A Holly Jolly Weekend Recap

Another weekend in the books and it was a good one. Lots of holiday-ing with friends and some much needed down time too. I feel like the last quarter of the year was a literal sprint to December, but December is proceeding at a manageable pace, or at least it is for me. 

I've got to hit one more shop today to finish up my gift buying, and look forward to having that done. Almost everything is wrapped, except for the two or three packages expected to arrive this week, and the decorating is done too. I'm looking forward to lots of tea sipped by the tree from now until January. 

I was going to include some of our holiday decorating in this post, but instead I think I'll make that a post all it's own here tomorrow. Today I'm linking with Holly and Sarah for their Monday morning weekend recap. This was ours-

Friday night hubs and I went into a nearby little town to see their Christmas market. The town square had a beautiful tree right in it's center, the restaurant on the square had a little tavern set up where you could buy mulled wine or spiced cider, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus were set up in the cutest little cottage on the opposite side of the square. 

There were musicians adding to the festive atmosphere and it was chilly which is how I like my Christmas season to feel. The market was small, and I'm sure will likely expand going forward. We browsed the stalls, then grabbed dinner at one of the restaurants on the market street. 

Saturday hubs and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby as he needed something for his evening's 'costume' and I of course always need something from Hobby Lobby. We shared a plate of nachos for lunch at a favorite Mexican spot before heading home. 

Saturday night was our annual Santa Pub Crawl with ninety of our closest friends lol. Everyone dresses for the occasion and while it originally was almost all Santas we now have quite the mix of elves, reindeer, Grinches, snowmen and more. 

It's so much fun and we raise money for a local charity at the same time. We missed it last year as hubs was under the weather, but the year before that I wore my leg lamp costume (from A Christmas Story) and it was a big hit. 

I also froze and my feet ached by the time we got back to the hotel lobby where the band was playing so I opted for warmth this year. Hubs wears his leg lamp suit every year and it's extra. This year I had three layers on under my Mrs. Claus dress and wore my favorite furry boots. We had a great time with the whole gang. 

Sunday was gray and rainy all day long so I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup Sunday afternoon and we sat by the fire and the light of the Christmas tree. So nice!

What did your middle of December weekend look like? I hope it was merry! 

Weekend Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Nobody's mentioned the weather on their blog today, have they?  Ha!  It seems the whole US of A has had some weather this weekend, unless you count Florida, but I won't because who doesn't love a little ice and snow in early December?

We had a full weekend filled with all manner of festivity. Raise your hand if you love this most magical time of the year? I won't tell you how many attempts were made to capture this selfie, but it was so pretty when we came out of the restaurant last night I insisted we try. And try again. And again.

As we walked to our car snowflakes were falling, tinytowns Christmas tree beside the lake was aglow with its mass of colored lights, the trees in the village were all twinkly and fairy-like, and we both agreed that we love it. All of it. Even the craziness that we woke up to this morning, which essentially is a driveway turned skating rink.

I got up to go to bootcamp, because FYI the weekend included more than a little eating out, but alas no boot camp.  No way could I get my car down the driveway. I guess maybe I could have gotten down the drive, but not without taking out some serious rocks and the pillars at the curb. Hubs made a valiant attempt to get to his office at the normal time, but it just wasn't happening. He finally headed for the office a few minutes ago, so I'm hoping the roads are in better shape than our driveway.

Friday evening we stayed home. It was nice. I sometimes think I'd like to have a Christmas tree in my house year round, but I suppose the special-ness of that would wane. Maybe. Arctic air swept in here on Saturday...naturally, because that's the day hubs needed to put up the outside lights. He tries to do that job in November, but his travel schedule this fall didn't cooperate, so he had to settle for the coldest day of the year.

Anyone out there hear a few naughty words when their hubs is dealing with the outside lights? I'm asking for a friend.

The lights are up, and we're still married, so win-win.

Friends who live a few towns over called and said they were headed to the German Christmas Market in our town, and did we want to meet them there?  Hubs was happy to take a break from the lighting debacle so we spent most of the afternoon on the boardwalk browsing the stalls and sipping Gluhwein to stay warm.

Afterwards we headed home where hubs commenced with the lighting shenanigans and I indulged in perhaps the greatest nap ever.  He woke me up asking about dinner at 7:45. Yikes! I think all the 5 AM mornings, combined with all the holiday to-dos finally caught up with me. I am still thinking about that nap. Merry Christmas to me!

We went to a local Italian place for dinner, and had a few clams with our garlic.

Not a vampire in sight!

Sunday afternoon we trekked over to some friends for their annual Christmas party, which is always so much fun. It's a fundraiser for a nearby food pantry, and they really do it up right. There are inflatables for the kids, and live animals, also for the kids, but hey we're all kids at heart, right?

Disney should call his agent.

Along with all the fun and games, there is always lots of wonderful food and conversation, plus jolly old Saint Nick makes an appearance too.

SANTA!  I KNOW HIM!

We left the party about 4 PM, right about the time the snow made its way into our area. We didn't get more than a dusting, but we did get inches of ice which is a bit more troublesome.

When I look at my front steps I can't help but think of that scene in Home Alone where McCauley Culkin pours water on the stairs to keep the burglars away.  Effective.

Today was my day to volunteer in a local soup kitchen, but even that has been cancelled. I guess that means I'm out of excuses as to why my Snow Village is still tucked neatly away in the basement as opposed to on display upstairs. I love it once its up, but what a job! All the dusting, and the rearranging of the tabletops, and the stowing of stuff on the tabletops, and the hauling umpteen bins up and down the stairs, and the chords which will not make any sense, and all that styrofoam packing that leaves little beads in its wake. I'm missing my elves today!

Okay, time to get busy.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my Snow Village.
So what's it like where you live?

The Magic Hat

We had a fun busy weekend that felt as full as Santa's sack on Christmas Eve. I have a sneaking suspicion this post will feel that way too. Friday night hubs and I had planned to knock out a little shopping, but he called on his way home from the office and asked if I wouldn't prefer a glass of wine and a lovely Italian meal at one of our favorite restaurants instead.

Why yes...yes I think I would.

So we did. And it was fun. And not totally unproductive in that I think we do need to just stop the madness every now and then and enjoy what's right in front of us. It was a lovely evening, much lovelier than any mall or shopping center on a Friday night three weeks before Christmas could ever hope to be.

We each had a fairly long to-do list for Saturday which included baking and decorating and a trip to the hardware store and then another trip to the hardware store and maybe a third trip to the hardware store, but we also penciled in a fun midday break. Our little town has some German roots and in early December they host their own version of a German Christmas market.

Oh, it makes me so homesick for my other life. This is the first year I haven't been to a picturesque little European market since 2003. Sigh. Such happy memories of times spent with friends and daughter2. Big sigh.

Our little market makes for a pretty good substitute. We met the very lovely German woman who started the market ten years ago and she knows a thing or two about what's needed to make small town New Jersey feel like a charming German village for one weekend in December. For starters you need a beautiful setting...

add vendors manning stalls selling handmade German smokers...

lots of wonderful food, a few thousand of your nearest neighbors and of course some Christmas music to keep it all festive.

Consider this next photo my entry in the Christmas Photo Challenge for today. Our prompt was 'something warm and tasty' and stroopwafels definitely qualify.

If you've never tried one you must...they're a Dutch treat, waffles made from thin layers of batter with a caramel-like filling.

Set one atop your steaming cup of coffee and the center gets gooey and even more delicious. Know what else is delicious?

Gluwein in a specially designed mug...this is key if you want your market experience to be authentic.

And now I must say a word about the hat. I jokingly call it the magic hat because whenever hubs wears it we make new friends. It's like a magnet. As we made our way thru the crowds he was stopped over and over and over again and asked about his hat. No less than five people took his picture. Several were German and they told us about their childhood homes across the sea and how it came to be that they were eating bratwurst and sipping German beer in the New Jersey countryside.

Hey, even Santa needed a closer look...

The hat is special. It was purchased several years ago in a teeny tiny town in the Austrian Alps, this one in fact-

The wonderful little shopkeeper insisted he take the edelweiss pin to make the hat complete and so it began. He started adding a pin most everywhere he traveled and now that hat is chock-a-block full of flags and emblems and memories. A very special keepsake.

Is this post long? Sorry. I told you our weekend was full. Besides all of the above and a whole lot of decorating in between we also managed to squeeze in two parties, one on Saturday night and another on Sunday afternoon. The Sunday afternoon gathering is an annual event held at the home of hubs former boss.

She and her husband raise money for a local food bank at this event and its possible her hubs walked a llama thru their gorgeous family room. He and my hubs are like two peas in a pod. Not literally of course because her hubs is uber-uber tall, but in spirit? They are so kindred.

Thus concludes the weekend. You are welcome.

Deutschland part zwei

No I don't speak German but that doesn't stop me from tossing around a word here and there. Actually this post is more Austria than Germany but whatever. Picking up where I left off in my previous post (because I know you need every last detail)...we spent the day Saturday in the oh so picturesque town of Salzburg.

Charming.

Seriously charming.

I was in Salzburg a few years ago with my family and it was fun to see it again, this time with the markets in town. My hubs does a superb imitation of the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music saying, "There's a family in Salzburg...." in a very high pitched voice. It's funny. We took a Sound of Music tour with our girls and visited Mozart's birthplace and we all fell in love with the quaint narrow streets and the staggering beauty of the Alps in Salzburg's backyard.

A-ny-way...this time round I was with friends and we enjoyed visiting the market stalls and also touring the cathedral. You cannot help but feel a sense of awe when you are inside a magnificent cathedral.

The grandeur and beauty and the obvious care and craftsmanship so evident in the detail and design are truly amazing.

You really need to read Pillars of the Earth if you haven't already. You'll have a new found appreciation for a beautifully crafted cathedral once you're finished.

High up on the hill behind Salzburg sits the Fortress Hohensalzburg. The fortress is over 900 years old and was originally built to protect the prince from attack. Today you get a great view of the city from up top.

Course we didn't go up there this trip because hello, we had shopping to do...

These are hand painted eggs which come in every color imaginable.

They are absolutely, positively beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful...late Saturday afternoon we had to stop for cake and coffee in one of the local cafes. Yes, we had to stop. I'm pretty sure it's the law in Austria.

We eventually made our way back to the trains and on home to Munich where our friend and hostess (AM) whipped up some fabulous German spatezle for our dinner entree.

Another friend in the group concocted a delicious apple strudel for dessert and we had a relaxed evening sitting round the table chatting. For the record, we never run out of things to talk about. After dinner we had a little gift exchange with small presents we'd bought in the markets. AM's son came in while we were swapping presents and said, "Wait a minute...you all were together all day and you bought gifts for yourselves?" Yes, something like that.

Sunday dawned too soon too fast and almost before we could blink it was time for everyone to head home to their various and sundry cities and countries. I'll post about some of my purchases next week because I'm planning to link to the Christmas tour of homes over at The Nester's blog on December 13th. Which, incidentally, is right around the corner. I know I lost a weekend and it seems a little crazy to be traveling in December, but I'm not complaining...

Some things are worth it.

Marche de Noel

La France est merveilleuse. I'm not sure I need to say anything more but of course I will. Spending the weekend in Strasbourg was like being placed ever so gently inside a picture postcard....what an absolutely lovely little storybook town. The entire historic city center is a World Heritage Site.

I've been to the Christmas markets in several German cities over the past few years and I absolutely love them, but the market in France was different. It was very... French. I know it sounds like stereotyping but it's true...the French have a way of making things beautiful that seems completely effortless. As in, of course we'll hang Baccarat crystal chandeliers down the cute little side street...

why wouldn't we?

And the tree in the town center? A huge mass of blue and white lights...not too many and not too few...just right don't you think?

And the little wooden village that sits at the base of the tree? So sweet!

Walking thru the market stalls in Strasbourg you see thousands of delicate ornaments arranged ever so carefully by color and shade...

the scent of chocolate and coconut (oh yes indeed there were macaroons) floats thru the air...

the sound of cathedral bells rings out overhead

and this all comes together so gracefully...

you feel inspired...you dream...you are happy

You wander and look and taste and smell and buy. There is champagne that tickles your nose and wonderful cheese and undeniably the world's best bread...there are sweet little Christmas decorations, beautiful table linens,

miniature houses that hide a candle inside, fabulous scarves and jewelry and chocolates and gingerbread. Oh and did I mention the Alsatian pottery?

I know.

We arrived in Strasbourg on Friday afternoon by train from London with an all too brief stop in Paris. We all agreed that it might actually be a crime to travel thru Paris without enough time to stop for a peek or at least to sit for a while at an outdoor cafe. This is the train station Gare du Nord and yes of course that is an amazing little chocolate shop sitting right there in the station.

It sits very nearby to the amazing little sandwich shop. (See paragraph 1 regarding the French).

I cannot talk about France without at least eight hundred references to food and someone please please tell me how these French women stay so thin because the bread y'all...I actually have no words. (And of course in my case that is just an expression).

We ate in the cutest little bistro on Friday evening and their specialty? Why bread and cheese naturellement...I had brie drizzled with warm honey then melted over thick bread and topped with walnuts. Isn't that what you make for dinner most nights?

Saturday we spent the entire day in the markets and also walking thru the magnificent cathedral. The stork is the symbol of Strasbourg and it is everywhere, including carved into the sandstone atop the massive Gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame.

We stopped for lunch at a creperie that sat just outside the cathedral. We shared a savory and a sweet...the banana nutella crepe was tres bon!

Saturday evening we dined on fondue in a restaurant which is known for having the biggest cheese board in the world.

And after all that cheese a walk was definitely in order but that was wonderful too because every shop window and street in this little town was beautifully decorated...

I haven't even begun to talk about my whirlwind two days in England but this post is getting (has gotten?) l-o-n-g so I'll save that for another day. Sorry and you're welcome.

I will wrap it up for now with this-

France is amazing.

The city of Strasbourg is beautiful.

And having these friends to share it all ...

absolutely priceless.