Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The weekend, briefly

christmas mail
{christmas mail}

tree trimming
{tree trimming}

wedding ornament
{wedding ornament}

studio
{studio}

ceramics
{ceramics}

Early last week I pulled out our Christmas tablecloth and bought a tiny wreath from Trader Joe's and we had friends over for a long dinner and some eggnog. I got our annual gingerbread house party invitations out a little bit late, but at least they made it. For some reason I can't bring myself to go to email invitations for this particular party.

After all the hosting and a heavy workload over the last couple weeks it was a blissfully quiet weekend, the kind I value even more as we head into a packed month. Saturday I went to Krav Maga (I'm covered in bruises and gleefully excited about it!), ran home, got a massage and then napped. It was AMAZING. We did a little bit of running around on Sunday and I got to visit some of the ceramics Dustin has been working on lately.

As we gear up I'm reminding myself that my "obligations" are really privileges and choices. I love this month but around December 15th I tend to get caught up in a frenzy of (largely self-imposed) expectations and it's unnecessary. I want to enjoy it, both the big parties and the little details. There are so many sweet surprises, like when D's 14 year old brother, who stayed with us for a couple days and is generally in full on teenage mode, was unexpectedly enthusiastic about decorating our tree while listening to Christmas music. You can't plan the best moments anyways.

23 comments:

  1. Hi Rachel- I have enjoyed reading your blog for a couple years now! I am drawn to it by your appreciation and enjoyment of the simple things in life and how you embrace life's moments. Everytime I read, it reminds me to do the same! Thank you!

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  2. I am completely in love with that table cloth. I remember it from last year and I just think it's so beautiful!

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  3. so, so true about the obligations/choices and that the best moments are unplanned! thanks for the reminder!

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  4. We have a giant collection of ornaments at home in various shoe and shirt gift boxes, (think the flimsy department store ones you get to put tailored shirts into) --- all tetris'd together in a larger box that is mostly falling apart. Any revelations on storing ornaments so that they're safe and easy to put up/take down? I've thought about upgrading our system, but I don't want to inflict such change on a holiday so full of traditions without a masterful/perfect solution...

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    1. Hmmm ... no good suggestions here, I'm afraid. We use a motley collection of boxes too, although ours are pretty sturdy still. We don't have many ornaments, so we haven't really had to deal with a solution!

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  5. whatever you are drinking in that first picture looks divine!!!

    i'm so excited for our christmas party this year! the last one of our twenties. xoxo

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    1. Me too!!!

      And that is coffee with whipped cream in the top picture. Yum.

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  6. What! Dustin does ceramics? Can we see more? Pretty please? (I'm a ceramicist, so I'm totally intrigued by the little glimpse in your post today!)

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    1. He is probably embarrassed that I mentioned it because it's just a hobby! He took several classes in college and did some beautiful cast work and after a long gap he finally decided to start taking more classes. He's just finishing up a hand building class and once everything is glazed and fired I'll see if I can get some pictures!

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    2. Please do! I would like to say I am ceramicist too, but I have been on a very long break. I would love to see the end product. It is making me want to get back into it...

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  7. That ornament! Your wedding ornament! Where can I get one like that? :D

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    1. Isn't is fun? My mom got it for us and she picked it up at the local museum when they had a Mexican art exhibit. But if you search "dia de los muertos" and "wedding" you might find something good! This was actually a fridge magnet but I put a hook on it to make it our wedding ornament.

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    2. Thank you! I love it, it's so adorable. I'm particularly obsessed with Mexican folklore (did my MA thesis on depictions of la Llorona in Chicano lit), so this is just what my tree needs! I hope I can find one.

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  8. oh goodness i loved that last part. christmas brings out the kid in all of us. and YES to the invitations in the mail - better than an email any day.

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  9. Thank you for this post.
    I almost always end up overwhelmed come Dec 15th. My fiancé both come from divorced parents, and we each have huge families so the week of Christmas is constant traveling...the type where you feel late for the next event when you've just arrived at another.

    But at the end of it all, you are right, they are not obligations, and we should feel so fortunate that we have so many loved ones to celebrate the season with.

    Long time reader, first time commenter,
    Hayley

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    1. We're in the same boat, Hayley! Both our parents are divorced and remarried and our families are complicated. We generally have 5 different "events" to attend on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We're lucky in that our parents live within 20 minutes of each other, but on the other hand, that means we have no excuse to skip anything at all! Sometimes I dream of just taking a year off, but I think we'd miss it.

      Good luck!

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  10. You are right, the best moments are certainally the unplanned ones! It's nice to slow it down and put things into perspective. I'm hitting that crazy/frenzy point myself : ) Love your tablecloth and that mug of coffee with whip cream looks Yummy!

    Danielle

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  11. That last bit, about decorating the tree with D's brother, gave me a little pang. It's so true.

    I love that tablecloth. I should find a good Christmas one for my table. Well, once I clear off the crafting mess covering it... :)

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  12. i'm loving the day of the dead ornament! so cute!!

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  13. Loving the table cloth and the ornament!!

    xo
    Rachel
    http://picklesandchapstick.blogspot.com/

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  14. I have that exact tablecloth out on my table right now! Although it is still just a stretch of fabric that I got on sale at IKEA a few years ago and haven't gotten around to hemming up yet. I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to making it into a tablecloth yet, but now that I've seen yours in action, I think I'll go with it! :)

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    1. Confession - mine isn't hemmed either! It's extra long because I purchased enough yardage that I can use it with the leaves of my table out, so I just tuck the ends under and call it a day!

      Every year I tell myself I'll finally get around to hemming it and then it never happens. : )

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