Christmas and Champagne

Delicious balsamic vinegar!

If you are in Winter Park, FL, check out the Ancient Olive!

Sister store!  Go smell some teas and spices!  Also in WP, FL

Park Ave. Winter Park, FL--my favorite street!

Pink Champagne...it's becoming my signature ;)

Christmas Eve Shrimp

Honor the toil that goes into a bottle of wine--get the last 9-11 drips after it's empty

Emily Ellyn's lovely champagne brunch--scrumptious food!

Lots of mixing options!

A beautiful decanter!

With the hostess!  Photo Credit: Scott Richardson; @1educatedpalate

Christmas lasted a little more than a month longer than usual.
Due to my previous job, I was unable to visit my dad and step-mom in Florida during the holidays.
I planned to visit in January, though.

Thursday I flew from Roanoke to Orlando.
Wednesday I was trying to figure out how to dress for 21 and 70 degree weather.
Thanks to my new, favorite J.Crew chambray shirt layered with a short sleeve shirt, I was successful.

To my complete surprise, the Christmas decorations were still up (and the tree was still alive!).
So, when we celebrated Christmas Eve with our traditional shrimp dinner, the Christmas tree was on.
Saturday morning was our Christmas morning, during which we enjoyed coffee, tea, and cinnamon buns.

After "Christmas" ended, we popped over to Emily Ellyn's (Food Network Star Season 8 finalist) house for a champagne brunch (my first!).
Everything was lovely, from the food, to the decor, to the drinks.  It was a fabulous time!
Her guests were a fun, eclectic group of people with fun backgrounds and great personalities!

Daddy, Pennisu, and I had planned to order sushi and watch Djokovic take on Murray at the Australian Open Saturday night.
However, (and this is why I rarely watch the AO) I had the time messed up.
So, we ordered sushi, watched the latest episode of Downton, and went to bed (because we had to wake up at 3AM to watch the final).

3AM arrived, we watched part of the AO Final, I packed, we left for the airport, and I slept most of the way home.
Elizabeth and Michael picked me up from the airport, along with Isabelle and Amelie (who looked like Eloise in matching pink tutus, white shirts and tights, and black, sparkly shoes).

It was a fantastic trip with visits to the dentist and doctor, an awesome visit with a different Emily (future London roommate!), and a stroll through Winter Park with a visit to the Olive Oil and Tea shops!

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day

Christmas Perfection

 Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day to you all!

Christmas was very enjoyable!  We opened stockings, ate coffee cake (my great-grandmother's recipe), read the Christmas story, opened presents, enjoyed our presents, had a church Christmas dinner, and enjoyed having some cousins over in the evening.  Actually, having my cousins over was one of the day's highlights.  Elizabeth and her husband have two precious little girls who, along with their six year old aunt, Abi, made it feel like Christmas.  Seeing those little girls so excited, telling us about their gifts, jumping around, and rolling on the floor made the day more festive.

Boxing Day opened with snow on the ground and sleet coming down.  A perfect day to continue eating goodies and enjoy a new movie.  Later, I think we may enjoy Eloise at Christmastime...and maybe enjoy a new game!

In another post I'll highlight a few of my favourite gifties!

Merry Christmas!

Thoughts of the Night

Freshman year...we were babies!

Growing up, I really wanted the Kirsten American Girl series to be made into a movie.  Oh, and I wanted to be Kirsten.  After all, we shared the same name!

Tonight I watched Eloise at Christmastime while I wrapped some Christmas presents.  Without fail, whenever I watch that movie, I wish I could be Eloise.  What a fun role that would have been to play!  I definitely see similarities.  Now, if only I had grown up in the Plaza...

Watching The Holiday makes me desperate (more desperate?) to move to England ASAP.  Snow (rain), accents, culture, lifestyle...I miss it.

I'm thankful for good friends.  I was able to Skype with some today.  And, Becky.  Well, she is one of my dearest heart friends.  I was (yet again) reminded of the quote from Augustine about friendship while rereading some notes between Becky and me. 

"For though they cling together, no friends are true friends unless you, my God, bind them fast to one another through that love which is sown in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us." (Book IV, section iv)

Now, I will finish my movie.  I've had serious ADD while watching it tonight!

Oh, lights and Christmas decor are up around the house!  Yay! 

Christmas is Upon Us...

...and I'm okay with that.

Driving home from my cousin's house tonight, I passed several homes decorated with lights.  Also, Christmas music is finally playing on 99.1!

I'm not a "Celebrate Thanksgiving before Christmas" person.  But, it does bother me that Black Friday starts at midnight....or even on Thanksgiving night.  Really?  Are we in that much need to make (and spend) money?  While you all shop, I will be snoozing.

That being said, tomorrow morning I will be rising EARLY for some shopping of my own : )

Happy Almost Thanksgiving Eve, my friends!

High School Seems Forever Ago

Today was stressful, productive (although it could have been more so), and fun. 

Lots of phone calls, emails, and a couple episodes of The Nanny (always producing a laugh).

A few days ago I got the urge to watch High School Musical 1 & 2.  Feel free to laugh.
Anyway, tonight I watched the first one.  I hadn't seen it in more than three years.  They all look like babies.  And, I saw all the high school stereotypes (And realities). 

My thoughts throughout:

He looks so young.
She looks so young.
Look at their clothes.
Oh, I knew someone who dressed like that.  And that.
Why do skaters dress the way the do?
Etc., etc., etc.

Overall, an enjoyable experience.  A bit of reminiscing and wondering how I will view the movies as I continue to grow older (or any show I enjoyed at a younger age).

Did you watch the High School Musical movies as they came out?

December 2007.  Later that night we had a HSM Marathon of 1&2
We were missing one in the picture...but she drowned in the bathtub was taking a bath.

Christmas Favourites!

Blog Challenge:  Favourite Holiday!

"Hi, I'm Kirsten, I listen to Christmas during months that aren't after Thanksgiving and before New Years!"

Yes, Christmas is my favourite holiday.  I've always loved it.

After I was born my mother listened to Christmas carols.  I was born in July.

When I was little I called nativities "festivities."  Can you already tell I was an extrovert?

The whole Christmas season gives off the cozy, warm, aura.  Some foods even taste like Christmas.  They may not even have cinnamon in them.

My best Christmas present memory is when I got all my American Girl Dolls (Kirsten and Felicity), their accessories, and in my stocking was a white little statue that opened at the bottom and held a pretty ring.  It sounds very Elsie Dinsmore, doesn't it?

I love the family gatherings, candle light services, and solos of O Holy Night.

We used to open a present from my Grandma in England on Christmas Eve.

Oh, and Grandma Bush's Coffee Cake on Christmas Morning.  Oh. My. Word.

During the Christmas Eve service my grandfather reads The Visited Planet.  Please go read it!

One of my favourite Christmas songs (that tells me it is Christmas) is Mannheim Steamroller's Hallelujah.  So beautiful.

Then, during my Freshman year at college the Freshman girls decorated the Freshman guys dorm.  It was SO much fun.  AND, this is what happens when you leave a camera to catch their first reactions...the Freshman guys...not those upperclassman.

Do you have any special traditions or memories?