recently / christmas 2012

christmas, christmas time is here. can we even believe it? the countdown is almost done! i hope you and yours are enjoying a cozy, warm christmas season. this month we've crunched in a lot of christmas-ing. we've enjoyed creating christmas traditions within our home. we got a stubby little tree from home depot! benji's pick. i fed seth while dan and benj decorated. the girls got in on the annual cousins candlelight party and we took our boys to the christmas lights on temple square. i have done a lot of secret christmas shopping with seth in tow. we've been addressing envelopes and drinking my favorite fancy hot chocolate (the ticket kitchen shop!). we've hung out with santa. present wrapping and singing carols (loud, for all to hear). we attended benji's first preschool nativity program (he was the innkeeper)! had a little dinner party (a good excuse for using christmas dishes!) and served cheesy pull-apart breadsticks. a trip to anthropologie makes the season bright. among other dishes, i cooked my first real turkey! dan was so excited, i put it in the fridge with a gift tag on it saying, to dan, love your wifey. the fridge is stocked with ham and homemade cranberry sauce, and gravy! my first gravy! and a pot of turkey noodle soup with homemade noodles. (come visit. we have food. ha!) we've had game night (yay quirkle) with friends and eaten rice pudding (i look forward to it all year long). oohing and ahhing over pretty christmas cards. i even glittered snowflakes with my nieces and later, bundled up for a family date night to park city (a cozy bookstore, some window shopping and pizza too).

a four year old makes christmastime magic and his little brother is getting his first tooth!! he is the happiest baby i know; smiling at everyone and drooling like crazy. we are still looking forward to: chinese take-out on christmas eve. candy gingerbread houses. the christmas story from the bible. remembering Christ and His gift of life eternal. reading favorite stories under a new christmasy quilt (thank you abby and whit)! delivering cookie dough neighbor gifts. more christmas movies. stuffing four stockings! santa claus surprises. and a family reunion to boot (with my entire family. hooray).

hope you have a very merry christmas. xo.

pinhole press / family gift ideas

  
am loving all of these personalized gifts from pinhole press. i gave dan one of these last year for his office and he's already requested another. i have no affiliation with this company, i just love their fine quality goods!

working on a giant puzzle while waiting around for thanksgiving dinner sounds really cozy and charming. (i think i'm getting old. i hate puzzles. but sitting around doing nothing but hunting for pieces while talking to favorite faces sounds mighty fine right about now.)

are you starting your christmas lists? are you already all finished shopping? the catalogues are arriving and my sharpie is out writing down ideas. i don't necessarily buy anything. i just love seeing good ideas for decorations, color combos and such. there's a lot to learn from a pretty catalogue page; no purchase necessary! and of course, the christmas binder is out. hello holidays! 

 memory game / puzzle / calendar

christmas subway art / a perfect gift for under $10

my christmas subway art design from last year is back in business! for a mere seven dollars, you can own this digital pdf. file. print it, hang it and enjoy it all season long. the colors are woodsy and warm; modern gray, santa red and forest green. click here to purchase the poster download.

season's greetings!

recently / christmas 2011

here are a few of my favorite things.

+ the nativity scenes and christmas lights all aglow on temple square. it's my favorite way of getting into the true spirit of christmas. i love walking around the visitor's center (even with the crowds!) and viewing all the wonderful messages about Christ. the simple bible videos are something we watch every sunday morning before church.

+ we bundled up and even caught a choir performing downtown. (i have no qualms about wearing big furry russian hats in public, i deem it one of the best things dan brought into our marriage!) benji loved the giant nutcrackers and the horse carriages carrying families in the brisk night air. it was a thrill to feel christmas is coming.

+ on christmas eve, we ventured into the snowy mountains for a winter walk (not enough powder to snowshoe!). but it was sunny and the snowy hills sparkled like diamonds; which makes all the effort worthwhile. my family gathered at my sister's for turkey and all the fixin's. everything was delicious. it was a classic family night with games and the nativity story, singing carols, little cousins, presents and togetherness. the best gift of all; opa was kind enough to patch up benji's bear! just in time for christmas. we all went to bed with sugarplums a-dancing.

+ christmas day was spent at home; cozy in slippers and cuddled in quilts. it was magic. santa pleased everyone. i attempted my mom's thinnies (swedish crepes) and rolled them up with sugar and butter for breakfast. wassail washed them down. it took me back to being seven. i was so glad they turned out. we played with trains and cars until church began and then came home to play some more. leaving the mess all the while. dan cooked up a mighty fine stew for christmas supper.

hope yours was so merry and bright.
wishing you a happy new year.
xo. m, d & b

p.s. dan gave me a night to the movies! we saw the new Sherlock Holmes and loved it.

a (candlelit) christmasy cousins party

a christmas cousins girls night. 
+ the sistas, cousins and aunts all gathered in the cottage for a night to remember. everyone showed up in comfortable clothes for a cozy night and a yoga class. i didn't have a stitch of makeup on. aren't all my relatives so cute?!
+ one boy was allowed. (i love that little slug phase.) baby josh is so darling, i loved cuddling him.
+ the best part of the night was a yoga session by whit! (who is also expecting her first babe! hooray.) down dogs and warrior ones by the twinkling christmas tree. exactly what we all needed.
+ a pot luck supper; so many savory and sweet choices.
+ red stripey straws and sparkling cranberry apple.
+ tons of non-stop chit chat and laughter.
+ utah truffles chocolate mint bars for favors (i love the gold wrappers).
+ ticket kitchen hot chocolate sticks (sadly, i was saving them til the end and was unable to serve our mugs of cocoa.. no electricity! am saving them for christmas eve instead).
+ during our second helpings of dinner, the music, lights, twinkle lights, and heat suddenly switched off! the whole street was dark and we hustled around (illuminated iphones in hand) for candles and flashlights. everyone was a good sport, but i was ill prepared! luckily i had a bunch of pillars on hand for candlelight and a basket of blankets. everyone huddled together for warmth, bundled up in quilts and we finished the evening with more chatting and a gift exchange. we kept the chocolate truffles going too. no one seemed to mind that all the lights were out! in fact, it created the perfect christmasy atmosphere. they thought maybe i had rigged it! we talked the night away. the power didn't come on until the next morning. it was fun for me to wake up to blasting holiday tunes and yummy leftovers. thanks, girlies for making the night so special.

recently / holiday happenings

+ just when i wondered if my card / wreath display was way too ginormous, it became the fave of the season. i got it on coupon at michaels and will likely be hanging it in the kitchen year after year. thank you for the christmas cards; isn't opening up your mailbox the best at christmastime!!?

+ the dessert buffet with my in-laws: apple cake, cherry coconut joys, lemon chex mix, peanut butter & chocolate cookies, soft gingersnaps, caramelitas, sour stars and more. david brought a homemade pumpkin roll(!) which was the star of the show.

+ the best part of hosting a dessert open house is having enough leftovers to take to neighbors!

+ not only has santa come to town, but H&M too. hip hip hooray. we hit it at ten a.m. and quickly zipped out. will have to do a thorough visit without toddler in tow. i texted dan and told him i was very much in my happy place. the kids section is surprisingly crawling with lightening mcqueen clothes, so benji was too.

+ i started wondering about all the crazy stories the mall santa has in his satchel when he heads home to mrs. claus. don't you think he must see it all?! benj hopped on his lap and started chatting it up like old pals. can i show santa my band-aid?

+ unexpected packages arriving. love the shredded paper packaging.

+ blowing bubbles in the bathroom; best indoor activity.

+ wrapping (and rocking) around the christmas tree.

+ chocolates all lined up for girl's night out favors. utah's truffles are the best; the mint and dark chocolate flavors are our favorites. they melt in your mouth. i saved a few for stockings too. the local company kindly sent enough for us to share with our guests! thank you, utah truffles. more party pictures to come. we partied the power out. seriously. it was kind of awesome. psst. the cute christmas runner is a gift from my quilting cousin!