It's about halfway through November so I can't contain it any longer. I can't resist Christmas music anymore! My mom-in-law is an artist and she just had her huge Christmas sale at her art studio over the weekend so I've been looking at wonderful Christmas foofoo for weeks now (she's shared lots of fun photos with us). Normally around this time of the year, I start creating festive decor like a mad woman. I am a paper chain freak, although I use more than paper. I will make a garland out of almost anything as long as it is the right color scheme. This year is a bit different though. All of our Christmas decor is still in Edinburgh with our friends who also were our neighbors. Even if we did have the decorations they would be taped up in a box and crying for me to let them out. The sad thing is that we have no place to put anything. We had a mini tree and lots of mini decorations, but now we have everything we own in our one bedroom so space is just not available. All of our surface space is taken, and even though I make nice looking containers to hold all of our things, Branden and I still feel like things are cluttered and driving us crazy! It can't be a good sign when you feel like you need to purge your one room.
I have tons of Christmas creative urges rushing through my mind and not a thing I can do with them. I suppose that means that all of my Christmas spirit will need to be poured into Christmas music then. The song I'm sharing today is one that I actually had never heard until I met my mom-in-law. I love classic Christmas songs and don't know how this one slipped by because it's fabulous! My mom-in-law LOVES Christmas. She really decks the house out, and being an artist, she makes amazing holiday decor!
My mom and dad-in law last Christmas at their home
For a number of years, Branden and his family would drive over to Leavenworth, a Bavarian styled town tucked away in the Cascade Mountain Range, and stay for a weekend before Christmas to get them in the spirt of things. Around Christmas time, the town turns into what my mom-in-law described to me as a festive snow globe. Our first "Married Christmas" together, Branden and I flew back from Scotland to be with family for almost a month. I got to join his family on their yearly trip to "snow globe city". It was absolutely breathtaking and Branden's mom got more and more like an excited child the closer we got. The first day of the trip, we just drove over to the Seattle side of the Puget Sound to do some Christmas shopping and get a night's sleep before heading into the mountains.
The second day, we arrived in Leavenworth and it was absolutely incredible. There were kids sledding, carolers on the streets, smells of gingerbread and spiced drinks, and adorable bundled up families taking it all in.
Outside of our hotel that was right across the street from the above photo...talk about a view!
My mom-in-law, who I call Momma Bean, was so excited to finally have another girl on the trip, so as we enjoyed snoop shopping, the boys could go enjoy some sledding. We also got to go up to a lodge for some sleigh riding and dinner. It was beautiful!
Bundled up on the sleigh ride
However, I did find thoughts of exploring the surrounding winter wonderland a bit terrifying after I found this in the entryway of the lodge.
It was a magical little weekend and really put the Christmas spirit in us! This year will be different with not much of a chance to decorate and with us staying in Ireland. Next Monday I'll have to share the wonders of Christmas in Edinburgh! It was incredibly beautiful and festive at Christmas time which we ache to be missing out on this year. But this year is a new adventure, so I am excited to see what Christmas will bring. Either way, Branden and I are just so happy that we get to be with each other for the holidays.
So without further ado, and without Thanksgiving to hold me back, here's the fabulous Dean and Frankie to wet your Christmas appetites. They are having way too much fun singing this! I love it!
At first glance I thought your mom-in-law was your real mom...something in her eyes that remind me of you.
ReplyDeleteAnd we all know there's no way you wouldn't be terrified of Spider Meadow! I got the creepy crawlies just thinking about that!
I don't know. A quiet, two person Christmas sounds heavenly to me right now.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I had someone else tell me this week that they thought my mom-in-law looked like me. When I told her this, we both laughed really hard because we can't think of two people who look more different from each other. However, we both have young, playful spirits so I could see how you could see that and even through a photo, the eyes do tell ;)
ReplyDeleteJoshua, But you are lucky and have little ones to enjoy it with! I think Christmas is so much fun with small kids because they make the whole experience magical! Of course I've never had to be the parent to take them home after all the sugar cookies, pies, candy canes, and coco...so I guess I could see where the desire for a quiet Christmas would come in.
All that counts is being together!!!
ReplyDeleteLeavenworth looks fabulous; and you two look so very happy. Living in Houston we never have the chance for a Christmas like that. We took everyone to Aspen once for the holidays. It was the first time our kids were actually in measurable snow. When snow falls in Houston it usually melts as soon as it hits.
ReplyDeleteSpider Meadows is an incredibly beautiful place! We've hiked there a couple times and I didn't see any spiders ;] Now I want to go to Leavenworth!
ReplyDeleteFishducky, We think about military couples that have to spend the holidays apart and we are so grateful to have each other!! Being apart from our families may be tough but we also are our own little family so no matter how small, we still are with 'family'.
ReplyDeleteBoomer, Leavenworth is beyond picturesque. I've been to Aspen in the summer and it's gorgeous there too! I can only imagine how pretty it must have been covered in snow.
Lisa, It really is an actual place!?! Oh goodness! Well I'm glad to hear there aren't spiders there but whoever named the place should be shot! If you ever could go to Leavenworth for Christmas you must! If you spend the night around Christmas though, you typically have to book a year in advance...but it's so worth it!!!
ReplyDeleteI love that clip! Course I'm a fan of the old stars. They truly knew the art of entertaining. K so as for your Christmas problem... Make some salt dough and make a little manger scene.. Bake it.. paint it and set it on your counter, window seal, or table. Believe me it helps. Then make some American treats and wrap them up for your neighbors and church people. No it's not all your decorations but I promise you that it will make you feel more cheerful. I've been where you are kiddo and it sucks but you can still have fun with this. Chin up girly
ReplyDeleteMaggie, I understand the "I live in one room" feeling!!! I say put up a Christmas tree anyway. No matter if it makes it a little more cluttered! :)
ReplyDeleteHaven't been to Leavenworth for Christmas, but I have been to Seattle for the holidays (and will for the rest of my life). The lights in Bellevue Botanical Garden are amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas music too! I usually burn myself out on though..lol. I'd never heard that song from the clip, but I like it!
ReplyDeleteMelynda, I was wanting to make a felt nativity since I have everything to do it with. If I make it small enough, I might be able to put it on top of our printer which is right below our TV. We did have some really cool stuff in Edinburgh and we have even cooler stuff in the States but I know we'll manage on not much decor. I'm fine with just filling the space with mind numbing amounts of Christmas music!
ReplyDeleteAndrea, the thing is, we really do only have one room. Our living room and dining room/kitchen is shared so we can't do anything with them. Branden figured that we can put a little tree on top of our dresser. It is what I currently call "the wedding shrine" as it has our cake stand with a bunch of wedding photos on top. If we just put the wedding photos away, the silver cake stand would make a pretty stand for a little tree! And thanks to Pinterest, I can probably make all of our tree decorations out of toilet paper rolls! lol
Scope, I've just seen the lights in Bellevue which are incredible but never at the Botanical Garden. A couple of years ago, I got to go to the Butchart Gardens Christmas lights in Victoria, BC and it was outstanding (even though it was buried in snow!).
Paige, I burn myself out too...but typically not until mid February ;)