This Friday finds us jetting off to the stunning state of Colorado to spend Christmas with our Coobs side of the family. And we are quite excited! The mountains, the dry air, cozy days, Christmas anticipation, and family time = sweet memories ahead. We are eager to see those shining faces that await when we land in about 2 hours. Living far from family, both in TX & CO, makes the times we are all together extra wonderful and we are anxious for a full week ahead to soak up that good family time.
We have been reminded multiple times over the past few months how tremendously blessed we are with the family we have. They are treasures. Though we often wish we could pop over to the folks’ house or have nephew/cousin playtimes or have weekly coffee dates with one or more of our 5 wonderful siblings, we have learned to not miss the present by filling it with the “if only’s” and to focus instead on sharing the moments we do have and making the most of every piece of our visits. The goodbyes definitely get tough, but we always remind ourself of one of our favorite quotes: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” And we’ve shared a lot of good “happenings” with those dear people we are blessed to call family.
Are any of you traveling for Christmas yet? What are you lovelies up to this December weekend??
The Kitchen
1. The potholders that are hanging in my little kitchen are in a sad state of affairs right now. I’m picky, though, even about potholders. So, you can imagine my delight when I came across these portsmouth potholders at Anthropologie and saw, what else, but the stripes! Perfection. And there’s a matching apron which I love.
2. I’ve been wanting to add a Madeleine pan to my baking collection for a while. They are just so dainty and light and pretty — a lovely accompaniment to my afternoon coffee.
3. Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking has been on my wish list for quite the length of time. I am eager to excel more in the kitchen with Julia as my fearless and witty guide.
4. Speaking of Mrs. Child, I love this quote of hers. One of my dearest friends gave me a print of it and it hangs over my stove. The perfect kitchen or dining room quotation.
5. I am just a klutz. Because of that fact I have broken over half of our drinking glasses. We now have 4 left. Our glasses cabinet needs to be filled. I came across these Picardie Glass Tumblers at Williams-Sonoma and I love that they look like the type of glass you’d use at a cute cafe or little bistro. In fact, the description on the Williams-Sonoma website says, “Standard in French bistros and cafés….” —- glass perfection, my friends.
6. I must end with a recipe. In keeping with my French theme I am sharing with you the The Pioneer Woman’s French Silk Pie. I’ve shared it before, but it is worth sharing again. It is simple, it is pretty, and it is so richly decadent.
Happy Friday, my darling friends. I hope that this next week, Christmas week, is full to the brim with joyful anticipation, beautiful gatherings, and sweet memories for each one of you. May your hearts be encouraged, your sweet tooth indulged, and your days merry and bright. I’m grateful for each one of you.
these sweet days 