Baby it's cold outside.

Vancouver has had (more than) a dusting of snow twice in the past week, and with temperatures staying below zero it is sticking with much more to come! This year feels like my first 'real' Christmas in awhile, with the past two spent away from home with lovely friends, but never in my own home. This year I got to decorate, bake, take time to hand make presents and all the while listening to many a Christmas carol.

Apparently this is one of the white-est Christmas's Vancouver has seen in awhile, and it truly is magical. I think I'm on par with a certain 3yr old friend for Christmas excited-ness. I couldn't believe that while I was putting up the tree, I was watching huge, fat snowflakes fall outside! The cold has made the snow lovely and powdery, and so fun to walk through! I wish they didn't have to plow it, although I'm sure not many drivers share that wish... (for more frosty snaps, head over here)
We decided to attempt to make all our Christmas decorations (save for the lights) from things we already had, or could find. Neither of us wanted to get a real tree (ok, secretly I did because they are so pretty over here!!) or really pay for a fake tree, so Richard brought home some pine branches he found and we fashioned a Scandinavian inspired tree out of that. I love love love it! Combined with making origami wreaths out of left over wrapping paper and a vintage Golden Books dictionary (Domesticali has a great tutorial, which I found via Tiny Happy), drying orange slices and baking sugar cookies I have felt very Christmas-y and am super pleased with the results.

To make the orange decorations, I simply sliced a navel orange into thin slices, lay them on a parchment paper lined tray and popped them in the oven at 200 degrees F. Basically, you just want to leave them in there until they are dry and have lost most of their sticky-ness. I left mine in for a few hours, and then let them dry out over night. Once dry, using a needle I strung some embroidery floss through the top of the slice and tied on a cinnamon stick using the two strands of floss. I hope that last part makes sense!

Hoping that you're keeping warm (or cool, as the case may be) where you are! I have peppermint bark and chocolate dipped pretzels to check on!

xx