*hey there, it's christa*

December in Photos, Take Four

The day after Casey went back to Wisconsin, I made my way to Colorado for a few days for an early Christmas. And if you can't tell from the picture, Adelyn was pretty thrilled.

There's no greater joy than how excited a five-year-old is about the holiday festivities. When I even joked about waiting a couple of days to open our presents together, Adelyn offered a simple but emphatic "NO!"

And even though our time together this time was a little on the short side (booo!), we definitely made the most of it. Not only did we squeeze in more games of UNO that I could count, but we made sure to read (Adelyn loves books, which naturally makes her auntie proud), color (she adores art and all things creative, too) and run around, which made for a wonderful few days indeed.

It's also so much fun seeing how much Adelyn loves her baby sister, Emerie, too. While they may be five years apart in age, Emerie basically thinks Adelyn hung the moon—and vice versa. Whenever Adelyn was nearby, Emerie was happy as can be, and I can hardly believe that our littlest sweetie is more than three months old now.

So, so thankful to have these sweet little girls in my life...it makes everything, especially the holidays, so much richer. Love you sweet Adelyn and Emerie. :)

A Cookbook Worth Reading From Cover to Cover

I'm embarrassed to say that I got this for Christmas and (gasp!) finally got around to flipping it open this past week.

Better late than never, right?

Yes, I'm one of those people—the kind who practically devours cookbooks like good fiction. Like most things, I admittedly jumped on the Smitten Kitchen bandwagon way, way later than most, but I'm thrilled that I did. I can't wait to try these recipes.

While her Smitten Kitchen blog is nothing short of extraordinary, I love this cookbook even more. The breathtakingly beautiful photography, not to mention the intriguing flavor profiles, are nothing short of spectacular. Plus when you factor in that everything's being made in a very small kitchen in Manhattan, well, you love it that much more. 

But what really won me over was Deb Perelman's charming introductions to each recipe. I love, love, loved her snarky kitchen confessions, her borderline picky attention to detail and the unconventional way she came up with a few of the delicious creations she invented. Rather than saying, "hey, this is a great cookie recipe," she makes a strong case for why this particular cookie will change your life. And yes, you'll believe her and want to start baking immediately. 

Now,  my major dilemma is what to try first? I'm thinking it might be the potato, bacon and feta frittata. I'm not usually a big egg person, but my mouth was practically watering when I read the recipe, and I know Will will dig it too. To him, breakfast is the best meal of the day, after all.

Just in Case You Wondered...

If you're old school and still like sending Christmas cards via snail mail (yes, I'm one of those crazy people, too), I just thought I'd show ya where yours wound up.

Yes, I like using them to decorate the kitchen. It adds that perfect holiday touch, don't ya think?

And to everyone who sent one our way, I loved, loved, loved each and every one! Since I didn't get to see a lot of you this year, it was fun seeing all your smiling faces as I cooked. :)

The Art of Writing the Annual Christmas Letter...

Ok, so it's a little late for this year (well, unless you prefer your correspondence to arrive a little closer to New Year's Day), but this article with tips on writing the annual family Christmas letter seriously cracked me up.

Notice how many times "Don't brag" shows up? Yeah, I think that's a pretty great rule of thumb, along with "don't try to get a whole year into a page," "keep it light" and "don't use it as a catalog for a home-based business."

A December to Remember

Oh, December, you truly never disappoint...well, except for that last Packer game maybe.

Like always, you've been jam-packed with activity, but you won't hear me complaining.

After all, there's been gingerbread lattes, fresh-baked cookies and the faint smell of fresh Christmas pine in the background while I've been running around (and writing, of course) like a madwoman.

There have been movies good and bad (but mostly good, definitely an exception to the rule in my world, trust me), holiday hymns sung in church, lovely cards nestled next to the boring ol' bills in the mailbox and the best part of all? Well, all the celebrating with family and dear friends...

I feel like I've had several Christmases already, whether it was hanging with my dear friend Heather and seeing Breaking Dawn at our mall of choice, reconnecting with my pal Andrea and her adorable son Jack or flying out to Colorado where the bulk of my family lives.

While it wasn't much of a white Christmas, which I'm totally okay with since I grew up in snowy Wisconsin, it was truly memorable all the same. Not only did I get to see my sister and her hubby graduate from college (cue teary eyes), but I got some seriously awesome hang time with my Mom, Casey, Lindsey, Shayne, and of course, Princess Adelyn (she's really into princesses these days). The only sad part really was that it all went by much too fast...

By the way, this is Miss Adelyn Grace after she discovered the wonder of mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Like my hubby who's also been known to down an entire bag in a single sitting, she thought they were so incredible that she hid under my Mom's dining room table and ate them long after she'd been told not to.

Yep, she's got a major sweet tooth. Just like her Mama and Auntie Christa. :)

The Thrill of Hope

I'll admit, once December 10 rolls around, I'm already suffering from major Christmas music fatigue, and this year, sadly, is no exception.

For fear of sounding downright grinch-y let me explain, I absolutely love Christmas music. But considering that every shop owner and radio station in town insists on playing it earlier and earlier every year, well, by this time, I've already heard "Santa Baby" and "Silver Bells" by every artist who's ever bothered recording it like 3,245 times. Just yesterday, I heard John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (The War is Over)" six times in the span of two hours. Good song or not, a girl can only take so much—especially with Yoko singing back-up.

But there is one line of one song that gets me every time, no matter how many times I've heard it. Even if the singer is butchering the vocals, something that happens routinely with "O Holy Night" considering the otherworldly key its in, hearing the "the thrill of hope/the weary world rejoices/for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn" always resonates with me.

And I think what makes it such a crowd-pleaser is because we're all in such desperate need of hope.

Just this week, a former music industry acquaintance of mine's fiancé was taken far too soon in a horrific car crash. Another colleague's beautiful wife and mother of two gorgeous baby boys, is having surgery on a brain tumor next week. I've had friends lose newborn babies and others lose their jobs and financial livelihood. I also know way too people who feel nothing but abandoned and alone during what's billed as "the most wonderful time of the year," and it just breaks your heart.

Even in the grander global scale, the sheer absence of hope is always reliably ripe for the reading on your favorite news website, whether it's what happened at Virginia Tech yesterday, a place that's already known such tragedy and loss, the abuse of countless innocent children or the widespread famine and war that never seems to go away.

The thrill of hope. Even when it feels so incredibly far away like it has this week, and even this year, just being reminded of it and the true Hope, does wonders for the soul—even if you're a bit of a grump about the same Christmas songs being played in a seemingly endless loop.

List #8: 10 Christmas Movies That Make the Season Merry Indeed

While my morning Starbucks cup may be red instead of the traditional white and green, and my house is now all tinsel-y and bright, I'm still in a bit of denial that it's actually Christmas time.

Maybe it's the absence of snow (which for the record, I don't miss in the least) or that I haven't actually started my holiday shopping (tsk tsk). Or maybe it's because 2010 has been a gigantic blur for the most part (I chalk that up to moving), but I just wasn't really feeling it.

Well, until I started listening to Harry, Bing, Frank this past week and watching holiday movies. Now it's beginning to look—and sound—a lot like Christmas...

And just because I'm in such a giving mood, I thought I'd dedicate my 8th list to my 10 favorite flicks (in no particular order, naturally, because I wouldn't want to hurt any of the other films' feelings).

Basically, if you haven't seen some of these, you've now got a cheat sheet for what to add to your Netflix queue...

Christmas in Connecticut—Can't believe that Hollywood hasn't ruined updated this one yet because it's such a fantastic movie. Basically, Barbara Stanwyck's character pretends she's this domestic goddess in her popular magazine column, but truth be told, she can hardly boil water. And just when the charade couldn't be going better, she's forced to deliver the "perfect Christmas" to a soldier who's just come home from war.

Cue culinary hi-jinks and a whole lot more...

Love Actually—Why watch just one rom-com when you can have like seven packed into a single movie? Any movie with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth is usually a winner in my book, but this one particularly shines because the script it so darn funny and heartfelt. Plus, as a Wisconsinite, I busted out laughing when one the character's big journey to America was to Milwaukee of all places. Turns out, it made a memorable first impression, and not just for the beer.

Home Alone—Yeah, after 20 years, it still cracks me up when the pizza guy shows up and Macaulay Culkin's character presses play on Angels With Filthy Souls.

White Christmas—Singing. Dancing. That song about sisters. Yeah, it pretty much rocks.

Serendipity—Ok, so it's not technically a Christmas movie, but the story begins on Christmas Eve, so close enough. Love, love, love the New York and San Fran scenery, and John Cusack is his usual self-depracating self in this twisty rom-com that questions the significance of fate's role in our love lives.

Elf—Will Ferrell declares that smiling is his favorite while sporting the elfish green tights. Plus syrup stands in for spaghetti sauce as the perfect pasta topper. Basically, what's not to love?

It's a Wonderful Life—I know what you're thinking...hello Captain Obvious. But work with me here: Even though this film has been probably airing on NBC since the birth of television, I never watched it until I was a newlywed. Funny thing is, both Will and I were probably the only people on the planet who'd never seen It's a Wonderful Life until 2005. But now that I have, I definitely know why everyone loves it so much...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—The cartoon, not the frighteningly bad Jim Carrey version, is absolutely genius. Love the songs, love the old-school animation, love the Seuss.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe—Journeying to the world where it's always winter, never Christmas, is always a delight—Turkish and otherwise. I always love the scene when Lucy first steps foot in Narnia...the sense of wonder on her face is beyond memorable.

The Holiday—Yeah, it's not your traditional holiday movie either, but since everything happens during Christmas break, I've decided that it counts. Not only does is take place in two of my favorite cities (London and Los Angeles), but I just love the story that Nancy Meyers has whipped up here. Sure, it's got little basis in actual living, breathing reality (I could write an entire blog entry about that, but I won't bother ruining the fantasy), but really, it's the perfect escapist flick—and quite quotable to boot—just ask Will.

Ok, so now that I've weighed in, what are some of your Christmas must-watches and why? What should I add to my Netflix queue—pronto?

 

There's Nothing Like SD-6 For the Holidays

Will and I recently revisited the first two seasons of "Alias" (and wow, it was just as good as I remembered), one of my all-time favorite TV shows (or before it went downhill from Season 4 on).

Since I was a big fan of "Felicity," another J.J. Abrams' gem that Jennifer Garner made a cameo in, the spy adventures of Sydney Bristow were recommended to me a few times before I officially signed on for the mission.

I'd been told many, many times that I'd be hooked as soon as I started watching. And of course, it didn't take long for me to get majorly addicted. Yes, the writing, the plot twists and turns, the crazy, scale-the-globe missions, yeah, it's all that good.

In case you're wondering why I'm mentioning this, I guess I'm thinking about "Alias" because it's Christmas Eve. Back in my Nashville bachelorette days, I was stuck in Tennessee one particular Christmas. I'm thinking the always-unpredictable Midwest weather may have had something to do with why I couldn't head back to Wisconsin. But whatever the reason, I remember driving to the nearest Best Buy and standing in a long, long line to pick up the first season of "Alias" and some microwave popcorn on Christmas Eve. 

'Cause if you can't be with your family, you need reinforcements, right?

And before Christmas morning rolled around? Well, I was already about a third of the way through all the craziness at SD-6 and beyond.

While I inevitably notice something different every time I've watched, it's really helped serve as inspiration for my own writing (a great justification for having to watch TV, by the way). Not only is it clever and action-packed, but it's been a good exercise in remembering how to develop characters that people really care about.

Whether it's Sydney herself, Vaughn (her handler/amour played by Michael Vartan) or her good pal Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper in his pre-movies breakout role) who endures way more than any good friend should, you can't help but get entrenched in their lives, fictional or not. And that's exactly how I want anyone who reads my writing to feel...invested from the get-go. Basically like I was with "Alias."

Christmas With Adelyn

It's been nearly five months since I'd seen my niece, Miss Adelyn Grace on her 1st birthday, and my, my, my has a lot changed in such a short time...

Not only is she quite mobile to say the least (she practically runs—not walks—everywhere she goes), but she's talking up a storm. And that smile of hers has only gotten cuter as those little teeth have come in.

And her verdict on Christmas? A giant "Wow!" Yeah, it's one of her favorite words, and it made me smile every time I heard it. :)