#I get the bonne maman one every year

[pearlsofthec]

’Tis the season to be jolly! But it doesn’t really stop there for many of us. If you study in the southern hemisphere, you knpw that December doesn’t mean solely fairy lights, hot cocoa and ice skating dates, it also means spending hours in your local cafe trying to make an Americano last six hours (honestly, why study in a silent library surrounded by stressed out students when you could be sitting in a warm coffee shop, stimulated by the barista’s never-ending jazz playlist and the flux of people coming and going?) and dodging questions such as “How are your preparations for the session going?”, or my favourite “Have you started reading the syllabus yet?”.

Honestly, depending on how you take things in life, December can be as fun as it can be depressing. I’m a Libra, and throughout my whole life I’ve learned that a bit of compromise goes a long way, and this is the month where I can really put my theories to the test. that’s why my first essential of the month is…

1. Advent Calendar

It might sound silly, but having a Christmas Advent not only is an excuse to treat yourself every day, as it also is a form of keeping track of your control over yourself. Sure, watching influencers open a christmas advent a day can be fun, the sadistic pleasure in finding out that the person who payed over €500 for a Chanel calendar is only getting a bunch of stickers and products which are barely worth being displayed in a duty free store is hard to beat, but stick with me on this one!

It’s easy to purposely forget to study, drink one too many festive cocktails, and let all the holiday discounts be a reason for you to splurge on things you wouldn’t otherwise have bought just as it’s easy to eat all the 24 chocolate truffles in one go… But not doing it is just as easy, and, I guess, a good reminder that balance is the best treat on the long run.

I genuinely HATE mini products, so I won’t be reccomending any beauty advents, sorry. I know it may feel too late to get your own, but it’s NEVER too late.

1. Venchi Prestige Calendar

2. Marchesi Calendario Dell’Avvento

3. Cailler 200g Calendar

4. Bonne Maman Jam Advent Calendar

5. Vosges haut chocolaterie Calendar

6. Torroneria Cioccolateria D. Barbero

7. Antico Caffè Novecento

8. Any of the Lindt ones… classics for a reason

2. Movie Marathon

Maybe it’s the cold, maybe it’s the desire to procrastinate, BUT my will to watch movies skyrockets during this time of the year. There is a ridiculous amount of awful films sets in this time of the year, but if you look you can find some amazing classics that are just UNSKIPPABLE. From the jolly to the perverse, here’s my official Twelve Films of Christmas

1. Eloise at Christmastime

2. The apartment

3. Holiday

4. Eyes wide Shut

5. The shop around the corner

6. White Christmas

7. Black Christmas

8. Meet me in St. Louis

9. Fanny & alexander

10. The Thin Man

11. Metropolitan

12. Spencer

3. Go all out

Whether you want to go out or simply go all out even when you’re staying in is up to you, BUT a crucial thing to my is ending the year with a BANG. Now, I’m not exactly a clubber, but I’m a big enjoyer of fun wherever and whenever, and I can’t go more than a day without having fun with my friends this time of the year. This means random aperitivo nights after leaving six hour lectures, day trips to random cities, and lotsa dinner parties. I know I’ve probably exausted everyojne with lists, but I’m gonna write yet another one, hopefully short this time, of a few activities sprinkle through your weeks, hopefully to inspire some strenght and to end the year on a sweet note.

1. Moodboard night: With the New Year right around the corner, it’s crucial to set your goals straight… and what better way than doing it with friends? Look, I personally don’t think someone should set their vision board on stone, you don’t need to stick to the things you decided to do on a random night for the rest of the year, I personally end up taking a month to write down things to help me understand my own goals and objectives, both personal and professional/ academic… But it’s so nice to talk about all of your prospectives with your friends and loved ones, wonder about the potential that the new year can bring does no harm. If you really feel like this type of thing is too personal, then I’d say you could organize an “Unrealistic Wishlist” board day, when owning a Himalaya Hermes Kelly is a totally achiavable thing! Granted, I’m a tad materialistic, but I just adore learning more about my friends through their materialistic goals, with the right outlook it can be really revealing. Plus, I’m a huge fan of arts and crafts, and I’ll take any excuse I have to do it.

2. Charcuterie dinner: One of my biggest no-nos is showing up empty handed to any dinner, maybe it’s a Brazilian thing, but I’ve never done it and don’t plan on ever doing it. With a charcuterie dinner, I have an excuse to do it! I love charcuterie dinners more than anything in the world, cheese, wine, fruits and salami… no better combination. Not to mention that it’s practically like a live personality quiz for you and your friends, as nothing is more telling of a person’s character than their cheese preference.

3. Christmas shopping afternoon: Preferably to be done with a guy to use as your own bag carrier. Whenever I need to go somewhere or do something, I like to call other people up just in case, and although I love some peace of mind to think clearly when I need to buy presents for myself, when my consumerism is altruistic I love to have someone around to give me second opinions and spare my shoulders of all the extra weight!

4. Homemade decoration and dinner: I currently don’t have an apartment of my own to decorate, but other people’s serve me just as well. One of my favorite activities has been going to my friends’ homes to arrange garlands, make dried orange slices decor and even help to carefully distribute tinsel on the christmas tree. What is a chore to some is fun to others, with the right playlist and conversation specially. Afterwards it’s crucial to have a dinner party as a treat, no decoration shall be wasted!

To Discover

I feel like my consumerism is reaching an all time high right now, and I feel like I might as well share some of my current favourite discoveries with you guys. There’s nothing better than giving (and getting!) gifts from one of a kind stores, and so, I’ve made a little list of places that are definitely worth checking out:

1. Nesines: It’s a brand from barcelona that sells just the coolest shirts. I’ve just gotten one from them and I’m obsessed with the fit, the colors and the model. The quality is amaxzing, and I love that fact that their products have amazing compositions, no polyester around here! If you want a top that can elevate any pair of jeans, look nowhere else!

2. Maria de la Orden: I have to give credit where it’s due… this brand wasn’t on my radar before my mom showed it to me . Colorful velvet can definitely brighten up even the dullest winter days, especially when it’s presented in such unique shapes. Honestly their jackets are to die for, as are their headbands.

3. The obedient Daughter: came across this brand thanks to a kind destiny and now I’m absolutely OBSESSED with their curation of books and clothing. A gorgeous presentation of products that are unique but timeless… I simply NEED their Diana skirt.

4. MC2 Saint Barth: Okay not really a discovery, but THE place we should all be looking at for a perfect tongue in cheek aprés ski sweater. Ngl, I’m giving each of my siblings a sweater this christmas, and although I KNOW it might be an overdone gift, it’s a classic for a reason. And I myself know my sister would never not appreciate the opportunity to walk around Cervinia with a hot pink sweater that says “FAVOLOSA”

5. Bella Freud: Again, not a discovery, but worth a mention just because this was the month when I truly explored the brand’s full potential. Everyone knows their gorgeous sweaters with the best quotes (Godard IS GOD!), but I’m currently obsessed with their candles, ceramics and overall home accessories. Can someone please give me their Cunty mug? Please?)

To be worn

Sunglasses: I’m a guilty “occhiali da nebbia” wearer, much to my friends’ dismay. Though some may think it can be a bit bizzarre to wear sunglasses out on days when the sun doesn’t seem to get any high, I don’t have any shame in looking (or at least feeling) cool no matter the weather … My current go tos are the Dior Palladium (if you get it to wear in Venice it’s even better, that way, if anyone asks, you can say you’re paying your respects for Andre Palladio’s influential architecture)

Fur trimmed everything: Okay maybe i’ve been watching one too many episodes of friends, and letting the 90s influence a bit too much over my style, but recently I’ve been obsessed with fur trimmed coats. Long or short, black or camel, it doesn’t matter. I didn’t bite when everyone was going crazy over that green trench back in 2020, but now it’s different! A classic cut with a bit of fun fur will never go out of style in my eyes.

Barretes: Okay I think barretes are not an addition to my blog, I’ve probably been proudly posting about being a proud barrette wearer since 2020, but now I’ve actually been converted, and went from being a strictly tortoiseshell hair accessories wearer to a the brighter the better one. The one thing to blame is none other than the city of Copenhagen, where I discovered Maanesten and Pico, and FEASTED.

Herbag: Taking to “To Be” oof this section a bit too literally, and even a bit too hopefully. Not only do I absolutely love the fact that it reminds me a bit of the Kelly, I also love its overall practicality, everyone I know that has it rages on and on about its endless perks. While the fact that its body is made out of canvas rather than the famous traditional Hermes leather might be a turn off to some but to me it’s just perfect, principally because I’ve been planning on getting it to use it as a school bag and I’ve had the misfortune to have once tried to carry a leather bag around all day just to practically destroy it in one day.

Scarves and Pashminas: Winter is the season when I really can’t seem to escape all black outfits, but wearing a beautifully textured pashmina ALWAYS is a game changer for me. I feel like every city in the world has a Tibet store packed with the most varied options of material, print and density, I know Milan has an incredible one (although the Paris Tibet Forever on Le Marais will always take the cake).

[adaginy]

Annual reblog.

Aldi has cheese advent calendars, and I usually get two so I have daily morning treats through December AND January. I might get the Bonne Maman jam calendar this year, too, and eat it in February.

I'll dye my hair next weekend so I don't have to do it over the winter (Or at least so I only have to do it once over the winter).

Over the winter, I use 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body-wash so showering takes less willpower. Trader Joe's makes one that's dye-safe and inoffensive smelling, and it comes in a huge bottle.

Edit: forgot one. Find out why your pots and pans aren't dishwasher safe. "it'll make the nonstick start flaking off and then it's toxic" can't go in the dishwasher, but "It makes the handles loose if you do it a lot" probably can every once in a while.

We got this. <3

It's September. In the northern hemisphere, autumn "starts" in 2-3 weeks, though that's using the same metric that says winter "starts" late in December so, yanno. It's not Seasonal Affective Disorder season yet. But it's prepare-for-SAD-season-season, because there are things that make SAD more bearable, but they're much harder to do when you're staring at your clutter and thinking about burning the house down, so here are some things you can do in advance: (I'm absolutely writing this as a to-do list for myself.) Things to acquire: - Anti-SAD prescription, if applicable [If you already have a prescriber they might be willing to start you a prescription now even if they don't have any openings until it's cold and dark.] - SAD lamp/Daylight lamp - Vitamin D supplements (I'm on these year-round, but double the dose from equinox to equinox) - Happy ingredients -- hobby supplies, warm socks, pics of friends, etc. (As a personal reminder, and an example, I need bird seed. Fat birbs are a delight.) - Easy food -- canned soup, granola bars, big ol' jars of peanut butter and jelly and a freezer full of bread, whatever you'll eat when eating feels like too much effort and preparing something is Right Out. Things to do: - Clean house [or hire/bribe/beg someone else to do it] so that it can go a long time with minimal cleaning without becoming a Depression Room. - Ease the load on your memory. Set alarms for your meds, put that weekly Thing as a recurring calendar event, make a list of the groceries you get a lot so you aren't staring at an empty space in the pantry trying to remember what used to be there. Set up auto bill pay if it's financially feasible. - Ease the load on your executive function. Build habits if you can, make to-do lists. If you can convince your brain that Tuesday is for Tacos and Tidying, Saturday is Sandwiches and Sweeping, etc., then you don't have to think/decide about these things. (I need to make a youtube playlist of exercise videos, in order, so I I don't have to fuss about finding suitable ones of sufficient variety once snow starts and I can't go running.) And: Make future plans. Small near-future plans, not just big some-days. I know every two weeks is board game day. In November there's a fall fest and it will have alpacas. It's almost gingerbread season. Culvers will have my favorite flavor on Tuesday. Something worth dragging yourself along for another few days.

[let-the-dream-begin]

A Place to Belong Chapter 41: The Birds and the Bees

Chapter 40

Read on AO3

Claire spent far too long holding onto Jamie and Fergus for dear life, but it seemed to her they were equally as reluctant to let each other go. So they swayed together, saying nothing, just breathing each other in. At some point, they pulled away, though they all still touched somehow; Jamie and Claire’s hands laced together, Fergus’s hands on Jamie and Claire’s shoulders, Jamie caressing his son’s cheek.

His son.

Christ...his heart felt fit to burst.

“Yer mam tells me ye’re a fine brother,” Jamie said hoarsely. “Ye take good care of our wee lass.”

“Aye, I do,” Fergus said, nodding. “I have always loved her. I can’t remember what it was like to not have her.”

“Oh, and she’s always loved you,” Claire said, caressing his other cheek. “She looks at you like you’ve hung the stars.”

“Knowing you, ye’ve told her ye have,” Jamie teased, and Fergus broke into a teary grin.

“There is...so much to tell you…” Fergus shook his head. “So much I have said to your grave, in my head, in my prayers...but you have not really heard any of it.”

“I’m here now, laddie. There’ll be many years to come fer ye to tell me all of it.” Jamie caressed the boy’s face with both hands, and Claire took the cue to step away for a moment.

“Such a handsome lad ye’ve become.” Jamie’s voice was rough with emotion. He tilted Fergus’s head so that he could press a kiss to his forehead, giving him every ounce of fatherly affection he had held back for eight years.

It’ll never be enough, Jamie thought miserably.

“To bed wi’ ye now, son. I’ve a few things to discuss wi’ yer mother.”

“Aye. Catching up to do.” Fergus elbowed him playfully, and Jamie snorted.

“Fergus!” Claire exclaimed, aghast. She really didn’t know what she expected; she should have known the little imp would make some lewd comment as such. She gave a light tug on one of Fergus’s curls. “Really!”

“Sorry, Maman,” he said, but he winked at Jamie.

“Incorrigible.” Claire gave Fergus a shove. “Both of you.”

“Bonne nuit, Maman.” Fergus bent down to plant an exaggeratedly sloppy kiss on Claire’s cheek, and she rolled her eyes through it all, giving his head a shove as he started strolling away.

“Goodnight, Papa,” Fergus called over his shoulder, then disappeared out of the dining room.

Claire crossed her arms, leaning into her hip, only to be surrounded by Jamie from behind.

“Papa, is it?”

“Hm.” Claire smiled warmly, leaning into him gratefully. “He called you that sometimes, especially when he was little. I told him to call me Maman straight away, and I suppose he...he thought when you came back, you’d be Papa.”

Her voice trailed off until it was a breathy whisper.

“I don’t think he realized at first. That you...wouldn’t. Come back.”

Jamie pressed a reverent kiss to her temple, inhaling the scent of her greedily.

“I think perhaps it hurt him too badly to call you that after a while.” Claire’s throat tightened painfully. “I think it was...easier to reconcile losing his Milord than it would be to lose a father.”

Jamie hummed thoughtfully, sadly.

“But no matter what he called you, you’ve always been his father, Jamie. Just like he said.”

“Aye.” He tightened his grip on her. “I ken.”

They swayed in silence for a while, savoring the warmth of each other’s living bodies, the rise and fall of each other’s chests.

“This Governor…” Claire said after a while. “The man who...got you your freedom.”

“What about him?”

“He really did so out of...complete selflessness? He expected nothing in return?”

“Aye,” Jamie confirmed. “He’s a good man, Sassenach. As I’ve said.”

Claire shifted in his arms so she turned around to face him. “Tell me the truth, Jamie.” She looked him in the eye. “You didn’t...offer. Did you…? Like...before?”

His grip on her shoulders tightened, and her breath hitched in her throat. Perhaps he’d been sparing her before during dinner, not wanting to upset her in front of the entire family.

“Jamie.” Her voice was firm, yet it wavered.

“I did, Claire.”

She felt like she’d been punched in the throat, kicked in the stomach. Jamie had to tighten his grip again to keep her from slipping to the floor, her having gone weak in the knees.

“How could you...how could you do that…? How could you put yourself through that again…?”

“He didna accept, Sassenach.”

“After all that we -- ” She refocused her bleary vision on his face, and she saw the truth in his blue depths. “What?”

“I offered my body to him, and he didna accept.”

A few silent tears dripped down Claire’s face as she gawked at him, waiting for an explanation.

“I knew that he was partial to men by the way he spoke of a friend of his that he’d lost at Culloden. This friend always made his way into conversation when I spoke of you. Didna take much thought to put it together.” Jamie’s tone was attempting to be impartial and indifferent, but Claire could see the struggle on his face.

“I...I feared him, ye ken,” Jamie said, averting his eyes shamefully. “Knowing what I know of him now, I’m ashamed to admit it. But I feared what he was. After the things that bastard put me through.”

Claire ran her hands up the length of Jamie’s arms so that she could rub his shoulders soothingly.

“He kent who I was from the beginning, ye see. His brother told him of the lie he’d told about Red Jamie, and he knew I was no Alexander Malcolm,” Jamie went on. “He managed to have private audience wi’ me to tell me as such. Somehow the game of chess came up in conversation. And before I knew it, I was playing chess wi’ the man who held me prisoner.

“There were...rumors. Lord Grey’s predilections were no secret. I beat a fellow prisoner so senseless I almost killed him when he so much as implied that the Governor was...rogering me behind closed doors.”

Another tear slipped over Claire’s nose, and she wrapped her arms around his middle, kissing his sternum, as if to give his heart the strength to go on.

“He could have, Claire. He could have had his way wi’ me. He could so easily have been another Randall. He had every means necessary to get away wi’ it.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No. Never so much as asked. I could feel the way he looked at me...like I always felt the way you looked at me. So I knew that he...wanted me. But he never had me. I thought maybe he was afraid of the shame his fellow officers could have brought upon him.

“But then...the prison was being closed, all the prisoners sold as indentured servants to the colonies. I...I nearly went mad, Claire. The thought of being so far away from ye, veritably sold into slavery, no means of ever getting back to ye...I was desperate. So our last meeting...I offered.”

“Jamie…”

“I begged him to have his way wi’ me to buy my freedom. Those other men...they’d lost everything in the rising. They were dead men walking. But I...I had something to hold onto fer eight years...and I was about to lose it. I’d rather have suffered any indignity than face the thought of being parted from ye forever. So I told him. I told him I was at his mercy.”

“You damned fool!” Claire whispered miserably into his sark. “How could you offer such a thing…?”

Jamie actually chuckled. “John may as well have said the same thing. He seemed more than offended that I thought he’d even consider. He laughed, even. ‘That I should live to hear such an offer,’ he said.

“Then, Claire...I swear I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven. He told me he’d already pulled the strings to grant me my freedom.” Claire pulled away to look up at him, having heard his voice become hoarse with emotion. “I was prepared to whore myself out and he...he’d already given me the greatest gift wi’out expecting anything in return.”

“Oh, love…” Claire caressed his face. “As much as I want to bloody throttle you for even putting yourself in that position...I am relieved that this man wanted nothing to do with it.”

“It’s what I’ve been trying to tell ye, Sassenach. He’s a good, honorable man. He did all he did fer me out of...friendship.”

Claire was so overcome with relief that she kissed him soundly, and he eagerly responded.

“I wish I could thank him,” Claire said softly. “For...for all of it.”

“Ye can,” Jamie said. “Part of the agreement of my release was that he makes regular visits to the estate to ensure I remain a loyal subject to the Crown.” Jamie rolled his eyes. “The story he gave was that I was a puir cotter forced into fighting upon threat of harm to my wife, that I couldna fully be blamed fer my actions. As Mister Malcolm, of course.”

“Bloody hell,” Claire exchanged. “He completely bent over backwards to set you free, Jamie.”

“Apparently that family takes a debt of honor quite seriously.” He tenderly kissed her forehead. “So now, Lord John Grey, former Governor of Ardsmuir Prison, is to check in once a quarter wi’ the derelict Alexander Malcolm wherever he has decided to find work. Which just so happens to be as a farmhand at Lallybroch estate.”

Claire shook her head in disbelief. “And nobody finds it suspicious that the redheaded Mister Malcolm has decided to settle down on Red Jamie’s family land?”

“If they did, John would have a thing or two to say about it,” Jamie assured. “He’s got his superiors fully convinced that I’m exactly who I say I am. Red Jamie has been dead fer eight years in the eyes of the Crown.”

“It’s unbelievable...what about all the Redcoat Captains that have been harassing us for years? They’re convinced I’m the traitorous English wife, that Brianna is your demon offspring…”

“Those officers willna be around much longer if John has anything to say about it.”

She shook her head again. “It’s like he’s waved a magic wand and made all of our troubles disappear.”

“I dinna ken about magic wands, Sassenach,” Jamie clasped his hands on the small of her back, pulling her closer. “But it certainly feels as if all is right in the world again.”

Claire kissed him gratefully, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

“Once a quarter, hm?” she said between kisses. “You’d better tell Jenny that.”

Jamie grunted in annoyance in the back of his throat. “Dinna speak of my sister while I’m kissing ye like this, Sassenach.”

Claire laughed a bubbly laugh that melted into a delicious moan, and Jamie swallowed it as his tongue probed the inside of her mouth. The kiss deepened, and Claire began feeling dizzy, every inch of her coming to life in a blazing fire.

“Mummy?”

They pulled away from each other like they’d just been burned, and Claire choked on a startled gasp.

“Hello, darling,” she stammered, her voice thin and high pitched. She could feel the heat of Jamie’s blush radiating off his body. “Is everything alright?”

“Fergus already gave me my kiss,” Brianna said. She was standing in the doorway in her nightgown and bare feet, holding Jehu in both arms. “I waited for you to come in, but you didn’t. So I came to find you.”

Claire forced a light chuckle, leaving Jamie’s side to kneel in front of her. “I’m sorry, lovie. Your Da and I were talking about something important.”

“Talking?” Brianna challenged, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“Yes, well…” She threw a glance back to Jamie, who looked like he was trying not to burst with laughter. “We were talking. We got a little...off topic.”

Brianna blinked mutely at her, and Jehu licked his own nose and gave a little snuffle.

“You know that...married people kiss, don’t you, Brianna?” Claire said.

“Aye,” Brianna said, almost sounding offended that anyone would ask such a thing. “Auntie Jenny and Uncle Ian kiss at midnight on Hogmanay. But they dinna look like that.”

Jamie did make a noise, then, a veritable snort, and Claire shot him a dangerous look.

“Right, well…” Claire made a mental note to tease Jenny about the absurdity of her niece only witnessing affection between her aunt and uncle one time out of the year. “At Hogmanay, there’s a whole room full of people. Kisses in private are just a little bit different.”

“You weren’t kissing in private, Mummy. I was right here.”

Jamie laughed out loud.

“For Christ’s sake, Jamie!” Claire snapped over her shoulder, but as she turned back to Brianna, her facade melted away, and she started laughing as well.

“What’s funny?” Brianna demanded.

“I’m sorry, darling,” Claire said. “We’re not laughing at you, I promise. Your father is a ridiculous human being.”

Brianna looked back and forth between both of her parents as if trying to decipher what the joke was, but came up short.

“I promise we’ll be more careful about being private next time. Alright?”

“Alright,” Brianna agreed, but her brow was still furrowed skeptically.

“Let’s get you to bed now.” Claire stood. “Would it be alright if...if Da joined us to say goodnight?”

Brianna looked around Claire at Jamie, then back up at Claire, and she nodded.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Claire turned Brianna around by the shoulders and began gently pushing her along. Jamie was upon them almost immediately, no longer laughing at all.

He was joining his wife to put their daughter to bed.

It was beyond anything he’d ever dreamed he’d have.

He followed behind Claire, who trailed behind Brianna as she bounced up two flights of stairs, muttering in nonsense-Gaelic to Jehu, who panted with contentment in her arms. They reached her bedroom, and Kitty sat straight up in bed when they arrived.

“Sorry, Kitty,” Claire said. “We’ll be out in a bit. Go back to sleep.” Claire crossed the room to kiss her forehead and gently push her back into her pillows. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“G’night, Auntie.” Kitty pulled her blanket up to her chin, and then looked around Claire. “G’night, Uncle Jamie!”

She was attempting a whisper, but addressing her long-lost uncle that had come to be somewhat mythical in her young mind was far too exciting, so it came out hoarse and just a bit too loud.

“Aye,” Jamie said awkwardly, waving at her. “G’night, lass.”

She giggled a bit, pulling the blanket up higher, under her eyes. Brianna put Jehu down and he settled in at the corner of her pillow as he always did. Brianna climbed in after him, and Claire sat on the edge of the bed. She looked up at Jamie and took his hand, and he slowly crouched down beside the bed so that he was level with Claire.

“It’s been...quite an exciting day, hasn’t it?” Claire said, and Brianna nodded. “I know it’s…a lot to process, your father being here. Are you doing alright?”

Brianna nodded again. “I’m fine, Mummy.”

“Alright. If you ever have any questions, or you’re feeling uneasy, you can talk to me. You know that, don’t you?”

“Aye.”

“Good. Good girl.” Claire cupped her cheek. 

“I’m, uh...I’m here fer ye to talk to as well, lass. If ye like,” Jamie said hesitantly. “Ye dinna have to, of course. Only if ye’re comfortable.”

“Alright,” Brianna said warmly. “I like talking to you, Da.”

Jamie laughed softly, feeling warmth spread from head to toe. He squeezed Claire’s hand tighter, and she reciprocated. “I like talking to you too, m'annsachd.”

“Good.” Brianna nodded curtly, and both of her parents chuckled.

“Alright. Kisses,” Claire said, leaning in with puckered lips. Jamie’s heart felt fit to burst watching them peck each other lovingly on the lips. “Goodnight, baby. I love you.”

“Love you.”

Jamie thought Brianna might just nestle into her pillow, but she turned to look at him expectantly. He chuckled again, feeling tears burning behind his eyes. He cupped the back of Brianna’s head and pressed his lips reverently to her forehead, breathing her in, cherishing her.

“Goodnight, Brianna.”

“G’night, Da.” She pecked him on the cheek, and Jamie squeezed Claire’s hand so hard he thought it might fall off. Claire kissed his cheek as well, cupping the other one lovingly. The three of them sat there for a moment, just taking each other in, just being. Jamie watched as Claire tenderly brought Brianna’s blanket up higher and brushed her hair back.

“We’ll see you in the morning.”

Brianna smiled sleepily, and Jehu nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Claire stood up and began walking out of the room with Jamie’s hand in hers, but was met with resistance. She turned back around, her heart breaking at what she saw.

Jamie could not take his eyes off of Brianna, whose eyes were now closed. His hand was hovering over her hand, trembling like a leaf. It came down to rest on her curly head, and he exhaled with a heavy shudder, closing his eyes. Claire crouched down beside him, and then she paused, hearing him whisper in Gaelic. He was praying over her.

Claire rested her cheek on his shoulder and listened to the soothing tones of his prayer, wrapping her arms around his bicep and stroking him soothingly. His prayer ceased, and Claire looked up at him.

“She’ll still be there tomorrow, love,” she whispered.

Jamie nodded tearfully, swallowing so that Claire could see his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Look,” Claire whispered, cocking her head toward Brianna.

“She smiles in her sleep,” she said. “Just like you.”

Jamie let his fingertips trail down her face, his touch light as a feather, and his pointer finger brushed over the corner of her upturned lips. Her lip twitched at the contact, the smile widening, her head unconsciously turning toward his touch.

“I could watch her sleep fer hours…” Jamie whispered hoarsely.

“I know. I always felt that way when she was a baby. I still do sometimes.”

Claire gave him a moment in silence, waiting until he was ready. He cleared his throat after a moment, and then crossed himself. Claire gave his hand a squeeze, grounding him, giving him the strength to get up and leave his daughter’s side.

“She’ll still be there tomorrow,” Jamie said, confirming it.

“She will.”

With a curt nod and a visual sweep of the room (as if double checking for danger as an ingrained behavior) Jamie made for the door, gently pulling Claire behind him. Claire shut the door as quietly as humanly possible, and when she turned around, she was immediately and abruptly met with Jamie’s hands on her face and his lips on hers. She whimpered in shock, but then melted into him, threading her arms around his neck. He probed her lips with his tongue and she greedily accepted, whimpering again, this time for a much different reason.

Jamie pulled away far too quickly, and Claire was breathless.

“What was that for…?”

“Fer creating that beautiful child.”

Overcome, Claire kissed him again. “You created her too, Jamie.”

“Oh, aye, I’m well aware.”

He swallowed her again, and Claire felt that unmistakable hardness against her hip. Something ignited within her, something left dormant for far too long. She lapped at the inside of his mouth, becoming desperate. She pulled herself ever closer to him, and she had to physically restrain herself from gyrating her hips to relieve the pressure building between her legs.

Jamie abruptly pulled away again, his lips -- swollen and pink from Claire’s assault -- quirked into a smug grin.

“Not here, mo nighean donn.”

He took her hand, kissing it chivalrously, as if he hadn’t just had his tongue down her throat, and then he pulled her behind him toward the stairs.

Every step on the staircase had Claire’s heart hammering faster and louder. Every step was a step closer to her bedroom, a place where she was absolutely certain of what was to come. By the time they reached the bottom, she could hardly feel her legs, and the floor felt like it was tipping beneath her. Her mouth was dry, swallowing was painful.

Jamie paused at the door, turning back to grin at her before opening it and pulling her in after him. Claire was trembling from head to toe, most of all her hands, and she attempted to steady them on the door. She deliberately took longer than she should have to close the door, terrified to turn around and find what awaited her.

She knew he’d be looking at her with fire in his eyes, and she knew she’d be powerless to resist him if she didn’t slow down. Her heartbeat was pulsing in her temples, and she was warm. Everywhere. She took a deep, stuttering as she pushed the door shut, steeling herself for the conversation that they needed to have before anything continued.

Christ, she was terrified.

[femmechaudesurfacebook4]

Photos Femmes Mures Nues Petits Seins

It's no pain, no gain for sites de rencontre bear ali larter. It's cheap to join and always has a great selection of top men in new york. Angelica garcia put on a quiet, wonderful show in new york a few months ago in rencontre femme cherche homme pour sexe a 250-capacity room. Et ce qui vous excite, c’est une bonne maman salope, une bonne vieille chaudasse des familles, une femme mature obsédée par la baise. Mec, voilà le genre de femmes que baise ton père ! La plupart d’entre elles n’ont pas fait de chirurgie, elles sont naturelles avec leurs défauts liés à leur âge.C’est ce qui excite les jeunes garçons, des femmes loin d’être parfaite physiquement, mais très expérimentées quand il s’agit de cul et de baise. Peut importe que ce soient des libertines, des partouzeuses, des femmes au foyer, de vulgaires mamans salopes, ce qui comptent c’est qu’elles recherchent des rencontres réelles avec des hommes jeunes et endurants capables de les faire grimper aux rideaux …

Sur un site dédié aux cougars il est normal de trouver des photos de femme mature nue, des femmes mûres naturelles et dénudées ou de la MILF nue. Une bonne excuse pour s'initier à l'univers des makers, aux imprimantes 3d et autres machines du fab lab? Voilà le genre de femmes qui vous donne envie de sortir votre queue pour honorer une de ces vieilles baiseuses ! Certes, toutes ces milfs, mamans, cougars, femmes mûres ou d’expérience sont ici pour s’amuser, pour partager des photos mais surtout pour trouver des mecs pour les baiser. Pour changer un peu, une petite série de photos de femmes mûres dans la soixantaine. Toutes les femmes présentes sur le site, que ce soit en photos de nus, ou dans les petites annonces, ne sont que des amatrices qui recherchent au minimum un plan sexe. Ici pratiquement pas de professionnelles du sexe, juste des amatrices matures qui vivent librement et sans entraves pour qui la nudité se conjugue avec le désir sexuel. Des défauts elles en ont bien sûr, mais comment ne pas apprécier leur gros seins lourds qui tombent un peu, leurs beaux culs qui ont fait de la route, leur chattes encore poilues, bref leurs corps lourds de sensualité sexuelle de femmes qui en ont déroulé du câble.

Photos Femmes Mature Nues Argent

Certes vous allez voir des gros seins qui tombent, des paire de fesses ridées, des vergetures, des poils de chatte blanc. Comme je vous l’ai dit au début de cet article, le risque avec les femmes matures c’est voir, par exemple, des gros seins lourds qui tombent. Cet ancien cheminot de 85 ans, qui vit seul à top annonce rencontre 25 bédarrides, dans le vaucluse, reçoit deux fois par semaine une visite à domicile de son facteur, jonathan gon, 35 ans. Cet article, publié à l'origine sur le huffpost américain, a été traduit par site de rencontre gratuit 02100 guillemette allard-bares pour fast for word. Can teach english, hebrew, russian cocoland site de rencontre gratuit in exchange. But, if we missed any, échappement à roue de rencontre you can simply suggest us to add your specified category too. It is one of the amazing and fun apps with a variety of different options site de rencontre pour senior gratuit for different languages. I found my love one november night and since then everything photos gratuites de femmes matures is great.

Photos Gratuites De Femmes Mûres

Our firm is one of the leading firms in the area. Because this tool is free of cost and it rencontre femme laval will remain free for the rest of life? Enjoy fast photos gratuites de femmes matures hd video calling and chat with your friends and share media. However, video disons demain site de rencontre chats arent exactly their strong strong suit? Like most nuts theyre high in calories, so limit your daily intake Ibirama site de rencontre breton 22 to two tablespoons! She notes that the site de rencontre bresilienne father of her boyfriend, arch kelley, in observance of his recent retirement. If your use meets the above criteria, no further written permission is required, and you may download the image for use in accordance with the guidelines above. Apart from those kismia rencontre gratuit who wish me dead, angelina jolie will also be seen in maleficent ii, which is scheduled to release on may 29 next year.

They contain around 10 million beetles from 170,000 species? Smith, they later admitted that the set of the rencontre libertine vienne 86 movie was where they? They pointed out that the identity of the british billionaire was not revealed. People shouldn't change their dietary habits based on the declaration quand harry rencontre sally findings of a single study, michaelsson said. Rencontre cochonne les sites de rencontre gratuit sans inscription coquine et plan cul dans votre région avec des femmes, des hommes et des couples libertins. Instaurer le user-centered rencontre libertine haute saone design dans nos projets. Size queen a gay man rencontre de proximité who is especially interested in partners with large penises. The last of them was released from a georgia prison in the early 1980s. In this story, jesus restores a gay relationship by a miracle of healing and then holds up a gay man as an example of faith for all to follow. We had the photos femmes mature nues gratuites de femmes matures greatest sunset views every night from our deck overlooking the roanoke sound.

Recherche filles mèze

Photo femme coquine

Photo de grosse bite black

Saint-nicolas-de-port sites rencontre

Gay hook-up sites have become the online equivalent of a sprawling red-light district, with ice traded for sex on every interactive corner and doors opening to rooms where men are filmed injecting meth and having sex. Meanwhile, actress marion cotillard - who was initially claimed to be having an affair with pitt while on the set of their new movie allied, leading to the divorce - took to instagram to tackle the rumours head-on. Pretty lesbian porn star with long blonde hair getting her asshole licked. Mais n’est-ce pas ce qui fait le charme de ces créatures. Ces femmes mûres représentent souvent les fantasmes exprimés par les jeunes niqueurs de MILF : la bourgeoise en chaleur, la vieille baiseuse expérimentée et nymphomane, la mère de famille qui se fait tringler l’après-midi pendant que sa marmaille est au lycée, la mamie que te taille une pipe douce sans son dentier et j’en passe et des plus charmantes que ça. Cela passe par une véritable collaboration photos gratuites de femmes matures entre praticiens modernes et tradipraticiens sélectionnés pour leur sérieux.

[copperbadge]

rsfcommonplace replied to your link “Streaming Tuesday!”

Aw man, I spaced out and forgot it was stream night.

THAT’S USUALLY MY LINE :D 

daughterofscotland replied to your link “Streaming Tuesday!”

There's apparently a youtube strike/blackout going on right now, until the 13th, in protest of, including, " YouTube's new interpretation of how to best follow COPPA regulations, and also their aggressive demonitizing of more "leftist" content, especially when those two are coupled with YouTube's willingness to delete channels that it finds "not commercially viable. This will disproportionately affect women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and political tubers"  https://forum.waypoint.vice.com/t/youtube-walkout-dec-10th-13th/24769

Ah crap, I didn’t see this until this morning. Sorry! Better late than never, I’ll keep off the Tube from now until Saturday. 

kitty1025 replied to your photo “Oh good, the Walk Outside And Scream What The Fuck weather has...”

Are the people who decide to move here more or less crazy than those of us who were born and grew up here and decided to stay?

I feel like if you grew up here and stayed, you knew what you were getting into. Nobody I know who moved here from outside the midwest was ready for it. Like, even people who moved from New England, where it’s arguably harsher, was ready for the specific kind of winter you get in places like Chicago. 

wittyusernamed replied to your photoset “In some ways, running feels like starting over from when I first...”

Please tell me the name of the advent calendar because that's so my "jam"

LOL! It’s the Bonne Maman advent calendar. They do one pretty much every year, apparently. 

[creeping-shadow-heralds-storms]

Most people never cooked at home more than they did in 2020. If you started last year with no plans to cook more, you might still be stuck with an inefficient kitchen setup that’s miserable to use. No matter your current feelings on cooking, now is the perfect time to overhaul your kitchen organization—and there’s no better system than FIFO.

The first-in, first-out (FIFO) system is exactly what it sounds like; it ensures older things get used before newer things. In order to keep this up, the older stuff has to be the first thing you see when you open the fridge or pantry. That’s why grocery stores put the oldest stock at the front of the shelf, and why everything in professional kitchens is stored with the label facing out.

For home cooks, FIFO is synonymous with labeling everything in your fridge. While it’s an excellent system for keeping track of leftovers and reducing food waste, there’s so much more to it than fridge management. Your entire kitchen can and should be organized around the main FIFO principle: “If you can’t see it, you won’t use it.” Keeping this in mind when reorganizing makes the kitchen you have easier to use, no matter how cramped or inefficient it may be. And, since FIFO is all about using what you have, you can do it without buying a single thing.

The specifics of a FIFO makeover will look different for every kitchen, but the end goal is universal: To arrange the stuff in your kitchen so that you can see as much of it as possible. There are four main ways to do this, starting with your container situation.

Streamline your food storage

Pantry clutter is the enemy of a FIFO system, so unfortunately, that’s where you should start. You might think the solution involves spending a ton of money on identical glass jars—what’s easier to see through than glass?—but it doesn’t have to. Organizing your pantry so that everything (or nearly everything) is visible at all times is easier with similarly-shaped containers in a variety of sizes.

A chaotic jumble of misfit Tupperwares won’t work, either. Sort through your food containers, keep matching sets, and dispose of the one-offs. Next, fill in the gaps, starting with stuff you already have. Repurposed food packaging is fantastic for pantry storage, especially if you’re loyal to a certain brand and have a ton of the same containers. (There are a lot of glass jars that once held Adams peanut butter and Bonne Maman jam in my pantry.) If you need to buy new, soup containers are ideal for small-volume storage because they come in multiple sizes but have universal lids.

For bulk foods, skip the overpriced “bulk storage” bins on Amazon and go straight to the hardware or restaurant supply store. I buy flour 50 pounds at a time, and nothing beats a 5-gallon plastic bucket with a twist-off lid. They cost less than $20 at the hardware store and last forever. Buckets do take up a lot of space, though, and aren’t exactly stackable. If you’re strapped for space, look for Cambro containers at restaurant supply stores. They’re smaller and more expensive than plastic utility buckets, but they come in both square and round sizes and stack securely.

Label everything

Labeling your perishables is a signature element of any FIFO system, and with good reason. Clear labels tell you, at a glance, what’s inside a container and how old it is; FIFO doesn’t exist without them.

If you’re already in the habit of labeling the contents of your fridge and freezer, awesome—but don’t stop there. Most items in your kitchen can and should be labeled. Bulk pantry items in opaque containers are the obvious use case, but slapping a label on DIY cleaning solutions, countertop fermentation projects, and even the shelves in your pantry will make your kitchen easier to use. No more losing track of sourdough starter feedings or wondering which shelf you put the coconut milk on; you can look at the label and get on with it. Just make sure those labels face out. Spring for a label-maker if you like, but masking tape and a Sharpie work just as well.

Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate

Labels are great, but they can’t help you if you you can’t see them. This is especially an issue in the fridge: If last night’s takeout gets buried in a graveyard of half-empty soup containers, it’ll expire before you remember it’s there.

Consolidation is the secret second step after labeling your food. It’s easy: Just transfer the contents of larger containers to smaller ones as you use them up. (Universal lids are especially clutch here, because you can downsize without getting a fresh lid.) Ruthlessly consolidating your leftovers and pantry items frees up precious storage space so you can actually see what you’re working with. It also makes it easy to know when opening a new package is actually necessary, and when certain items are running low.

Bonus round: Take inventory

The final boss of FIFO is taking inventory. To be honest, I don’t inventory my kitchen and have no plans to—but I cook for myself and one other adult. If you’re feeding a big family, keeping a detailed inventory can simplify your life.

Inventorying is all about tracking what you have so you know what to buy and when. If you’ve never done it before, start small. Pick one kitchen area—pantry, fridge, or freezer—and write down the name of every food item, how much of it you have, and its expiration date. (Spreadsheets, paper lists, dry erase boards, and even the notes app on your phone all have their pluses and minuses, so use whatever feels natural.) Update the list as things get used up. When you sit down to make a grocery list, consult your inventory to see what you actually need and what can wait. There’s no one perfect system, so play around until you find what works.

If all of this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Running a kitchen is an enormous job; doing it on top of your regular job gets old in a hurry, even if you love to cook. A FIFO setup won’t eliminate the relentless churn of daily cooking and cleaning, but it will make it easier to actually use your kitchen.

[smallgeneration]

what we didn’t write down

Non, rien de rien

Non, je ne regrette rien

Car ma vie, car me joies

Aujourd’hui, ça commence avec toi

 - Edith Piaf

We wrote a lot of poetry about Paris then. We wanted to capture everything, like the afternoon sunlight and rose pink sunsets that flooded through the apartment’s one window, or the way the cigarette smoke curled through the air and mingled with the steam of pasta boiling on the stove. There was Lou’s cat, Sanska, a slinking black thing whose growth had been stunted a year earlier when she’d accidentally ingested some rat poison laid out by another tenant and would consequently remain kitten-sized the rest of her life. She had a habit of leaping from the floor onto our backs to drape herself over our shoulders as we were cooking, and when we left the bedroom skylight open, she would fall from the roof into the bed, waking us up in the mornings. I remember using the word “cinematic” a lot during those months.

I had a notebook, a little 1 euro legal pad of graph paper, where I tried to write it all down. On one page is a list, scribbled in my sloppy handwriting, titled “details to remember” and it looks like this:

dried lavender in an empty jack daniel’s bottle window light, 3:45pm

red wine stains on lou’s lace blanket               made tacos, 2am

harry named one plant ed dunkle             anneli named the basil plant emmanuel

ashtrays: wooden egg cup, baby food tin, bonne maman jam jar

pink teapot full of weed and the cocaine no one wanted to try  

       in france they call frosted flakes frosties

pays d’hearault = second cheapest wine at carrefour, tastes better than 3rd cheapest wine

111 stairs to lou’s apartment (eleventy-one!)

There were many moments so heart-stoppingly beautiful, details so small and yet imbued with such a powerful sense of perfection I could hardly believe their reality. We saved them all, taped every receipt and metro ticket and museum pass into our journals. We even kept our empty cigarette cartons, because the hundreds of polaroids we took with Jess’s camera fit perfectly inside them in neat little stacks of ten or twenty. By October we filled a shoebox with them. All this was evidence that the lifestyle we never hoped to dream of truly did exist, and many of our conversations were rehashed stories of the days we met, jokes from past parties repeated until we knew them all by heart.

This was the Paris we wanted to remember. But there were times we didn’t speak of, stories we chose not to retell in hopes that they would fall to the cutting room floor of our memories, mental edits to our so-called cinematic experience. In our silent way, we tried to forget, unable to admit the chaos that haunted the city beyond our brightly lit apartment.

In the fall of 2016, Paris was in the midst of the refugee crisis. When the New York Times released an article titled “Paris is the New Calais, with Scores of Migrants Arriving Daily,” I opened it on my laptop but couldn’t bring myself to read. But the numbers were there, and I had seen them in person. Over one hundred migrants were arriving in the city each day, the result of war and political unrest in Africa and the Middle east, and the demolition of what France called “The Jungle,” an unofficial refugee camp at the port of Calais. Consequently, thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria, and Iraq were living in the streets of Paris. They camped in tents below the Stalingrad metro station, under bridges down the Canal St. Martin, and roamed the tourist areas asking for money. I remember families with young children clustered together on the Pont des Artes and the Pont Saint-Louis, watched their formations change as they fanned themselves with newspapers in the heat of early September and gathered blankets and scraps of cardboard when the cold began to settle. There was one family I saw several times stationed on the quai beside Notre Dame with a colorful set of blankets and a handwritten sign asking for help. There were two young girls, no more than nine or ten, and an older woman who might have been their mother or grandmother, I couldn’t tell. But what struck me were the bunnies. They had three of them, two brown and one black, and I often saw them cradled in the girl’s arms, wrapped up in the blankets, or hopping around the sidewalk, kept close by a makeshift shoestring leash. One September afternoon on my way to the bookshop, I saw the woman kneeling on the ground, head bowed in prayer as the girls fed the bunnies bits of grass and old vegetables. They were smiling, and I was struck by the resilience and generosity of those young girls who fed and sheltered their pets in spite of their own dispossession. But as the weeks wore on and the warm days of late summer disappeared, their inspiring resilience became much more devastating. By late October, Paris had shed its golden hour afternoons for dense cloaks of fog and drizzle, and though the small family remained, the bunnies disappeared. And then, one day, the family was gone.

The day I first noticed their absence, Harry and I found ourselves meeting Jess, Lou, and Anneli in front of Notre Dame at midnight with a bag of limes and a bottle of cheap tequila. We thought it would be “cinematic” to take shots in the empty courtyard in front of the cathedral. But as we passed the bottle around, I couldn’t tear my eyes from the empty sidewalk on the quai where that family had been only days earlier. When Anneli asked me what was wrong, I blamed my tears on the liquor. I sucked the lime and tried to forget.

Less than a year before I arrived in Paris, 130 people were killed in a coordinated suicide bombing attack claimed by ISIS that hit several locations across the city. This attack followed several others in Paris and across France in 2015, but November 14th stands out in devastating horror as the bloodiest terror attack in the country’s history. The Bataclan theater, where three men open fired on the crowd of over a thousand music fans, is a five minute walk from Lou’s apartment. She heard the guns, the screams and police sirens.

We rarely talked about the attacks, and never discussed the looming possibilities of another. But there was a quiet fear throughout the city. Gendarmes patrolled the tourist areas and major metro stations, and we often saw them on the streets harassing refugees and migrant families. Flowers and candles still adorned the various locations of mass shootings, and every anonymous white van was surveyed with silent but intense apprehension. Crowds would hush in the wake of sirens that were often followed by streams of six or seven police cars, and we would check our phones for the bad news we feared was about to break. A man working at Shakespeare and Company once told us how he very well could have been in Nice, one of the crowd in the Bastille Day celebrations run down by a lorry leaving 84 dead. He just missed his train.

We were heading home to Lou’s apartment after a morning at Sacre-Coeur, and for one reason or another everyone was in a bad mood, though we dared not admit it. We were probably cold, unaccustomed to the chill that blew into the city in mid-October, and disappointed that the view from the top Paris’s tallest hill was overshadowed by a rainy gloom that didn’t fit with our aspirations of the day. But as we trudged our descent into the Anvers metro station, a woman’s shrill and terrifying scream jerked us from our temporary disenchantment.

Several people stood frozen in the underground, staring at the nightmarish scene before them. A young woman was being held against the wall of the station by two men who were shouting at her in a language I didn’t understand. She tried to get away, but was pushed to the floor where she let out another terrible scream. The woman yelled at the onlookers, begging for help, demanding we call the police while the two men continued to harass and restrain her. People shuffled awkwardly around the chaos as they entered and exited the metro. All the while, sitting behind the plexiglass window of the ticketing booth, was the station worker, another young woman who seemed only mildly disturbed at what was happening three feet away.

Harry broke our panicked trance and ran up to the ticket counter, and asked the woman if she’d called the police yet. They exchanged a few words, and for a moment we had hope that the abuse would be justly resolved. But Harry returned to where Anneli and I stood, his anger scarcely concealed the fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

“She told me there’s nothing she can do,” he said. “Says the men are undercover police and that the girl stole some drugs or something.”

The woman moaned as the men heaved the woman up from the floor and shoved her once again into the wall.

“They don’t seem like police,” Anneli whispered.

The train ride home was hauntingly quiet. I felt sick. Harry was saying something about what he should have done, how he could have fought those guys or asked to see a badge or gotten some kind of answer. We left the scene of the struggle before its resolution, if it ever had one, nauseous and afraid and shamefully embarrassed that we had witnessed a violent assault and done nothing. We didn’t try to stop those men, and we didn’t search for any additional help above the station where there was more than likely a gendarme nearby. We hadn’t called the police, and our excuses felt limp and meaningless. What could we have done if the men really were undercover cops? Besides, mine and Anneli’s phones weren’t on an international data plan, and Harry’s was dead. Our French wasn’t good enough to communicate with a police officer. But we were struck silent by the poisonous doubt that even if our phones had been working, we might not have chosen the path of heroism we thought ourselves capable of. Our confidence was shaken, the cinematic bubble had burst. We weren’t the protagonists of our own living movie as we’d come to believe, only delusional cowards in a world of common chaos.

Everyone took naps when we made it home. We wanted to distance ourselves from the morning as swiftly as possible, and when we woke with that hollow dread still seething in our stomachs, we bought some wine and and walked to the jazz club. By the next morning, we had resumed our movie. I never wrote anything down about that day, never saved my metro ticket. Weeks later we returned to Sacre-Coeur on a sunnier afternoon, and the view was breathtaking. We transposed our memories of the assault with a walk around Montmartre and tried to let ourselves forget.

But I still think about that woman and what I could have done to help her, just like I still think of the young girls and their bunnies and the many sirens in the streets of Paris. There were other times we couldn’t romanticize, disagreements between friends that went unresolved, drunken nights that left lovers fighting in the apartment hallways and friends sleeping on the bathroom floor to avoid confrontation. And even though we did our best to idealize everything, reality spread its sticky mess through our stories, and the golden sunlight that beamed through the window didn’t always augur a perfect day. We wrote a lot of poetry about Paris then, about the black cat and the pink sunsets and drunken nights spent climbing eleventy-one stairs to Lou’s apartment, but we never did forget, and those memories remain undocumented but indelible in my memory.

[lilylink9-blog]

French Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated the second Sunday of May in North America. In France, it is the last Sunday in May. (Unless that falls on Pentecost Sunday, in which case it’s the first Sunday in June. Still with me?)

In 2018, Americans will celebrate Mother’s Day on May 13; the French will celebrate la fête des mères on May 27.

If your mother loves all things French, this is the time to pamper her inner Parisienne! You could even surprise her with an encore gift on French Mother’s Day.

French children usually craft some kind of project at school for their maman — most iconically, un collier de pâtes, a necklace made of dried pasta — and graduate to buying her flowers, chocolates, or beauty products when they are older.

Here are some wonderful, high-quality French gift ideas I’ve hand-picked with love so you can tell your amazing mother how amazing she is. And if you’re a new mother, you are fully entitled to buying any one of these for your amazing self, obv.

For even more French-inspired ideas, check out my Best Gifts for the French-Loving Cook! All of them will work as a French Mother’s Day gift.

Bonne fête to Mamans everywhere!

Mother’s Day Greeting Cards in French

Say it beautifully in French!

“Like Mother Like Daughter” Tote Bag

Get one for you and one for her, you’ll be so cute when you walk together. What better way to express that you’re proud of the parts of you that are also hers?

A Clotilde-designed Montmartre shirt

Would your mother like to wear a shirt that celebrates the beauty and charm of Montmartre in a unique, hand-drawn way? I have just the shirt for her, with an illustration I drew myself, inspired by my beloved neighborhood.

Vegan Ethical French Skincare Products

From an independent Parisian brand I love. I use these every single day, and for gift-giving I especially recommend the Discovery kit. They ship internationally, and remember to use my referral code 034587703 to save 5€ on your order.

French Single-Estate Chocolate Sampler

Michel Cluizel is a family-owned and high-quality French manufacturer of bean-to-bar chocolate, who source their beans directly from plantations. This sampler box is a delicious way for your mother to taste the distinctive flavor of each.

Biopics of Remarkable French Women

Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose and Coco Chanel in Coco Before Chanel

Get her a DVD of (or streaming access to) either one of these superb French movies. Consider turning it into an inspiring and moving night with both of you watching the film and eating chocolate together (see above).

Maman Shirt and Sweater

Momwear has never been so stylish.

Online French Lessons

Has your mother always dreamed of learning French? Sign her up for Frantastique, a fun and well-crafted French course delivered by email, that she can customize to her level and preferences.

By using this link, Chocolate & Zucchini readers will get one month totally free. It would be so fun for you and your mom to try out the service together, non ?

Inspiring French Podcasts

Change Ma Vie

La Poudre

If your mom wants to add even more French language into her life, set up her phone with a podcast app if she doesn’t already have one, show her how it works, and subscribe her to Change ma vie and La Poudre, two of the hottest French podcasts. ;)

Secret Paris Coloring Book

For the artistic-minded mother who enjoys coloring as a meditative activity, this remarkably pretty coloring book doubles up as a mini-getaway to Paris.

Liquid Savon de Marseille with Citrus Essential Oils

Savon de Marseille is the most iconic kind of French soap, and this liquid one is presented in a handy liquid dispenser. The citrus scent is particularly good as a kitchen sink soap; for a bathroom, perhaps you’ll want to opt for the rose scent.

Tasting Paris

Do you dream of taking your mother to Paris and sharing lovely meals with her on sidewalk terraces? If that’s not in the cards for you this year, the next best thing may well be to give her this fresh new cookbook of mine. Tasting Paris is like a stroll through Paris’ most charming streets, and 100 recipes to create some of these inspired meals right in her (or your) kitchen.

A Gorgeous French Journal

This lovely journal with gold foil on the cover and fading lines on the pages is the ideal accessory if you’re going to (pretend to) be sitting at the terrace of a café, jotting down inspired notes and brilliant insights. Your mother totally needs this.

Assorted French Candy

These all-natural flavored drops are among the most cherished of regional French treats, manufactured in the medieval Burgundy village where the 2000 film Chocolat was shot. Of course, the pretty pillboxes should be saved and reused for ordinary mints.

The French Market Cookbook

If your mother enjoys cooking simple, fresh foods, get her a copy of my cookbook of French vegetarian recipes! Full of healthful ideas for colorful meals.

Maman Mug

Get your mom to think of you every morning (that’s what this is all about, right?) with this lovely mug, personalized with your own year of birth. Such a sweet gift for brand-new mothers, too!

French Tea Sampler For Her Office

I always enjoy teas from French brand Le Palais des Thés and this assortment of muslin bags is especially created for refreshment and energy at work (6 different teas, 8 bags of each). Another way to show love to your mom throughout her day!

Divine Oil from Caudalie

Caudalie is a French brand of cosmetics I love from the Bordeaux wine country that leverages the antioxydants found in grapes. This multi-purpose dry oil can be used to nourish the skin, the hair, and the body. Lovely fragrance and luxurious feel. (If you’re looking to get a combo, I also use the shampoo from the same brand.)

A Book of French Poetry (with translations)

A new and wonderful selection of poems spanning nine centuries of French poets, packaged into a beautiful hard-cover volume that will find its perfect place on your mother’s nightstand.

Best Foot Cream in the World from L’Occitane

My sister used to work at L’Occitane near Aix-en-Provence so I got to try a lot of their products, and this foot cream is my favorite. It is super refreshing and hydrating for weary feet at the end of the day, but not at all sticky.

La Vie En Rose French Print

A quality print of a gorgeous, vibrant watercolor by a French artist from the south of France, to brighten her mood daily! I recommend you get the A3 size (11.69 by 16.53 inches) and pair it with this simple golden frame.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are

A best-selling book by a team of Parisiennes, celebrating French women’s sense of style in an approachable and humorous way.

“Savon” Soap Dish

Give your mom this beautiful French dish soap along with a bar of French lavender soap.

Beauty Travel Kit from Nuxe

Nuxe makes high-quality French cosmetics, and their Rêve de Miel (“dream of honey”) line is wonderful. This travel kit will be very handy next time your mother flies in to visit.

French Pitcher

This is a very typical, traditional French shape for a pitcher that can be used to serve water or juice, but also doubles up as a vase. Give it to your mother with a bunch of fresh flowers!

Fig Blossom Fragrance from Roger & Gallet

Roger & Gallet is a French perfumer that was first established in Paris more than 150 years ago. The scents are classic and elegant, and the packaging is chic and timeless — just like your mother!

Edible French

A highly giftable little book by yours truly, featuring the most evocative French expressions related to food, with bite-size cultural notes and luscious watercolor illustrations by my friend Melina Josserand.

Paris Walking Tour

If your mother has a trip to Paris planned in the coming months, consider treating her to a private walking tour with me. Please get in touch; I will offer you a discount if you gift me to your mom. :)

This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase through them, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for your support of my work.

Source: https://cnz.to/gift-guide/french-gift-ideas-mothers-day/

[isabellelambert1975]

Jam jar Christmas – how to decorate with garden clippings

I love jam jar flower arrangements, so I’ve asked florist-tutor Julie Davies how to do jam jar Christmas decorations.

Jam jar Christmas decorations created with empty jars, twigs from the garden and foraged pine cones…

Julie and I did a ‘how to make a twig wreath‘ post and YouTube video last Christmas, which proved very popular, so we’re back for Twigs at Christmas 2. It’s the right time of year to be pruning trees, so it’s a great way of combining gardening and Christmas decorating.

First, the jars…

I have a shelf crammed with jam jars, many with several layers of label on them. And jam jar labels do not simply wash off!

My jam jar collection – not usable for decorating as they are…

Google came up with two methods for getting sticky label residue off jam jars. First, I soaked them all overnight in soapy water, and scraped off most of the label.

Then I mixed 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda in the US) with 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and worked it into a paste. I smeared this on the sticky residue and left it for 30 minutes, then scrubbed it all off with wire wool. You can use any cooking oil.

The second method uses cheap household vinegar. Spray the vinegar over the residue, and leave for 30 minutes, then scrub off with wire wool.

Jam jars – get rid of the sticky residue of labels before decorating

Whichever method you use, you’ll need to wash the jars again in hot, soapy water. Both methods were effective, but perhaps the soda + oil method was just slightly better.

You could buy empty jam jars online if you don’t collect jars. And you wouldn’t need to clean them.  Note: I’m an Amazon affiliate, so I may get a small fee if you buy through Amazon, but it doesn’t affect the price you pay. Everything we use in this post is also easy to buy at any supermarket or garden centre.

Julie says that straight-sided jars are easier to decorate than bulbous ones or the Bonne Maman ones with their octagonal sides.

The equipment you need…

You probably already have everything you need for Christmas jam jars somewhere around in the house. Apart from jars, you only need rubber bands, scissors, secateurs and garden twine. Julie picks her rubber bands up from the street, where they get dropped by the postman.

And you need some twigs or other garden clippings. Julie used birch twigs, which often get blown onto pavements in high winds. Generally, you shouldn’t take anything from parks, forests or verges without asking permission, but it’s very unlikely that anyone will worry about you picking up fallen twigs.

It takes around 10 minutes a jar…

Twist the rubber bands around the jar. If it’s a tall jar, you may need two rubber bands – one high up and the other low down.

Step 1 – snap the rubber band round the jar

Then, taking small handfuls of twigs, poke them under the rubber band, to go around the jar.

Poke the twigs under the rubber band, and spread evenly around the jar.

Finally, cut the the twigs sticking out at the bottom, so that the jam jar can sit flat on a surface.

You can also use…

As well as birch twigs, you could also use dried flower stalks and seedheads. Julie made another jam jar Christmas decoration with dried fennel stalks and heads. She also recommends something green and woody, like rosemary, which won’t dry out too quickly.

Dried fennel stalks and seedheads (right) with birch on the left.

We set three or four jam jar Christmas decorations along the mantelpiece. We interwove some ivy along it, and also some pine cones, which Julie foraged in the summer.

Is it legal to pick up pine cones and twigs from the ground?

The Magna Carta stated that every common man had the right to pick up deadwood, but this was rescinded in 2008. Now you cannot legally take fallen wood, seeds or leaves from, for example, Forestry Commission land. To take from private land, you need to ask the landowner.

The law on theft is not always considered applicable to wild plants, but it’s complex. The Woodland Trust has foraging guidelines, but the best thing you can do is to ask.

Anything else to worry about?

Fire! I love Pinterest. It has wonderful Christmas decorating inspiration. However, I’m deeply alarmed by the sight of jam jar Christmas decorations with foliage, pine cones, etc inside the jam jar, with a candle that will inevitably burn down to ignite it all. And as for pillar candles wedged straight into greenery – well, that’s a house fire waiting to happen. Dried twigs and some evergreen foliage burn very quickly.

Tea lights inside jam jars are probably the safest form of open flame you can have. But be sensible – don’t leave them unattended, and use the glass to keep the flame away from the flammable materials. The jam jar Christmas decorations on our mantelpiece vary in how flammable they are. I’d suggest battery tea lights for the frondy fennel, for example, while the rosemary jar has shorter stems, so should be fine with a live flame.

The rosemary jar (far left) has stems no higher than the rim of the jar. It shouldn’t be a fire hazard with a live tea light. But the dried fennel (centre) should have a battery tea light or fairy lights wound round it.

I bought the mini baubles and wooden star silhouettes a few years ago from Cox & Cox. They still stock them, but you could use any mini baubles.  And the fairy lights are a short string of battery-operated lights like these.

Flowerstart, Julie Davies’ four week online flower arranging class comes via three emails a week.

She’ll talk you through finding the “happy” place for your flowers, whether flower food works, the visual value of your flowers and choosing flowers for different events. Each week will end with a practical task – using a mix of written instructions, photo tutorials and video. You’ll get to create a contemporary arrangement in a glass vase, an arrangement in a vintage tea cup and saucer, an informal arrangement in a jug and a tied posy.

You can take the lessons at a time to suit you – join in week by week, or stagger them out to suit you. Julie will be on-hand throughout to give you support and feedback through a dedicated private Facebook group. Julie’s YouTube channel is

Try it with the video:

Have you heard of #vlogmas? It’s a challenge for YouTubers to do a short video every day in December. I’ve decided to do it (gulp!) – and I’ve added an extra dimension to the challenge. Each video has to be relevant to Christmas and gardens in some way, with decorating tips, mini interviews or ideas for things like winter pots. Do come along – subscribe to the Middlesized Garden YouTube channel, and let me know if there’s anything you’d particularly like me to cover.

Lots of people say they don’t want to do videos because they don’t like the sight or sound of themselves on screen. I am one of those, so I will report back as to whether going on screen every day makes it any easier!

However, here on the blog we’ll just be coming out once a week on Sunday morning as usual! Do join us.

Pin for reference:

 The post Jam jar Christmas – how to decorate with garden clippings appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/jam-jar-christmas-decorate-garden-clippings/

[andrewmawby]

It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to consider family traditions.  One of the most loved among many cultures is the advent calendar.  There are many different variations on the advent calendar, from minimalist countdowns to extravagant daily presents and everything in-between.  Some use candy, some small gifts and others incorporate family activities to get you in the mood for Christmas.  If you haven’t planned out your advent calendar for 2017, now is the time!  These 30+ charming advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are sure to inspire you!

25+ Christmas Countdowns and Advent Calendars

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more here. 

Easy Christmas Countdown Calendars

The holiday season is so busy, sometimes an activity or gift to open can make the season feel overwhelming instead of anticipatory. If that’s your style, these easy countdown boards help you and your family get excited for the season while keeping it simple.

Printable Christmas Countdown Board // Remodelaholic

We shared this holiday countdown board earlier and we just love it so much! Count down to Christmas and all the other major holidays, plus fill in the cards for your own personal holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Faux Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body

Tasha shared here on Remodelaholic how to easily make these reusable faux chalkboard holiday signs, and this Christmas countdown is so easy and so cute! We also found a similar version here for purchase.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Amazon

This chalkboard countdown board is so cute, and the number-change dial reminds me of the daily calendar my grandma had when I was growing up!

Christ-centered Christmas Countdown // Kemley Design

Keep the religious parts of Christmas present daily with this Christ-centered Christmas picture countdown board.

Christmas Paper Chain Countdown // The Crazy Craft Lady

It’s hard to get any easier than this printable paper chain, and kids will love that they can assemble and count down all by themselves.

Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee // The DIY Dreamer

Take the holiday anticipation outside with this jumbo outdoor countdown sign.

Snowman Countdown // Amazon

Just twist this little snowman’s nose a little each day and befor you know it… Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Countdown // Remodelaholic

Build this ornament countdown tree following our tutorial, and then 25 ornaments later, it’s Christmas!

  Envelope Advents

With snail mail on the decline, even for Christmas cards, these envelope advents can still give you the thrill of opening up a surprise!

25 Days of Giving Pocket Calendar // Unexpected Elegance

This version uses decorative treat bags in a variety of colors and patterns for the envelopes.  Inside each is an act of service to complete for each day leading up to Christmas!

Plaid Advent // Houseful of Handmade

Use the template to make these cute bow envelopes that pop open.  You can also make them magnetic and display them on a magnet board.

Christmas Tree Advent // Place of My Taste

Make a rustic Christmas tree frame with scrap wood.  The envelopes are triangles of cardstock – which mimics the tree shape.  Hang them with cute clothespins and you’re good to go!

Chalkboard Envelope Christmas Countdown Wall Chart // The Painted Hive

These are actually faux chalkboard envelopes – they are printed to look perfectly chalky!  Use the free printable templates and vintage looking shipping labels to create this look.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Fleece Fun

All you need are small envelopes or cardstock to create them and ribbon to make an advent calendar wreath.  Just hot glue the envelopes and tags to a pine wreath.

Galvanized Envelope Advent Calendar // Target

You can find this amazing Hearth & Home with Magnolia version of the advent calendar at Target.  The envelopes are made from galvanized metal placed on a dark wood background, giving it a rustic feel.

Advent Boxes

Everyone loves opening up a boxed surprise at Christmas! These advent boxes are cute ways to have a little joy in every day.

Colorful Advent Calendar // Delineate Your Dwelling

This cute boxy calendar proves that Christmas can be more than just red, green and white!

Mini Tree Advent // Oh Happy Day

By attaching mini trees to the top of your simple boxes, and adding an extra touch or two (fun number flags, red car with tree, faux snow) you can turn your advent calendar into an adorable vignette.

12 Days of Christmas Advent // Three Little Monkeys Studio

These cute round gift boxes are dressed up with chalkboard tags, jingle bells and Christmas trees, making them part of the decor and not just a calendar.  This version of the advent involves putting handmade ornaments and notes inside each box for someone else to open for the 12 days leading up to Christmas!

Wood House Calendar // World Market

This natural wood house frame has mini pull-out boxes to fill.  Even better, it lights up!

White Wood Christmas Advent Drawers // Amazon

Another version of the advent drawers on Amazon, has a clean, classic look thanks to the simplicity of the monochromatic white.

Bags

Advent Calendar Hoop // My Fabuless Life

Use a giant quilting hoop to make this cute advent calendar.  Just hang canvas bags with clothespins!

Tree Advent Calendar // Ana White

Modeled after a Pottery Barn advent calendar, this easy build is a great Christmas project.  Create the simple, classic tree shape with pine boards, then staple on burlap bags stiffened with glue or mod podge to mimic the look of baskets.  It’s rustic, but clean and minimalistic.

Stocking Ladder Advent // Brendid

Technically, these “bags” are really stockings.  This is another Pottery Barn knock-off.  Use a simple ladder you already have, or create a faux ladder that can be added to your daily decor when Christmas is over!

Fabric Tree Advent // Wayfair

This cute tree is made out of high quality felt.  With brightly colored felt bags sewn directly to the tree, it’s sturdy and whimsical!

Just for the Kids (or Kids at Heart!)

Animal Advent // A Bubbly Life

The animals glued on these boxes create a playful, whimsical theme, while the white and brown paper color scheme create a crisp, clean look.

Magnetic Ornament Tree Advent // Wayfair

This wooden Christmas tree from Melissa and Doug is magnetic, so kids can pull out a new ornament magnet each day and hang it on their own!  They’ll love rearranging their own tree, and the bright colors really pop.

Eric Carle Pop-Up Advent // Amazon

Eric Carle’s colorful and playful children’s books are wildly popular, and this cute pop-up advent will be too!  Lift the flaps to reveal ornaments you can hang on the pop-up tree.  Use it year after year.

Lego City Advent // Amazon

Lego Advent calendars are always a hit, and with the City advent you get to add some cute pieces to your Lego collection.  There are skiers, a hot chocolate stand, a zamboni, and even Santa!  The master builder in your family will love this one.

Unique Advent Ideas

Wood Clock Advent // Thrifty and Chic

Stylish, simple to use and very festive, this giant wall clock isn’t your ordinary timepiece.  It counts down the days to Christmas starting on the first of December.  But there’s a secret, too, because hidden on the back, behind each number is a felt pocket so you can slip in little pieces of paper with Christmas activities written on them.

Magnetic Advent Tins // Makoodle

Using magnetic favor tins and scrapbook paper, you can customize your calendar any way you want!  The tins are perfect for hiding candy or small toys, and you can glue a piece of paper with an activity on it to the inside bottom.

Advent Calendar Ugly Sweater // Shrimp Salad Circus

You’re going to kill it at this year’s ugly sweater party!  With a clever advent sweater that pulls double duty – counting down the days till Christmas AND looking horribly festive, you’ll win hands down.

Advent Calendar Door // The DIY Mommy

You may not have an old door laying around in your stash, but if you’ve got a thrift or repurposing store nearby you can probably find one for cheap.  Then create this cute ornament advent with handmade ornaments and shipping tags!

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar // Amazon

This delicious advent gifts you with 24 tiny jars of preserves!  It’s perfect for your sweet tooth when you’re looking for something a little different from the normal candy.  Plus, they’d make a great Christmas breakfast addition!

  What’s your favorite way to countdown to Christmas?

More advent calendar ideas:

Here’s a cute pallet wood tree advent calendar that’s easy to make.

Don’t miss this top ten advent calendars list!

And here are 25 MORE advent calendar ideas.

The post It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from builders feed https://www.remodelaholic.com/christmas-countdown-advent-calendars-make-buy/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[sherlocklexa]

It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to consider family traditions.  One of the most loved among many cultures is the advent calendar.  There are many different variations on the advent calendar, from minimalist countdowns to extravagant daily presents and everything in-between.  Some use candy, some small gifts and others incorporate family activities to get you in the mood for Christmas.  If you haven’t planned out your advent calendar for 2017, now is the time!  These 30+ charming advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are sure to inspire you!

25+ Christmas Countdowns and Advent Calendars

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more here. 

Easy Christmas Countdown Calendars

The holiday season is so busy, sometimes an activity or gift to open can make the season feel overwhelming instead of anticipatory. If that’s your style, these easy countdown boards help you and your family get excited for the season while keeping it simple.

Printable Christmas Countdown Board // Remodelaholic

We shared this holiday countdown board earlier and we just love it so much! Count down to Christmas and all the other major holidays, plus fill in the cards for your own personal holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Faux Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body

Tasha shared here on Remodelaholic how to easily make these reusable faux chalkboard holiday signs, and this Christmas countdown is so easy and so cute! We also found a similar version here for purchase.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Amazon

This chalkboard countdown board is so cute, and the number-change dial reminds me of the daily calendar my grandma had when I was growing up!

Christ-centered Christmas Countdown // Kemley Design

Keep the religious parts of Christmas present daily with this Christ-centered Christmas picture countdown board.

Christmas Paper Chain Countdown // The Crazy Craft Lady

It’s hard to get any easier than this printable paper chain, and kids will love that they can assemble and count down all by themselves.

Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee // The DIY Dreamer

Take the holiday anticipation outside with this jumbo outdoor countdown sign.

Snowman Countdown // Amazon

Just twist this little snowman’s nose a little each day and befor you know it… Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Countdown // Remodelaholic

Build this ornament countdown tree following our tutorial, and then 25 ornaments later, it’s Christmas!

  Envelope Advents

With snail mail on the decline, even for Christmas cards, these envelope advents can still give you the thrill of opening up a surprise!

25 Days of Giving Pocket Calendar // Unexpected Elegance

This version uses decorative treat bags in a variety of colors and patterns for the envelopes.  Inside each is an act of service to complete for each day leading up to Christmas!

Plaid Advent // Houseful of Handmade

Use the template to make these cute bow envelopes that pop open.  You can also make them magnetic and display them on a magnet board.

Christmas Tree Advent // Place of My Taste

Make a rustic Christmas tree frame with scrap wood.  The envelopes are triangles of cardstock – which mimics the tree shape.  Hang them with cute clothespins and you’re good to go!

Chalkboard Envelope Christmas Countdown Wall Chart // The Painted Hive

These are actually faux chalkboard envelopes – they are printed to look perfectly chalky!  Use the free printable templates and vintage looking shipping labels to create this look.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Fleece Fun

All you need are small envelopes or cardstock to create them and ribbon to make an advent calendar wreath.  Just hot glue the envelopes and tags to a pine wreath.

Galvanized Envelope Advent Calendar // Target

You can find this amazing Hearth & Home with Magnolia version of the advent calendar at Target.  The envelopes are made from galvanized metal placed on a dark wood background, giving it a rustic feel.

Advent Boxes

Everyone loves opening up a boxed surprise at Christmas! These advent boxes are cute ways to have a little joy in every day.

Colorful Advent Calendar // Delineate Your Dwelling

This cute boxy calendar proves that Christmas can be more than just red, green and white!

Mini Tree Advent // Oh Happy Day

By attaching mini trees to the top of your simple boxes, and adding an extra touch or two (fun number flags, red car with tree, faux snow) you can turn your advent calendar into an adorable vignette.

12 Days of Christmas Advent // Three Little Monkeys Studio

These cute round gift boxes are dressed up with chalkboard tags, jingle bells and Christmas trees, making them part of the decor and not just a calendar.  This version of the advent involves putting handmade ornaments and notes inside each box for someone else to open for the 12 days leading up to Christmas!

Wood House Calendar // World Market

This natural wood house frame has mini pull-out boxes to fill.  Even better, it lights up!

White Wood Christmas Advent Drawers // Amazon

Another version of the advent drawers on Amazon, has a clean, classic look thanks to the simplicity of the monochromatic white.

Bags

Advent Calendar Hoop // My Fabuless Life

Use a giant quilting hoop to make this cute advent calendar.  Just hang canvas bags with clothespins!

Tree Advent Calendar // Ana White

Modeled after a Pottery Barn advent calendar, this easy build is a great Christmas project.  Create the simple, classic tree shape with pine boards, then staple on burlap bags stiffened with glue or mod podge to mimic the look of baskets.  It’s rustic, but clean and minimalistic.

Stocking Ladder Advent // Brendid

Technically, these “bags” are really stockings.  This is another Pottery Barn knock-off.  Use a simple ladder you already have, or create a faux ladder that can be added to your daily decor when Christmas is over!

Fabric Tree Advent // Wayfair

This cute tree is made out of high quality felt.  With brightly colored felt bags sewn directly to the tree, it’s sturdy and whimsical!

Just for the Kids (or Kids at Heart!)

Animal Advent // A Bubbly Life

The animals glued on these boxes create a playful, whimsical theme, while the white and brown paper color scheme create a crisp, clean look.

Magnetic Ornament Tree Advent // Wayfair

This wooden Christmas tree from Melissa and Doug is magnetic, so kids can pull out a new ornament magnet each day and hang it on their own!  They’ll love rearranging their own tree, and the bright colors really pop.

Eric Carle Pop-Up Advent // Amazon

Eric Carle’s colorful and playful children’s books are wildly popular, and this cute pop-up advent will be too!  Lift the flaps to reveal ornaments you can hang on the pop-up tree.  Use it year after year.

Lego City Advent // Amazon

Lego Advent calendars are always a hit, and with the City advent you get to add some cute pieces to your Lego collection.  There are skiers, a hot chocolate stand, a zamboni, and even Santa!  The master builder in your family will love this one.

Unique Advent Ideas

Wood Clock Advent // Thrifty and Chic

Stylish, simple to use and very festive, this giant wall clock isn’t your ordinary timepiece.  It counts down the days to Christmas starting on the first of December.  But there’s a secret, too, because hidden on the back, behind each number is a felt pocket so you can slip in little pieces of paper with Christmas activities written on them.

Magnetic Advent Tins // Makoodle

Using magnetic favor tins and scrapbook paper, you can customize your calendar any way you want!  The tins are perfect for hiding candy or small toys, and you can glue a piece of paper with an activity on it to the inside bottom.

Advent Calendar Ugly Sweater // Shrimp Salad Circus

You’re going to kill it at this year’s ugly sweater party!  With a clever advent sweater that pulls double duty – counting down the days till Christmas AND looking horribly festive, you’ll win hands down.

Advent Calendar Door // The DIY Mommy

You may not have an old door laying around in your stash, but if you’ve got a thrift or repurposing store nearby you can probably find one for cheap.  Then create this cute ornament advent with handmade ornaments and shipping tags!

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar // Amazon

This delicious advent gifts you with 24 tiny jars of preserves!  It’s perfect for your sweet tooth when you’re looking for something a little different from the normal candy.  Plus, they’d make a great Christmas breakfast addition!

  What’s your favorite way to countdown to Christmas?

More advent calendar ideas:

Here’s a cute pallet wood tree advent calendar that’s easy to make.

Don’t miss this top ten advent calendars list!

And here are 25 MORE advent calendar ideas.

The post It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from car2 http://ift.tt/2zNtGbk via as shown a lot

[chocdono]

It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to consider family traditions.  One of the most loved among many cultures is the advent calendar.  There are many different variations on the advent calendar, from minimalist countdowns to extravagant daily presents and everything in-between.  Some use candy, some small gifts and others incorporate family activities to get you in the mood for Christmas.  If you haven’t planned out your advent calendar for 2017, now is the time!  These 30+ charming advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are sure to inspire you!

25+ Christmas Countdowns and Advent Calendars

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more here. 

Easy Christmas Countdown Calendars

The holiday season is so busy, sometimes an activity or gift to open can make the season feel overwhelming instead of anticipatory. If that’s your style, these easy countdown boards help you and your family get excited for the season while keeping it simple.

Printable Christmas Countdown Board // Remodelaholic

We shared this holiday countdown board earlier and we just love it so much! Count down to Christmas and all the other major holidays, plus fill in the cards for your own personal holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Faux Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body

Tasha shared here on Remodelaholic how to easily make these reusable faux chalkboard holiday signs, and this Christmas countdown is so easy and so cute! We also found a similar version here for purchase.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Amazon

This chalkboard countdown board is so cute, and the number-change dial reminds me of the daily calendar my grandma had when I was growing up!

Christ-centered Christmas Countdown // Kemley Design

Keep the religious parts of Christmas present daily with this Christ-centered Christmas picture countdown board.

Christmas Paper Chain Countdown // The Crazy Craft Lady

It’s hard to get any easier than this printable paper chain, and kids will love that they can assemble and count down all by themselves.

Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee // The DIY Dreamer

Take the holiday anticipation outside with this jumbo outdoor countdown sign.

Snowman Countdown // Amazon

Just twist this little snowman’s nose a little each day and befor you know it… Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Countdown // Remodelaholic

Build this ornament countdown tree following our tutorial, and then 25 ornaments later, it’s Christmas!

  Envelope Advents

With snail mail on the decline, even for Christmas cards, these envelope advents can still give you the thrill of opening up a surprise!

25 Days of Giving Pocket Calendar // Unexpected Elegance

This version uses decorative treat bags in a variety of colors and patterns for the envelopes.  Inside each is an act of service to complete for each day leading up to Christmas!

Plaid Advent // Houseful of Handmade

Use the template to make these cute bow envelopes that pop open.  You can also make them magnetic and display them on a magnet board.

Christmas Tree Advent // Place of My Taste

Make a rustic Christmas tree frame with scrap wood.  The envelopes are triangles of cardstock – which mimics the tree shape.  Hang them with cute clothespins and you’re good to go!

Chalkboard Envelope Christmas Countdown Wall Chart // The Painted Hive

These are actually faux chalkboard envelopes – they are printed to look perfectly chalky!  Use the free printable templates and vintage looking shipping labels to create this look.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Fleece Fun

All you need are small envelopes or cardstock to create them and ribbon to make an advent calendar wreath.  Just hot glue the envelopes and tags to a pine wreath.

Galvanized Envelope Advent Calendar // Target

You can find this amazing Hearth & Home with Magnolia version of the advent calendar at Target.  The envelopes are made from galvanized metal placed on a dark wood background, giving it a rustic feel.

Advent Boxes

Everyone loves opening up a boxed surprise at Christmas! These advent boxes are cute ways to have a little joy in every day.

Colorful Advent Calendar // Delineate Your Dwelling

This cute boxy calendar proves that Christmas can be more than just red, green and white!

Mini Tree Advent // Oh Happy Day

By attaching mini trees to the top of your simple boxes, and adding an extra touch or two (fun number flags, red car with tree, faux snow) you can turn your advent calendar into an adorable vignette.

12 Days of Christmas Advent // Three Little Monkeys Studio

These cute round gift boxes are dressed up with chalkboard tags, jingle bells and Christmas trees, making them part of the decor and not just a calendar.  This version of the advent involves putting handmade ornaments and notes inside each box for someone else to open for the 12 days leading up to Christmas!

Wood House Calendar // World Market

This natural wood house frame has mini pull-out boxes to fill.  Even better, it lights up!

White Wood Christmas Advent Drawers // Amazon

Another version of the advent drawers on Amazon, has a clean, classic look thanks to the simplicity of the monochromatic white.

Bags

Advent Calendar Hoop // My Fabuless Life

Use a giant quilting hoop to make this cute advent calendar.  Just hang canvas bags with clothespins!

Tree Advent Calendar // Ana White

Modeled after a Pottery Barn advent calendar, this easy build is a great Christmas project.  Create the simple, classic tree shape with pine boards, then staple on burlap bags stiffened with glue or mod podge to mimic the look of baskets.  It’s rustic, but clean and minimalistic.

Stocking Ladder Advent // Brendid

Technically, these “bags” are really stockings.  This is another Pottery Barn knock-off.  Use a simple ladder you already have, or create a faux ladder that can be added to your daily decor when Christmas is over!

Fabric Tree Advent // Wayfair

This cute tree is made out of high quality felt.  With brightly colored felt bags sewn directly to the tree, it’s sturdy and whimsical!

Just for the Kids (or Kids at Heart!)

Animal Advent // A Bubbly Life

The animals glued on these boxes create a playful, whimsical theme, while the white and brown paper color scheme create a crisp, clean look.

Magnetic Ornament Tree Advent // Wayfair

This wooden Christmas tree from Melissa and Doug is magnetic, so kids can pull out a new ornament magnet each day and hang it on their own!  They’ll love rearranging their own tree, and the bright colors really pop.

Eric Carle Pop-Up Advent // Amazon

Eric Carle’s colorful and playful children’s books are wildly popular, and this cute pop-up advent will be too!  Lift the flaps to reveal ornaments you can hang on the pop-up tree.  Use it year after year.

Lego City Advent // Amazon

Lego Advent calendars are always a hit, and with the City advent you get to add some cute pieces to your Lego collection.  There are skiers, a hot chocolate stand, a zamboni, and even Santa!  The master builder in your family will love this one.

Unique Advent Ideas

Wood Clock Advent // Thrifty and Chic

Stylish, simple to use and very festive, this giant wall clock isn’t your ordinary timepiece.  It counts down the days to Christmas starting on the first of December.  But there’s a secret, too, because hidden on the back, behind each number is a felt pocket so you can slip in little pieces of paper with Christmas activities written on them.

Magnetic Advent Tins // Makoodle

Using magnetic favor tins and scrapbook paper, you can customize your calendar any way you want!  The tins are perfect for hiding candy or small toys, and you can glue a piece of paper with an activity on it to the inside bottom.

Advent Calendar Ugly Sweater // Shrimp Salad Circus

You’re going to kill it at this year’s ugly sweater party!  With a clever advent sweater that pulls double duty – counting down the days till Christmas AND looking horribly festive, you’ll win hands down.

Advent Calendar Door // The DIY Mommy

You may not have an old door laying around in your stash, but if you’ve got a thrift or repurposing store nearby you can probably find one for cheap.  Then create this cute ornament advent with handmade ornaments and shipping tags!

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar // Amazon

This delicious advent gifts you with 24 tiny jars of preserves!  It’s perfect for your sweet tooth when you’re looking for something a little different from the normal candy.  Plus, they’d make a great Christmas breakfast addition!

  What’s your favorite way to countdown to Christmas?

More advent calendar ideas:

Here’s a cute pallet wood tree advent calendar that’s easy to make.

Don’t miss this top ten advent calendars list!

And here are 25 MORE advent calendar ideas.

The post It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from mix1 http://ift.tt/2zNtGbk via with this info

[gioia]

Les Gâteaux de Daisy Day romanzo di Valentina Olivastri 2017

Ringrazio Valentina Olivastri per aver tradotto per il post la sinossi di “Les Gâteaux de Daisy Day”

A sedici anni, nulla funziona nella vita di Daisy Hamilton ma un pomeriggio, guardando la televisione, si innamora pazzamente di un filosofo parigino super figo, Marcel du Lac. In quel preciso istante ha inizio la missione di Daisy: tentare di sedurlo. Nonostante un monte di ostacoli, per riuscire nel suo intento, Daisy inventa mille stratagemmi fino a quando un bel giorno, nel mezzo di Parigi, incontra Marcel, ma l’uomo dei suoi sogni si rivela una totale delusione. Disperata, Daisy si consola con l’amore di sempre: i dolci; e con l’aiuto della sorella gemella Lizzy e di nonna Stella, decide di aprire una pasticceria come non se ne sono mai viste prima a Parigi. Creata come il più romantico dei giardini inglesi con tanto di prato e fiori selvatici al suo interno, Daisy servirà puddings, tazze di tè e Jane Austen in tutte le lingue: dal cinese al basco, dal pashto all’occitanico, e il vero Mr Darcy  non tarderà a venire…

Les Gâteaux de Daisy Day is a fresh romantic comedy which explores the ups and downs of being in love. When in 2004 British schoolgirl and cake-addict Daisy Hamilton falls for hip Parisian philosopher Marcel du Lac while watching TV, her life is turned upside down. She begins a single-minded mission which takes her from Cambridge to Oxford to the south of France and ends in Paris. When Daisy’s and Marcel’s paths finally cross, she recognizes that the man holding the key to her future happiness is sadly a jerk. She is heartbroken, and her love for all things French is compromised. Daisy suddenly yearns for lumpy custard and rain-beaten ice cream parlours. Her twin sister Lizzie and formidable grandmother Stella come to her rescue, and Lizzie urges her to embrace serial dating; however, Stella suggests a much more tempting plan: Daisy should open an English cake shop in the heart of Paris. Styled like a wildflower meadow giving the illusion of a picnic in the British countryside, ‘Les Gâteaux de Daisy Day’ is like no other patisserie in the French capital: English cakes and puddings, hot and dark cups of tea and jugs of full fat milk are dished up with generous helpings of Jane Austen in a myriad languages from Chinese and Basque to Pashto and Occitan. Romance is in the air and fashion-mad Lizzie falls desperately in love with a Canadian professor who is passionate about nineteenth-century English literature, while Daisy is swept off her feet by an urban beekeeper, Jean-Paul Busby, half French, half Brit, with a sensitive heart and a fascination for queen bees. Naturally, all ends well in this feel-good modern fairy tale.

Primo capitolo 

1. How it all began 2. O Lance, where art thou? 3. Switching the box on: a fabulous white-shirted smoothie appears from nowhere 4. ❤❤❤Marcel du Lac for ever: a thousand and one scenarios❤❤❤ 5. From rags to riches 6. We have a Grandma 7. All by myself, I have to be 8. ’S Wonderful 9. I’m officially a bluestocking 10. Unforgettable Paris 11. The Queen Bee 12. Bikinis, macaroons and broken dreams 13. C’est ça: trop yummy pour toi 14. The clandestine baking club: have your cake and eat it 15. What’s it all about? 16. Cakes at the edge of rationality 17. Trading places 18. Let’s get down to it 19. Kiss on my list 20. Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will ‘bee’! 1. How it all began I’ll never forget the first time I fell in love. It was March 3rd, 2002. It was after dinner - bits of meat drowned in a brown liquid, a sea of floating peas and a couple of lifeless carrots. That night, Dad repeatedly subjected Lizzie and me to what vaguely smacked of bedtime reading. We were fourteen years old. Two weird characters going by the unlikely names of Cynewulf and Guthlac hardly proved to be a mood enhancer for two young girls, but Dad wasn’t the least bit discouraged. It was only when we were about to drop off that he changed his tune and marched ahead with another tale: ‘Once upon a time there was a young lad called Horn whose daddy was bumped off by a bunch of guys…’. Ropy enough, but at least this time there was a whiff of action. However, it was during Dad’s final attempt that things unexpectedly took a turn for the better, and one word that sounded as sweet and tempting as a Christmas trifle stuck with me. LOVE. These stories were all about love: falling in love, gutsy love, magical, riveting love. From irresistible passions, huge expectations and great opportunities, to regular girls rolling around with yummy princes and happily scampering off to sandy beaches. “Hang on in there,” I told myself, “this is great stuff.” The tales were incredibly addictive. They were mostly set in Rome and in France (stonking locations I thought) with the odd jaunt to exotic places and my super favourite of all started something like this: far away, in a magical land, there was a wizard called Merlin, a mysterious kingdom named Camelot, a round table and, above all, there was him, the amazing, extraordinary, wonderfully hip ❤ Lancelot of the Lake ❤. Oh my God… The guy was a legend verging on myth and with his cool swagger, he was making news just by showing up in his chainmail under the light of flaming torches. Every page Dad read conjured up a treasure trove full of wonders and filled with impossibly moist chocolate hearts, swan robes and plenty of tasty potions. In this spellbound realm, Lancelot was ready to flex his muscles to save my life and take me away with him. He was my saviour, the one who could do no wrong and as for his previous peccadillos, including mistaking a chick named Elaine for his regular squeeze and bonking her, I could hardly blame him. He had, after all, been under the influence of a particularly cruel spell. For me Lancelot would suffer long and treacherous journeys, crossing swords and defeating the enemy single-handedly just to croon: “Hi, babe, cup of tea or G&T? What do you fancy?” That’s my man, I thought, ever so proud, and pelted him with kisses and Bonne Maman mini jars, strawberry flavour. He was generous, adored my company, and was sensitive to my beauty - *very important* - despite my imprisonment by calories. Size 16, I’m afraid. Lance (we were already on very cordial terms) could brush away the smallest of my problems, infusing my mood with ambitious dreams and lashings of highly quaffable wine. With him I was adventurous, unblushing and goose bumps-prone. I had our life together planned to perfection. What he’d suggest and what I’d reply, what he’d pine for and what I’d offer him; and the procedure could be repeated as many times as I fancied. Of course, I expected nothing less than complete submission from him. No conflicting sets of desire were ever allowed in my fantasy world. All that I needed was the right party invitation, but I’d have no second thoughts about gatecrashing the social milieu, as Dad would say, inhabited by my dazzling knight. Love was my very own Holy Grail, and I was snacking hard on Lance’s stirring exploits. My passion for them was unquenchable, and I constantly asked for more, but Dad wouldn’t have it. “Let’s move on to King Arthur,” he would drone while readjusting the ancient creases of the suit perilously hanging on his rangy frame. “Not him. He’d be a bloody nobody without Lance,” I’d shout. “Without Lance his reputation would be zilch. He’s just a drag with shaggy hair. He has no glamour whatsoever and none of the zippy dialogue. I don’t even know how he got into the plot.” “Nonsense,” Dad would rattle off while casting a glance at his naff footwear. “Arthur was a great King, the one who saved Britain from enemies at home and abroad. It’s your ‘Lance’ who would be ‘zilch’ without him.” “Yeah. Blah, blah, blah.” Nothing was going to spoil my dream. Not that tedious interloper Arthur and certainly not the rubbish comments that Dad was booooooring me to death with. For me only one word counted: ROMANCE. Kiss, kiss, kiss. Yes, I was smitten! When I told Lizzie that I was madly in love with Lance, she wasn’t as thrilled as I was. “Come on, Daisy, get a grip. These stories are complete dross. Move on.” “No way. I’m sure this is what I’ve been dreaming of all these years.” “All these years? You’ve only just turned fourteen.” “So have you.” “Not really. I’m thirteen minutes and five seconds older, remember? I came out first.” “Oh, you and your head start. I’m so impressed.” “You can say it louder if you like. Anyway, point being, Dad is telling you a load of old tosh. Don’t let it mess with your head. I can smell big trouble. Fingers in your ears and do it now.” “I can’t and I won’t. I’ve got to find my twenty-first century Lance,” and beaming with enthusiasm I added, “I know that somewhere I’ll find him…” “Where exactly?” asked Lizzie, wishing she’d never had a sister. In her eyes, I was developing into something bigger than a huge embarrassment. I had already turned into a real pain. “Lance,” I replied, hands on hips, sounding like Mum and Dad, “was raised in an underwater palace by the Lady of the Lake.” “Have you gone completely bonkers?” “Oh, shut up. I know what I’m doing. I mean, I have to look for someone connected with the sea: a sailor, a lifeguard, a scuba-diver. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Even a lock keeper would do.” “Get real, Daisy. This isn’t one of your fairy tales.” “Who are you to say?” “You really are mental.” After some serious lip chewing, I shut myself in my room and sleuthed for ways to get to my Lance. I became ever so busy with my one-off mission and turned into a young Miss Marple minus the curtain twitching. If I were to succeed in my quest, I needed some sort of power just like any respectable pixie. All that I had at my disposal in and out of the house were books. My mind was, therefore, made up. Knowledge, that most mysterious and scary force - I tried not to think of what it had done to Mum and Dad - was going to be the secret weapon for my ultimate homework assignment. Finding love with the capital L! To be continued…

[toddlazarski]

The Bucks, PB&J’s, and Man’s Search For Meaning

Shepherd Express 

“I made sammiches, fellas.”

It came across as a weird statement. Especially given our relative state of adulthood. Especially coming as it did, one workaday Wednesday afternoon, through our office’s Slack messaging ether, a forum reserved for quote requests and shipment follow-ups and tracking numbers, for the occasional cat video, a not infrequent ponder as to the likelihood of a collective Cielito Lindo trek.      

But I’d spent the previous night slathering sliced brioche with Jif Natural Chunky and Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves, compiling a venerable stack of PB&J’s, a ziploc bag tower of mushed bread-on-bread, berry bubbling its way through the creases like a razor-thin paper cut, feeling myself motherly all the while, getting nostalgic for childhood. Getting nostalgic, too, for high school senior year, where, despite being 18 and having little desire outside of finding beer access and listening to Zeppelin and putting distance between my person and my parents, how I had still, out of horomone-bursting hunger probably, allowed mom to make me a PB&J near daily. Even teenage too-coolness was overmatched by the sandwich’s essence of everyday art, it’s sort of ceaseless comfort. A meal anyone can assemble, but requiring, deserving of a certain ratio-ed touch. Quotidian, yet satisfying. Delicious, yet healthy enough that even the most Trump-budget-military-upgrade-caliber helicopter parents can agree. A benign, toddler-friendly foodstuff, still, endless in variations (i.e. the inexplicable calculus of the diagonal cut; the bewildering game-raising of toasted bread). It’s the “Misty” of school lunches - you’ve experienced it a million times, but where’s the guitar solo going this time? Is that peach jam!?    

ESPN’s recent caloric journalism flight, detailing said comfort and the prevalent addiction rampant amongst seemingly all NBA players, has indeed opened up a very general sort of reminiscence. Of sandwiches, of school day lunches. Of a now-gone time of possibility ahead. Of a day when I stood in front of my 8th grade class, and when asked about plans for the future, put stoically: “I’m gonna play in the NBA.” How I had stared down scoffs, how they all laughed. And how I had doggedly, in my mind, flashed on Mugsy, my same height back then, back when I was the John Stockton of before-school open gyms, and there was no reason my prepubescent crossover wasn’t worthy of at least a scholarship. It was a time similar to, say, about last week, when driving and scooping layups, how I had reminded myself, again, now, that I’m currently the same height of 29-points-per game Isaiah Thomas, and subsequently tried to walk with his same Pesci-like, something-to-prove swagger. It also has evoked a type of hometown nostalgia, as the Bucks top the article’s list of team’s with the most gourmet PB&J offerings. I was eventually brought back to thoughts of a near-great Bucks year toward the end of said high school sandwich days. And really, for Milwaukeeans, the way you remember that ‘00-’01 almost-Finals team says who you are: If you think of Ray Allen, your life strives toward elegance, Glenn Robinson means fierce blue-collar pride, if like me, you think of Sam Cassell, you’re an underdog. Or possibly just an unrepentant basketball nerd.  

Now, as the current young Bucks stand days from a seemingly important playoff birth, so we stand at 5pm on Wednesday’s, in anticipatory glow of post-work warehouse 2-on-2. And we start to swivel hips and test hamstring dexterity while still in office wear. Roll out necks and hear the creaks, try to conjure up Giannis-like limberness. We eventually dribble two balls at the same time like we see Steph Curry always doing in slo-mo, collectively scoffing at our aging and aged bodies in various states of shape and debaucherous misuse. We hash out postseason Bucks impressions in pregame loosening good humor. We double check text messages to make sure our others, significant or semi, know we won’t be around for dinner. Make sure they know that when we do emerge from the warehouse’s cavernous battle bubble, that we’ll be sweaty and worn, proud bearers of war tales, much deserving of many manly beer swills.   

In our core there is Gino, the ubiquitous scrapmaster all good pickup games require. As the only non-employee on today’s lineup, he’s caught off-guard by my previous night’s culinary feat. But he’s rarely off-guard, as the hustle guy, the token tough, the rugby or futbol hooligan-type that doesn’t stop, the one who’s mostly-bald skull might appear exceptionally hard. It is. And I know this because over-leaning on post defense one Friday last summer caused a cranium-connection and gaping wound that looked like the 2nd round of a Rocky fight, required nine stitches, and left a one inch scar on my right eyelid. Day’s shortly after, someone at work called me “Scarface,” and it felt like an achievement I’d never realized I was yearning for.

There is also Andrew, who couldn’t wait to get into the break room fridge, correctly noting the article doesn’t specify exactly when NBA-ers down their youthful pregame snack. Thirty minutes prior to tip was the longest we could hold out. As a guitar player he has other goals, appetites, and also has fingerpicking fingernails, that sometimes make a reach-in foul leave a bit more than a slapping sting. He likes to mime Dellevedova floaters by faux announcing “Delly!” while putting one up. It often finds net, like it almost always does anytime he’s left even a smidge of an open window downtown, his bombed three’s yielding that feeling that good guitar player’s often do - a mix of head-shaking wonder and jealous annoyance. And he has to leave at a reasonable time, for a gig, to work more, to maintain his Shepherd Express-voted status as Milwaukee’s ‘Best Guitarist,’ to keep after continued validation that some voting systems in this country aren’t completely broken.   

And there is Dylan, who good naturedly shakes his head at my insistence on bringing up the ESPN article, over and over, a reaction like his kid just learned a knock-knock joke that he won’t let drop. In fact, Dylan often seems the group’s symbolic father. Not because of the Harden-cum-wizard beard and his existence as an actual father of two, but because of the endless series of bank shots and shifty craftiness, crafty shiftiness. Sometimes his game is pure Tim Duncan. Sometimes it’s a type of old man one-step-ahead smirking mindfulness, where he goads you into shots he knows he can close on, block. Sometimes it’s a hard sell on a pump fake that you regret immediately as you leave pavement, then watch him go by at a casual pace for a layup that he never misses - being a dad, being a miniature big fundamental, having a personality directly corollary to his court skills, and vice versa. Like Magic Johnson - if he’s on your team. Like he’s Michael Jordan and you’re the Cavs if not.  

Together, when the F-bomb’s fly, and the panting starts, and balls get smashed into the concrete floor in frustration, and you get your the first butt in the gut on a box out, and feel the familiar, exhausted hatred for a one-time - five minutes ago! - friend, we feel not so far off from what we watch on TV. From the Bucks, from the playoffs, from realizing all those school day aspirations. After all, I’m wearing Nikes. We’re all wearing Nikes. Except Gino, who is a soccer player, so Addidas are acceptable. But aside from that, anything sans swoosh seems senseless. I’m wearing the model of Cavs guard Kyrie Irving. Having decided at some point, for now, at least this year, “that’s my guy,” something moving deep within me as I watched him hit possibly the most clutch shot in NBA history, as I sat sweaty and expectant, hunkered in a dark sports bar on my first night in Rio de Janeiro, living out a different kind of dream, steps from the most famous beach in the world, amidst one of the most vibrant cities in history, thinking only of catching game 7, thinking on all the ones that got away from me, feeling late-game sympathy nerves. But now I tie and then velcro expensive Nike’s in his fashion and adorned in his ‘#2,’ and I can kind of mime that patented double behind the back dribble when I’m by myself on the court, in the warehouse. And that is something. But Irving also has the thick beard and sad eyes of my father. And that might be something else.   

Now, with the sandwiches churning, leftover peanut butter chunks being tongued at in wisdom teeth nether regions, collectively we’re all even closer, thrown together in end of day release to re-live, reimagine our days of middle to middle high school ballerdom. When identity came from being good, kind of good, at something that made you sweaty. Before any of us knew each other. Before we had to go to work and get to know each other. In order to pay rent, and then mortgages, and then babysitters. To put food on a table. And then somewhere along the line it having to be somewhat healthy food. Before we had to make decisions, like whether or not it is worth it to pay for cable, so we can go home and watch more basketball.

At this point in our career we could play bald guys vs. hair guys, husbands vs. boyfriends. In alternate lineup iterations we can play dads vs. non-procreators. Oftentimes, if we go on Saturdays, we'll play through hangovers. Afternoon's, every now and then, somebody cracks a can of beer before the last game of ‘21’. And you know, when D-ing up, breathing deep sweaty man beer breath, then actually, purposefully, boldly placing your hand in the small of a back that is mostly just soaked-through dripping cotton t-shirt swatch - this isn’t about exercise anymore. At work on sore days after, we'll stand at each other's desk and bemoan sore hamstrings, treat ourselves to nachos, with ground beef, that come, today only, without guilt. We’ll play the showered, clean clothes, office game, but sipping Gatorade the whole time. Some of us - the dreamier sorts -  maybe even going to a place of a fictitious postgame press conference in our head as we rehydrate like our idols.    

But before games, lacing shoes too tightly, jogging in place and hoping for no unexpected pains, warming up with layups that we mostly make all of, here we are, with everything possible, with Marv Albert explaining to expectant at home audiences how “Lazarski has to be aggressive tonight,” with gentle butterflies birthing in the stomach, if only out of shared remembrance for when such athletic contests meant something. Meant everything. And there’s no difference, just like down the street, in that bigger warehouse on 4th Street, with playoff-virgin nerves pulsing. Once we start it’s all the same as it is for Malcolm, for Khris, the only difference that last-second call home, reminding again our significant others that we’ll be home late, that we’ll reek of body odor. But probably, hopefully, not bleeding, or needing any kind of ride from Urgent Care.    

And tonight, I’ve missed a potential game winner. A 15-foot, pull-up jumper. My bread-and-butter, my PB&J. Staring stoically out the window of the 15, back toward real life in the night, it’s hard to let it go, to not punch my own thigh, thinking on all the times I’d practiced the shot for just such a moment. In all the driveways of my life. After school practices, with various stages of after-school friends. Solo sometimes, or in the rain like a motivational sports movie montage. On a court in Venice Beach with my uncle. With drinking buddies turned rivals. With rivals turned drinking buddies. With long forgotten one-time best pals. It all leading to this, the big moment, everybody watching, leaning forward, the time of “Kyrie for three!...”      

But, we'll be back next week. If kids aren’t sick and hamstrings aren’t tight and workout clothes aren’t forgotten and anniversary dinners aren’t written in pen in the dayplanner. And I know where it went wrong, what can help. I know how to get it back. And Andrew mis-hears me on his way out, agrees anyway, says, “Yeah, it was great.”  But it all seems so clear, the fix for the future, and I say it again: “next week, we’ll go with grape jelly.”

[andrewmawby]

It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to consider family traditions.  One of the most loved among many cultures is the advent calendar.  There are many different variations on the advent calendar, from minimalist countdowns to extravagant daily presents and everything in-between.  Some use candy, some small gifts and others incorporate family activities to get you in the mood for Christmas.  If you haven’t planned out your advent calendar for 2017, now is the time!  These 30+ charming advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are sure to inspire you!

25+ Christmas Countdowns and Advent Calendars

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more here. 

Easy Christmas Countdown Calendars

The holiday season is so busy, sometimes an activity or gift to open can make the season feel overwhelming instead of anticipatory. If that’s your style, these easy countdown boards help you and your family get excited for the season while keeping it simple.

Printable Christmas Countdown Board // Remodelaholic

We shared this holiday countdown board earlier and we just love it so much! Count down to Christmas and all the other major holidays, plus fill in the cards for your own personal holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Faux Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body

Tasha shared here on Remodelaholic how to easily make these reusable faux chalkboard holiday signs, and this Christmas countdown is so easy and so cute! We also found a similar version here for purchase.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Amazon

This chalkboard countdown board is so cute, and the number-change dial reminds me of the daily calendar my grandma had when I was growing up!

Christ-centered Christmas Countdown // Kemley Design

Keep the religious parts of Christmas present daily with this Christ-centered Christmas picture countdown board.

Christmas Paper Chain Countdown // The Crazy Craft Lady

It’s hard to get any easier than this printable paper chain, and kids will love that they can assemble and count down all by themselves.

Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee // The DIY Dreamer

Take the holiday anticipation outside with this jumbo outdoor countdown sign.

Snowman Countdown // Amazon

Just twist this little snowman’s nose a little each day and befor you know it… Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Countdown // Remodelaholic

Build this ornament countdown tree following our tutorial, and then 25 ornaments later, it’s Christmas!

  Envelope Advents

With snail mail on the decline, even for Christmas cards, these envelope advents can still give you the thrill of opening up a surprise!

25 Days of Giving Pocket Calendar // Unexpected Elegance

This version uses decorative treat bags in a variety of colors and patterns for the envelopes.  Inside each is an act of service to complete for each day leading up to Christmas!

Plaid Advent // Houseful of Handmade

Use the template to make these cute bow envelopes that pop open.  You can also make them magnetic and display them on a magnet board.

Christmas Tree Advent // Place of My Taste

Make a rustic Christmas tree frame with scrap wood.  The envelopes are triangles of cardstock – which mimics the tree shape.  Hang them with cute clothespins and you’re good to go!

Chalkboard Envelope Christmas Countdown Wall Chart // The Painted Hive

These are actually faux chalkboard envelopes – they are printed to look perfectly chalky!  Use the free printable templates and vintage looking shipping labels to create this look.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Fleece Fun

All you need are small envelopes or cardstock to create them and ribbon to make an advent calendar wreath.  Just hot glue the envelopes and tags to a pine wreath.

Galvanized Envelope Advent Calendar // Target

You can find this amazing Hearth & Home with Magnolia version of the advent calendar at Target.  The envelopes are made from galvanized metal placed on a dark wood background, giving it a rustic feel.

Advent Boxes

Everyone loves opening up a boxed surprise at Christmas! These advent boxes are cute ways to have a little joy in every day.

Colorful Advent Calendar // Delineate Your Dwelling

This cute boxy calendar proves that Christmas can be more than just red, green and white!

Mini Tree Advent // Oh Happy Day

By attaching mini trees to the top of your simple boxes, and adding an extra touch or two (fun number flags, red car with tree, faux snow) you can turn your advent calendar into an adorable vignette.

12 Days of Christmas Advent // Three Little Monkeys Studio

These cute round gift boxes are dressed up with chalkboard tags, jingle bells and Christmas trees, making them part of the decor and not just a calendar.  This version of the advent involves putting handmade ornaments and notes inside each box for someone else to open for the 12 days leading up to Christmas!

Wood House Calendar // World Market

This natural wood house frame has mini pull-out boxes to fill.  Even better, it lights up!

White Wood Christmas Advent Drawers // Amazon

Another version of the advent drawers on Amazon, has a clean, classic look thanks to the simplicity of the monochromatic white.

Bags

Advent Calendar Hoop // My Fabuless Life

Use a giant quilting hoop to make this cute advent calendar.  Just hang canvas bags with clothespins!

Tree Advent Calendar // Ana White

Modeled after a Pottery Barn advent calendar, this easy build is a great Christmas project.  Create the simple, classic tree shape with pine boards, then staple on burlap bags stiffened with glue or mod podge to mimic the look of baskets.  It’s rustic, but clean and minimalistic.

Stocking Ladder Advent // Brendid

Technically, these “bags” are really stockings.  This is another Pottery Barn knock-off.  Use a simple ladder you already have, or create a faux ladder that can be added to your daily decor when Christmas is over!

Fabric Tree Advent // Wayfair

This cute tree is made out of high quality felt.  With brightly colored felt bags sewn directly to the tree, it’s sturdy and whimsical!

Just for the Kids (or Kids at Heart!)

Animal Advent // A Bubbly Life

The animals glued on these boxes create a playful, whimsical theme, while the white and brown paper color scheme create a crisp, clean look.

Magnetic Ornament Tree Advent // Wayfair

This wooden Christmas tree from Melissa and Doug is magnetic, so kids can pull out a new ornament magnet each day and hang it on their own!  They’ll love rearranging their own tree, and the bright colors really pop.

Eric Carle Pop-Up Advent // Amazon

Eric Carle’s colorful and playful children’s books are wildly popular, and this cute pop-up advent will be too!  Lift the flaps to reveal ornaments you can hang on the pop-up tree.  Use it year after year.

Lego City Advent // Amazon

Lego Advent calendars are always a hit, and with the City advent you get to add some cute pieces to your Lego collection.  There are skiers, a hot chocolate stand, a zamboni, and even Santa!  The master builder in your family will love this one.

Unique Advent Ideas

Wood Clock Advent // Thrifty and Chic

Stylish, simple to use and very festive, this giant wall clock isn’t your ordinary timepiece.  It counts down the days to Christmas starting on the first of December.  But there’s a secret, too, because hidden on the back, behind each number is a felt pocket so you can slip in little pieces of paper with Christmas activities written on them.

Magnetic Advent Tins // Makoodle

Using magnetic favor tins and scrapbook paper, you can customize your calendar any way you want!  The tins are perfect for hiding candy or small toys, and you can glue a piece of paper with an activity on it to the inside bottom.

Advent Calendar Ugly Sweater // Shrimp Salad Circus

You’re going to kill it at this year’s ugly sweater party!  With a clever advent sweater that pulls double duty – counting down the days till Christmas AND looking horribly festive, you’ll win hands down.

Advent Calendar Door // The DIY Mommy

You may not have an old door laying around in your stash, but if you’ve got a thrift or repurposing store nearby you can probably find one for cheap.  Then create this cute ornament advent with handmade ornaments and shipping tags!

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar // Amazon

This delicious advent gifts you with 24 tiny jars of preserves!  It’s perfect for your sweet tooth when you’re looking for something a little different from the normal candy.  Plus, they’d make a great Christmas breakfast addition!

  What’s your favorite way to countdown to Christmas?

More advent calendar ideas:

Here’s a cute pallet wood tree advent calendar that’s easy to make.

Don’t miss this top ten advent calendars list!

And here are 25 MORE advent calendar ideas.

The post It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from builders feed https://www.remodelaholic.com/christmas-countdown-advent-calendars-make-buy/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[andrewmawby]

It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to consider family traditions.  One of the most loved among many cultures is the advent calendar.  There are many different variations on the advent calendar, from minimalist countdowns to extravagant daily presents and everything in-between.  Some use candy, some small gifts and others incorporate family activities to get you in the mood for Christmas.  If you haven’t planned out your advent calendar for 2017, now is the time!  These 30+ charming advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are sure to inspire you!

25+ Christmas Countdowns and Advent Calendars

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more here. 

Easy Christmas Countdown Calendars

The holiday season is so busy, sometimes an activity or gift to open can make the season feel overwhelming instead of anticipatory. If that’s your style, these easy countdown boards help you and your family get excited for the season while keeping it simple.

Printable Christmas Countdown Board // Remodelaholic

We shared this holiday countdown board earlier and we just love it so much! Count down to Christmas and all the other major holidays, plus fill in the cards for your own personal holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Faux Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body

Tasha shared here on Remodelaholic how to easily make these reusable faux chalkboard holiday signs, and this Christmas countdown is so easy and so cute! We also found a similar version here for purchase.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown // Amazon

This chalkboard countdown board is so cute, and the number-change dial reminds me of the daily calendar my grandma had when I was growing up!

Christ-centered Christmas Countdown // Kemley Design

Keep the religious parts of Christmas present daily with this Christ-centered Christmas picture countdown board.

Christmas Paper Chain Countdown // The Crazy Craft Lady

It’s hard to get any easier than this printable paper chain, and kids will love that they can assemble and count down all by themselves.

Outdoor Christmas Countdown Marquee // The DIY Dreamer

Take the holiday anticipation outside with this jumbo outdoor countdown sign.

Snowman Countdown // Amazon

Just twist this little snowman’s nose a little each day and befor you know it… Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Countdown // Remodelaholic

Build this ornament countdown tree following our tutorial, and then 25 ornaments later, it’s Christmas!

  Envelope Advents

With snail mail on the decline, even for Christmas cards, these envelope advents can still give you the thrill of opening up a surprise!

25 Days of Giving Pocket Calendar // Unexpected Elegance

This version uses decorative treat bags in a variety of colors and patterns for the envelopes.  Inside each is an act of service to complete for each day leading up to Christmas!

Plaid Advent // Houseful of Handmade

Use the template to make these cute bow envelopes that pop open.  You can also make them magnetic and display them on a magnet board.

Christmas Tree Advent // Place of My Taste

Make a rustic Christmas tree frame with scrap wood.  The envelopes are triangles of cardstock – which mimics the tree shape.  Hang them with cute clothespins and you’re good to go!

Chalkboard Envelope Christmas Countdown Wall Chart // The Painted Hive

These are actually faux chalkboard envelopes – they are printed to look perfectly chalky!  Use the free printable templates and vintage looking shipping labels to create this look.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Fleece Fun

All you need are small envelopes or cardstock to create them and ribbon to make an advent calendar wreath.  Just hot glue the envelopes and tags to a pine wreath.

Galvanized Envelope Advent Calendar // Target

You can find this amazing Hearth & Home with Magnolia version of the advent calendar at Target.  The envelopes are made from galvanized metal placed on a dark wood background, giving it a rustic feel.

Advent Boxes

Everyone loves opening up a boxed surprise at Christmas! These advent boxes are cute ways to have a little joy in every day.

Colorful Advent Calendar // Delineate Your Dwelling

This cute boxy calendar proves that Christmas can be more than just red, green and white!

Mini Tree Advent // Oh Happy Day

By attaching mini trees to the top of your simple boxes, and adding an extra touch or two (fun number flags, red car with tree, faux snow) you can turn your advent calendar into an adorable vignette.

12 Days of Christmas Advent // Three Little Monkeys Studio

These cute round gift boxes are dressed up with chalkboard tags, jingle bells and Christmas trees, making them part of the decor and not just a calendar.  This version of the advent involves putting handmade ornaments and notes inside each box for someone else to open for the 12 days leading up to Christmas!

Wood House Calendar // World Market

This natural wood house frame has mini pull-out boxes to fill.  Even better, it lights up!

White Wood Christmas Advent Drawers // Amazon

Another version of the advent drawers on Amazon, has a clean, classic look thanks to the simplicity of the monochromatic white.

Bags

Advent Calendar Hoop // My Fabuless Life

Use a giant quilting hoop to make this cute advent calendar.  Just hang canvas bags with clothespins!

Tree Advent Calendar // Ana White

Modeled after a Pottery Barn advent calendar, this easy build is a great Christmas project.  Create the simple, classic tree shape with pine boards, then staple on burlap bags stiffened with glue or mod podge to mimic the look of baskets.  It’s rustic, but clean and minimalistic.

Stocking Ladder Advent // Brendid

Technically, these “bags” are really stockings.  This is another Pottery Barn knock-off.  Use a simple ladder you already have, or create a faux ladder that can be added to your daily decor when Christmas is over!

Fabric Tree Advent // Wayfair

This cute tree is made out of high quality felt.  With brightly colored felt bags sewn directly to the tree, it’s sturdy and whimsical!

Just for the Kids (or Kids at Heart!)

Animal Advent // A Bubbly Life

The animals glued on these boxes create a playful, whimsical theme, while the white and brown paper color scheme create a crisp, clean look.

Magnetic Ornament Tree Advent // Wayfair

This wooden Christmas tree from Melissa and Doug is magnetic, so kids can pull out a new ornament magnet each day and hang it on their own!  They’ll love rearranging their own tree, and the bright colors really pop.

Eric Carle Pop-Up Advent // Amazon

Eric Carle’s colorful and playful children’s books are wildly popular, and this cute pop-up advent will be too!  Lift the flaps to reveal ornaments you can hang on the pop-up tree.  Use it year after year.

Lego City Advent // Amazon

Lego Advent calendars are always a hit, and with the City advent you get to add some cute pieces to your Lego collection.  There are skiers, a hot chocolate stand, a zamboni, and even Santa!  The master builder in your family will love this one.

Unique Advent Ideas

Wood Clock Advent // Thrifty and Chic

Stylish, simple to use and very festive, this giant wall clock isn’t your ordinary timepiece.  It counts down the days to Christmas starting on the first of December.  But there’s a secret, too, because hidden on the back, behind each number is a felt pocket so you can slip in little pieces of paper with Christmas activities written on them.

Magnetic Advent Tins // Makoodle

Using magnetic favor tins and scrapbook paper, you can customize your calendar any way you want!  The tins are perfect for hiding candy or small toys, and you can glue a piece of paper with an activity on it to the inside bottom.

Advent Calendar Ugly Sweater // Shrimp Salad Circus

You’re going to kill it at this year’s ugly sweater party!  With a clever advent sweater that pulls double duty – counting down the days till Christmas AND looking horribly festive, you’ll win hands down.

Advent Calendar Door // The DIY Mommy

You may not have an old door laying around in your stash, but if you’ve got a thrift or repurposing store nearby you can probably find one for cheap.  Then create this cute ornament advent with handmade ornaments and shipping tags!

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar // Amazon

This delicious advent gifts you with 24 tiny jars of preserves!  It’s perfect for your sweet tooth when you’re looking for something a little different from the normal candy.  Plus, they’d make a great Christmas breakfast addition!

  What’s your favorite way to countdown to Christmas?

More advent calendar ideas:

Here’s a cute pallet wood tree advent calendar that’s easy to make.

Don’t miss this top ten advent calendars list!

And here are 25 MORE advent calendar ideas.

The post It’s the Christmas Countdown! 30+ Charming Advent Calendars to Make or Buy appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from builders feed https://www.remodelaholic.com/christmas-countdown-advent-calendars-make-buy/ via http://www.rssmix.com/