Kitchen reveal + Christmas cheer

So I started to record the process of our kitchen renovation more than a year ago… is anyone out there wondering if we’re still living with plywood counters and unfinished walls? Thankfully, we finished off the renovation last December, just a little shy of our due date deadline. Then we promptly took “after” pictures, documenting the completed kitchen with a dash of Christmas decor.

But between our new baby and Christmas festivities, I didn’t have a chance to post the photos on the blog until the Christmas season had passed. So I’ve been holding them until now when they’re once again in-season. So without further ado, a much-belated reveal of our Wild Oak cocina!

We brightened up the room with tile going all the way to the ceiling on one wall, using tumbled marble on the sides and a patterned porcelain tile over the stove (which resists stains better than marble). I also love the pretty pencil edge tile that separates the two. Yes, that’s a real baby in the pot, we couldn’t miss a moment to document our other masterpiece of 2014!!

Last year we spent a week in southern Spain for my sister’s wedding and were inspired by the gorgeous tile patterns and rustic roomy elegance of the European version of a country kitchen. Hence the vintage chandelier, farmhouse sink (ikea), and brass accents. We were delighted to find marble at a cheaper-than-corian price point and used it on the counters (danby marble from Vermont).

Opposite the newly enlarged window is a vintage chalkboard (craig’s list) hung above our former upper cabinets (now reused as lower pantry cabinets).

Facing the kitchen is a smaller family room space, with our sparkly tree and other Christmas touches.

Now let’s look back to when we first moved in to see how much things have changed! By selling the old granite and appliances, reusing cabinets, and buying used appliances and doing the work ourselves, the whole project came in well under our $10K budget. Most of the cost was for the wood flooring that we installed in both rooms, but what a difference that made in tying them together and flattering the stone fireplace. Here is the old view toward the sink.

And an old zoomed out view of the living space and kitchen (we removed that partial wall).

The expanded kitchen has become the hub of our home and it’s almost hard to remember it any other way, or the awkward but promising partial renovation stage. It’s such a fun space to decorate for the holidays, and I’m looking forward to pulling out our Christmas bins again soon!

Belated Christmas recap: An unexpectedly extended East Coast tour

This year we moved up Christmas to December 23 for a cozy little celebration before our trip back east. On our “Christmas Eve” we hosted a brunch for friends from church, and then we sat by the fire and read stories for the rest of the day.

“Christmas” morning we opened stockings and presents and enjoyed assembling Legos and Playmobil together.

Then we had a day to pack, visit with friends, and get the house in order before flying out to North Carolina on the 25th. We arrived in time for a delicious Christmas dinner and a rousing game of “Tellestrations” with my family. Then we had a second Christmas morning exchanging gifts and playing outside.

The next day we drove up to northern Virginia with Auntie C and had a lovely evening at her place with almost-Uncle Ryan. On Saturday we visited with some dear friends in DC and then drove up to New Jersey for a delightful holiday get-together with my extended family in northern Jersey (plus a cake for the birthday girl, Ellabelle). It was wonderful to see almost everyone from my mom’s side of the family, we just wish it could have been for longer!

Sunday we spent back in Princeton, seeing friends at our old church and taking it easy. Monday we took the trains out to Long Island to spend the rest of our trip with Erik’s family. It was wonderful to see everyone there and visit a few friends who live close by. We were so glad that Uncle Travis & Keri and Uncle Bryan & Aunt Chelsie were able to come down, and of course L & E were thrilled to play with Grandma and Grandpa again.

It had been a while since we’d seen Erik’s grandparents, and it was delightful to stay with them and catch up. We were spoiled by GG-Ma’s scrumptious cooking and the scenic woodsy views. We also delighted in introducing the kids to Aemilia, their sweet second cousin who’s just a little younger than Eleanor, and catching up with all the Long Island extended family.

Originally we thought that the toughest travel would be the long drive up to NJ in a packed car, trekking through NY Penn Station with the kids and all our luggage, or perhaps the flight home with two stops and an early departure. But Winter Storm Hercules and Winter Storm Ion swooped in to provide a bigger travel debacle.

After leaving Erik’s grandparents’ at 4am, finding our flight cancelled, and waiting in line at La Guardia from 5am-9:30am, we were told that the earliest available flight home wouldn’t be until 5 days later than our scheduled return! Most shocking was the fact that this was the case even though we’d inquired about departing from a dozen different airports, stretching from DC up to Manchester, NH! If Erik and the kids hadn’t all been sick that morning, we might have rented a car and driven home. As it was we waited it out and kept 1-800-I-FLY-SWA on speed dial.

Eventually we were able to move up the flight by a day and gratefully made it home without further cancellations. Unfortunately, we didn’t leave Long Island without infecting our beloved hosts with an icky virus that packed a miserable trifecta of nausea, fever, and cold symptoms. Despite the sickness, we did fit in some sleigh ride time courtesy of Hercules, and Luke loved racing down GG-Pa’s famed sledding hill.

Eleanor’s tolerance for the snow spray in her face was very limited, but Luke (and Daddy) played in it for ages before reluctantly consenting to return inside.

We always return home from these East Coast tours wishing we lived closer and could see everyone more often. This time that was mingled with the enticement of fewer travel complications and stranded with sickness possibilities! We hope to see everyone again soon and wish you all a much belated happy and healthy new year!!

Gimley

{This is a post I wrote back in December but we didn’t get around to uploading the photos until more recently… better late than never!}

I’d always been suspicious of the somewhat creepy elf who spies on children and lurks on a shelf, thinking he harkened back to some grim fairytale rather than anything truly child-appropriate. But this year I saw some pictures of other parents’ clever elf shenanigans and I couldn’t deny that these silly scenes matched Luke’s sense of humor perfectly. Also I’d admired the search-all-over-the-house advent scavenger hunts that a friend used to do with her kids, and searching for the elf seemed a good intro to scavenger hunts for younger kids who couldn’t yet figure out a string of clues.

But I still couldn’t get on board with the idea that Santa sent the elf to report back on children’s behavior. It seems unfitting to make such a trouble-maker a moral judge, but most of all I don’t like having a good/bad determination linked to receiving Christmas presents. Our kids would never get presents if being truly good was a requirement; an hour rarely goes by when we don’t all deserve numerous demerits in this house. Instead of being earned, Christmas gifts are an act of love, just like the gift of a perfect Savior that Christmas rejoices to celebrate.

So we decided that our elf would arrive with a babysitting storyline. We had Santa (Uncle Jack) call our house to ask Luke if we could keep an eye on Gimley, one of his elves who’d been getting into so much mischief that they were two weeks behind on toy production. Santa knew that Luke and Eleanor would be up for the task, so he’d already dropped off Gimley in our mailbox. When he got off the phone, Luke was beside himself with excitement and surprise – a rare almost speechless moment. He eventually relayed the story to us amidst jumps and squeals (mentioning that Santa sounded a little like Papi) but Erik and I assured him that a real elf couldn’t possibly be in our mailbox. Luke was elated to be correct when we went out to look! And he and Eleanor have been abuzz ever since with speculation about whether or not the elf is real and what types of trouble he might get into next. We’ve told them several times that Santa and the elves aren’t real and that it’s just a fun game, but their imaginations are so vivid that it seems they quickly find themselves believing it at least a little bit.

I’m not sure if Gimley will be back next year or if he’ll clean up his act and get reassigned to the toy production team. But he’s been fun to hunt for and laugh about during his time here!

A literary Christmas for kids

It’s tough to put away our collection of Christmas books each year but in the end it’s always worth it. It’s such a delight to pull them out, shiny and fresh, each Christmas season. As you can see it takes a good-sized bin to store them all, and our collection covers the gamut from basic to poignant. Most were gifts, some I bought used, and a couple I couldn’t resist buying new.

I thought I’d share a few of our very favorites here, in case you’re looking for a new book to tuck away with your Christmas items and so perhaps I can look back years from now and know which ones to pass on to my grandchildren! (:

1. Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect – This one made me cry when I first read it – it’s a powerful story that captures the beauty of selfless service to others. 

2. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree – I remember loving this story as a child – seeing how creatures, large to small, each use a piece of Mr Willowby’s discarded treetop to decorate their homes. A classic with definite appeal for avid holiday decorators like me!

3. Jan Brett’s Snowy Treasury – Brett’s books are always winners and she has lots of great Christmas ones. All the winter stories in this volume are lovely and it’s a great price for all four books.

4. The Sweet Smell of Christmas – This was Erik’s favorite as a child and it’s been Luke and Eleanor’s favorite too. They never tire of the simple story with a Christmas scratch & sniff on each page – the scents hold up remarkably well too!

5. Humphrey’s First Christmas – The unconventional  nativity story from a camel’s point of view beautifully illustrates Christmas’ true meaning – reorienting our self-centered living to a wonder at God’s love.

6. A Small Christmas – We love Fireman Small from the classic book by Yee and while the rhymes aren’t quite so perfect in this one, the storyline of a pint-sized fireman shrinking Santa’s suit by mistake and taking over the toy deliveries (using his fire truck’s ladder to access the rooftops) has lots of appeal for any truck-loving child.

Here’s another list that has lots of great-looking selections too. Reading through it has me thinking… maybe we’re not too far removed from the Christmas season for me to try to find some of these at the library!

Christmas catch-up: A holiday home

With all the busyness of Christmas hosting, advent-ing, and traveling, I didn’t find time to share photos of Christmas cheer around our home. Before it all gets packed up this weekend, here are a few pics from our wintry yuletide hacienda!

Some natural touches in the entry (and a glimpse of our mantle in-progress)

Lots of red and green in the front room

A close-up of the dining hutch and the kids’ gingerbread house

Mantle #1 in the front,

Mantle #2 on the back,

And my kid-magnet collection of nutcrackers.

A little Christmas in the kitchen…

And on the porch.

My only Christmas décor purchase this year was a big one… a new artificial tree! First we retired our decade-old petite one to the playroom (and trimmed it with shatter-proof ornaments).

Then we brought in this full-size beauty for the living room!

I love how it holds all our ornaments without looking crowded and the way my Danish hearts suit it so well.

Here’s hoping your Christmas was most merry, and that there’s room for the new tree in our garage storage area! (:

Christmas gifts & advent activities

As Christmas quickly approaches, a few gift questions always linger for a self-second-guesser and practical gift-giver like me. Do I need to go out and buy a few stocking stuffers for me and Erik or can I just go through the junk drawer and throw in various items we already own? Do I really want to give Eleanor the vintage Playmobil house that I’ve been saving for her (it’s the exact same one I adored as I child!) or will the precious little pieces drive us all crazy? Will Luke do fine with the 8-12 age range of Lego sets or should I stick to 6-12? How is it that Erik would prefer another waterlogged camera just for the fun of attempting a repair, when his shoes are falling apart and I happen to be an expert on men’s sunhat options? Maybe I should just get him Legos too – I better check those age ranges again…

But last night’s advent activity put all my gift ‘quandaries’ in perspective. We talked to the kids about several different donation gifts available on World Vision’s website, watched the short video on each one, and let them choose an item to send to those in need. The world’s injustices were unbearable in a fresh way as I explained to the kids the harsh contrast between their privileged lives and other perfectly innocent children’s situations. I wasn’t sure how much our stoic Eleanor was understanding, but at the end when I asked her what she would like to give she firmly replied – the clothes. I asked her why she chose that gift and she looked in my eyes and said earnestly, “So they be warm!” Luke was more touched by the plight of the sick and chose the medicines but told us that he wanted to get them all. Then Erik and I each chose our gifts, and our evening prayers with the kids for those in need were sent up with fresh urgency that night.

The World Vision gifts are part of the mix of traditions that we’re practicing with the kids this advent. Each day we do a special activity, which I’ve tried to make both fun and others-focused. So far our activities have included: having friends over to make snow globes (which wasn’t quite as idyllic as it sounds when Ella dropped hers and we were sterilizing tweezers to pull out a glass shard from her toe, but she’s fine now), attending the choir concert at church, and crafting lots of other less injury-prone cards and gifts. This weekend is our most anticipated activity – we’re taking the kids shopping to choose gifts for each other. I’ll sit with Eleanor for a Starbucks date while Erik takes Luke to find a present for Ella and then we’ll trade places. I wonder if Erik’s planning to ask Luke what to get me then too. I’ll have to drop some hints for them both. (:

We’ve also been focusing on a different piece of the Christmas story in the book of Luke each night and reading our Christmas themed storybooks. I’ll have to do a separate post with our favorite children’s Christmas books since there are so many sweet ones and I’d love to remember them. For our number-loving Luke, we’ve been counting down the days on our advent sticker calendar, and this year we added a new tradition that I never thought I’d embrace – the elf on the shelf. But our variation on the elf storyline and how the kids have responded could be its own post too so I’ll wrap this little 2013 time capsule up here. Happy holidays!

A cheery table for Thanksgiving

Sunday our afternoon schedule was cleared by an early snowstorm that dusted everything outside and hung thick clouds over the mountains. We played with the kids in the snow, Erik lit a fire in the wood stove, and I puttered away at our Thanksgiving table settings. 

I used our wedding china and turkey place card holders with a little ribbon embellishment for pizzazz,

In the middle is a thankful tree that Eleanor made in preschool. On it our girlie is quoted as being thankful for baby dolls, Mommy, Daddy, Luke and Russell (our pet lizard).

There’s my grandmother’s candlesticks and petite stemware, alongside some Target clearance faux acorn branches.

All atop some punchy autumn table linens and we’re ready for dinner! Oh, wait – there’s also the food shopping and cooking to attend to… off to pick up a turkey for me!

Five variations on an autumn mantle theme

Our house was built around a big double fireplace – doubling the fun for seasonal mantle-scapes! But the massive dark stones make it a little bit tricky to style – items that are too dark and/or small are easily lost. And I have trouble achieving the right balance between working with the dominant rustic casual feel of the stone and nudging it toward the prettier, more elegant style I prefer.

But who doesn’t love a challenge? Here are five autumn mantle scenes from the past couple months, and there have probably been a half-dozen more mantle iterations this season. I’m always adding, taking away, and rearranging. Sometimes I just happen to have the camera out to snap a few pics!

First a few Halloween-ish styles from October. I made the bunting with fabric scraps and the candelabras are from a cute resale shop in old town. The little owl on the right and the watercolor painting are both Luke and Mommy collaborations.

On the other side: sunflowers, a white pumpkin, and happy lanterns (an after-Halloween Target find a few years back).

Then there was a brief stage with homemade pumpkin garland and the kids’ autumn leaf wreath crafts. It was only captured as the background to my handy hubby…

Currently, we’re channeling turkey day, with two feathered fowls and autumn faux branches in the back.

And a festive handprint invite to Luke’s preschool Stone Soup feast plus a little wreath for the front room.

Most of our mantle items come from Target’s clearance endcaps – such an easy spot to check for seasonal markdowns. Any other mantle meddlers out there? I so enjoy easy little changes like these to make the house feel fresh and holiday-ready!

Eggs, playdough & the empty tomb

Backtrack to Easter with us! After careful research on boiling at 6000 feet, we made a big pot of hardboiled eggs and experimented with traditional dip-dying first. The kids found it mildly interesting but the process and colors were a little anti-climactic, even my fancy rubber-band trick.

So we moved on to a painting technique, using brushes and liquid watercolors. This gave the kids much more immediate control over the eggs and the colors were vibrant. Luke especially was hooked.

He wasn’t alone. I just love the way the colors swirled together and the paint highlighted the slightly bumpy texture of the eggs. To be truthful, I couldn’t take this gorgeous bowl off my dining table until it started to smell a little. (:

I can’t wait to make more watercolor eggs next year. Another tradition that we hope to continue is making an Easter tomb scene. This year’s was very simple, but there are all sorts of ways to extend this to include additional details as the kids get older. This time we stuck to the basics: crosses from sticks, a playdough tomb, and Playmobil figures for Jesus and a Roman soldier. The night before Easter while the kids were sleeping, we rolled the stone aside and took Jesus and the soldier out. The kids ran to the tomb on Easter morning and were thrilled to find it empty!

We didn’t neglect the ever-popular egg hunt either. Our neighborhood hosted a lovely one in a nearby park. We attended with friends and had such a nice time watching the kids together and visiting with neighbors. Here’s Eleanor with her sweet buddy, comparing loot I think.

What perfect weather for an egg hunt!

Eleanor was eager to pay a visit to the talented face painters. Does she look a little middle eastern here?

We left with plenty of candy so Easter morning we hid the hard-boiled eggs we’d been decorating all week. Luke was ever the gentleman and made sure Eleanor found plenty of eggs too, although Eleanor may have had trouble keeping those eggs in her bucket…

Then they opened their Easter baskets and we went to church. Usually Luke goes to Sunday School, but we decided to take him with us to the service for the first time. He recognized a number of the songs and watched with awe – all the people, the resounding singing, the beautiful instruments. As the sermon got underway he got a little fidgety, but all in all he made our hearts hurt with joy as he earnestly soaked it in. Our baby is growing up and how sweet it is to share the true joy of Easter with him more fully each year!