Woke up this morning to a soggy kitchen ceiling and a flooded garage due to nonstop rain in San Francisco. Something we naturally need in sunny California-rain, not the leaky house. So while I wait for the roofer to come have a look, I nervously sit at my computer, needing some form of distraction.
One of the must do’s during the Thanksgiving Weekend is of course decorating the Christmas Tree. While in my household, I use the same decor each year, adding a new ornament to my meaningful collection, my offsprings consider changing it up in theres. But no matter what, the actual exercise is always memorable and the tree lighting celebration rewarding and fun while we toast the beginning of the Christmas season with a bottle of champagne.
While most people run to the stores the day after Thanksgiving (in America that is) to shop until they drop “literally,” I, along with my family, decorate the house for Christmas. It’s been a tradition in our household for years, to wake up, not to early and have a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, while sipping our morning coffees, decorate the entire house whilst still in our pajamas. It’s actually an amazing feeling and probably the most fun the entire clan has together and afterwards, maybe, go to the mall or just stay home and watch classic movies and nibble on popcorn :). What can I say, I am most sentimental during the holiday season. {Borrowed Photographs}
I am a sucker for nostalgia and usually get very sentimental during the holiday season, like (I am sure) most people do. I miss the past and long for when life seemed a little simpler and less demanding, when families where closer and holidays really meant something and Christmas shopping was truly a creative and rewarding experience rather than a search for the trends and holiday sales. In light of this topic, I can honestly say that although I cannot change what has happened to family and tradition, I can suggest finding a piece of a reminder from the past and escaping there, if only for a day. I personally do this by taking a day in San Francisco to go downtown and walk only through historic ( iconic) retail stores encompassing Union Square, so that I can detox myself from the demands of modern-day shopping frenzy through a “Westfield Mall”. I walk through Macy (no 4) and then cross the street over to Neiman Marcus (no 6) . Afterwards, I cut through Union Square …
Part of making an impression while giving a woman a holiday gift is the box it comes in. Although gifts from some department stores are expected and pretty predictable from a woman’s point of view, there is nothing like catching her off guard with a box from a store she would never consider shopping at, much less buy from, especially for herself. One sure way to show the care taken in selecting a well thought out gift, (outside of jewelry) is giving her a designer scarf. Most women tend to buy the most practical and durable scarf for themselves while they run about town handling business., but they will surely appreciate a more glamorous one while on a date night or a special occasion. So, gentlemen and ladies alike, consider some suggestions I have included below when shopping for a scarf and remember, where you purchase the designer scarf is as important as choosing just the right one.
In this day and age, women seldom have time to do most anything, while raising children and taking care of family. So, I quiet understand why some women choose the pre-printed photo of their family or children greeting cards and address labels, to send as Christmas cards. I do want to say that although I am not knocking it or judging them, (seriously more power to you for being a super women), I truly miss receiving traditional Christmas cards with a small hand written note of meaningful wishes, from all those acquaintances who opt for the impersonal method year after year. So, if you happen to be tired of sending pre-printed greeting cards to family and friends and long for some good old-fashioned card sending experience, consider the following pointers to make it all worth while. 1. It’s acceptable to send the pre-printed photo of your children during their first five years. Outside of that, it becomes obvious to the recipient that you are no longer making efforts to maintain true relations with them. …
Early you say? well perhaps but as far as Christmas ornaments are concerned I love to get a head start each year by eyeballing the ones I want to add to my collection. I am one of those people who refuses to have a theme when decorating our Christmas tree. So, what I do is, each year I shop and select anywhere from 1 to 5 unique decorations and incorporate them with the ones I have from the previous years. As long as there is some uniformity to the colors, it works out pretty nicely. So in essence I create my own theme. This year is no exception of course as I have already started shopping for those special pieces to add to my collection. I have included the ones I am considering for now. (This list may change so stay tuned).
rawsilkandsaffron.com 