Snow and An Almost Birthday

Finally home after a very busy weekend, and thought I'd do a quick post since we've got quite a busy week ahead and I may not get the opportunity. Two holiday parties, a movie premiere, housewarming party, a birthday redo and a sick husband! 

This weekend we had Kyle's sisters birthday on Saturday where we played laser tag (so fun) and had a nice dinner out and then my father's birthday on Sunday. Shortly after leaving the city on Sunday to head to my parents house we were caught in a crazy blizzard! In a matter of minutes the roads were treacherous and unfortunately we ended up getting in a bit of an accident. Everyone was OK, but unfortunately our car was not. We've spent most of Monday trying to get the car situation sorted out and figuring out how to get through the busy week without it. We've talked about getting rid of our car since living in the city we don't use it very often in favor of walking and public transit. Well, this experience has proved how difficult it is to get to and from the burbs without it - not fun.

Unfortunately, the weather and accident meant we had to put my dad's birthday celebration off until next Sunday. Hey, an extension of birthday season and more birthday cake isn't necessarily a bad thing!

I've already a shared a look into my Christmas obsession, but this weekend we discovered the source of my love for the holiday. My mom's decorating this year put ours to shame! She had a mini tree in every single bedroom and the whole house just felt so cozy and festive. With her permission, I wanted to share some pictures of her amazing decorations.

Starting to get pretty slick

Concentrating... right before the accident...

Seems like quite the obstacle

At least it's pretty

Using this opportunity to watch football and catch up on Christmas cards

This is the same design as the snowman we have at our apartment

I love that tree skirt!!

All of her glass ornaments are so unique and they all go together

All of her glass ornaments are so unique and they all go together

Even the moon gets festive =)

My mom makes all of our stockings and each one is different

Beautiful, right? Hopefully my dad's birthday celebration goes a bit more smoothly this week - accident free would be great!

xo

Alison

Our First Christmas

Hi everyone!

This is Kyle and my first Christmas as a married couple and we could not be more excited. We get super into Christmas, and would decorate right after Halloween if it was more socially acceptable. This year, we're making a point to start our family traditions. Just little things that we want to keep up as we grow our family. For instance:

• Christmas morning at our own house: We tend to spend Christmas between our two parents house, but this year we are going make a point to wake up on Christmas morning at our own house just the two of us. We'll have breakfast, open stockings and gifts and then get a move on to one of our families for Christmas dinner.
• One gift on Christmas Eve: My family always did this growing up and I loved this tradition. Typically the gift was new PJs and I may or may not be doing that this year ;-).
• Decorating the day after Thanksgiving: Check! We couldn't have waiting a day longer anyway.
• Christmas morning breakfast: Egg casserole, cinnamon roll monkey bread and cranberry Christmas mimosas.

To start off our traditions this year, I have ordered us new Christmas stockings from Garnet Hill. They should be arriving soon - I can't wait!

Link

We picked up our Christmas tree and garland the day after Thanksgiving and immediately got to decorating. We've have a ton of little Christmas decorations we've acquired over the year, but unfortunately my wall hanging advent calendar was ruined during a party last year. Still searching for the perfect advent calendar to replace it. So here is the almost finished product.

We went for a 10ft tree this year after learning our lesson with a 15ft monstrosity a few years back

A few of my favorite ornaments. Top left is a Hogwart's ornament that my Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Michael gave us at the rehearsal dinner.

Kyle's mini-tree (~2.5 feet)

I've had those stockings since I was in college! My roommates and I would decorate our apartment for Chirstmas each year and we got these stockings for probably a dollar at Walmart. Our 'tree' was an inflatable palm tree decorated with beer cans and bras. Ha! Keeping it classy. Fair to say it was time for a stocking upgrade. 

The garland from my tutorial

I'm sure you're not surprised Harry Potter is on the TV

Notice the Quidditch Pitch from the Bridal Shower?

I think it's a moose, Kyle thinks it's a reindeer.

A craft project from a few years back.

Our Christmas morning mugs

The bouquet Kyle sent to celebrate the beginning of our first married Christmas

I've already done a majority of my Christmas shopping, but we can't accept deliveries at our apartment so I have packages shipped to my parents. I can't wait to pick them up when we're over there this weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday. A tree always looks better with wrapped presents underneath, don't you think?

Merry Christmas!

xo
Alison

Harry Potter Bridal Shower

To know Kyle and I is to know we are BIG fans of Harry Potter. Yes, I realize this makes us giant nerds - we're ok with that. 

Well, for my bridal shower, my amazing bridesmaids and mother surprised me with a Harry Potter theme! I was floored. They did such a fantastic job putting together all of the little details, that I had to capture them here. I don't want to forget a thing! 

Arriving with my neice, Zoe

The girls had me arrive before the party started so I could check out the theme and see all of the little details. 

My stunning mother, Cathy, who was instrumental to the planning

My Maid of Honor Krista!

When guests arrived they had to enter through Platform 9 3/4 and were then sorted into one of the four houses for the games (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw).

Great Platform entrance done by my sister-in-law, Emily

Heading into Hogwarts

The house signs

Sorting hat and Gryffindor robes

Every inch of my parents house was decorated somehow, they did not miss a detail. There was also a delicious lunch spread including chocolate frogs, a massive cheese plate, pretzel wands, Honeyduke's cake pops, scones, and tea sandwiches. They had even created labels for all of the alcoholic beverages that were on theme:

• White wine = Veritaserum (truth serum, too funny)
• Red wine = Pepperup Potion (cures the common cold)
• Champagne = Amortentia (love potion)
• Beer = Butter beer and Three Broomsticks brew

Food table complete with floating candles

Life size Harry greeting guests

All of our family pictures were replaced with HP characters

Quidditch Pitch by the fireplace

Some already-enjoyed Veritaserum

I got to keep many of the decorations, so the Wolfsbane potion is currently decorated for Christmas as you can see.

The favors included a little bottle of Felix Felicis (liquid luck) fastened with orange ribbon and a tiny key charm. They were so cute! My sister-in-law, Rosie, but them together. She filled each bottle with Goldschlager (Cinnamon Schnapps) and painstakingly made sure each bottle had flecks of gold. She did such a good job.

Felix Felicis favors

The girls had organized a few games that were a ton of fun, and of course, on theme.

Having fun with the photo props

The hubby arriving with flowers after golf, what a guy!

There were so many details from the day that I wasn't able to capture. It was such a fun shower and I felt so incredibly loved! My bridesmaids know me all too well. :-) 

xo

Alison