Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

There are so many things I love about this season: Pretty lights and decorations, yummy food, and especially time with loved ones. It’s a chance to see the people we don’t often get to see, and spend even more time with the people we do see on a regular basis.

I’ve had fun getting into the seasonal spirit the past couple weeks. My husband and I kicked it off by joining some friends in cutting our own tree for the second year in a row. I’m somewhat of a holiday purist - no fake trees in my house! Getting a permit and cutting from the wild not only provides a fun, adventurous day out with friends, but also ensures that we get a fresh, beautiful tree that stays alive throughout the month (and gives a clear conscience on healthy foresting practices). We bring a thermos of coffee and Bailey’s and enjoy the crisp winter day. Last year it rained, but this year was bright and beautiful. We all bring our dogs, and they have a blast playing in the snow!

My husband, myself, and our pup Sirius Black.

The tree we chose was a lovely white fir. It ended up needing quite a bit of trimming to fit in our living room (images from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation ran through my head), so we ended up with a bunch of extra branches. They were begging to be made into something! Our friends, knowing my fondness for making things, donated their trimmed branches to the cause. With a studio full of winter greens, I decided to try my hand at wreath-making.

What started out as a modestly-sized wreath soon grew into a 3-foot-plus monster. It would never fit on our front door, so I started looking for an appropriate place to put it. My family’s annual Christmas party for some of our closest friends was coming up at my parent’s house, which is a large, Craftsman-style affair. Their epic front entrance would be perfect for an epic wreath to accent the occasion.

A splurge on some beautiful hot-pink Chilean peonies provided the inspiration for the floral cluster of roses and tulips that polished off the look. A couple cute little boutonnieres made with the leftovers looked great on my dad and uncle, who got roped into modeling for me. They were good sports about it, though. The party was a wonderful day full of laughs, good food, and time with loved ones.

I hope your holiday season is full of the same. All my best,
Bethany