Sipping Chardonnay

I love nights in. I sit here, sipping some Chardonnay (not my usual red wine, but it's what we opened with the roasted turkey breast last night). I lit some candles. My husband is relaxing on the couch next to me, and I get to sit here and type.

The holidays are coming up quickly, and I am very excited. I love cooking large meals, so Thanksgiving and Christmas are stressful but fun for me. We do a roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce (homemade, not the gelatinous stuff in a can), sweet potato casserole, pies galore, dressing.....basically a huge feast that feeds us for days on end. In addition, throughout these months we make cookies, candies, party mix, and homemade hot cocoa like it might be the end of the world tomorrow! I eat completely differently than I did a year ago, so it will be fun to just enjoy the food rather than freaking out worrying whether I should taste something or not.

Along with the food (although that is the most important part to us!) we do a big tree with lights and decorations, and we are planning on adding greenery around the house this year. It's our last Christmas in this house, so I am looking forward to doing it up right. Next year we will be in a different country, on a different continent, in a different house that I can only guess at now. We've been looking into some 1920's and 1930's homes back in the States that I would be more than happy to buy, and I can only imagine a Christmas with a fireplace to hang the stockings from.

I'm also looking forward to building a home rather than just a resting place.....which is what I consider here. Total I will have lived here 2 years and a month, and several months of that in the end will have been unpacking and re-packing. We bought furniture out of need rather than taking time to fall in love with pieces, so the idea of settling down for a few years in a place of our own is almost like a dream. The past couple weeks I have spent looking online at home stores, gazing at couches I can imagine stretching out languidly on, mirrors that would be perfect for an entryway, chandeliers for dining room tables. Basically I have become obessesed with decorating a house. My husband and I both want a home that is warm and inviting, but has an air of formality to it as well. I think that description suits us best.....we are both very friendly, welcoming people, but we are also a bit reserved at times, waiting until we get to know people to really let loose.

This coming weekend I have Garret all to myself for basically 4 days. We are going to go to breakfast/brunch at Cafe Rouge on Saturday. Garret really wants to try a Croque Madame with the egg on top, and I am looking forward to a warm, fresh croissant with a cafe au lait. Then we will head into the square to go pick out vegetables and fruit from the market.....and maybe hit up the butcher or seafood stall for part of our evening meal menu. Then, if it is sunny, a local ice cream cone and a stroll through the Abbey gardens ( I must remember to bring a book to read there) and home in time to relax and enjoy our evening. These weekends are always a nice refresher for us before his hellish 60 hour week that always follows.

And finally, I am making improvements on my closet, just need to bag a bunch of clothes up to donate. Getting rid of a bunch of my closet will help clear up some clutter and make our bedroom a bit tidier. Now all I need is to hang the curtains and buy some more candles, and it will be a nice retreat for us after long days.