Black And White Christmas

I love to make things for Christmas. Cards, ornaments, decorations...you name it.

But there is one item of holiday trimming that I have perpetually overlooked: the Christmas tree skirt.

For the uninitiated, let me explain that one must use a special stand to hold a Christmas tree upright, and they are generally unattractive and unwieldy chunks of plastic or metal. To create a pleasing display, it is customary to buy or make a special circle of cloth, typically decorated and ornamented to look all Christmasy-like, and wrap that pup around the tree stand, thereby camouflaging its ugliness and adding another level of awesomeness to the Christmas tree display

Here's the sad truth: never have I owned a proper tree skirt. 

I don't know why, but most of the time, they just seem a little overdone and frilly to me. Sure, I could make one that suits my sensitive little aesthetic, but for whatever reasons, I always seem to invest my time, creative energy and money into other aspects of Christmas.

Until this year. 

At the advice and counsel of my youngest, I set out on a mission to come up with a fresh, simple, inexpensive but festive solution to the tree skirt problem. 

And half a yard of IKEA fabric later, this is what I came up with:

White polka dots on a crisp black background. A soothingly organized grid of simple circles to calm my eye after taking in the riot of colors, shapes and textures that is my decorated tree. 

Wrapped in a graceful yet utterly unfinished fashion around the base of the tree. 

A real-life solution to a real-life problem. 

Yet while I liked the general look of my new creation, as I crawled around on the floor to take pictures of it, I wondered doubtfully if my tree skirt was Christmasy enough. There are no spangles, no glitter, no Santa faces, no trees or reindeer, not even a hint of red or green. I began to wonder if my pursuit of minimalism had taken me too far from the spirit of Christmas.

Suddenly another glorious black-and-white creation entered the view of my camera lens. See the black leg and white paw stealthily creeping past?

As I watched my black-and-white boy, Sirius, slink around among the presents and delicately sniff the fragrant branches, it occurred to me that while we may think of red and green as the traditional Christmas colors, or even gold and silver as symbols of the priceless gift of Jesus' birth, it could be that black and white are the most important colors of the nativity. 

Black sky over Bethlehem, white star over the stable. The light of Christ coming to us in the darkness. Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.

And suddenly, my simple black-and-white tree skirt seemed just right. 

Pretty In Pink

Whoa now! Who's that stylin' babe in the gigantic pink glasses with the coke bottle lenses?!

Yes. It's me.

And I have no shame.

See, I'm a diehard wearer of contact lenses who has not worn a pair of glasses in decades. Literally.

But I recently found out that I need to have some surgery on my eyes, and to prepare for that, my eyeballs must be contact lens-free for four weeks minimum.

Yikes. I have to wear glasses.

And yes, I did order a new pair of glasses. I am boldly moving into the new millennium with a pair of fashion-forward frames and a fresh prescription. They should be ready in about a week.

But in the meantime, I want to get my four-week clock ticking. So I decided to take off my contacts and slip into these old relics.

I know these frames look ridiculous now, but just remember, they are from the eighties when it was hip to be pretty in pink.

Confessions Of A Shopping Mall Grinch

Tonight, for the first time in this Christmas season, I went to the mall.

The honest truth is that when it comes to shopping at the mall, I'm kind of a Grinch. I get overstimulated and overwhelmed by all the of shoppers and stores and sales and, let's be honest, hassles that come with a trip to the mall. The thought of the whole process shrinks my heart by three sizes, and that's why I avoid it as long as I possibly can.

But tonight I decided to face my fears.

Determined to finally track down a few items on my list that can best be purchased at a mall story,  I rolled into the parking lot around nine p.m. on the last Friday night before Christmas Day, took a deep breath, and made the leap into holiday retail madness...

And you know what? It was not horrible.

I enjoyed strolling through the crowded hallways and courtyards, full of happy, busy people. I found lots of workers who were glad to help me, making pleasant chitchat and sending me on my way with warm wishes for a Merry Christmas. And I found exactly what I needed, at the prices I expected to pay.

As I was walking back to my car, shocked and surprised by what a pleasant evening it had been, I came across this twinkly scene in an outdoor walkway.

And what happened then...?
Well...at  Alderwood they say
That my Grinchy little heart
Grew three sizes that day!

My Handmade Holiday Ornament Tradition

My 2011 Ornament of the Year

Every Christmas, for more years than I can count, I have made holiday tree ornaments for my family and closest friends.

Once I skipped a year, thinking that perhaps my determination to uphold the tradition had outstripped my loved ones' interest in the matter, but I was wrong. I got a lot of phone calls that year, asking, "Where the heck is my ornament?!!"

I now consider my handmade ornament ritual to be a serious obligation, and would not dream of ever taking another year off.

These cute little origami elephants were last year's effort. My fourth-born, master origami wizard that she is, folded dozens of those tiny beasts for me, and we strung them up with beads and ribbons.

* * * * *

For the past few days, I've been concentrating all my energy and spare time on getting this year's ornaments finished up and mailed off to the far corners of the world. Yes, I know I'm running a little late. I've learned to accept that the pressure of the last-minute time crunch is also part of the tradition.

But fear not. The packages should go out tomorrow, and even if they arrive on the 26th or the 27th, my tradition will be intact. Whew, it always feels good to make it through another year!

* * * * *

For more Ornament of the Year posts, check these out:

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016
2015
2014

2013

2012

2011

Winter Solstice

This is how my world looked on Wednesday, December 19 at 3:45 p.m.

Yes, this was taken in the middle of the afternoon.

Notice, if you will, the glare of the traffic lights on the wet street, the onslaught of traffic headlights, and the dark, foreboding skies.

This is how my world looks as the winter solstice finally approaches. The shortest day of the year is almost here; on December 21, I will experience a mere 8 hours, 25 minutes, 23 seconds of daylight.

Which will be about 7 seconds less than I experienced today.

And then, on December 22, a wonderful thing will happen. The days will begin to lengthen. Each day, the sun will rise a little earlier, and set a little later. Also, the sun will seem to creep higher into the sky each day, climbing up from its current, horizon-hugging transit to rise in glory toward the center of the sky overhead.

Sadly, here in the Pacific Northwest, the sun never quite makes it to the top of the sky. Not even on the summer solstice does the sun shine straight down on the 47th parallel to the north of the equator.

But that's okay. For the next six months, as the sun slowly regains its light and power, I will rejoice. And on June 20, when I am basking in the sunshine of the longest day of the year, I will draw a deep breath and prepare once again for the oncoming gloom of the winter solstice.

Reflecting Christmas

Welcome to my holiday front yard. As you can see, I participate in the great American Christmas tradition of decorating my house with outdoor lights. Although they don't look like much during the daytime, there are strings of pure white twinkle lights around my front door, and the lower roof line is trimmed out with the new classics, white icicle lights.

Lovely as they are, these lights play a supporting role to my favorite outdoor yuletide decor, the giant ornament balls. 

Okay, okay, okay. I admit it. I have a fondness for round objects as garden art. I won't deny it. 

But the combination of these oversize bulbs in bright, festive colors, suspended from these spindly and rather droopy maple branches tucked into my front planter, take these lovely spheres to a whole 'nother level.

I love the juxtaposition of the classically shaped ornaments presented in this most unorthodox style. 

My tried-and-true favorites, simple geometric shapes and bold colors, are key elements of the design.  And most importantly, the finished effect is a good representation of who I am. To underscore that point, I was amused to find that my refection had been accidentally captured in the window of this shot.

Which just goes to remind me that my yard and my home, at Christmas as well as any time of year, should be a meaningful reflection of who I am. 

The Christmas Tree Farm Revisited

When my daughters were young, a trip to the Christmas tree farm was an essential yuletide tradition. With babies on my back and tiny mittened hands held in mine, we would tromp through the fields together, enjoying the excitement of a cold Christmas adventure.

But as years have gone by, this errand has sometimes seemed more of a nuisance than a joyous ritual. Complicated schedules, finals weeks, and competing holiday priorities have made it more difficult to us to find an agreeable time, and grabbing a tree at a local store has simplified our lives, allowing us to focus more attention and energy on decorating the tree and some of the other enjoyable customs of the season.

Also, the owners of our most favorite tree farm were forced to sell their property several years ago, and, try as we might, we were never able to find another farm that quite measured up to its charm and personality.

So it came as a bit of a surprise this year when my daughters unanimously rallied around the idea of venturing out to a tree farm in pursuit of this year's tree. Not everyone was able to come along on yesterday's trip, but they all agreed that the outing was a tradition worth returning to. 

And I am happy about that.

Probably more surprising was the fact that we discovered a new and perfectly delightful tree farm. Bowen Tree Farm in Arlington not only delivers plenty of tall, straight, well-grown firs but amiable owners, cozy ambiance and a fair deal. I will definitely go back and if you live in the area, I totally recommend you check them out.

Within a half hour, I was able to capture this shot of the second-most satisfying sight to be seen during a visit to a Christmas tree farm: a fresh tree, baled for convenience, and safely fastened to the top of the car:

What, you may ask yourself, could make this outing any better? What sight could be more satisfying and more purely magical than a sweet-smelling fresh tree, harvested from a beautiful field and ready to become an icon of our holiday?

Snow.

Yes. For only the second time in my Pacific Northwest life, snowflakes fell during our tree farm expedition. Here is the proof: a few quickly melting flakes on the head of my Ranger:

Well, there was no blizzard, but just enough white swirly bits filled the air to lend the perfect Christmas-y feel to our outing. This trip was not only a fond throwback to the early years of our family, but a good reminder that some traditions are worth a second chance.

* * * * *

Read more about my getting-ready-for-Christmas adventures:

Hope, Love, Joy, Peace...And Chocolate

Families Matter

Advent Adventures

Places, Everyone!

To And From

Mystery Of The Manger

Christmas Cards

A Two-Part Invention

Quick And Dirty

No Day But Today

A Vegan Murder

Lessons From A Lettuce Wrap

December 20, 2013

Lighting The Way
Sex In The Workshop
It's Complicated

* * * * *

More Christmas tree farm adventures:

2018 | Christmas Absurdities

2017 | Red-Headed Soul Mates

2016 | Christmas Tree-Hunting Blues

2015 - Tree Hunting

2014 | Hunting the Perfect Christmas Tree

2013 | A Vegan Murder

2012 | The Christmas Tree Farm Revisited