Christmas 2012 begins…

I mentioned a while ago that I am attempting to feed myself well despite being crazy busy at work and at home. Some days I succeed and other days I succumb to old habits. When I remember to defrost my frozen pesto that I made during the summer, I eat like a queen! What could be easier than boiling a bit of lovely pasta, tossing it with homemade pesto, adding some freshly grated parmigiano and a little salt and pepper! Literally ready in five minutes. After inhaling a plateful, I decorated the house for Christmas. It was the perfect fuel… if you click on the word pesto, you will go to the post where I wrote that recipe

Each year I find a new decorative treasure. This distressed tin choo-choo train is my newest find for the kitchen.

I love making elaborate bows. It’s a hangover from my days at the flower shop.

After I design a piece, its carefully stored from year to year so that I can simply hang it up!

I like a traditional staircase of greenery, red berries and bows. The sun shining through the entrance window, as I took this photo, gave everything a golden hue..

I use three or four different wired ribbons of varying widths to create the look I want.

Mom gave me this brass door knocker for Christmas a long time ago. You can see how the reindeer’s front hoof has made a groove in our door.

Every surface gets a little holiday trimming.

I decided to go for a much simpler look in the dining room. Just a gold flecked garland and a little glitter over a pair of matching hurricane lamps.

I just need to add the pillar candles.

My living room is orange. I know – not the easiest color to work with at Christmas time…

If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that the twins are not able to come home for Christmas this year. After a few months of getting my head around us not being together – I move slowly on this stuff – I committed to finding a happy way through the season. One trick was to not open my beloved Christmas tree ornaments. Each one of them is attached to my family and all of our beautiful holidays together. This year, I have left them safely packed away in the basement. I used different ornaments for our tree. It’s lovely and there were no tears!

I used white and silver sinamay ribbon, over-sized red balls and silver bead garlands.

Golden heralding angels adorn the entrance to our living room.

The house is decorated. It’s time to get cooking for our party…

Thanks for reading