Here are few pictures that my family shared from the past few weeks: At my aunt Andrea`s house - my cousin Andrew really wanted to be on the blog Adam and Jessica at their house on Christmas Eve Red envelopes with red presents from Momma! Family picture around the dinner table Christmas cracker crowns Here`s a picture of our dinner - lamb, potatoes, zucchini, kale Parents` house decked out for the season Christmas Mantle Uncle Brian and cousin Tara Mom and Grandpa Tara and Andrew with Grandpa Best I could do with a grainy dark photo of the cousins from my dad Another B&W of the family Littlest of the 17 cousins
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It's been a few days and now I have time to recap on the few weeks surrounding Christmas. The weekend before Christmas we went to three Christmas gatherings in a row! On the Friday night, we went to our friend Adam and Emily's who had a housewarming and Christmas party together. They have such a nice house - I wish I took pictures! On Saturday night we went to my brother Adam and his fiancee Jessica's house, where they had a potluck Christmas party with a lot of their friends. I haven't seen many of them since they were in elementary school together, so it was nice to see what they were up to. We made pulled pork poutine and a caprese salad. On Sunday night, I went with my parents and Adam and Jessica to my aunt Andrea's house to have dinner together - she has a beautiful house at Avenue & Lawrence, and she made an incredible dinner! I creeped on Facebook and found this cute picture of Adam and Emily from their Christmas Party on Friday Adam & Jessica's Foyer Red and Gold Christmas tree Baby blue and white living room The end tables were pine from my parent's houses - Jessica white-washed them and they look incredible! Gave them two of the pearl wreaths from the wedding Such a pretty mantle Just what the holidays are about! Cute chalkboard and frame that Jessica made Andrea's beautiful house! Ohhhhh love the baby grand! Christmas village Nice way to dress up a chandelier - Pottery Barn ornaments work everywhere! Beautiful Christmas decor, and love the oversized stockings my cousins have had since they were babies! Jessica, Mom, and Adam Dream kitchen! Cousin was playing with my camera - B&W photo of yummy cheesecake! This year I taught right up until the 23rd, so it was a hectic week of last-minute shopping, cleaning, cooking, and organizing! Somehow Matt and I got it all done and were able to host dinner for his family on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve morning, mid-cleaning Lots of holiday cards, and an early gift from Matt in the little blue box! Table cloth and napkins cleaned and ironed, and table reset! Unwrapped candles and put the finishing touches on the table (after I broke one of the tapered candles...) Organizing the snacks! Of course had to write on the chalkboard! Ready for guests! Stockings hung on our "mantle" Wrapped a scarf around the tree stand to hide it! Christmas Eve was our first big hosting duties - I got to use the wedding china and lots of serving pieces for the first time, and it was nice to have people over to see all the work we've done in the past months. For appetizers, I coated some goat cheese in pecans and thyme, and I baked a brie with cherry shiraz jelly on top, both served with crackers. I also found a great recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for rosemary and chipotle roasted mixed nuts - it was such an easy recipe and they had a great kick to go with the sweetness. For dinner we made lamb, similar to the one we had about a month ago. It was cooked in root vegetables and red wine, and slow-cooked in a dutch oven for almost 7 hours. From there the juice was reduced to gravy, more red wine was added, and the entire house smelled delicious. With that we served fingerling potatoes, steamed baby squash, all on a bed of kale. We got fresh bread from Cobs to serve with dinner as well, and to sop up any excess delicious gravy. Matt's mom made a pomegranate salad (seeded by Jamie), and some cookies and treats for dessert. For dessert we did creme brulee, which turned out really well! I wish I had taken pictures of all the food! Roasted chipotle rosemary mixed nuts Lamb and baby squash from a few weeks ago, but we did potatoes instead of polenta Christmas morning we have a tradition of making a great breakfast, relaxing with coffee and tea, and opening gifts, just the two of us. I know a lot of our friends stay at their parents' houses on Christmas Eve, but I really enjoy this time to create our own Christmas traditions. For breakfast, we made Rosti, had some bacon, and lots of fresh berries. We always have a bit of ice wine as well, usually purchased on a wine tour in the previous months. We actually got this bottle duty free before our cruise! Good morning, sunshine! Rosti (basically shredded potatoes and shallots) Silver bead bracelet and pearl earrings from Matt Year of bracelets - Tiffany from Matt, Links London from Matt's parents, and not shown is a Pandora bracelet from my mom - first charm was an apple with the little gold worm! On back order - my mercury glass Owl from West Elm - can't WAIT to get it! Best present EVER!!! Can't wait to do this puzzle and show my students my geeky chemistry-loving present! Essie polishes from Matt in my stocking Loving "cocktail bling"!!! We spent Christmas with my family at my parents' house. My brother and Jessica and cousins came over in the early afternoon, but it was only my parents, us, my grandpa and uncle for dinner - a quiet year compared to some! We had the traditional turkey with great mashed potatoes and vegetables, and a yummy Pandoro cake for dessert - I want to try and make this myself - it is nice and light and delicious with berries and whipped cream. My contribution was a brie with cranberries, apples, and cinnamon. Mom's Christmas tree Christmas table, complete with hanging snowflakes Crystal stemware even! Mom with the Pandoro cake! Joyeux Noel Boxing Day we spend with my dad's giant side of the family in Bowmanville. I made some Christmas cookies and brownies for the occasion, and caught up with everyone I hadn't seen in a while, since we didn't do our traditional Thanksgiving at the farm this year. Even my cousin Mischa was there, who has been in Australia and New Zealand for over two years! After all the family gatherings, it was time to relax, which is exactly what we have done for the past few days. We have gone to the gym as well, but the rest of the time is this: Sweet dreams Matty!
On Saturday we got a small tabletop tree, which is really the only thing that could fit in our small house! I used silver and red decorations, and I only need a tree skirt now to hide the ugly red plastic base it came in! We got the tree from Home Depot - it is real - and simple decorations from The Bay, Canadian Tire, and Pottery Barn (yep, a lot of variety). Oh yeah, and I also have the jeweled diamonds from my florist, because we used them at our wedding! Ohhh Linus tree... A bit fluffier with some prompting... Missing a star on the first night... You can see the ornaments a bit better in the daylight Now have a Pottery Barn snowflake as our star on top! Goes pretty well with our room colours! Here's the tree...and our new carpet...and our new lamps in the dining room...
Yes, that title sounds nuts. But - this is the first year that I've been in the Christmas Spirit this long before Christmas arrived. I think it's that I have a new house, and it's the first time I get to decorate it for the holidays. Sooooo...yesterday I pulled out my china and set the table to see what I had already for our Christmas Eve dinner, and what I would still need to get. Had to unwrap all my silver chargers and pull out the china Going to add another longer tablecloth underneath this one Home Sense splurge - glittery decor and candles *The tablecloth just happened to match perfectly - I bought it not even thinking about Christmas! Didn't end up using the red napkins, but ones we already had, and rings from Home Sense The placeholder ornaments were a Christmas gift last year Need to iron all the linens and unwrap the candles Hello hoo-friends PS - Matt already banged into one, it fell, and its ear broke...maybe they should go on the table instead... I came down with candles, and said "gee I wish we had candlesticks", and Matt says "uhhh - we do!" - YAY! So glad I can use all of our wedding stuff now! Going to change the candles, though, want silver instead of the yellow-gold Oh yes, and I put out the Christmas wreath and Matt brought me home some pointsettas yesterday *Like my photoshop job on our address? So I need to get new candles, a longer tablecloth for below, and some paper for place cards. I think I may put something on the chairs, too - just some ribbon and a charm. Anything else you think it needs? Let me know! :) Last Friday I went to Home Sense and got a few things for Christmas, and yesterday I unpacked some of the things we already had. I am nowhere near ready to start really decorating, since we are in the middle of many projects, but I wanted to at least see what we had and decide what else I need to get, if anything. Here are the things I found to use this year for sure: The only place for Christmas right now is in the basement! Reds and whites and sparkly silvers and golds! Wreath for the front door - which matches the holly in the living room already Holiday napkins and rings for the holiday table, although both could be used year-round! More decor for the holiday table - a bit of sparkle I like the silver wooded look of the candles - I only wish they had more for me to buy! More holiday centerpiece decor Ohhhhh I found some owls - I think I will hang these in the door handles in the dining room Now if only I had those mercury glass owls from West Elm and my collection would be complete! These two we already had - silver Christmas ornament seating charms given by Matt's great aunt and uncle last year, and silver beads from my parents that they no longer use - yes FREE Christmas stuff!!! I did put out my Pottery Barn reindeer ...and my NOEL wine bottle charm (which I like here instead) given to me as a gift a few years ago ...and did some decor for Caroline's visit in the guest room as well! Mmmm the smells of Christmas! So I have a lot of blue stuff from the past 4 years...hmmmmmm...
A few blogs I follow have been doing this so I thought I would join in. I haven`t been to many places, but here are the ones that I love, some far, and some very close. # 10 - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Matt and I first went here in March 2008 on our first real vacation together (when I had dark hair!). It has great beaches, friendly people, and next summer, my brother is getting married here! # 9 - My Backyard I spent a lot of time this spring trying to get the backyard cleaned up and ready for our family BBQ this past summer, and I've come to love having a drink on a Sunday afternoon, and enjoying a meal outside. Haven't had much of an opportunity lately, but it reminds me of family and friends, and just a nice relaxing day. #8 - Toronto Of course I love the city I live in - I moved downtown in November 2007, and have spent birthdays out at great restaurants, nights of dancing at clubs for celebrations, seeing movies, shopping, concerts, going to the zoo, Jay's games, engagement pictures, our wedding, other weddings, both our condo and house, and just time wandering around and enjoying the sights. #7 - Las Vegas, Nevada I went here in the summer of 2008 when Matt was working in Elko, which is about a 7-hour drive north of Vegas. I met him on the August long weekend to celebrate his birthday and we spent 3 days in Vegas. It is so fun - always something to do, even without gambling (which we barely did) - restaurants, shopping, lying in the sun, coffee in Paris, roller coaster in New York, dolphins at the Mirage, lions at MGM grand (where we stayed), the Bellagio fountains, just taking in the large-scale EVERYTHING! I would definitely go back! #6 - Nassau, Bahamas This is where we went on our honeymoon - it is beautiful. Once again - gorgeous beaches, friendly people, and just a relaxing place to be. #5 - Rome, Italy I just came back from here, and spent two days in this beautiful city. I loved the cobblestone streets, the ruins in the middle of the street, the beautiful palaces, and the food - ohhhh the food. Never had better pizza, pasta, caprese salad, and gelato. So excited to come back! # 4 - Kingston, Ontario I had so much fun in my 4 years of university at Queen's. From frosh week to formals, and everything in between like nights out drinking and dancing, dinners at The Keg, Halloweens all dressed up, tanning in our front yard, fashion shows, MarioKart, convocation, and meeting my future (and now current) husband. This place is just another home with so many memories. 3. Santorini, Greece I just came back from here as well - beautiful place, espeically Oia - white buildings, blue roofs, cobblestone and marble, the sea, and great food - incredible. You can ride an ATV around the entire island, see some donkey's, spend the day at the beach, or grab a sweet thick greek coffee at a cafe and watch the sunset. #2 - Niagara Wine Country Matt and I have been on three wine tours in Niagara - one in the spring of 2007, and two in the fall of 2009 and 2010. Each time they were tons of fun - definitely get a driver and tour yourself around the vineyards, and enjoy a nice meal. Plus, you come home with great wine for weeks after to enjoy - mmm ice wine on Christmas morning! I just love being out there in the vines and seeing the sites. # 1 - The COTTAGE!!!
My favourite place on earth is cottage. I love it - whether the place is full of people or it's just Matt and I. I met Matt's family there for the first time, I've met all of their friends, I've gotten some sun (sometimes too much), soaked in the hot tub, rode on a jetski for the first time, hung out with all my friends, had my bachelorette party there, took some (pre) engagement pictures there, danced with my husband on the boathouse roof, and done a million crosswords and read a million books curled up by the fire. I am so relieved to be out there after a stressful week at work - a glass of wine and the fresh air makes everything better. The best time to be there is fall, which is just around the corner! This past week has had its ups and downs, with the end of exams last Monday, a few wrap-up days at school, and prep for summer school throughout. On the last day (Thursday) I was informed that registration was too low at the school I was placed at, and that the course I was supposed to teach (grade 10 science) was cancelled. Oh boo. This happens, but usually in the 2nd two weeks and not the first. So I did all this prepping and copying for nothing, but oh well.
Headed to the cottage and enjoyed the weekend, and started liking the idea of a holiday! I am getting paid anyway (as I am permanent), so as long as I didn't go on a crazy spending spree, I would be fine, although I was going to put the extra money towards some house projects. Get home on Monday, relax, and get a call Tuesday morning (the day summer school starts), an hour into when it should have started, asking me if I had heard from another school. I said no, I was placed at a school and it got cancelled. Well supposedly they shifted my name to another school and neglected to inform me of that, and could I still go in? Reluctantly I said yes, the money would be great, and it was the same course that was already prepped. So I head in two and half hours into it and the students have done nothing, so I am now behind, but managed to partially get caught up. Only 13 students and a mix between academic and applied, so pretty much the same thing as every year. Hopefully it goes by quickly! It ends next Friday morning - 7.5 more days to go! So much for my weeks of being a desperate housewife, but let's be honest...I was bored after one day! This is the perfect image of cottage weekends On Thursday night, Matt and I left for the cottage in Muskoka. It's one of my favourite places to be, especially on such an incredibly beautiful weekend! It's not often that the weather cooperates every single day, but it really did this weekend. Traffic was pretty bad on Thursday, but it was no surprise since it was the long-weekend, and the true kick-off to cottage season. We got there around 8, and started the relaxation right away - a nice glass of wine and catching up with the family. It was Matt's parents and his brother only this weekend. Friday Matt and I went for a run in the morning along the Lake Joe road. I did 2 laps, which is 6 km (I probably ran 4 of them, walked the rest), and Matt did 3, and ran them all (that marathon-training boy is dedicated). Came back to lounge in the sun and do some reading. That evening some family friends came over for a Canada-Day themed party, which really just meant red and white, but people really got into it. Red and white appetizers galore, along with some great dinner and, of course, red and white wine! We took the boat over to Red Leaves for the fireworks, and it was nice and warm outside still, so it was a great show. Our contribution - cedar plank grilled brie with raspberry vineagrette reduction Saturday we had some work to do. We cleared out the upstairs two bedrooms because they were to be sanded and oiled. The boys did all the sanding, and it looked great. After that work we did some more lounging outside, and actually got to have a quiet evening in. So often we are out and about seeing everyone, which is so nice, but it was also great to relax. We had a nice dinner together and watched "Despicable Me" which made me giggle endlessly...also I drank a lot of wine... Sunday was our last day, and the boys went golfing. My project was to sand and paint some chairs and a table for our front porch (more details on that later), which I did out in the incredible weather, again! We went for a late lunch at Red Leaves (started at Lake Joe but the bad service made us leave, which isn't typical of Joe, so it was disappointing to see it), and then packed up to head home. That last afternoon in the sun and some poor-choice sunscreen (Coppertone Spray - ugh, please don't buy it - I usually use Ombrelle but I had it and wanted to use it up), I ended up with a bit of a sunburn on my arms and back of my shoulders. The spray went on patchy and so I am all spotty. Oh well, it will even out. I was very careful in the sun this weekend so I'm annoyed at myself, but still have so many tan lines from various tops and swimsuits. Here are some Canada Day inspiration photos I found last week and forgot to post. Hope everyone had a great Canada Day weekend! ...and one for those neighbours to our South - Happy 4th of July!!!
Been surfing around and seeing pretty Christmas rooms - just thought I'd share some of the pictures I found online and in magazines!
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