Merry Christmas!

Despite the relative silence over the past month I wanted to pop in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas before the day has slipped away entirely. It's been a low-key holiday, which suits me perfectly. A languid morning spent opening gifts and making chocolate chip bacon pancakes. Afternoon naps. A whirlwind cleaning marathon that has left me with a much more organized media cabinet. Bliss.

This has been a hard year, hard like nothing I have ever faced before. So much of that has hit home over the past month that I have been left reeling into survival mode. Getting through each day has become the sought victory. I'm trying. And it's by the grace of God that I am still so very blessed despite feeling so very broken. I didn't intend to be vulnerable tonight, but then it hit me that I not alone in my struggle. To put a shiny wrapped bow on things tonight would do a disservice to those of you that need to be reminded that even in hurt there is hope.

As I pray and ponder over what the future holds for 2014 I am struck with a simple word. Gentleness. The past few years I've enjoyed choosing a word to embody the coming year. It helps me to find my focus. What does gentleness mean for 2014? Being kinder to myself. Being more mindful of those dear to me. More letters and spontaneous gifts. More words of affirmation. Taking better care of myself and taking the time I need to recharge. As with each of the years passed, I'm looking forward to seeing how this word comes to evolve and sharing that with you. Because we could all use a little gentleness, I think.

I hope that your holiday has been filled with joy and merriment. I know this has been a tough year for many, and I pray that the light of hope pierces through even the darkest of your circumstances. Merry Christmas and here's to a brighter 2014!

Post-Christmas Debrief

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year it’s the importance of debriefing. Of looking over an event (especially one you plan to repeat) and analyzing what went well and what you would change for next year. So, before I close the books on Christmas 2012 I want to take one final look.

The biggest fail of the year? Not sending out Christmas cards. I had purchased some last year, but I can’t for the life of me figure out where I stashed them for safe keeping. If I’m honest with myself, even if I had found them I probably wouldn’t have sent them. I need to get more organized, to have a detailed list (names/updated addresses) for everyone who I want to send a card to. I need to be kinder to myself and not be upset if I can’t write a full letter for everyone on that list. That’s what being better about correspondence during the rest of the year is for. Goal for next year? Cards in the mail before Thanksgiving.

Overall, this was my best year for gift giving. That is thanks in major part to having a brainstorming session before the holidays and writing out a concrete shopping list of what I wanted to purchase. Next year though I want to be finished sooner. I want to complete my shopping by December 1st to give myself ample time to purchase local and handmade. To accomplish this I want to keep a notebook of the people who I plan to gift and note down their preferences (especially as they mention them casually in conversation). I noticed this year that when I scramble for a last minute gift my mind goes completely blank so I will also start a list of my favorite go-to gifts. I will give fewer gift cards, unless I put more thought into their presentation (this and this come to mind).

On the topic of presentation, wrapping paper. With no pre-planning I had no time to handmake any tags, toppers, or ribbons this year. Goal? To shop for paper now while it’s on sale and plan out my presentation so I actually have time to execute it.

Finally, the baked goods. With my back I had a decent excuse not to be in the kitchen as much this year, but next year I want to make up for that. I want to acquire some cute tins and containers while they are on sale to help the cost around the holidays. Finishing my shopping by December 1st will give me a little extra freedom to bake when the season hits full force. Ditto for Christmas dinner. The goal? No last minute shopping trips to Trader Joe’s when the line is starting to wrap around the aisles.

As always, more photographs!

Those are my goals for next year, what are yours? Do you have a tried-and-true Christmas tips? What do you want to try differently next year?

Merry Christmas

As I ease into the lazy afternoon side of Christmas (I am snuggled with a blanket and adorable puppy as I type this), I want to take a moment to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday be filled with love and joyful memories. ♥

Christmas Eve

Waking up this Christmas Eve morning to a piping hot cup of tea to chase away the morning chill I am reminded of the necessity to slow down and enjoy the simple moments. Early morning walks. Really good scrambled eggs with ribbons of silky goat cheese and dotted with fresh herbs. A comfy armchair and a cute puppy for company. Time to breathe.

I am house-sitting right now and through the rest of the holiday season and the change of pace is nice. My mornings will be looking much like this for the next week or two. I am relishing the time to read and write. To be intentional about setting goals for the new year. To take the time time to reflect on how amazingly blessed I am. It's an answered prayer and exactly what I've been needing.

I am so excited to share what I've been working on, but in the meantime I wish you a Merry Christmas! May these next few days be filled with peace and joy. Take a moment amidst the bustle to take a breath and enjoy the little things that make the holidays special.

Much love to you and yours!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

To understand these cookies is to understand that these are the first thing I've made from scratch since August. This is the first recipe I've played with since then too. The why of that is a post for another day, but suffice it to say it feels fantastic to be back in the kitchen again.

The base of these cookies comes from my chocolate chip recipe (which in turn was adapted from Nestle's recipe). The idea of peppermint came up when the first of several holiday potlucks started to loom in front of me. I can make these cookies in my sleep, but they needed a little something extra. A little spark of holiday cheer. In comes the peppermint. After several unsuccessful attempts at acquiring the Andes peppermint chocolate pieces I switched focus to the chocolates themselves which were conveniently on sale.

It was there in the baking aisle that these took shape. After all, what pairs with peppermint better than chocolate? Peppermint hot cocoa. Chocolate dipped candy canes. Peppermint ganache icing. Yum. And, bonus? The peppermint in these becomes a pleasant aftertaste instead of a show stealer. (Too much peppermint to me reminds me of cough syrup so this is very much a bonus in my book.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Nestle)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter; at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar; lightly packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 bag miniature chocolate chips
12 Andes peppermint chocolates; coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F

Start off by combining the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugars until the mixture has lightened in both color and texture, from 3-5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and eggs until well combined. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Add in the chocolate chips and peppermint chocolate pieces.

Roll dough into one in balls (or use a cookie scoop for more evenly sized cookies) and space them two or so inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for seven and a half minutes, or until golden brown on the undersides. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack. The final recipe will yield approximately 3 dozen.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I'm not much of a Thanksgiving person. Secretly, I love the Christmas decorations that started going up as soon as Halloween was over. I started actively listening to holiday music back in September. I've already purchased my wrapping paper for the year. I'm ready. And this year, like I'm sure I say every year, I'm determined to make the most of this holiday season.

Things are a little different this year. Last year around this time I was working two jobs that just about covered my bills. I was exhausted pretty much all of the time. I wasn't even home long enough to help decorate the family tree. In a stark contrast, this year my job energizes me instead of wiping me out. I have time to spend with friends and family. I can afford to go Christmas shopping. So I'm making lists. I'm shopping early. And I'm determined to make the most of the season this year.

So, imagine my pleasant surprise when my venture to The District at Green Valley Ranch turned into a holiday treat. The streets were lined with bauble filled trees and the garlands were going up as I strolled from shop to shop. Coupled with a successful shopping trip, Anthropologie is a gold mine of awesomeness right now (I finally found some curtains that I'm smitten with!), and lunch at the Elephant Bar it was pretty much the perfect afternoon.

Are you getting in the Christmas spirit or do you prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving?