In between.

I've discovered that I really love this week in between Christmas and New Years, it's so perfect for recovering from the holidays, thinking about resolutions, getting excited for the change of a new year, pottering about the house and indulging in being a bit lazy. Up until today, things have been dark and gloomy around these parts (I love how early it gets dark), lots of rain and lots of reason to hole up indoors. 

I just read this great post over at Jane's place and I can totally relate with her feelings of Christmas having to live up to the expectations of this perfect, sparkly day and the reality of how rarely that actually happens. Don't get me wrong, I actually really love Christmas, but the past couple of years I've found myself trying to make up for the fact that it's just the two of us by over compensating ever so slightly on the preparations. Christmas has always been a big celebration for my family, lots of traditions, lots of food, lots of decorations, and I love it. But with just the two of us, there's really no need for the amount of food I hauled home from the supermarket on Christmas Eve when I was freaking out that we had nothing special in the house. This year our tree was a branch we grabbed from the sidewalk outside our apartment with silver baubles strung on it and I didn't finish cooking our main meal until late at night (because of course I was also baking cookies, roasting a nut mix and making peppermint bark at the same time). When I sat (slumped) down to eat I honestly had to wonder why on earth I'd gone to all that trouble. In the end, I secretly love the fact that Christmas is just the two of us and that we can stay in our pajamas all day until we go out into the quiet streets and see a movie. 

In the end, our holiday has been a great one. This past in between week where neither of us have had to work has been so nice and relaxing. I've been knitting and reading for the first time in ages, and am completely unworried that we have someone coming to view our house tomorrow despite my lack of tidying. The sun made a glorious appearance today, and it looks like it will be sticking around to ring in the New Year. I (quietly) can't wait! 

How have your holidays been?

What I did on my holidays.

Hello! So good to be back after such a refreshing two weeks. I'll admit that pulling myself away from here was a little tricky at first, I had a hard time feeling like I was missing out on stuff! I read an article the other day about a recent tv appearance of Fidel Castro who mentioned something about the US attacking Iran (hypothetically) and I freaked out that we really had missed the beginning of the end of the world by turning off the internet. Dooms day worries aside, it was such a great time. I listened to records, went on picnics, lay in the sun, sketched, read (actual books, man it's been too long), ate outdoors a lot, attended a marathon labour, wore summer clothes, cleared our patio and ate pizza with herbs from our garden. Pretty perfect really. I started this post with the intent of filling you in on all that I got up to, but I think when it comes down to it what I really did was step back from the business that I'd let take over and take stock of how I'd really like to be living. To be inspired, take naps, eat breakfast and fruit, remember the vitamins, etc.

Thank you so much to all the lovely people who helped me out by guest posting here over the past couple of weeks. It was such a treat for me to not only have the break, but also to host all your wonderful stories and pictures here. And hello to those of you who found this blog during the break, I can't wait to get to know you.