merry christmas to all!

Just wanted to wish you a very merry Christmas! xo

merry christmas eve eve!

Below: Children of St. Paul's Church (in Auckland, New Zealand) retell The Christmas Story. It's everything you could imagine ... adorable, honest, and hilarious. Enjoy! xo

    

holiday baking

What are the holidays without a little baking? I had grand plans of creating all sorts of Christmas treats this year for family and friends ... yeah, that's not going to happen. BUT, I did make a small batch of sugar cookies! 

(I can't help it. I'm messy in the kitchen. Frosting was everywhere.)

I was very happy with the way the cookies turned out. They kept their shape and they weren't too sweet or too bland. We used this recipe + store bought vanilla frosting to decorate.

Let me know if you try them! (Or if you have a recipe that you love!) I'm thinking I might make some more for Valentine's Day and possibly venture into the world of royal icing ...

our first tree

Last Thursday, around 8 PM, Danny suggested that we run over to Home Depot to look at trees. I quickly and energetically agreed. After walking through their tree lot, I couldn't bear to come home without one. (This is why I don't go to pet stores, you guys. I get way too attached.) We picked out the perfect one, a soft noble fir. The guys gave it a fresh cut, netted it up, and tied it down to our car. 

I absolutely love our tree (and its natural fragrance that permeates through our little home) and can't wait to share pictures of it decorated!