(Lov) // Instagrams 3.

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. 

ANTOINE DE ST.EXUPERY

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // Best. Christmas. Ever.

(Lov)e,


-k.

(Lov) // "That's a Wrap!"

On the 13th day of Christmas, Brendan and I frustratingly wrapped our Christmas presents after having dinner with his Father who is in town on business.  Frustratingly being the key word.  I told you in the last post about a conversation Brendan and I had about this little project of mine, and as a result of that conversation... this will be my last "Will You Merry Christmas Me?" post.

What started as a simple idea to help my husband, has managed to backfire on me.  Don't get me wrong... HE has been wonderfully receptive, cheerful, and even said "I am having the best Christmas ever" on many an occasion.  It's what this project is doing to ME that I never expected. My original idea was to show Brendan all the wonderful that this season had to offer; hoping to inspire in him an understanding as to WHY all things Christmas were indeed so fun and magical.  But instead of leading by example and finding joy myself, I have let this project turn ME into sort of a scrooge.

My husband, who loves me with such sweetness and patience, pointed out that it didn't seem that I was having much fun. He was right... as usual. I have felt burdened when having to come up with ideas and surprises EVERY day. I have been making and eating things I KNOW I am allergic to that make me feel bad...just because "that's what you do!"  I have found myself overwhelmed by trying to blog about this project on a daily basis... getting grumpy at my husband and daughter for wanting my attention and time when the "I just need to finish this!" version of me would get on the computer.  I have enjoyed myself very little and have turned this project of inspiration into a project of obligation... the very thing I was supposed to vanquish from our holidays.

I wish I would have recorded my husband on the night that we talked... I was in a "wheat fog" (that's what I call the cloudiness I experience after eating too much wheat) and am finding it difficult to recall all the beautiful things that he said. What it finally all came down to was that He loves me and that my happiness is what brings him the most joy. The only way he would learn to love and appreciate Christmas would be by seeing ME happy and enjoying myself.  And even then, it wouldn't be Christmas that he was appreciating... it would be MY finding enjoyment in Christmas. Without genuine joy, it IS all obligation and traditions that are burdensome and meaningless. Touche.

Alas, I have decided to end my project early to unburden myself from the obligations that I have unwittingly placed upon Christmas, in hopes that I might actually start to enjoy the next two weeks with my family. Now, if I want to do something "Christmas-y", my only motivation will be to HAVE FUN... not to prove to my husband it's fun, to blog about it, or to do it because "that's what you do!"  I can feel myself getting lighter as I type and look forward to letting myself experience what I wanted for my husband all along...some tenderness and depth of feeling for what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!


(Lov)e,


-k.   

(Lov) // "The Stockings Were Hung..."

I am SO glad to say that on the 12th day, I completely finished with decorating!  I dressed up these $4 Target stockings with a little glitter glue and some snowflake ornaments and tacked them to the wall (since we have no fire place).  I have to admit, this project of mine is yielding some pretty unexpected results.  My husband and I talked tonight (well, he talked and I listened mostly) about how it is going thus far. He brought up some very interesting observations, thoughtful insights, and helped me realize (yet again) oh-so-many things.  More on that tomorrow.

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry"

On the night of the 11th day, after Brendan had a very long and hard day at work, we decided to be a little glutenous.  After Lydia went to bed, we ate cookies, drank beer, and watched "A Miracle on 34th Street".   I no longer drink beer and try to avoid most things made with wheat flour because I have some pretty serious food allergies.  Alas, I  indulged and had about half a Shiner Cheer and 4 cookies. The real miracle is that I didn't wake up this morning wanting to die.  In fact, besides waking up to find I had slept funny on my right arm... I felt pretty darn good!  I know there are only few miracles to go around, so I wont be pressing my luck again this holiday season... gluten free sweets and no more cheer beer for me.

As for the movie, which Brendan had never seen, it was well enjoyed.  I forget how great black and white films are... and how gorgeous are the women?!?!  The hair, clothes, and sheer femininity they radiate are something to behold. As far as the whole "believing in Santa" message... cute, but no converts here.  We do not plan on continuing that tradition in our own  family.  Lydia of course will know about the idea of Santa, but she will also know that he is not a real person.  Well, that is unless we meet a man named Kris Kringle who buys us a new house.  Cheers!

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Making Tooties"

On the night of the 10th day, Brendan went to spread a bit of Christmas cheer himself by having rehearsal for The J. Wesley Haynes Trio in the front yard of the drummer's house which happens to be a part of the 37th Street Christmas Lights Display. So Lydia and I decided to make some cookies (which she pronounces "tooties") and watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on Hulu.

Tooties make her very excited and she could hardly sit still long enough to watch.  She only made it to just about half way though when she CRASHED.  So, this Mama ate cookies and finished the movie all on her own... and it was quite nice; my semi- silent night. :)

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Pretty Lights"

On the evening of the 9th day, I took Brendan and Lydia to Mozart's Coffee Roasters Musical Christmas Lights Display! It is by far one of the best places in Austin to take in a magical light show set to holiday music.  We enjoyed some wonderful drinks and split a killer tiramisu while sitting on the deck of this charming coffee house that is located on beautiful Lake Austin. This was also the first night I got to try out my early Christmas present from my family - a new Canon Rebel T3i DSLR! I honestly have NO idea what I am doing yet, but I managed to get a couple of pretty decent shots to capture the undeniable holiday cheer that only seeing pretty Christmas lights can bring. A bonus... Lydia had a BLAST dancing to the music and riding on the cart that brought us to and from our car. Weeeeeeee!

(Lov)e,

-k.   

(Lov) // "She and Him"

On this day, it was actually Brendan who surprised me! I came home from work to find the "A Very She and Him Christmas" vinyl record sweetly wrapped sitting a top our record player. I had pointed it out when we were at the record store about a month ago, but told him I would wait till after Christmas to buy it because it would more than likely be on sale.  But my sweet, sweet husband not only bought it, but took the time to wrap it it up all pretty for me!  Before we fell asleep last night he said "See, you ARE merry Christmas-ing me!"  It's working!!!!

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Oh, Thy Word!"

The number 7 is the number of "completion" in the Bible.  So, to honor the completion of the 7th day of my project, I decided to read to my Husband from God's Word! For a married couple who love the Lord, I don't think there is a sweeter sound than hearing the voice of your spouse read from the Bible. As a young girl, it became a tradition in my family that I read the "Christmas Story" aloud on Christmas Eve.  I thought it a good choice for this evening, given the theme and nature of the project.  And here is what I read:

Luke 2

 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 ²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

 ²²And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

 ²³(As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

 ²⁴And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

 ²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

 ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

 ²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

 ²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

 ²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

 ³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

 ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

 ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Brendan and I hold the belief that the King James Bible is  God’s inspired and preserved word without error in English, to the exclusion of all other English versions. Next to Jesus Christ himself, it is what we value above all things. What makes the Bible so very special is that it is the ONLY way in which God has, can, and will communicated HIS truth to us (you and me). It is documented proof of how much God loves us, a mirror in which we can honestly see ourselves (sinner's in need of a Saviour), and a testament to how (through the blood of Christ) we are saved and redeemed. For Brendan and I, it is our foundation and the final authority. Without it, we would not know the Lord, and without the Lord we would be lost in our sins and without hope...for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17.   

We also believe that "Christmas" is a man made holiday and don't choose to honor it as if it were a God ordained day to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Rather, we choose to celebrate Christ's birth, death, burial and resurrection every day through Bible study, the sharing of the gospel, and by being ambassadors as we that are saved are called to be. We glory in the opportunity to share the Faith of Christ ALWAYS, with anyone who has ears to hear...even during "Christmas".   

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Meet me Under the Mistletoe"

This "day" will probably end up being Brendan's favorite of my little project.  AND... we'll just leave it at that. :)

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Mimi's Gingerbread"

Mimi is Mary Sue Smith, my paternal Grandmother.  She was and is still an inspiration to me in all things "womanly".  Even though she has gone to be with the Lord, I am lucky enough to have many of her recipes.  On the 5th day, I made her Gingerbread... one of my very favorites.  I don't think Brendan even had any until the next day, and even then it was only a little bit.  He's more of a pie kinda man. But Lydia LOVES it. She keeps pointing to it on the counter each time she walks by and lets out a big "YUMMMM". I was joking that it should actually be called sugar cake... since it has an ENTIRE POUND of it and just a tiny bite of ginger. Oh well, it's the holidays! The gym will still be there in January.

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Lydia Lou Who"

On the evening of day 4,  I dressed Lydia up like Cindy Lou Who from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" and we watched the movie (animated 1966 version) while eating homemade coconut macaroons (snowballs).   

"He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!  And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day."

Can't you just see his heart growing?

"Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand."

Thank you for your beautiful words, Dr. Seuss!

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Blue Genie Art Bazaar"

We had a nice, lazy Saturday.  Brendan had a double header (a gig playing bass in two different bands) later that night, so I think he appreciated having some time with his girls... doing a whole lot of nothing.

The only thing special we did was go to the "Blue Genie Art Bazaar". This event  has become a yearly tradition for us. Brendan strolled around entertaining Miss Lydia while I  purchased a few items.  Being a small business owner myself, I always try my best to buy and gift from local businesses, artists and crafts people each year at Christmas.  It's SO important to support the people and things you love in the city where you live. The products may be slightly more expensive, but they are always unique and usually hand made.

// 1. Lydia made her first Christmas Ornament (with Nana's help)! // 2. We had a delicious quiche for brunch. // 3. I stocked up on some of my favorite candles.  // 4. I liked this Art for Lydia's room. // 5. They were showing ELF in the theater at the Bazaar! // 6. A worn out bug.  // 7.  A worn out Daddy.

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Movie Under the Stars"

Friday night is usually our date night...Lydia stays with my Mom allowing for Brendan and I to spend some much needed alone time together.  Even though It had been raining all day and I was still dealing with a slight cold, I couldn't pass up the chance to see "A Christmas Story" on an out-door screen!  This lovely (and free) event was part of the Austin Shop Crawl and benefited Toys for Tots.

It was held in one of our favorite food trailer parks- SOFI Food Court and began at 6pm.  I managed to keep it a secret from Brendan until the very last minute.  He of course was a great sport and kept asking "What is it?! What are we doing" all day in a sweet excited voice. We were some of the first people to arrive and got a prime spot right up front.  He enjoyed the free beer while I enjoyed some mint tea from a coffee shop located next to the park.  We held hands and talked about the movie...how many times we had seen it, Brendan's Red Rider BB gun he had growing up, etc. Once the movie started, we couldn't help but quote lines to each other. It was a fantastic way to spend our date night.

Afterwards we ate dinner at one of our favorite spots... 24 Diner.

He had the chili.  I had the waffles.

B enjoying his cheese plate. 

After Dinner we made a quick stop at the grocery store and then headed home to enjoy some hot chocolate, listen to Christmas music on Pandora, and finish decorating the house before Lydia came home in the morning. Minus one minor argument over how frustrated I get when I'm decorating, we had a perfectly wonderful evening.  Brendan even surprised me with a reminder that this (the process) is supposed to be FUN...that it's not all about the end result (something that I tend to focus on a little too much). I am married to a wise and kind man who is actually helping ME when I had originally set out to help HIM.  Tis the Season.

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Let it Snow!"

Wouldn't you know, I woke up Thursday morning with a cold.  I had planned on starting this project with a bit more of a "bang", but my head and chest must have had other plans.  So, I will save my original idea for a day when I'm feeling a little more "cheerful".

So I spent my morning doing something that my husband actually taught me how to do just last year...making snowflakes!  I'm not really sure how I made it 33 years without having ever cut a snowflake; you'd at least think I would have done it in school as a child. Maybe it's because I grew up in Texas where actual snow is such a rare occurrence.  Alas, by the end of the day, I can now say that I am an expert snowflake cutter.

And there's nothing quite like a detailed task like this to take your mind off of how bad you feel.  So snowflakes, I thank you.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with all the snowflakes once cut; there are so many cute and creative options:

* display them in the window
* tape them together to make decorative place mates or a table runner
* turn them in to ornaments
* turn them into coasters
* hang them from the ceiling
* make a long paper chain to drape across windows
* add them to a gift or card for a personal touch

I decided to hang them in the two main windows in our living room.  I used patterned scrapbook paper...so from the inside they are extra pretty and on the outside they look just like traditional white flakes. I arrange some in the shape of a Christmas tree on one window and a snowman on the other. I think it turned out pretty great!

My husband liked them and said he was proud of me.  I'll take it. :)

(Lov)e,

-k.

(Lov) // "Will you Merry Christmas me?"

For most people, the month of December is an extra enjoyable time; each day leading up to the joyous and wonderful day of Christmas.  But for my husband (who is probably the happiest and most even tempered person I know), this time of year tends to make him uncharacteristically withdrawn, stressed, and dare I say "scrooge- like".  It is understandable.  After all, he comes from a gigantic and divided family with past experiences that have left him feeling that the holidays are nothing more than obligations, expectations, and pretense.

This is especially difficult for me since some of my best experiences and memories are rooted in this time... particularly Christmas. Even though my own feelings and thoughts on the why and how to celebrate this holiday have changed over the years, it's still a special day that I very much want to share and enjoy with my new family.

After having a very strange and obligatory Christmas at my father's house last year (it was Lydia's first), I vowed in the car on our way home that next year... this day will be spent with just US in OUR home creating our own traditions. There would be no getting up at the crack of dawn to head to my father's house... wishing we were still in our pajamas, opening presents, and watching our little girl play with tissue paper in our bed. No eating a hugely inappropriate meal at 11am (that included a ham, turkey, AND a crown roast).  No breakers constantly being tripped because the life sized glowing manger scene in the front yard is sucking up all the electricity. No feeling resentful, uncomfortable, and out of place.

As December drew closer, I began to get super excited about beginning all things festive!  My husband...not so much. We had what ended up being a pretty great conversation the other night about it all ... what our childhood Christmases were like, the best gifts we ever received (I even cried a little when sharing mine), how we found out that Santa wasn't real (For Brendan, a pretty awful experience), and how we wanted to spend it this year.  We finally came to the conclusion that it was difficult for Brendan to get excited about Christmas because he had never experienced it's fun, joy, and magic.  Then I had an idea: "Will you Merry Christmas me?" - a project to "de-Scrooge" my husband.

During the month of December I am going to do something special for him and our family each day that is related to Christmas in hopes that, like Scrooge, he begins to feel some tenderness and depth of feeling towards this holiday. Some days will be simple while other's will be extra special... every day's "something" being documented on this blog. He seems genuinely excited to see what all I have planned (I think I heard him whistling a Christmas song today) and I'm bursting at the seems to get started!

Until tomorrow...God bless us, everyone!

(Lov)e,

-k.