December 2024 in Pictures

“Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” — Norman Vincent Peale

Currently • December 2024

“December is a time to reflect on the blessings of the past year and to embrace the opportunities of the coming one.” — Oprah Winfrey

READING:

• The Night Before Christmas in Paris by Betty Lou Phillips and Roblyn Herndon — “A haute stocking stuffer for Paris lovers. Haute couture and Paris sights capture Mrs. Claus’s imagination―as they would any woman’s! This charming story finds Mrs. Claus fabulously ensconced in Paris, having enjoyed fashion week and been lured for several months’ stay by all the sights, scents, and couture of Paris. In the end, Santa takes a quick tour of the City of Light himself―the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, the Louvre, Tuileries Gardens, Notre Dame, Montmartre and more―to find the satiated Mrs. Claus and whisk her back home just in time to help the elves with the last-minute packing of toys for children all over the world” (Goodreads).

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin — “A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction" (Goodreads)

• I Feel Bad About My Neck, And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron — “Utterly courageous, wickedly funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a book of wisdom, advice, and laugh-out-loud moments, a scrumptious, irresistible treat” (Goodreads).

• Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner — “Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades...beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden—one that will test her convictions and her heart. 1940s, England. Even as fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her much younger sister Julia find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage, Emmy’s burning ambition to return to the city and apprentice with a fashion designer pits her against Julia’s profound need for her sister’s presence. Acting at cross purposes just as the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction, the sisters are cruelly separated, and their lives are transformed...” (Goodreads)

WATCHING:

• The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral — Stunning!

• Christmas movies and specials: White Christmas, Love Actually, The Holiday, The Family Stone, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown — Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack always makes me smile while Linus’ recitation of the gospel of St. Luke always brings me to tears.

• A Man on the Inside (Netflix) — “Charles, a retired man, gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a private investigator and becomes a mole in a secret investigation in a nursing home” (IMDb). This series is smart, funny, and touching.

• Marquette basketball and Packers football — Winter is the best season for sports.

LISTENING TO:

• My Christmas Playlist — Everything from Band Aid to Bing. Occasionally, I add something new from time to time, but this list has been my classic go-to for decades.

• Smooth Jazz Christmas station on Pandora — I can never get enough of Vince Guaraldi and George Winston, especially at Christmastime.

• December Mini-Playlist:

  • Joy (George Winston)

  • Let it Snow (Dean Martin)

  • C’est si bon (Emilie-Claire Barlow)

  • Linus and Lucy (Vince Guiraldi Trio)

  • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams)

  • The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker)

  • The Magic of Winter (Roberto Whistle)

  • O Tannenbaum (The Vince Guiraldi Trio)

  • When My Heart Finds Christmas (Harry Connick, Jr.)

ENJOYING:

• Almost two weeks off — We don’t have any special plans for the holidays, but I am so fortunate to have a break.

• Decorating our home with lots of greenery and candles, little white houses, and six Christmas trees: Our beautiful silver, white, and glass tree in the living room; a smaller tree in our dining room with vintage glass ornaments, Ittala baubles, and glass icicles; a nautical tree with ornaments from our childhood in “the boys’ room”; a snow-themed mini tree in the loft; a woodland/Scandi tree with wood ornaments on the deck; and another Scandi-inspired tree with white bisque ornaments (and three mini-Snoopy ornaments for Piper) in our bedroom.

• Shopping for gifts, sending Christmas cards to friends and family, and lovingly wrapping packages just like Mom and Grandma Dodo.

• Hosting friends and family: Nan and Mark came in early December to shop and dine. Uncle King and the Larsons celebrated an early Christmas with us on December 21st with lots of lovely appetizer and Champagne, two sleepy teenagers, and 3 adorable beagles.

• Snuggling by the fire with Piper.

PLANNING:

• My 2025 photos challenge, blog posts, and Instapuzzle — This an excellent creative learning experience for me and a labor of love.

• Paris in the Springtime — I am so eager to stay in “our” lovely Clairette apartment, take long walks, see Notre Dame restored, revisit some favorite places, take lots of photos…

2024 Reading Challenge

GOAL: 30 BOOKS | BOOKS READ: 33 • 9,309 pages

• Borrowed from the Library: 23; Borrowed from Friends: 1; Received as Gifts: 2; Purchased: 7 (2 at library book sales)

• Books Set in Paris/France: 15 (6 more with scenes in Paris)

• Scandinavian Lifestyle Books: 2

• Non-Fiction/True Stories: 17; Historical Fiction: 2

• Photography/Design Books: 5

• Books for Professional Development: 2

• Books by Female Authors: 21

• Average Book Length: 282 pages | Shortest Books: Sylvia’s Bookshop, The Night Before Christmas in Paris (32 pages each) | Longest Book: Fresh Water for Flowers (476 pages)

• Favorite Books this Year: The Little Black Dress, Audrey in Paris, The Night Before Christmas in Paris

For more information about these books, follow me on Goodreads.

Decking the Halls

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

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November 2024 in Pictures

"November is tied together with the heartstrings of gratitude" — Josiah Soto

Currently • November 2024

“Colour is everything; black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

READING:

• Paris by Design: An Inspired Guide to the City's Creative Side by Eva Jorgensen — “With a combination of interviews, profiles, essays, tips, and lists, author and designer Eva Jorgensen explores why Paris has such a magnetic pull for artists and design lovers, by introducing us to some of the city’s most fascinating residents and frequent visitors. Jorgensen has wrangled an eclectic and exciting group of contributors—creatives based in Paris and abroad—who offer travel tips and insight into Paris’s fashion, design, craft, and art scenes” (Goodreads).

• The Little Black Dress by Amy Holman Edleman — “Since Audrey Hepburn"s show-stopper in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the little black dress has become more than an item of clothing. This book looks at the history of this loaded fashion symbol which is a cultural icon that stand s for a woman’s identity” (Goodreads). I purchased this book for $3 at the Door County Library book sale. The photos are stunning.

WATCHING:

• Decorating videos on YouTube — It’s fun to get ideas while I’m decking the halls. It’s also a great way to avoid trends (no “antique” gold bells, Norfolk pine stems, flocked burgundy ornaments, “viral” reindeer, Target seasonal prints, or Christmas trees tangled with ribbons for me).

• Shrinking Season 2 (Apple TV) — “A grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives - including his own” (IMDb).

• Cecilia Blomdahl’s Life on Svalbard YouTube channel - Cecilia is a Swedish photographer who lives in a cabin outside of Longyearbyen on Svalbard, a Norwegian island close to the North Pole. She and her boyfriend Christoffer (a chef) and their Finnish lapphund, Grim make videos about daily life in the Northernmost town in the world. The videos are full of stunning views, northern lights, and yummy Scandinavia recipes.

• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Apple TV) — Is it really a holiday without Snoopy and his pals?

LISTENING TO:

• Cool jazz has been my go-to since the beginning of fall.

• November Instapuzzle Mini-Playlist (This one all really ecclectic.)

  • Pictures of You (The Cure)

  • Sailing (Christopher Cross)

  • Non, je ne regrette rien (Édith Piaf)

  • Thanksgiving Theme (Vince Guaraldi Trio)

  • November (Art Music)

  • Back in Black (AC/DC)

  • Longing Love (George Winston, Autumn)

  • The French Café (Melodia blu)

  • A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (George Winston)

ENJOYING:

• A November weekend in Door County — We spent a long weekend “up home” as a mini-celebration for Eric’s 50th birthday. Although nothing really went according to plan, htere were lots of nice surprises like a book sale at the library, a Christmas parade, and even sailing in the Bay in November (Thanks, Bennie Larsen).

• The first snowfall of the season — Magical!

• Thanksgiving with family (and 7 dogs)

• Decorating for the holidays — I love reminiscing over traditional pieces and adding new treasures each year. I’ll share photos soon.