Christmas Chaos & Full Hearts
Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day.
Mine started very early…because apparently I thought hosting a holiday breakfast feast before sunrise was a great idea. I was up around 6:00 a.m. making an egg casserole, grits soufflé, and bacon, along with smoked salmon, sweet rolls, little ham biscuits, and orange muffins. (I may have slightly overestimated how much food one family can eat, but better too much than too little, right?) Everyone arrived around 11:00, we ate breakfast, and then opened presents.
Normally, I mislabel a gift or two (this has become tradition), but this year the only mistake I made was with the stockings! Our family has grown so much that it’s honestly a full-time job just keeping up. I think my daughters, who used to laugh at me, are finally realizing that someday this could be their problem. Everyone loved their gifts, and we had such a nice morning. Baldy even surprised me with a pair of boots I tried on in New York, and I can’t wait to wear them…once my feet recover from Christmas hosting.
After we cleaned up, we went down the street to visit our daughter and grandsons to see what Santa brought them. We planned to watch an episode of Palm Royale, but I had reached my limit and was in bed by 8:00 p.m. and slept until 6:40 this morning…I feel so much better today!
Today, our youngest daughter Sarah and her family are coming into town, and we’ll do it all over again! Tonight I’m keeping things simple with a pot roast in the slow cooker, rice, and a big Caesar salad. I’m pacing myself because tomorrow is Baldy’s 60th birthday party, and we’re having about 30 people over. I did order lasagna for everyone, but there’s still so much to do. The house is currently in post-Christmas recovery mode…wrapping paper and boxes are gone, but the chaos remains. You all know how it goes!
Despite the exhaustion and mess, we had a wonderful day and made some truly fun memories. Baldy’s actual birthday is on the 28th, and on the 29th I plan to be completely lazy and sleep late. I’ll admit, I’m already eyeing the Christmas tree like, “Your time here is almost over!”
I also have big plans for the house in the new year and I’m ready to get started! We have new wallpaper coming, along with several other projects. And suddenly I want to organize everything…drawers, closets, cabinets…nothing is safe. I just want some order…can anyone relate?
And on to my outfit…you’ve seen this red jacket several times before! It’s a cropped, bell sleeve jacket from Tuckernuck and it has been one of my favorite pieces this season! I love the color, the bell sleeves, the length and the slightly boxy fit. I think it’s so flattering and the styling options are endless! I’ve worn it with a plaid skirt, with light wash jeans, and now with these fabulous silk pants from La Ligne. La Ligne is a brand I recently discovered and they have so many cute pieces…mostly basic things that will be great staples in my wardrobe!
I also pulled out an older pair of stilettos from Valentino (these are similar and so pretty) and my Savette suede bag (love this one in chocolate brown) to go along with the outfit. I wore this outfit to have dinner with my daughters on the 23rd and it was perfect…I didn’t feel too dressed up, but certainly festive and comfortable! I’m also thinking of wearing the pants in a more casual way tonight with this sweater from American Vintage!
For now, I’m running on coffee, good memories, and a very long to-do list, but I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. There’s something special about full houses, children’s laughter, and the kind of tired that comes from trying to make the best of this life! If you need me, I’ll be easing back into a routine one day at a time…right after I find where I put my glasses!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Thanks so much for reading today!
~XOXO Suzanne