Category

Holidays

Category

I’ve had meaningful vacation in Oklahoma seeing my family and getting to spend some much needed time with my grandmother who is recovering from a stroke. This visit has really got me thinking about my life as I was growing up and, of course, of the upcoming holiday season.

My family life, growing up, was strange, yet wonderful. My sisters and brothers and I grew up in hard times with many different influences in our lives. I won’t play my little violin of woes though, because while we could have possibly had easier childhoods, we certainly had a childhood in which we were very much loved.

My relationship with my grandmother is one of the many blessed things that came from a childhood of struggle. She is my person… my person that I go to, my person that I look to and my person I’d happily emulate. (I am tearing up while typing this in a Starbucks in the middle of nowhere OKC). But, she seriously is one of the greatest people I’ve known in my life so far. She is a strong woman, fantastic mother, amazing friend and one talented lady. Everyone who has ever met her has loved her instantly. She has created such a wonderful family environment for us and for my extended family. Even after my mother and father divorced my grandmother (my father’s mother) always cared for my mother and invited her along to family events.

My grandmother always made the holidays for me growing up. Every year she would work on a ham to bring to Thanksgiving dinner and spent countless weeks working on stockings for each and everyone attending her yearly Christmas Eve Party. And after each of the holiday events we always got together casually just to eat left overs and bask in the love of the family.

Being home reminded me of how much I enjoyed the start of the holidays. It wasn’t about gifts (though, those are always nice) it wasn’t about the food (again, quite nice) but, it was always about enjoying our time with family and friends.

The holidays for me now, as I live states away from family, are about the family I’m creating. My friends, my husband and members of his family come together throughout the holidays. We are creating our own traditions—we enjoy stuffed squash and amazing turkey at our friend’s potluck Thanksgiving;  we stay up late after our fondue Christmas Eve dinner opening up our holiday pajamas and wrapping last minute presents; and our Christmas morning pastries while opening presents followed with a full kitchen of cooks working on an Asian-style feast for Christmas evening.

I’m very thankful for the beginning of yet another season of enjoying old traditions and the creation of new ones. I’m thankful for the many people that make up my family.

 This is my reason for the season… what is yours?

Okay, I know I’m skipping right from Halloween to Christmas here but I had to share this holiday planner with you! I promise I’ll get back to the holiday at hand as soon as possible (along with some other fun inspiration boards and a circus themed baby shower). But, for now… get inspired for the winter holidays!

When I saw Courtney from Pizzazzerie.com’s post about her Holiday Party Planner for SheKnows.Com I had to go immediately to check it out. If this beautiful 26-page digital wonder packed full of amazing photos and fabulous ideas doesn’t inspire you… well, I don’t know what will!

image via sheknows.com/holiday-entertaining-planner

The photos were taken by Kristin Steele Photography. The shots are inspiring alone but then add on all the ideas and you have yourself some winning work. (I obviously liked this thing!)

I really enjoyed that the party ideas were all new takes on the holiday. While I enjoy some tradition I do tire of party after holiday party of mistletoe, candy canes and hot chocolate.

The party that I can’t wait to throw (other than ALL of them!) is the Coffee and Dessert Party. I love all the browns and tasty looking desserts. I can’t wait to try the Gingerbread Latte!

Image Via sheknows.com/holiday-entertaining-planner
Part of the fun of a Halloween party is in the costumes…. and man did everyone go all out! You saw one of the costumes in a previous post. But, there are so much more!

A Mad Tea Party Pt. 2: Costumes
Halloween 2010 

March Hare and Alice

 I made a simple blue dress for the party and wrapped a black ribbon around it. I then bought a blond wig and my costume was complete! The March Hare costume was also DIY– check out the instructions on a previous post.  
 Lewis Carroll and The White Rabbit

  The White Rabbit costume was a lot of fun. She sewed fake flowers all over a beautiful jacket and skirt and then created bunny ears out of felt and attached to a small top hat. The final touches included face make up and an adorable little cotton tail!

Bunny Tails!

Cheshire Cat and Lewis Carroll

  
Playing Cards

 
I loved these costumes. It is hard to see how awesome they are right now… but, the couple wore tights with boxers and white shirts on top of them. The tights were in the colors of their suit and then they had playing cards strung around their necks and attached to gloves. Lastly, they attached the foam board playing cards with Velcro so that they were easily detached and reattached.


Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum


 This is actually just one guy who posed all night in two different ways so that we could Photoshop his twin in… loved it! He went shopping for EXTRA Large clothing that would work for his tweedle dee costume and wrapped his middle with foam before dressing for the day. 
He wore knickers and knee socks. 

 White Queen

Mad Hatter

Can you say FABULOUS!?! He went all out for this costume. A red velvet top hat, bright blue hair and he even took part of the hair to make those amazing eyebrows. 
He made his makeup look very Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonerland-esque. 
He even took an old pair of glasses and colored them with an orange marker!

The Knave and The Dodo

These costumes were both made by Natalie (the dodo). 
She told me how she made them so that I could pass the information on to you!

The Knave— All of the main Knave costume parts were made with paper. She used posterboard for the front of the card. Notice that she drew the “bottom” part of the Jack of Hearts and made the top of the costume look like the other side of the card! (Brilliant, right!) She cut the middle of the card and wrapped them around his arms and attached them back to the front of the card with tape. They made sleeves for him to put the card on easily. The hat she made of paper, drawing it to match the hat on the Jack. She cut the pieces of hair and curled them around a pencil to make curly hair. She added a feather and a paper axe to it to make it match the bottom of the card.

The Dodo— A hoody, petticoat, yellow tights, several feather boas and a papier-mache mask created this amazing costume. She bought a grey hoody at goodwill and found a short petticoat that she purchased for the base of the costume. She then stitched the boas onto the pieces while leaving some of the back of the petticoat showing to serve as the little white tail end of a dodo bird.
She found long nose mask that she built up with papier-mache and painted yellow. Lastly, she paired the outfit with yellow tights for the dodo’s legs and feet.

(She is entering these costumes in the Entertain Exchange’s Handmade Halloween Contest)

The Red Queen—”Off with her head!”

We’re All Mad Here!






Natalie is entering her costumes in the:
 

Entertain Exchange