Another Christmas down, a New Years to go. 2012 is almost here!
The four shining stars of Christmas this year are of no surprise. A shared 1st/2nd place of course goes to our two nieces Jaina & Elise (duh;) with the BOBULKI & pierogis taking a close 3rd/4th. I said it yesterday before leaving Easton, you shouldve just rolled us back on 78East to NYC. It probably wouldve worked even if I crunched along the highway the entire time, my pockets full of those pretzel/hersheykiss/pb m&m treats. Delish. We joked that after 10min of a food sesh our stomachs were grumbling for more. It's indulgant and ridiculous and just what Christmas Eve is in this family that I married into. And I love it. Wigilia was a bit of a smaller function this year as A & I are in Asia honeymooning away and less extended family able to make the drive, but the laughter and stories that filled the air were the same as ever. Merry Christmas wishes passed as the oplatki was broken. The candles lit in reflection of the occasion at hand. And carols (though less this year than others) filled the house between courses of Polish nosh. Jaina's reaction to the table and chairs (that Nana/Marlene purchased and spent so many hours perfecting) was hands down the present of the evening as she gasped in toddler wonderment over the dining set just her size, just for her. At any moment possible, I swooped baby Elise into my arms (who doled out smiles left and right) whenever possible, enjoying the happiness that babies bring to family gatherings. Toasts made to all sorts of sentiments that night. The biggest owed to Mike & Marlene who've made Wigilia such a standing tradition.
Another Christmas down, a New Years to go. 2012 is almost here!
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We like our glasses in this family. Clearly (pun intended), we do. Spectacles are not so cheap and even when you find the perfect frame, $100 is about as reasonable as they come Rx wise. Until(!!!!) Until until untillllll....sweet Jordan over at Ramshackle Glam divulged her secret place to buy these puppies: Zenni Optical. $12.95 for the perfect pair of new tortoise glasses? Thank you, Jordan! The post Christmas lottery has been won. FELIZ NAVIDAD TO ME. (And....I'm off to JCrew at the TimeWarnerCenter to press today's good luck on the alpha shopper front;)
When I look at this table and when visitors pick up each card, I can't help but love and think happily upon all the friends and family that make up our life these days. Something about the card table and all those photos and notes radiating from the end table make the Christmas vibe in 7B that much better...
One of the top reasons I love my parents is their willingness, ability and energy to travel to NYC for even just a 24hour stint to see Lee & I around Christmastime. After a long week for my Dad and my Mom wrapping up what is the busiest season for CBA, they hopped a flight at 8am on Satuday morning simply to have a day with us. Catching up over tea and coffee in 7B, enjoying a quick visit to the Rockafeller Tree and St. Patrick's in midtown (good lordy it is tourist central up there!), and a holiday dinner feast at The Beacon and concert at Carnegie Hall(*as the choir sang with the NY Pops Orchestra, I was flooded with childhood memories of my CFC days gone by)...we couldn't have asked for a better string of New Yorky moments yesterday.
Mom & Dad will be to 7B any moment now. To my Dad, Christmas is any day with his family. And nothing makes me feel all warm and fuzzy for the holidays and familytime like the Eat N Park commercial shown on local Pittsburgh channels in December :) Ohhhhh that star....so cute! We're off for a day of brunching, maybe Rock Xmas Tree visiting, and a festive dinner and Holiday Pops concert @ Carnegie Hall tonight. Missing my siblings and wish we could all be together today... XO (allow me to be blonde for a moment) Sooo....like.... umm.... the holidays take alot of energy! Another thing that takes alot of enery is my body healing this darn finger. Mother trucker it is annoying. But I digress. A suburban Saturday was just what the doctor ordered. We merrily made our way out of the City, chuckling at the line of cars waiting at the Lincoln Tunnel as fled town, vans full of families wanting to shop til they drop, experience a slice of NYC life at Christmastime. I'm sure they were as ancy to get to their destination as we were. A quick afternoon visit to Justin & Neha's and some moments with our nieces set the day off on the right foot. And baby snuggles with Elise? Aside from the most adorable bottom lip quiver turned "who is holiding me and why isnt it my Mom/Dad" tear fest, I was able to garner a few smiles from her! Jaina is just on fire these days, her personality blooming. Quick as a whip and boy does she know what she wants :) And who doesnt love a set of friends that welcome you into their home for a night of holiday partying with pizza and ribs and wine and homemade beer? It goes without saying, we love visiting the Johnsons. Some cheesy ugly terrible kmart/thrift store wardrobe change and we were ready to attend the Hollenbeck party in style. Of note: Kit's MAC-eyeliner-painted-stache was amazinggggg. Men and bourbon. Women and wine. Jingle bell shorts and 1993 holiday smocks. It's safe to say, we had a great time :)
Snail mail makes me happy anytime of the year. I still can never wait to open a letter from a loved one between the mail room and the one min elevator ride to our apartment. And snail mail holiday cards that fill our end tables at Christmastime? EVEN BETTER. Stamped, sealed and ready to go. We're hoping to get good fridge and/or counter space in our friends & families homes this year ;) Not going to lie....the photo is pretty good, too. (shoutout to my BIL Andrew. Pays to have a graphic designer x 2 in the famliy!!)
Today was a Monday that just felt *good*. With a bit of spring in my step, I got up bright and early, wrapped the comfy blanket around me and snuggled into the couch before dialing in for an early morning conference call. I sipped coffee out of my Steelers mug, peaked around the internet for some cyber monday deals, and thought about the season at hand. It was a mild 65 degrees in the city today but the Christmas vibe is alive and pulsing, from the red Starbucks cups to the Salvation Army bell ringer in Chelsea...to the streets filled with shoppers along 86th Street in Bay Ridge. I was recharged, refreshed, very much feeling the power of now. I sometimes have such bad writer's block on the days my mind begs to release a good post. I jot down little blips in my phone hoping for a surge of words to fall perfectly into my typing hands later on. I wish I could strip away the frustration I feel when I experience a loss for synonmys to describe how "just right" our life in New York seems to be in our little world right now. This town has certainly made us, cliche as it is. Blessed, sure...but it's more than that. It's contentment + partnership + romance + everydayness all wrapped into one. I dont....I dont even know what I'm trying to say here, but right now, right now in the anticipation for the hoopla of the holidays and celebrations that are to fill this final month of the year, I am most happy. The life I'd always hoped for as a little girl. This is IT. (Sarah from the past I hope you are listening:) An extra long hug with a friend....the decorating of a tree, filling the stockings, baking Mom's christmas cookies, clinking of glasses and wishes for the new year, dashing around town, awaiting the first snowfall, and even peaking into my closet and knowing the perfect red holiday dress is ready to go....the December basics. Basically....wonderful :) The Holiday Season! Parties are being planned, Christmas dinners being booked, and company year end events are on the calendar. To another great holiday season in NYC and for everything that is to be enjoyed with friends and family....oooo I cannot wait (!!!)
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AuthorSarah: one part of a family of THREE with my husband Lee and sweet girl Morgan, simply wanting to chronicle the path I'm on and the path that will come to be. For now it's NYC urban mamaville where everyday is a new adventure! (Actually, just getting to the post office is an adventure.) Ask Me Anything!Blogettes I LoveJoey & The Owl
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August 2015
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