Blue Christmas

This past Sunday, my father and I attended a service at church appropriately titled "Blue Christmas".  We attended last year too.  As horrible as it is to be missing someone during this season, I am comforted to know that we are not alone.  People go through this every. single. day.  And they get through it and they eventually find some sort of new happiness again.
Even though I know this Christmas will be a teeny tiny bit easier to get through than last year's was (it will be year #2 without my mama), it still feels like there's a huge gaping hole during the holiday season that I'm struggling to fill.  With what? I'm not sure.  I take comfort in the fact that our last Christmas with her was nearly perfect.  Our family did the usual:  sit around the tree while drinking coffee, play the parades on tv and mute the sound, put Christmas records (Bing Crosby anyone?) on while we opened presents, shared smiles, and allowed my mom to take pictures of us.  She loved taking pictures. 
I guess I'm just trying to figure out our new routine for the holidays.  Do we scrap everything we did before and start all over?  Come up with some new tradition to carry forth into future Christmas's?  Probably not, but it is hard trying to find a balance between new and old.  And I'm still trying to find the meaning in this season that brings so much happiness and sadness our way, all at once. 

Blue Christmas

Fabric Woes

I am still in the process of making our living room less manly.  This project is dragging- partly due to the holidays, partly due to the fact that we have suddenly become super busy, and partly due to the fact that I'm indecisive.  Since I ended up not purchasing a colorful floor rug (*sad face*), I am planning on adding color to the room via throw pillows. I've finished sewing half of the pillow covers, using this fabric*:

source

*It's actually more of a light greige in person.

For the remaining pillows, I decided to use a teal/blue fabric.  Originally, I found some teal, linen look-alike fabric from JoAnns, but I recently decided that I didn't like the color or texture. So once again, I am searching for fabric.  I ordered these two prints, in the colors shown below, from here:

I love, love, love this print and I was really hoping that the colors would have worked (even though deep down, I knew better), but the first was too neutral and the second was too dark.  However, I will definitely be using these in another sewing project soon.  It actually comes in yellow too, which is very tempting.... Can you tell I'm a fan of Alexander Henry fabrics?

Then today, while I was browsing for Cyber Monday deals, I came across these two prints- Dwell Studio for Robert Allen Home, found here:

I am crossing my fingers that I like this fabric when I finally get it.  I love the print and I think the color is what I've been looking for.  Plus it's decorator weight!

I also found this Rosemarie Lavin fabric here:

I'm not really a "red" person, but again, I really loved the print.  Since we just put our tree this weekend, I am all about getting in the holiday spirit.  I know the print isn't very "holiday", but the color is.  In other words, I will find a way to include this print in my holiday decor.

And finally, I found this Kitty Yoshida print (also found here):

Teal? Yes, but I'm not sure if the texture is what I'm looking for.

Hopefully I'll have a solution to my fabric problem within the next week or so!

Fabric Woes

The Best Hot Cocoa. Ever.

Prior to my introduction of this product, I made my cocoa the old fashioned way:  Swiss Miss.  Little did I know what I was missing, until I met my husband who pretty much laughed at my prepackaged, individualized, chocolate powder with mini dehydrated marshmallows.  Now I know better, so I wanted to share my love my this chocolate treat with y'all.

Usually Abuelita can be found in the hot tea/coffee section or the Mexican food section of your local grocery store.  Each container of Abuelita contains about six of these paper-wrapped chocolate rounds:  I usually split mine in half because 1) it's easier to make half a batch of cocoa and 2) I don't feel quite as bad for consuming it all by myself. 

They're kind of hard, so cut them in half with a knife.  Bring 2 cups of milk to a boil and add half the chocolate to your pot.

Stir your cocoa until all of the chocolate is dissolved and your mixture is nice and warm.  Now get out your blender (this is KEY).  Pour the cocoa into the blender, until it's about half full.  

Grab a towel (that you don't mind getting dirty).  Hold the lid on with your towel and blend. (Liquid shouldn't come spewing out of the top, but during the blending, hot liquid will hit the lid of your blender and it's HOT- I may or may not speak from experience).

Here's the result:  Foamy, chocolate-y goodness.

Pour into your favorite mug. Add cinnamon and marshmallows.

Enjoy!

The Best Hot Cocoa. Ever.

It's the Holiday Season

It's the Holiday Season

Black Friday

So this year, we decided NOT to hit up the 4 a.m. sales at the stores. After doing some online research, we thought it just wasn't worth it and instead enjoyed our coffee at home, in our pajamas. We did venture out in the afternoon to scoop up some holiday candles at Bath & Body Works (snow apple mint and twisted peppermint- yummy, it smells so festive in our house now!!). We also indulged in Turkey Day leftovers and visited with family. I think tomorrow we'll be taking down out harvest decor and putting up our tree!!!

Black Friday