So even though I've been back at work this past week, I'm not quite ready to let go of Christmas break. It was busy, sometimes stressful, but mainly wonderful. I like this whole "married at Christmas time" thing. :]
You gotta have lots of fuel for present wrapping. And, can I just say, it's depressing every year when Starbucks goes back to the white cups.
One of my favorite views...our front door.
Flowers from the wedding...the baby's breath were the bridesmaid bouquets and the roses were on the buffet table. I had to throw them out yesterday and it was so sad.
Love seeing presents under the tree waiting to go to our families!
So happy to have Kelley home for a bit...and yes, all three of us sisters embraced the ugly Christmas sweaters.
Just hanging out with our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. :]
I have a fun husband. This hat was laying around the house, so he found some of my old camp socks and went for a run dressed like this on Christmas morning. That's awesome.
Presents, coffee, cinnamon rolls, and fun at my parents' house on Christmas morning!
Biz is serious when it comes to home improvement. Don't mess with this dude while he's hanging curtains and painting bathrooms.
So that was my Christmas break, post-honeymoon. The honeymoon deserves it's own post to be filled with its' awesomeness. Now that Christmas is over I'm ready for the "let's get organized" fun of January. Woo hoo! It's time to clean! ;]
Who's got a beard that's long and white?
Santa's got a beard that's long and white.
^The most epic Christmas song of my childhood. Anyone else have the Raffi Christmas album?
--- Now, I may not have a beard that's long and white, but like Santa, I love gift-giving! There's nothing better than finding the perfect gifts for your loved-ones. I was more than excited to give my sisters their gifts this morning...so excited that I'm going to share them with you!
Hannah
First I gave Hannah some Lemon Heads...one of her faves!
And then I gave her this super cute calendar. Probably the cutest calendar I've ever seen.
Kelley
The theme of Kelley's gift was "Asian." If you don't know, Kelley loves all things Asian--K Dramas, a Korean boy named "Lo Mein," and doing peace signs by her eyes in pictures.
First I gave her a little snow globe with a geisha inside...no picture, so you'll have to imagine it.
Then I gave her some Hello Kitty treats...Pocky and two different types of candy in decorative tins.
A great Christmas so far, and there's still a bit more to go! I loved being able to surprise my sisters with these gifts. I got some lovely gifts as well, including the first season of Community (watching it right now!), homemade gifts from my sisters (an infinity scarf and a hat), and some funds for activities with Mr. Biz. I hope your Christmas was merry and bright! :]
Bright and early Christmas morning. Merry Christmas from Abby, Kelley, and Hannah!
Someone recently asked me if I was going to blog again, which made me realize that it's been almost two weeks since I last wrote on here. Oops, my little corner of cyberspace must be feeling neglected. To remedy the situation, I figured I'd jot down some Christmas-y thoughts. Unfortunately, my brain has been in "shut down" mode the past several days because I am on VACATION. So, enjoy my not-so-deep Christmas thoughts.
1. I'm loving the holiday cups at Starbucks this year. I mean, seriously--I think they have managed to capture the essence of every human relationship on their cups and in store decoration this year. Here are a few favorites:
"When we're together I know I'll never fall."
"When we're together snowmen come to life."
"Let's remember why we go together so well."
Great stuff, right? Do you have a favorite Starbucks quote from this season?
2. You know how Christmas time in Georgia is dreary, rainy, and sometimes hot/sometimes cold? Be jealous, because today I rode a bike around a beautiful island in 80 degree weather. I love living in the great PEACH STATE, but riding bikes on roads that are never hilly is quite spectacular. The palm trees and such aren't too bad, either. ;]
3. Christmas is so much better when you can spend it with someone special, am I right? This is gearing up to be the best Christmas ever.
4. Speaking of the best Christmas ever, no one tells the tale of the first Christmas quite like Linus. The simplicity of it is magical. I don't know anyone who can watch this clip without tearing up a bit.
5. I have really enjoyed getting Christmas gifts for my loved ones this year. Obviously I can't spill the beans about what I've gotten for them, but I can tell you that I'm excited about it. My job hasn't kept me too busy this year (as opposed to other years), so I was able to spend a bit more time shopping around and getting creative. What is the best gift you've ever given someone?
I hope you guys are enjoying all aspects of the Christmas season, and in case I don't get on here in the next few days, MERRY CHRISTMAS! :] Anyone have their own random Christmas thoughts?
In honor of an "epic" weekend, here is my next Christmas-themed song of the week. This song is a newer favorite--I've been listening to the album non-stop since Thanksgiving!
Now that is is officially Christmas-time, I am happy to share my first Christmas themed song of the week.
If you know me, you know that I love atypical Christmas songs. So when Coldplay released this song last December, it was love at first listen. I love how it starts off with a melancholy feel and then slowly transforms into somewhat of an anthem. "Anthem" is my favorite word to describe any song that makes me feel happy but also a bit like crying when I turn it up all the way and sing along.
Without any further ado, enjoy Christmas Lights by Coldplay. :] And Merry Christmas!
IT'S CHRISTMAS BREAK!!! Finally, haha! I love teaching, but MAN am I glad for a break. Since I'm in "break" mode (and I'm about to bake some cookies), I'm not going to write a lengthy post. But I will leave you with some pictures from my recent escapades. Enjoy. :]
Snow in NY over Thanksgiving break.
Small group Christmas party at Starbucks (of course).
The Christmas season officially started eleven days ago, but I have not been able to get into the spirit. Something didn't feel right, and I finally discovered was wrong: we didn't have our decorations up yet! Normally we decorate right after Thanksgiving, but this year we didn't because we were in NY. We finally got one earlier this week. Today Mom and I spent a couple hours putting on Christmas lights and some classy ornaments (all while I wore a festive Santa hat). As I sit here typing the glow of little twinkling lights is filling me with the Christmas spirit. It finally feels like Christmas! Now I just need a peppermint mocha and some friends to laugh with for this to be a perfect evening. :]
And yes, I did dress up as Santa prior to decorating the tree. A fantastic way to celebrate the season of giving, in my opinion.
