Christmas 2011: Deck the Halls

Happy New Year to you all and a warm welcome to 2012! What a wonderful Holiday season it was. Fall and Winter were a busy time and I didn't get to spend as much time on personal projects (i.e. Create & Borrow) as I would have liked to (thanks advertising), but then came Christmas, my favourite time of all and a first for my husband and I, a Christmas in New York. There was much to prepare as we (I!) embarked on a traditional Swedish Julbord with all the pre and post trimmings. I pickled herring, cured gravlax, baked saffron bread, pickled vegetables, baked a ham, rolled meatballs, grated Jansson's Delight, hung gingerbread and much, much more. It was such a treat to spend Christmas together watching movies and indulging in apple cider with a side of New York skylline. Here is a collection of my Instagram photos from the holiday. Since a few of the items I made this holiday I have posted before, you can check out the Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies, Paper Snowflakes and Gingerbread Christmas Tree Decorations on previous posts. The holiday decorations are now packed away and the apartment has relinquished it's grotto status, but I know I am looking forward to next year's celebreation already. In the mean time, savor the memories, turn to the first page of that brand new note book, ready those New Year's resolutions....and begin.

Bunting and Bacon Butties

Congratulations to Catherine and William! What a wonderful wedding it was, so beautiful. I woke up at 5:30am to watch it here in New York. I stood in my pajamas for God Save the Queen and then rushed off to work in my best wedding attire to hang bunting and organize a Royal Breakfast for my American colleagues. Strong tea, bacons sandwiches, digestives biscuits and a great deal of British pride were served up along with the re-runs and commentary on the Royal wedding. It really was a very special event, I was so very proud to be British and for the first time in 8 years of being an ex-pat, more than a little homesick. As the chap in Tea&Sympathy said when I bought the biscuits... "anyone can become a celebrity, but no-one can become a Royal...except for Kate!". Now that's a fairy-tale.

Here's the homemade bunting and breakfast fun that my lovely Brit colleagues David, Kath and I organized.