It's Catch Up Time!

I wrote back here about how to let Christmas linger. 

I wrote back here another idea. 

But I found going through some pictures that I had just one more. 

On New Year's Morning Scott and I had my parents over for breakfast. We had Scott's family over for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning and I just felt sad thinking that the Christmas tree was coming down soon and I really wanted my Mom and Dad to see our twinkling home. So they came. 

I used the Christmas china and all of our pretty things... one last time. I wasn't even wishing they were packed away. I really lingered that day and just enjoyed it all. 

I made homemade cinnamon rolls (overcooked them just a tad, darn!) 

and I set up a coffee bar in the kitchen (and tea in the dining room).

 We lingered in the living room with coffee. 

And I made a fruit salad, scrambled eggs with chives, and those cinnamon rolls... yummmm!

I have to include this picture even though it's blurry because I love the full table so so much! 

It was a great way to celebrate Christmas just one more time! 

PS I miss that Christmas tree in our dining room! 

Been Craving White

In my last post I talked about how I had a can of creamy white paint out and how I'm loving the white in our china cabinet filled with all of the blue and white dishes. 💙

And I've been redecorating since all of our Christmas came down. I've been craving simple. And I've been craving white. 

I love the white in our little wallpapered bathroom. 

I love all of the white in our kitchen (good thing I love white so much since we have white cabinets, and white counters!) 

Our little tea tray has a more simple look for January as well. 

Our whole family room has lots and lots of white already. The white slip covers are still on (I love bright white at Christmastime) but I plan on changing those out soon for the beige for a more natural and warmer tone look soon. 

I loved the bare mantle with just a huge bouquet of birthday flowers. 

Catching Up Thoughts and New Home Projects

I'm so behind on this blog of mine but I'm also perfectly okay with that. I worked really hard to get all of our Christmas festivities on here so I didn't forget, plus there are always tons of pictures between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to manage so I like to organize them here quickly. 

But then that glorious week between Christmas and New Years happened. We filled it with relaxing and bit of fun too! (here and here)

Before we knew it, it was back to school and I really wanted to put my heart back into teaching. I had some new ideas brewing and did a bit of research, reading, and prep work to get a new fluency program up and running in my classroom. And there were a bunch of other things to do for school too. So a week of not being on this space slid into two and here we are! 

A lot of life has been happening and I have much goodness to catch up on, but for now I find it helpful to post some very recent when I'm this behind on memory keeping. And then, as I dip my toe back into this space, I can begin to go back and pull those older events/photos too. 

With all of that said, one thing I have been loving is my empty home. Empty of vibrant color. Empty of so much twinkle. I love it of course! If you've been on my blog for a moment, then you know that decorating for Christmas is just about the greatest joy in the world for me. But how nice our home is right now. I love January for that. It's like our home can take a breath and let it out. And I can see it for it's 'bare bones'. I dreamed up new home projects, new paint colors, new ideas for the walls... when Christmas was gone, my creativity did not go away. It's like a whole new start. 

First up, was painting our built in china cabinet. I knew I didn't like the blue anymore in there. It wasn't a big job and Scott happily painted it for me last night. That meant that on this sunny, and crisp day I moved back in... all of our blue dishes. I have one whole set and then I've added here and there so much that I adore. I think there is always room for more blue and white, and when I find more I just have to bring it home. 

I snapped these on my phone today so they're not my 'usual' pictures but they'll still give you an idea. 

Well, I'll have to say that getting back on this space feels really really good. I'm glad to have taken a week or so off and happier even to be back. 

More projects to share coming soon!  

Holding On To Christmas ~ more

In this post back here I talked a bit about how and why our family likes to continue to have the feast and celebration of Christmas during the week between Christmas and New Years. Every family is different but holding on to Christmas feels right to us. 

Here are a few more ideas: 

 ❤ On New Years Eve day we went to the darling town of Stockbridge, MA in the Berkshires. It's the Normal Rockwell-perfect Main Street. We love the Red Lion Inn and had lunch in the tavern. Most hotels and restaurants are all dressed up for Christmas still so it's fun to be in them ~ it just feels festive! Here's a peek at our day... I only took a few but loved it! 

Holding on to Christmas ~ a few tips

In the Catholic liturgical year, Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and last until the Epiphany on January 6. I've had years when I've wanted to take down all of Christmas by New Years Eve to have a clean fresh start, and I've had years when I've wanted it to last a bit longer. Usually, by the time I go back to school on January 2nd it can feel a little annoying to come home from being in my classroom all day to seeing Santa things here and there. But winter and the dark is so so long! I'm debating this year what I want to do. I do have a few things that help make that Christmassy feeling last longer... 

❤ I have a little cleaning schedule I keep and after I'm done for the day with the bathrooms or dusting, changing sheets and laundry, etc (whatever the chores I've set for that day are) I like to turn on all of the Christmas tree lights, and anything twinkly we happen to have including all of the outdoor lights and candles in the windows. It really sets the stage for a cozy, relaxing evening during this vacation week. 

❤ Each evening after dinner I take some Christmas cookies ~ a few of each kind {I made 7 different kinds} and I put them on a covered Christmas cookie plate for us to enjoy later on the couch. Being all together and relaxing in our family room is a vacation only thing ~ for us it feels decadent and wonnnnnderful! Having a cookie or two and a pot of tea makes it still feel like Christmas

❤ I planned a Christmassy outing. It was actually the gift this year to my Dad ~ tickets to a musical! My Dad, Abigail, and I went. It was magical and so Christmassy. We saw the most amazing musical - A Christmas Story. The musical is nothing like the movie. It's heartwarming, charming, cozy, funny, delightful. I didn't want it to end! We actually got to sit next to the lead's Dad (Ralphie is the character's name) and got to meet the star after the show! It was so much fun to get dressed up in our Christmas clothes and go to the theatre! 

Here is a link to the The Goodspeed Opera House. And here is a little bit about the show we saw (here too) 

❤ We went to Mass today. It was the Feast of the Holy Family. I didn't take any photos there but the church looked magnificent. The choir sang all Christmas carols. It was so lovely. 

More ideas coming soon! 

Christmas Day

Tradition 

Cousins

Grandparents

Uncles

all that we love, know, wait for...

Arrival

My brothers, my parents

Feasting 

Opening 

Anna gave my Dad a copy of her first novel. 

The happiest mess from up above. 

Dessert 

We reenacted the cousin picture from about 5 years ago... 

It sure was a merry afternoon and night! 

Christmas Morning Magic