da-ing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy....)

Admit it, you wouldn't mind prancing about (in your own home if nowhere else) in one of these pretties too right? The idea of dressing up in these makes me feel all little girlish and Christmas-y, full of wonder and delight and dancing on my tippiest toes.
Da-da-da-dum indeed.
Happy Weekend!

Pictures by Rachel Papo. Via here, thank you!

Handmade (By Someone Else) Holiday

If you are in Chicago this weekend, its time for the Renegade Holiday Craft Fair! I am so excited & have been saving up a little money for gifts for others...really, others...okay, and maybe myself.

Here is a smattering of the artists I will be scouting out....

I love Fernworks for their beautiful nature inspired jewelry. I had a piece in my hand (for someone else, really) last year, put it back, and have regretted it ever since.

I think I know someone that would really like a Chicago flag coffee cup made by Circa Ceramics.


I am not familiar with The Harbinger Company, but I love this honeycomb necklace. (And I've always loved the word harbinger. I have know idea why. Say it, harbinger...it just feels good. Harbinger. Okay.)

I always need to pick up a card or two (or ten) by Laura George. These are just a few of the fantastic artists (over 150!) that I am looking forward to seeing! Not going to be in Chicago this weekend? Its okay- you can still buy online. Yes, you will be in Chicago? Well, maybe I will see you there!