not a creature was stirring...

the tree is up. there's not snow and it's unseasonably warm, but we're ready for christmas. i only did one last minute panic online buy, which is pretty good for me. and then i also texted the child and told her to buy those adidas she wanted in berlin as one of her presents, because there's always something at the last minute. and then we were sure they'd fit. but other than that, i'm good with how it looks under the tree. not too excessive, but also pretty good.

i've been making opera fudge ala martha stewart, my beloved russian teacakes and looking up whiskey cocktails. tomorrow, we head for husband's sister's house, with a giant pork roast in hand. it's one of the last few precious ones from bacon & bacon. alas, even after 16 years, they still think christmas is on christmas eve in denmark (it's not), but i've learned to lived without oyster stew and deal with the pork- and duck-intensive christmas meal. i've got a turkey brining for when we come home on the 25th (also known as actual christmas).

here's wishing you all a very merry christmas. catch you here for a year-end review soon...

all wrapped up

professional wrapping job by the sweet guy in the shop in germany.

he said he'd studied wrapping for 5 years.

it's so beautiful, we're thinking about not opening it at all.

i am not known for my wrapping skills.

but using my own little felted acorns and keeping it simple

with silver and gold-toned kraft paper, string and a few little aspen cones,

i think i've finally managed a wrapping job i don't have to be ashamed of.

this acorn cap, i experimented using purchased felted balls. 

they were a bit too big.

i'm so glad i gathered these little cones and acorn caps

out in the yard while they were there.

it's about time i grew up and learned to wrap.

i'm so proud of sabin.

she put together totally handmade presents for her friends.

she made the boxes, filled them with wood shavings from far's workshop.

and she made homemade body scrubs, body butter and lip balms.

a couple of my homemade honey soaps

and these are little pamper kits fit for teen divas.

we're even going handmade for the cats.

these felted toys have bells inside.

about time they had some felted things they're allowed to play with.

they've been hard on the bobbaloos.

tomorrow it's christmas in denmark.

it'll be just the three of us.

we're going to bake cookies, watch home alone, eat some good food.

and then open presents in the evening.

hopefully, husband will finish the chimney so we can use our new wood-burning stove.

on the 25th, otherwise known as real christmas,

husband's big girls will come, as well as his danish sister and her family.

we'll have turkey and all the fixings, according to my traditions.

modified for my location, of course.

in that our turkey came from the danish butcher stuffed with minced pork and cream.

it's a lovely bird and i can't wait to see how it will turn out.

merry christmas, one and all!

may your loved ones be close, the wine be plentiful and your stocking full of goodies.

a white christmas?

it snowed heavily all day today. and the wind was blowing. it was a real blizzard. but it's stopped now and it's warming up fast. they say by midnight it'll be 6°C, so it will soon be gone and christmas probably won't be so white after all. but for today, it was.

it made it a perfect day to stay inside, do the last baking and making of christmas treats and sewing up the last gifts. we even pulled ourselves together and put up the tree. all while watching season 1 of buffy the vampire slayer on netflix. even tho' life in high school on top of a hellmouth isn't really all that christmasy, there is something deep and existential about it. i love it.

all of the preparations are done and my turkey is tucked into its brine - we'll head off tomorrow morning to spend christmas eve with family (they think christmas eve is actual christmas here and open all their gifts and eat all the food one day early). we're taking a few gifts along, but not all of them, as we'll come home already for actual christmas (hmm, maybe that early celebration isn't so bad after all). i hope we have time to take a trip down to møn's klint - that strikes me as the ideal thing to do on christmas.

speaking of existential, i give you henri the cat's worst nöel:



merry christmas, one and all!