How is it already almost 2015! Do you remember when 2015 seemed so far away... like when I graduated high school well over a decade ago. Whoa.
The champagne is on ice, and that means that it's time to take down the holiday cheer. I feel like I just strung up the garland. Then again, the pine needles surrounding the fireplace remind me it's time. Time to shove the dried up garland in the trash. Before I do, I wanted to document our holiday decor the first year in our new house. We took some time this year to sift through the passed down decor that we don't use (and we donated it), and this year we will only store the holiday decorations that we love the most.
It's also my favorite time to buy new holiday gear at 70% off. I hit up the new West Elm store in Birmingham and found a few pieces, and a few more from an antique store that were marked 50% off. I'm still in the market for a flocked tree... it seems that the tree inventory has already been wiped out. Any ideas on where to look?
This year the renovation projects came to a halt so we could decorate around the madness. And distract from the unpainted trim.
Who knew that trees work great for hiding unfinished plumbing.
My favorite way to decorate is by bringing in fresh greens. I can use the items I have around the house every day and can still make it look festive. Although these branches of white pine have definitely seen better days.
Adding a little bit of holly to a vase or a bowl can suddenly make it holiday-ish, Using everyday items means that there's less to store, too!
I store several layers of prints in the gallery wall behind the glass in the frame. This makes it really easy to swap out the prints for the seasons.
This Christmas was a new one for us. Not only was it is our first year as a married couple, but we got to spend this Christmas with both the Price and the Dodge family. We definitely got spoiled with family time!
Justin and I normally set a $100 budget for our Christmas gift exchange to each other. I've learned (the hard way) that Justin never sticks to our budget, so I set out to find him the best gift ever. I was right in line for Wife-of-the-year when I ordered Justin's Christmas gift; two seats for him and his dad to enjoy the Pittsburgh Steelers game this past Sunday. We would meet my in-laws in Pittsburgh, I could shop with my mother-in-law and the boys can cheer on their favorite team from great seats right on the 40 yard line. Then the NFL changed the schedule two days before Christmas and the new start time was in the evening. Bad news bears...those NFL people.
The new game time was just too late for us to get back to Detroit (and rest up) before work this morning. I had to sell the tickets at the last minute. Yes, I was sad that now I was left with out a gift for my new hubby. But Justin was even more sad when he heard what his gift was. On the bright side, I made a few bucks selling the tickets since the game had become more desirable. And Justin now has two brand new suits for work. He's a happy man, but those new threads definitely didn't win me the Wife of the year title. Maybe next year. :(
On the other hand, I was incredibly spoiled and I got everything on my wish list from the last few years. My favorite gift of the year was one that brought tears to my eyes (okay, made me cry).
I've been on the lookout for an original vintage bakelite backgammon board from Crisloid for the last 5 years. Over the years, I have searched high and low for a board. I was so particular about what I wanted so I never asked for it; I mentioned it to Justin only once a few years ago (that I remember). So I was really surprised when I tore off the paper and saw a vintage brown ostrich leather case. It was exactly what I wanted. Exactly. I never imagined that Justin would remember me telling him something so crazy. It is definitely one gift that I will have cherish forever.
It's not always the most expensive gifts that will be the most meaningful. What surprise did Santa bring you this year?
Have a Happy New Year!
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