It's officially that time of year again! The holiday season is certainly abuzz! With that, free time just doesn't seem to exist! Oh là là, you guys. Are you feeling it too? Between holiday soirées, travel planing, for those of us staying put; Christmas feast planing, shopping, fighting a reoccurring cold, guzzling champagne (or in my case, sparkling white) and getting in all of that end of the year work in, to say there is a lot going on would be an understatement.
To put it into perspective, we're hitting mid-December and despite my many attempts I still haven't watched Love Actually (let's be real, the only reason Mariah has become acceptable). But seriously, what kind of Christmas cornball am I? Is this some sort of joke? Love Actually is normally ready to go the second Thanksgiving ends as this is what kicks off the holiday season. Am I wrong here? This year, poor Hugh is still waiting to jump for my love, and Laura Linney is waiting for me to beg her to not answer the phone when she's about to get some good post-Christmas party lovins (the best kind if you ask me). 2008...ah, good times. I'm still allowed to think about that stuff now and then, just for fun...right? Right?
And the silences takes over...the cheese stands alone. Not wanting the holiday to slip away as they had the past few transient years of my French life, I wanted to honor some of my favorite traditions that makes Christmas so special. Here are some snapshots from my holiday spirit. Ladies and Gentlemen, my first ever French Christmas tree that I couldn't resist cheesing up with mini Eiffel Towers that I picked up at the....wait for it....Eiffel Tower.
No tree is complete without a few goodies underneath it. Séb's grandmother stopped by with espresso chocolates from Printemps that I am insisting are Christmas presents. The wrapping and Dior sticker are so pretty and French that I want to enjoy its beauty all month.
Despite me not exactly agreeing with my family this year, there's no denying that I'm an Italian girl. Growing up, Christmas meant having Panettone and Nuona's thick Italian hot chocolate every morning for breakfast for the entire month of December. As an adult who fiends off of caffeine, I sub out the hot cocoa for thick espresso but the Panettone stays. To me, this is what Christmas tastes like.
Christmas is in full swing chez nous with our milk chocolate candles burning, copious amounts of food and goodies bursting out of the fridge, a stocked wine rack and a cheesy American holiday classics played every now and then (read: every day). It feels good to celebrate my first Christmas in my new home...as I am now home for the holidays.
And you?
What makes Christmas official for you?
Is it decorating? Eating a lot? Or just getting shit faced drunk?
