christmas 2015

 As I type this, it is Sunday December 27th...and I smiled today because some of the radio stations are still playing all the Christmas songs :) The cheer and the hype is what makes me really excited, and it is so contagious, all through songs, visions of red and green, and the smells of cooking, pine, cinammon-goodness...there are so many senses of Christmas.

So here are just a few (I mean, just a few) pictures from the holidays this year. Most of my efforts went into making a video, actually, so the best of the best you can see below. This is becoming somewhat of a family tradition, to make goofy movies...and I love it!

password: chritmat

ciao! xo and enjoy!

pretending it's cold...

What is more bizarre than a warm Christmas?! It was a complete oxymoron, requiring an air conditioner and everything. Christmas Eve was 76 degrees! We always joke in my family that there is something wrong about a sunny Christmas; it goes against every carol, holiday card and Charles Dickens-esque picture. At least it was cloudy, and not sunny!

Despite that, our holiday has been wonderful. It's been filled with Star Wars everything, lots of PIE, homemade pasta (all the carbs!) and lots of wrapping paper. I received this lovely hat and scarf and immediately paired them together in my mind's eye for an outfit like this (above). I mean, ideally I would be wearing a nice black coat and boots, but a light dress is perfect for 60 degrees or so in December. My little bro is such a good sport for taking these pics!

How is everyone's Christmas weekend?

ciao! xo

winter picks

As I posted on my instagram, I have this bad habit of buying things for myself when I go Christmas gift shopping. Woooops. Sometimes it's the sales I can't pass up, but most times it's little trinkets like these that keep me excited for cooler weather and wintry outfits. But I do have to say, I did pretty well on my shopping this year. I have almost everyone on my list done, and all I need to do is wrap whatever else arrives in the mail. I didn't do a lot of physical brick&mortar shopping, but the little that I did was pleasant. Of course watching the money fly out of your bank account is no fun, but the satisfaction of having a little pile of presents all wrapped up and ready for gifting is quite fun and might make up for it.

So, in the frenzy of shopping, here are some of my winter picks:

- ear cuffs.
- long gold chains (these are from urban outfitters)
- plaid scarfs
- booties (i got them in black, too!)
- aaaaand: eyewear! I have been in desperate need of new glasses, and I am so excited about my (not one! but two) pairs. Both are a bit hipster in look but I am really digging the round frames :)

ciao! xo

scenes from christmas

I think these photos really do quite a nice job of summing up the past two nights. Christmas this year was lovely. Long and quiet, cozy and warm. Maybe a little too warm (we ended up turning off the heat during our party - with the fire going, people buzzing and everything is got so hot inside). As I write this, it is the afternoon of the 25th and  I am about halfway through #2 viewing of A Christmas Story on TBS (yes!!!). We're relaxing after a productive morning. My mom and I made about 8 lbs of homemade spaghetti- then another 2lbs of fettuccine - and we are going to enjoy it immensely tonight! I love this very Italian tradition; it makes you appreciate the amount of work put into it. Everyone is home, the tree is the focal point of the room, and the kitchen smells great. I am really so lucky to be spending it this way!

Part of me can't even believe it actually is Christmas - and a year will have to go by before we have it here again. Even though that feels so long, the wait is worth it - and there is so much to look forward to. I have to admit, even though I love my hot summers, you can't replicate the feeling of a cold winters' night with hot chocolate, a roaring fire, sweaters, and enjoying the company of family around you.

How was your Christmas?

ciao, xo

what I love about Christmas

It is a time to be thankful and appreciate the little things - the valuable things that actually could never be replaced. 

I am fortunate to be able to spend this holiday the way I do. For the countless individuals experiencing hardships, it is not only a time to reflect but to help. I have been lucky to grow up with this sense of responsibility to help the needy - whether it is picking up Christmas meals to drop off to families, collecting toys, or donating a small sum somewhere.

I am so so lucky that everyone I love is here.

According to forecast it will be 50 degrees and sunny on Christmas day. But I am thankful, even in the frigid unbearable  cold, to live in a place where we have winters.

Life seems to slow down on this day - the supermarket parking lot is eerily empty, but at the same time in a  good way. It is nice knowing people are in their homes, having a quiet morning, being with their families. I love that sense of quiet. It is sacred.

Merry Christmas to all!

ciao, xo

blurry scenes from a winter drive

Yesterday was the winter solstice. We caught a brilliant sunset on a country drive, just S and me on our way for some last-minute Christmas shopping. It was a lovely, sunny day - and it seemed to be just us on the road - we even saw a hot air balloon! I am so glad my camera was with me. With it I was even able to get a glimpse of Bowman's Tower, which I should write about in a separate post because it is so cool. It was used in the days of the American Revolution. From the top, you can see beautiful vistas of the Delaware and into New Jersey.

Now that S has been back {which feels like forever, a good thing always} we have gotten so back on our track and traditions...tonight we are celebrating again with a dinner, just us, at a tavern nearby. All the festivities have put me so much into the Christmas mood. I have all of my wrapping done and all that is left is to finish the planning a little shindig on Christmas Eve. I'm in charge of the mulled wine (any tips much appreciated!)

enjoy your Monday! ciao, xo

my favorite ornaments

Oh the memories // pip, georgia and scout

"in memory of tree collapse 2008-09"

Hatteras 

Siena 2011

The ambience: Pavarotti singing this lovely song, grey Saturday morning skies, hot tea piping away in the kitchen, a full house. We decorated the tree yesterday. It's always a nostalgic few minutes unwrapping all of the ornaments you forgot about, the classic favorites, the new one for the year - to put it somewhere on the tree. It was such a lovely morning. So I snapped a few pictures of some of my favorite ornaments...

I think the funniest one(s) are the tree collapse ornaments. Yes, more than one. We had this odd unlucky streak from about 2006-2009 where every single year, the tree would fall down. On people. One time it happened to me. We were having a nice get together, probably enjoying egg nog or mulled wine or hot chocolate, and I was sitting right in front of the tree. All of a sudden I felt this pressure of cold, prickly needles pushing into my back - and boom! It went down. A few nondescript ornaments broke - thankfully none of the good ones - and we created another ornament to document the disaster. It was hilarious. And we had about 15 people to un-deocrate the tree and drag it to the curb - no effort needed on our part whatsoever!

As you can see I love the ornaments I've picked up from around - Siena is a favorite, as well as the beach-themed Hatteras and Outer Banks ones. We usually pick up our ornaments in the summer, store away for safekeeping, and then put it on the tree 6 months later. I love it. This year's newest ornament  is from NASA, which my mom and sister visited earlier in the month. cool :)

Do you have any tree traditions? ciao, xo

please send this along to santa

Last week I posted gifts for friends and family, and today I am posting some items I myself am hoping for. Some I already purchased myself - is that okay? Anyway, I have a few things that I have been wanting for a while - but above items, I really want to regain the strides I made in running this year (and have since stopped :( ugh) by joining a gym to beat the cold. Beeeeesides that...I am hoping for some makeup. I'm finally buying grown-up makeup and loving the difference (there is a difference). I use drugstore stuff all the time, but slowly I am adding little splurge items. Next are some accessories: black suede boots and a black felt hat (I've had my eye on for a while!).  I also am in desperate need of a new wallet, hopefully one of a punchy color so that I can find it inside a bag (that's a trick my mom always told me to follow). Kate Spade wallets are exactly that punch of bright, and big enough without being clunky. Lastly, some sweaters, fuzzy socks, and cozy clothes are always something I add to my list. LOFT has some great choices right now, which I'll list below. I also want some date time with S and my friends (preferably over coffee or a dinner table somewhere). :)

1. Kate Spade Wallet - brights, please!

2. Ray Ban Aviators - a classic; I love the look but could never decide whether I wanted the lenses to be really dark, almost opaque - or a sheer brownish. I think I'm going with the black (for winter at least!)

3. Coffee dates galore with the people I love! - (see my coffee diaries series for some of my favorite local cafes)

4. Adrienne Vittadini boot - I love how high the boot hits the knee, and the suede adds a nice finish...not sure about the chunky heel, but I remember trying these on and loving them.

5. A floppy black hat like this one from Urban...

6. LOFT has the best sweaters out now! I am obseeeessed with cowl necks...like this one.

7. Chanel makeup - which I feel sort of guilty about because it is just so indulgent - but it is such amazing quality. I loved the waterproof eye pencil which I tried at a trial and also the rich, poppy-hued rouge allure velvet lipstick. Absolutely obsessed!

what is on your list? ciao, xoooo!

gifts for the gift-giving

Most of these items linked on my Pinterest.

map tote wine tote // yoga mat // apple tv // kate spade earrings // alex and ani // julep nail polish // oakley ski goggles // blanket

If you caught up with my post yesterday you would know that I've made very little progress on the gift-shopping front; a meager four gifts is what I've purchased. I have ideas in mind...the thought of braving the crowds on my precious weekend is mildly annoying but I suppose it's going to have to happen soon to round up my gifts!

The good thing is I have most of it picked out. My family at this point is mostly adults - no kiddies right now (or in sight!) - so I feel that finding personalized, fun and memorable gifts is challenging. Not to mention staying within the budget I've set for myself. In previous years I have been on the creative side (terrariums, personalized notecards from my etsy shop, tickets to the flower show...) but I think I am staying more simple this year, with some ideas above as my go-tos. I can't give it all away, though :) I am highlighting some of my favorites from above:

- A good, sturdy yoga mat is on my list for my mom. We have discovered and have fallen in love with yoga this year, and I feel like we deserve something a little better than a $5 mat from Five Below.*

- I bought my own Map tote wine tote; it is perfect for BYOB restaurants and I love that you can choose pretty much any city you want. I like this Philadelphia one (holla!) but I myself own a Tuscany one; it makes me reminisce for those summers and I beam everytime I read over a small wine village I've once been to. It's a great gift.

- For the men, especially brothers: I think despite the impersonal feel of it, they'll appreciate a good gift card. I mean, I love them...and guys are simple, right?

- Ski goggles (and everything ski-related under the sun) is on S's list this year. I am bad at skiing, but I am actually looking forward to 'hitting the slopes,' as they call it. For me I'll be screaming my head off and zooming out of control on the slopes. S is big into skiing though and he'll love the gear he gets, I am sure.

- I discovered Julep nail polish when I used Rent the Runway - it was included in my rental in a little goodie bag. This nail polish is worth the cost, it is buttery-smooth and available in rich shades. My next investment will probably be the glitter. It's great stuff!

- The gift for dad, the apple tv, is not entirely selfless...I mean, I might find myself using it too now and then.* This tv will allow all of us to watch our Netflix and Amazon Prime shows seamlessly, and it  is much better than the stubborn Nintendo Wii we use to watch our shows.

happy gift giving! Isn't it the best feeling? ciao, xo

christmas at home: part 2.

Another happy Christmas has come and gone - it is hard to believe. I've always felt a tang of disappointment seeing the gigantic 364 on our 'days til Christmas' chalkboard, as opposed to the excitement of single digits..

Christmas in our household was so relaxed, thank heavens. Everyone took their normal positions around the tree - I always go to the left, it has always been that way - and we watched A Christmas Story on repeat and took our time getting the food ready. My roasted veggies were a hit, I'm not sure why everyone likes them so much! They are nothing compared to my sister's famous mashed potatoes. We set the table and used the pretty red and green chargers, and enjoyed so much food and dessert that it was almost obscene for just the immediate family. So obscenely good! 

I can't wait for next year's magical Christmas morning. :)

ciaoo! xo

christmas at home: part 1.

Christmas isn't Christmas in this house unless you've got a lot of everything going on. Last minute driving, forgetting about dessert, Christmas Eve macchiatos, dogs barking, silverware clinking loudly, discovering the Chinese restaurant around the corner makes really good sushi, guiltily poking around in the chocolate box, gifts carefully placed under the tree, cozy sweaters, making messes amid the wrapping paper, arguments and banter lovingly echoing through the halls, bells jingling on the dogs' collars…those are all the prerequisites for a classic Christmas in our house - some new, some old traditions.

This morning was simply delightful, and I can't wait to bring you part II tomorrow! xo

Merry Christmas! xo