eye candy

"R" is for....

• Robe. Jim got me a fantastic robe from Land's End. So super warm and cozy. I LOVE it. Unfortunately for Jim, it covers every inch of my body except my feet and ankles. No sneak peaks for the Mister this winter

• Red. As in the red, hand painted art work I received from my brother-in-law. I was so excited that I spent Sunday framing a few recent pictures and putting together a spot for the new painting.

• Rest. Jim and I slept in until 11:30 on Christmas morning!! (we obviously have no children) I think it the latest I've ever stayed in bed when I wasn't sick.

• Running. Well, at least according to Jennie (my mother-in-law). She bought my father-in-law a red winter hat with a big "R" on the front. Upon opening he asked her..."what's the R for?" (knowing that she had no idea it was for Rutgers University) Her response...."Running. The R is for running."

Perhaps this story is only absolutely hysterical if you were actually there (I was doubled over laughing with little tears streaming down my face) or if you personally know Jennie Robinson. Trust me. It was REALLY funny!

Monday...

"As for me, to love you alone, to make you happy, to do nothing which would contradict your wishes, this is my destiny and the meaning of my life. "

~Napoleon Bonaparte

a cappella

For a little last minute holiday cheer, check out this rendition of 12 Days of Christmas.

Thanks for the post Kim. Definitely enjoyed it. It made me wish I had just an ounce of singing ability.

Bakerella

My friend Sarah just sent me the link to this great website. Check it out for tons of creative and fun baking ideas.

In addition to super adorable cupcakes, Sarah made the cake pops for her son's birthday. They were a huge hit!

Headbands are for Babies.

I decided on a gray cowl neck sweater and floral headband from LOFT instead of the plain black turtleneck I'd originally intended to wear. It made me feel a little better. I love the black flats with little ruffles I'm wearing today too.

One of my patients is a sweet little women, originally from India(try to imagine her accent). She's in her mid-thirties.

"Oh. you look like baby. " making reference to my headband
"It's good. It's good.....You like candy?"
She then hands me one strawberry candy and a lovely keychain.
"For you. It's good for keys."

Bah Humbug

I really could just spend the day in my sweats, drinking hot tea, and reading The Stand. But that is just a dream. I'm about to force myself into neatly pressed trousers and a turtleneck sweater and inch my way to Delaware. Everyone in the office is restless about the holidays and demonstrating terrible work ethic. I will have to be stern and force them to actually work instead of texting and lounging near the cookie trays. I hate being in charge some days. I hate commuting every day. Somehow (that I have yet to understand) the holidays directly effect the traffic.

Last week....

Thursday AM- 55 minutes (average commute time)

Thursday PM- 2 hrs 25 minutes

Friday AM- 1hr 40 minutes

I thought about quitting that day.

Cookies

Snow days are fun. especially with Jim.


and now we have sooo many cookies....

happy mailman. happy dog walker. happy neighbors. happy holidays.

(these pictures were taken early on in the baking. we eventually stopped when we ran out of room on the kitchen table)

Snow Day!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

We're expecting 10-15 inches. The biggest December snow storm in the Philadelphia area since Kennedy was president. After a midnight trip to the grocery store and and some last minute errands this morning when the flakes were just started to fall, we finally declared ourselves snowed in around noon.

The rest of the weekend will be movies, Christmas cookies, pizza and wings, hot chocolate with lots of marshmallow, and I might actually get my Christmas cards done.

White chocolate mocha & vintage

Tuesday night I decided to drudge through the mall for the last of my Christmas shopping. The most delightful part of it was indulging in a white chocolate mocha. The pick me up not only got me through the rest of my shopping but also had me wide awake when I arrived back home at nearly 9:00. It had been a long day for us both, so Jim and I decided to cozy up on the couch to watch The Pianist.

Excellent film adapted from the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish man from Warsaw, Poland who survived WWII. Need I say more. Anything regarding WWII tends to leave me teary eyed and feeling a strong sense of quilt for EVER complaining. But, I've always loved the stories.

This was the second time I'd seen the movie, but the first time I took note of the beautiful fabrics and decor of the early 1940s displayed in the beginning of the movie (this is quickly replaced with bare necessities as the families are taken from their homes and forced into ghettos). Lovely floral and paisley patterns, prestine china and vases, conservative knee length wrap dresses and pencil skirts. If you're in to sewing check out this website for lots of patterns for vintage dresses.

In summary.
White chocolate mochas.
The Pianist.
Vintage dresses.

Monday...

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

~Gandhi

A.M. yoga

I usually go to spin class on Monday mornings. I must admit I was a lot better at keeping up at 5:15am when it was warmer and there was actual light at that time of day. Today I was up but just didn't go. To be truthful, I just feel like getting sweaty. I plugged in the tree and did yoga on the floor next to it for about 45 minutes. It was so quiet and dark aside from the tree lights. I love the way it feels to breath in and move deeper into a pose on the long exhale.

It was a nice way to start my Monday.

Fireside

My in-laws hosted their annual holiday bonfire last night.

It was a successful night with clear, crisp (& chilly!) skies and no one leaving with any major injuries related to the fire or the roasting sticks.

There were plenty of marshmallows & hot chocolate. For the adults, Peppermint Schnapps was a popular additive. Holiday tunes filled the air.

Gabby told me about kindergarten. She's learning that if she leaves her boots in the hallway St. Nicholas will come and leave candy pieces on them. She couldn't really think of much else that I needed to know about school.

Her brother Steven was a huge help in assisting with the fire. He had a hard time controlling his roasting stick. The problem was eventually solved by filling him up with sugar and giving him a much shorter version that was more a mini sword.

kids really make the holidays fun.

especially when they don't come home with me at the end of a sugary night.

Holiday Dinner

We had a great little dinner party last night and I didn't take one single picture. Not the food, the guests, the table. Not one! But some details from the evening are still worth sharing...

I brought out these wine glasses that were my moms. It's only a set of 4, so I mixed them with a more modern set I received as a gift several years ago. I liked the contrast between elegant, victorian set and the sleek, modern ones.

One of our guests was vegetarian so I made this delicious roasted vegetable pasta. It turned out perfect. It was also nice because I had all the prep done before everyone got here and just popped it into the oven during appetizers.

Jim made mussels as a first course. Typically he makes a red or basil cream sauce, but last night he tried a new recipe. They were a huge hit! We served fresh baguette slices and everyone loved soaking up the licorice flavored sauce.

The evening was a good start to a stream of fun holiday related events over the next 2 weeks. I really do love the holidays!!

Costa Rica aquí yo vengo

I want to go here. I have been looking for a way to dedicate myself to learning Spanish...I have a small fear that I might never come back.

Christmas cactus

This is the first year our christmas cactus really bloomed. We bought the little guy on clearance at Lowe's 3-4 years ago for $1.00. The last few years we've gotten a few blooms at the start of winter that quickly die and fall to the ground. It's a pretty cool looking plant without flowers but it's gorgeous and is even better when it fills with tons of deep purple and fushia flowers.

It's apparently a common problem for them to drop the flowers quickly, even before blooming. The November issue of Martha Stewart Living included some tips from Martha herself about caring for Christmas cacti.

• Keep away from radiators or drafting windows. The best temperature is 64-68 degrees. (but no draft! this is mentioned several times in the article)
  
• Evenly moist soil (avoid over watering or letting the soil become completely dry)
• Bright, indirect sunlight. ( I think this was the key to our success this year. We moved it to a window on the side of the house instead of the front windows)

'Tis the season

I bribed Jim into showing his holiday spirit early this year with this festive chocolate cake filled with crushed peppermint candy. It was a cold weekend with the first dusting of snow, so it was the perfect time to get the holidays under way. The house is now filled with sparkles and snowflakes, cinnamon and spice, reindeer and santa.

Monday...

"Prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer."

~Ernest Holmes

Flower power part II

My nephew Austin and I on turkey day.

photography by Elliona (my 3 yr old niece)

A bit too personal

It was a surprisingly warm morning yesterday. I even had my window down a little bit as a crept along, inch by inch in morning traffic. The bright, sunny blue skies were spread over barren tree tops. Suddenly I was hit with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. The kind that wells up inside of you. The rest of the emotions and memories that came streaming through following that instant just seem too personal to relay out into the blog world.

I used to keep a journal fairly regularly in the past but haven't for the last 3-4 years. Looking back through the dusty pages is sometimes therapeutic and sometimes help me realize how much I've develop and grown as an individual. So, I decided to start a journal again. I picked up these eco-friendly journals made from recycled paper in fun shades of green to get me started.

I love blogging to help keep track of of things that inspire me, fun projects, photos, and events. It also helps eliminate piles of magazines and clippings of articles I find interesting or want to reference later. I have a place to store, organize, and share all that stuff now. But, I think that starting a journal again will help me keep track of the rest of my life.

NYC

Jim and I celebrating our anniversary with a trip to NYC. We had perfect weather that weekend (unlike our actual wedding weekend!) and enjoyed hours at Central Park, Wicked, and brunch with our dear friend Erica.

Jim's first trip to Central Park.

We stayed at the Bryant Park Hotel and were very pleased. It's very modern, which was a fun change from the typical Holiday Inn style we're accustom to. The location was great and there was a fun skating pond and little boutique type shops set up for the holiday season in the park area across the street.

We finished the weekend with brunch at Roberto Passon. Delicious...and really a great deal if you enjoy endless mimosas!

Flower power

Jenn rocking her sexy headband.

Torch

My dad got a puppy. He's so adorable. I love soft puppy fur. And little puppy paws. SoFee dog was deathly afraid for 5 straight days. She's a bit neurotic.

Cozy fashion

Loving Anthropologie's sweater collection.

One of each please!