yesterday we had fun playing in the snow, sitting by the fire, making molasses candy, having a friend over for a tea party, making soup and eating dinner with good friends.
creating space for beauty & simplicity
so it’s that time of year again where i brag about my talented hubby and show off the handmade goodness he gifted to us this christmas. he kept it simple this year and stuck to two gifts. but what amazing gifts they are!
i was more than speechless and in awe when i opened my beautiful ukulele that he built from top to bottom.
i kept asking him “you really built this? the whole thing? even the neck, the frets, everything?!!”
i am truly amazed at his talent. he can build anything.
not only is is beautiful but one of a kind and somewhat romantic if you ask me.
the sound holes are also peep holes that look in to little dancers from an old coo coo clock he salvaged for parts. it’s like i have little people inside dancing to my music.
it is inspired by a cigar box guitar but he couldn’t find a box he liked so he built his own.
and it even can be plugged in to an amp to be electrified. seriously.
he showed it to our cousin who is a musician who immediately ordered two to be built for the new year.
timber and co. now builds musical instruments!
he is designing a cigar box amp to go with it too.
it plays just beautifully and the best part of all is it was built just for me.
the other beauty that he made was gifted to the girls. a gorgeous kick sled inspired by this story. if you have not seen this yet, i highly recommend this magical and beautiful movie.
the sled is impeccably made from poplar, with runners sanded and polished with bowling alley wax. the girls are looking forward to some snow tomorrow to try it out.
we are all still in holiday bliss here, sleeping in and snuggling by the fire, nibbling on sweets, playing with our new games. we are all loving these.
there is always a tray of chocolates and cookies out and ready for friends and family who stop by.
today we are heading into the city to see this. and then out for tea and cakes.
christmas has really just begun at our house.
it’s been a nice few days of baking, wrapping, delivering gifts, and there was even a hike in the woods.
the girls left a while ago to deliver some presents to friends. they ended up staying for hot chocolate.
chris is out and about doing last minute things like picking up some cheer at the wine and spirits shop.
i just wrapped the last gift and am sitting by the fire with a bowl of split pea soup.
i can feel it. the slowing down. it begins now and will continue through the week as we all hunker down.
they say it may even snow which would be a lovely addition to one of the hand made goodies chris made the girls.
wishing you all a merry merry, peace and love in whatever way you celebrate.
xo
on the longest night of the year we slept by the fire and kept the flames going until morning.
in fact they are still burning.
it’s a tradition we have been keeping for years and we all look forward to it as much, if not more than christmas.
there was a sparkling cider toast to the light that will slowly start creeping back.
we wrote our hopes and dreams for the new year and threw them into the fire.
and there was lots of giggling and snuggling under the covers by the christmas tree.
since mama was the first to fall asleep as usual, there may have been other festivities that took place.
all i know is that it was the best sleep i have had in a while.
this year’s handmade gift list so far includes:
::chocolate covered apricots
::birch beer
::elderberry syrup (for the upcoming cold season)
::an array of cookies including ginger stars.
::those little wood burned ornaments will be present toppers.
there’s still a week left so who knows what still could be made.
i have been cleaning out my pantry and cabinets of glass jars, baskets and containers to fill with cookies, chocolate covered fruit or forced paperwhite bulbs. i love giving things a new life and especially a new home.
i am off to my moms to paint my old childhood dollhouse.
we are giving it to the girls for christmas with an updated look.
i am going to paint the outside of the house the color of our own house and the inside rooms revere pewter.
maybe i can find a little chicken coop with chickens so it really feels like home.
even better would be if i could find a new little dollhouse family. one with a bearded dad with glasses and a tool belt.
i’m such a sap.
this season we are trying to hold true to giving handmade and simple.
and at the same time we are trying to remain in the moment and not beat ourselves up if something does not get made or if we give less than last year to someone.
i have to try hard not to keep score and compare from year’s past.
we don’t put much focus on lists. i do however listen to what the girls might tell someone who asks them what they want for christmas to get some sort of idea.
they usually say what i used to say when i was young, “i like to be surprised.”
it’s funny how some people are just not satisfied with that answer. “you must want something!” they’ll say.
and so the girls usually reply with a thing or two to make them happy.
i remember when hannah was about 4 years old she replied “world peace”
well that was a long break.
i kept wanting to check in here over the last few weeks with little updates and snapshots of our holiday spruce up but then 2 weekends of hannah’s nutcracker performances and (a good) life in general took over.
the holiday candlelit house tour was this past saturday which had me touring and talking about my home for 5 hours straight.
there were non-stop visitors and after bragging about my pop and his master carpentry skills and showing off all of chris’s wood creations and discussing our appreciation for beauty, simplicity and practicality in the home, i couldn’t help but love this place we have created even more.
my mother’s house was also on the tour and even though our houses are quite different it was fun for people to see the similarities. my mother is an interior and landscape designer and extremely talented at what she does. it was her vision that motivated us to buy our house which took a little convincing since it was quite a project to undertake. she has instilled in me a love and appreciation for nature and beautiful, useful things as i watched her nurture her house into a home throughout my life. i think of her as i spruce up a little corner, find the perfect evergreen bough dripping with pine cones, or as i cut out branches from our christmas tree so the ornaments fall just right.
yesterday the girls and i strung popcorn, cranberries and grapefruit rinds to hang on the creature tree in a few weeks.
we talked about tradition and how they want to continue the many things we do during advent with their young ones.
i can’t help but wonder if they will also continue the tradition of appreciating the little things that bring both my mother and myself such joy.