'Twas The Day Before Christmas

      It's Christmas Eve and we're still in North Carolina, just my beau and I. This year we're not expecting guests, nor are we traveling back to Western New York; this year it's just the two of us and that's just fine with me! This is the third Christmas we've spent together and while we will miss our families, making our own holiday and starting our own traditions just feels right!

      

       On the second Saturday in December, a very warm and sunny day, we found our perfect Christmas tree standing in the very back corner of a field at a tree farm.

This orange fella' was just standing among the green trees. We decided it would be quite festive :)

Just kidding, this is the one!

 

We chose a lovely southern tree, a cypress, which my beau quickly discovered he is allergic to! So, trimming the tree became a spectator sport, I decorated while he watched. It turned out okay, but next year we need more lights and more color!

Puppy admiring my handiwork

Just this week, I finally got around to putting up my tinsel tree in the dining room. Unlike our regular tree, the tinsel tree has only vintage ornaments on it. 

color wheel in action

Seeing as the tree's theme is teal and pink, I moved my coral arm chair into the room. 

Olladene and Matilda (the kitties) love it, I catch them snoozing on it quite often! Olladene also likes to nibble on the aluminum "needles" on the tree- naughty, naughty!

With everything finally decorated, I moved on to baking.

I'm not the best froster, but it can't be Christmas without my mom's Kris Kringle cookies! Try as I might, they're never the same as when she makes them.

A new cookie for me this year was the Italian Pizzella. Made on the most beautiful iron, these lacy confections are not only lovely to look at, they taste simply divine!

This cookie is a tradition in my beau's family. After his grandfather passed away this summer, the pizzelle iron was the one thing he really wanted from his grandfather's estate. I can see why, they're delicious! And what a lovely way to remember his grandparents every Christmas season. 

It took us some practice to get the cookie making just right, but after a while they started to come out nearly perfect! No matter what they look like, they are delicious. 

This year we made anise flavor but I can't wait to try chocolate and vanilla!

So now the house is decorated, the cookies are made, and the presents are wrapped and under the tree! Looks like we're ready for Christmas!

 It's shaping up to be a beautiful Christmas Eve, perhaps I can talk my beau into some hot chocolate and cookies on the beach. 

Best wishes from the coast for a Happy Christmas!

I'll be back on the 26th with some big news and yet another festive update. Until then, happy sailing!