Yes, it’s been one whole year since I started this blog, how exciting! To celebrate I took this staid image from the internet and gave it a sweet Blingee makeover.
Since it’s the end of November again, that means it’s time to start making near-daily Christmas posts. Taylor already bought some disgusting booze-nog:
“Made with genuine Kentucky Bourbon!” Sick.
And soon I’ll be putting up my tree, which is turning into a huge dilemma for me this year. Since about 2002 I’ve had the same white artificial tree, first with blue ornaments and then red & green. It was pretty cheap and the years have not been kind, and it’s looking scraggly these days. I wanted to rent a live tree from Evergrow, but you can only keep them for three weeks, and since we’ll be out of town for five days it doesn’t make sense. Why pay all that money for a tree you only get to look at for two weeks?
I figured the most logical thing would be to just use my same old tree for another year and get a live one next year, but the thing is, it’s so sparse these days that to make it look nice I have to wrap a hundred or so feet of white garland around it. The white garland is really static-y and I think it’s what’s causing my lights to blow out every year, so like, that’s not safe! I’m pretty much decided that I’ll get a new fake tree, to use the years we’re not home for Christmas, but I can’t decide whether to get a new white one, or get a green one instead.
I was also tempted by a purple one I saw the other weekend but I would have to buy all new ornaments, so I’m practicing my restraint.
Another thing I want to do is start some more holiday traditions that aren’t necessarily centered around Christmas Eve/Day, since every other year Sym is at her dad’s and every third year we go away at Christmas. One tradition from my childhood that I brought back last year was the Christmas Elf, who will of course be making a visit this year. He or she has already picked up a sweet little fawn figurine and book of glittery fairy stickers to tuck into Symphony’s shoes with some candy and treats, date tbd.
A tradition I definitely want to start is having a champagne and doughnuts tree-trimmimg party. I read about it in the December issue of Real Simple but that doesn’t make it any less awesome of an idea.
I’m also making a pre-emptive New Year’s resolution to not be such a tree trimming control freak. Every year I try to get everyone to help but every year they quit in disgust because whenever they put an ornament up I immediately move it to a better spot. This year I’ll wait until the day after to rearrange everything, haha.
Another thing I want to do is MORE NUTELLA. Nutella everything! Did you know that there is a World Nutella Day? There is, and in 2011 it’s on my birthday. When I found out I immediately celebrated by making Nutella hot chocolate (for Sym) and a Nutella americano (for me).
The red mugs are new; Taylor wanted some smaller ones for coffee and I insisted on a colour that would help flesh out my dish rainbow.
I just put a teaspoon of Nutella in each mug before adding the hot water/espresso/hot chocolate powder.
I was worried this would be too sweet but it was actually more hazelnutty than chocolatey!
Finally, lest you think I’ve been focusing on dog paws & boots and neglecting their human counterparts, last night I went down to B2 on Robson Street and bought Taylor a pair of Sorels. Partly because I’m nice, and partly because I was tired of him being crabby about having cold wet feet.
It’s been hard for him to find boots because of his enormous size 13 feet, so I just asked the sales associate to bring me any Sorels in a 13. She came out with just one box and I had a moment of panic when I thought it might be this mysteriously $500 pair, but happily that wasn’t the case. Of course, after I bought them all the snow melted over night, but isn’t that always the case?