Program Notes

I had every intention of posting this week, but between working and awaiting a visit from out-of-town family and deciding at the next to the last minute to host a New Year's Eve open house because gosh darn it I want to throw a party, I've given myself the rest of the week off here, unless something particularly inspiring crosses my path. 

Have a very Happy New Year!  I'll be back next week with fresh bloggy goodness.

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Ghosts of Christmas Past: O Christmas Tree!

Christmas 1965 or 66. The child in the plaid bathrobe is no ghost, but my little sister who is very much still alive and kicking. 
(Sorry, Sis, it was the best tree picture I could find!)

I'd mentioned in last week's post about family holiday traditions that my mother was a bit on the obsessive side about her Christmas decorations, especially the tree.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present the case for the prosecution:

My mother shunned trees from the local tree lots that sprang up in every vacant lot around the end of November.  "They were probably cut in August and they'll drop all their needles before Christmas," she'd say.  So the morning of the Friday after Thanksgiving, we'd pile into the car and drive for over an hour on narrow, winding roads up into the Santa Cruz mountains to her favorite tree farm.  And then the The Traipse would begin. 

The possibility that we might not examine every Douglas Fir (the only acceptable type of tree) on the 100+ acre farm was inconceivable to my mother.  So we'd go up and down every row in the DF section, usually twice before she'd settle on two or three candidates.  These days when you shop for Christmas trees, they've either been bred or trimmed into an almost perfect conical shape.  Not so back then.  Yet a perfectly shaped, perfectly full tree with no bare patches or brown branches was imperative.  Mom wanted the Miss America of trees, a natural beauty and flawless from trunk to tip. 

It never seemed to fail that her finalists were always at the opposite far corners of the farm.  So back and forth we'd walk while she hemmed and hawed and scrutinized every needle.  Sometimes this went on for over an hour. By the time she was ready to annoint the winner, the rest of us had totally lost interest in the process, and were rapidly descending into Cranky Valley. And did I mention it was c o l d out there in the mountains in late November?  Finally she'd crown the Fir Queen, and send my father off to fetch a saw and an attendant to help drag the poor, freshly severed tree back to be wrapped up and tied to the top of the car. 

For my sister and me, the high point of the day followed: a cup of hot chocolate, and then a visit to Santa's Village for the kiddie rides and to see Santa and carve our names in the "North Pole" ice with burning cold fingers and feed the "reindeer" from small brown paper bags of grain available for purchase for a quarter. 

Once home, the tree was leaned up against the house in a bucket of water, where it sat for the next day or two, then was brought inside, set up and decorated.  We were never one of those families who waited until Christmas Eve to put up the tree.  There was no point in going to all of that trouble if you didn't get at least a month's enjoyment from your labors. First the lights went up.  This was Dad's job, with Mom supervising.  The lights (the fun, old-fashioned, big-bulbed, energy-sucking, multi-colored ones) had to be evenly spaced and just the right distance from the tips of the branches.  This often took hours to achieve. 

Then it was time for the ornaments.  My sister and I were allowed to help hang some of them, though Mom would usually follow behind us and correct our placement.  The smaller ornaments were to be hung nearer the top of the tree, and the bigger ornaments were to go near the bottom, to achieve the necessary balanced and harmonious look. We did have some beautiful antique glass ornaments that I wish I still had.  We were a non-tinsel household.  Mom had decided at some point that tinsel was declassé, so instead the last thing to go up on the tree were the plastic icicles.  I know. Plastic. Icicles.  Years later, we discovered that they actually glowed in the dark, which made them seem so much cooler. 

Finally the tree was fully decorated.  We'd plug in the tree lights, turn off the room lights, put on the Andy Williams Christmas album, and just sit and admire the tree.  That was the best part, and the ordeal of getting to that point was quickly forgotten.

(My mother, however, would continue to adjust and arrange the lights and ornaments until January 1, when it was time to take them down.)

Happy Holidays, everyone, however you celebrate them! I wish everyone peace and goodwill.  I'll be back with new posts next week.

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Winter Solstice

Subtly festive

Over the weekend, I decorated our mantle with some candles, string lights and evergreen boughs. (I took Reggie Darling's advice to only decorate with colors that complement the room's decor.)  Now I feel a bit more in the holiday spirit.  

Lights out, full effect


I also spent a few hours clearing out piles of stuff that had accumulated in various corners, causing our living room to look a bit like something from "Hoarders."  A few bags were donated to the local thrift store, and remaining papers and photos from my Dad and Grandma have now been gone through and sorted into various containers for storage.  I found some more pictures and documents that surprised and fascinated me, and I'll share some more early 20th century family history with you next week. 

Some interesting tidbits about Winter Solstice and how it's celebrated in various cultures here and here.

Good Yule, everyone!
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There's still time...

To pick up some fabulous Wendy Brandes jewelry AND help raise money for the Sister Wolf Roof Repair fund!

Purchase a Little Woolf neckace and Wendy will donate $35, or buy one of the Swear or OMG Rings sets and she'll donate $200 of that sale.  But as the infomercial says, "Wait, there's more!"

Wendy is offering to make a donation to Sister Wolf's roof fund for ANY purchase of ANY item of her jewelry, through December 25.  You can do some good for a fellow blogger AND sport some gorgeous new jewelry for that New Years bash.  It's a Win-Win.  It's a No-Brainer.  Don't make me have to pull out more motivational buzzwords.  Get over to Wendy's place and get shopping!
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Making the Rounds

Lovely Tish at A Femme d'un Certain Age invitied me to share some gift ideas over at her place.   I'm delighted to be in such wonderful company!  Come join us, won't you?
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Tradition!

Click to play music while you read if you like.  Vince Guaraldi, "Christmastime Is Here."*

Growing up when I did, my contemporaries and I often regarded the concept of Tradition with suspicion. Tradition was seen as too often being a blind adherence to rituals that were no longer meaningful, or stultifying conformity that required too much sacrifice.  (My 13-year-old self was firmly on the side of Tevye's third daughter Chava, who defied her family's traditions to follow her heart.)  But at the same time, as a child I longed for more of what I might now view as a traditional life, especially around the holidays.

My family was not religious; we observed the more secular aspects of holidays like Christmas and Easter, while giving a brief nod to the religious origins. The few Christmas traditions that my family observed (and even some of these were a bit fluid) were completely upended when my parents divorced.   It seemed that every year brought some different schedule of events, a different cast of characters.  While some of these were fun times, I longed for familiarity and consistency, and traditions with a sense of continuity that resembled the more "normal" (or so I imagined) celebrations of my friends' mostly intact families.  The one thing that was constant throughout my years growing up and even after I'd moved away was that my mother insisted on a well decorated house and tree.  She decorated for Christmas every year until she died.**

Nothing says "Christmas" like bottles of booze and toy guns!

This time of year, I often feel a bit adrift.  I'll admit that at times I miss that sense of connectedness with my childhood and participation in popular culture that comes with decorating a tree, putting up lights, wrapping gifts, baking goodies and preparing a special foods. And I miss the anticipation. We don't celebrate Christmas, and our Chanukah celebrations are less encompassing, often occurring earlier in the month and being over with and decorations packed away while the rest of the world seems to still be gearing up for the 25th. (Also, Chanukah is traditionally not as major a holiday for Jews as Christmas is for Christians.)  Having lost both of my parents last year I felt--rather contrarily, considering my family's ultimate lack of it--a strong pull toward tradition, and establishing some holiday season rituals of my own with a nod to the past and acknowledgement of the present.  This year, I'm determined to do something to put that desire into action.

Yesterday, materfamilias posted about giving up some holiday traditions that had become wearing obligations, and how doing so freed her to eventually re-embrace some of them as joyful expressions.  It reminded me again that as adults we can pick and choose what aspects of any holiday we celebrate and incorporate into our own lives.  What I most miss about the holidays and what makes me feel connected to my family is festive decor, not a tree necessarily but I have visions of twinkling lights and evergreen garlands dancing in my head.  Winter Solstice, anyone?

Do you observe holiday traditions that have been handed down from your family?  Which are most meaningful?  Have you set about to initiate some of your own? 

*Of all of the Christmas music out there, the piece above from the Charlie Brown Christmas CD is my favorite.  It's pretty yes, but like the holiday season itself, at times evocative and reflective, a mix of joy and wistfulness.

**She was a bit obsessive actually, more on this later...
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I Get Around....

Today une femme is guest posting over at Red Chair Confessions - The Talbots Blog.  Come say Hi!
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La Mode: The Full Skirt

From The Sartorialist, here.

From Talbots Spring 2011 Collection, here.

Oh, and speaking of street style snaps, did you know about Spotted DIY over at the Talbots blog, Red Chair Confessions?  You can submit a photo of yourself wearing a favorite Talbots item, and each month they award one winner a $250 gift card!  Might come in handy just in time for the launch of the spring collection...

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Foulard de la semaine

Here I've shown three easy ties for smaller square scarves.  These will also work for larger squares.  On the third option (necklace), you could do just a single knot if you prefer, or add more knots if the scarf is long enough.

This will probably be the last tutorial until after the holidays, but you can see this and all of the previous scarf videos here.

Bon weekend!
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Snow Day, and Random Bits

Some golden labs enjoying the snow and "sledding"...this is really cute!

No, not here, but apparently Paris was slammed yesterday.  I wonder how Couture Allure is faring on her visit?

Per Belle at BHB, the merchants of Rodeo Drive are hosting a Snow Night tonight, so those of you in LA who might be pining for some of the cold stuff can get your fix.  I won't be able to attend, but I'll bet it will be very pretty.

My apologies for the dearth of posting this week; I feel as though I'm still playing a bit of catch up from having been out of town and trying to get a grip on the holidays.  I'm working on some things for next week, and I will have another scarf tutorial video up for tomorrow (I think).

Lastly, I must tell you all that I LOVELOVELOVELOVE the new WW PointsPlus system.  While the old way the points were calculated tended to result in a balance that was a bit more carb-heavy, the new program encourages consumption of more lean protein and unprocessed foods, a way of eating that works well for me.  I'm VERY happy with this new version of the program, and finding it easier than ever.

À bientot!
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Mid-Week Miscellany

The pace of life has shifted into Holiday Fast Forward.  We're already coming up on the last crazy night of Hanukkah; tonight we light candle #8 and once they're done I can start scraping the dripped wax off the menorah and my mantle.  The world seems to have swung into full-on Christmas Manic mode.  The malls are packed, the traffic on my drive home from work is miserable, and everyone in LA seems to be giving free rein to their Inner Scrooge.  Still, there are many things to enjoy this time of year.

Harry and David Pears!!!

Unless you have a pear orchard outside your back door, I can't imagine that you could find sweeter, juicier pears than these.  We splurge on a box or two of these every season, and enjoy immensely.  Usually when you get them, they'll still need to ripen a bit; set one or two out on the counter for a couple of days and keep the rest in the fridge.  When the top of the pear near the stem starts to feel soft, they're ready to eat.  Have a napkin handy!  (They'll keep for several days at least in the fridge pre-ripening, suggest you only ripen as many at once as will be eaten.)    They make a great gift, too.

Chanel "Vamp" nail polish

Remember when this color first was introduced, how goth and transgressive it seemed?  (Well, maybe that was just me.)  Now it's a classic that looks great even on short nails, and is a sophisticated accent for holiday party ensembles.  Yes, Chanel polishes are a small fortune compared to other brands, but I've been so impressed with how well they go on and and how long they last.  If you're going to wear a dark color, the last thing you want is chipping, and I've worn this one for a week at a time with nary a nick, even while traveling. 

Holiday Lights

Some of our neighbors here put up some very festive decorations, but a favorite family tradition this time of year is taking a boat ride through the canals of Naples...Naples in Long Beach, that is.   We pile everyone into MIL's neighbor's Duffy Boat, with some drinks and snacks, and plenty of blankets, and cruise around the canals to see the lighting displays, many of which are professionally done.   Watch out for the gondoliers!

What are you enjoying about the holiday season so far this year? 

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Talbots Pick of the Week

Say you have a holiday event or four to attend in the next few weeks.  Say you want to look festive while stopping short of DEFCON2-level glitz.  Say you don't want to spend a bunch of money on an item that will only be appropriate to wear between now and New Year's.  Say you'd rather not have your party clothes out-bling your party jewelry.  Say that even though there are definitely times that call for sequins, you'd like an option that's a bit more subtle.  Say you want something, anything to wear for an evening out that isn't black. 

Say at least two of the above statements apply to you. This is the top you are looking for.  The satin charmeuse camisole underneath is a lovely emerald color, and the lace overlay is navy.  Pair it with a pencil, full or maxi skirt, black or navy trousers, or even jeans.  (It looks GREAT with dark wash jeans!!)  Wear under a tuxedo jacket, or shrug or cardigan if the room is chilly.  It's a very flattering cut and you can always swap out the camisole to change up the look.  Yes, this one came home with me.

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Foulard de la semaine

With Holiday Party Season™ officially upon us, I thought it might be fun to show one way to wear a scarf with a party or evening ensemble.  This can be used with a pleated (plissé) silk square, a standard carré or even a smaller square.  It's very easy; just keep practicing until you get "la fleur" to look the way you want.  You can wear in front or to side.  Enjoy!
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Home again...

...and normal programming will resume tomorrow.   Even though coming home means facing mountains of laundry and an almost empty fridge, I'm divinely happy to be here.

The place we stayed in Nuevo Vallarta is also home to some performing parrots...

We missed the parrot show, but I wanted to get some pictures of these gorgeous animials as they were sunning themselves while cages were being cleaned.  While I was trying to compose and get this shot, another bird off to my left was squawking up a storm for attention.

It was this guy in the foreground.  As soon as he saw I was pointing a camera at him, he took a bow...

...with his wings slightly spread, and held the pose until I got the shot.  What a ham!!

There is (or was, couldn't quite get current information) a big cat rescue facility associated with the property.  There are always some big cats on display.  The first time we stayed, there were lions who roared all night.  We've seen leopards and jaguars, but this time there were tigers!

Just to show how close one can get to the tigers, the pics below were taken on my iphone without any zoom.  We're talking probably 2-3 feet.

Here, kitty kitty!!!

The cats here are offspring of rescued tigers.

What does a tiger smell like, you ask?  I'm not sure about in the wild, but these smelled like big dirty dogs.  I don't know whether they're kept in the cages (which are probably each about 20x30 feet) all of the time or have other habitats.  Yes, I know that these probably are not optimal conditions.  But I have to admit it's thrilling to get this close to one of my favorite "wild" animals.
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