Apologies that a couple of these are recycled from Instagram. I keep thinking I'll manage to get my photos off my camera but at this point it's getting a little late for a holiday recap anyways so I don't think I should wait any longer!
{citrus sea-salt caramels}
{yule log!}
{christmas day}
{circe + champagne}
{NYE negroni bar}
The holidays were hard this year. I knew they were going to be hard, and it still surprised me (this is a theme lately, I'm noticing).
I was careful in the lead up, taking time for myself, paying attention to what I wanted to do. I made citrus sea-salt caramels (caramel recipe here, citrus sea-salt instructions here - FYI, these caramels were okay but not great, but that might have been my fault). Emily and I decided at the last minute to bake a yule log and it ended up being awesome to spend those hours together in the kitchen. It's been a while since we've been able to carve out that much time for a purely fun project and it was special. I think that taking care of myself helped a lot and I'm glad I did.
Christmas Eve was the day we always spent with Dad. This year we went to his house, as usual, but of course he wasn't there. The second I walked in and was greeted by his beloved dog I started to tear up. I lost track of how many times I ended up crying that day. It was hard, being there, surrounded by his things, without him.
Don't get me wrong - there was plenty of good. Time with our families, room service breakfast on Christmas morning, a NYE celebration with friends where the negroni bar was so good that I had to take a nap halfway through the party so I could make it to midnight. I'm grateful for all of that, and I do feel ready to go into this new year. I had some good downtime the week after Christmas and I spent it planning, figuring out financial stuff that had been on the backburner, and coming up with a meal system that will take up minimal brain power from me in January, and strategizing for our rapidly approaching move (yes, we're moving again, and yes, it's been planned forever and it still managed to sneak up on me). Hello, 2016.
Holidays. Oof. Deep breaths. <3
ReplyDeleteAnd moving again, oh my! How do you do it?!
I'm dreading this one, I'll admit. I've decided that the reason one year leases are actually good is because they give you enough time to forget how miserable the packing and moving process is. This is our shortest turn around between moves and I definitely remember every annoying second of the last one.
DeleteGood luck with the move Rachel! I don't think I would ever move again - if I got divorced I would just pack my husband off to the spare room - not that I ever want to get divorced. I was also just complaining that we have to pack our suitcase to go to a conference (third one in two weeks) but moving really is the pits so you're way worse off than us.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a lovely Christmas, despite the sadness. I think you're truly brave continuing on with traditions and I know that your dad is looking after you - if you believe in that sort of thing (I do). Christmas is a very reflective time for so many of us and even though my pop passed away almost six years ago now, everytime I hear his favourite 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' I tear up (one spectacular supermarket moment two years ago was mildly embarrassing to say the least) but we forge on, don't we and remember the good times.
Happy New Year to you.