Christmas 2017

The IKEA Swedish Julbord

We had so much fun learning about Santa Lucia Day and Christmas in Sweden last week that I didn’t want it to end. Lucky for me, IKEA hosts a Swedish Julbord in their restaurant every year, and even luckier, we managed to get tickets even though we got there less than 30 minutes before the event began!

As soon as I saw Santa Lucia, the Lucia brides, and the lovely decorations, I knew it was going to be a special event.

And the food! There were so many options…thick-cut ham, Swedish meatballs, lingonberry sauce, gravlax with mustard sauce, pickled herring with a sour cream sauce, deviled eggs topped with shrimp, poached salmon under cucumbers, Swedish cucumber salad, red beet salad, sautéed red cabbage with apples, boiled potatoes, Swedish potato salad, Jansson’s Temptation, Swedish cheeses, fresh fruit, bread (including crisp, thin, and soft), hot Glögg, and lots of desserts, including apple cake and spiced ginger cookies.

I tried as many new-to-me foods as possible, and it was all good. Some things I loved, and some I enjoyed even if I wouldn’t seek them out intentionally on their own, but it was all quite tasty.

I don’t know if this is something we’ll try to make a part of our annual Christmas traditions, or if it was something fun to do just once, but I’m really glad we got to go, try some new foods, and celebrate Christmas in a fun and different way!

Sartorial Saturday–Ornamented

I tried to resist, but I guess there was really no doubt that I was going to buy the new Pinup Girl Clothing Bella skirt in ornament print, with artwork by Terry Runyan. Just look at it…it’s gorgeous in its mid-century fabulousness!

Accessories were no problem, and I didn’t even have to buy anything new (although, if I ever found a brooch that matched one of the ornaments, I’m sure I’d add it to my collection!). My Splendette stack includes some beautiful glitter bangles in red and green, and I even have a matching red necklace. Of course I’m always looking for a reason to wear my favorite brooch, which is the perfect touch to finish off the outfit!

For a touch of whimsy, the Christmas lights necklace Ryan bought for me last weekend is a nice addition, too!

This is definitely my favorite Christmas-themed piece of clothing. I love the print on the skirt I purchased from The Oblong Box Shop last year, but the fit isn’t awesome, and I don’t love the material it’s made of. This skirt, however, check all the boxes, and I adore it!

This might be an over-the-top look for some people, but as the Christmas Queen, I think it’s just right! I’m looking forward to pairing it with some other tops throughout the month, including solid red, and both pink & white and red & white stripes! I’ll be looking festive all Christmas long!

Lucia Morning in Belleville

I’m always excited when Santa Lucia Day comes around. I had everything ready to go last night:

The girls were very excited to dress up and serve breakfast this morning…Chickadee got to carry the lussekattes for the first time, and she did a great job!

Happy Santa Lucia Day!

Holiday Trimmings at the Kemper Center

It’s “gourdament” time at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center!

They’re all so amazingly creative, but I actually didn’t have a difficult time choosing a favorite this year…this one immediately caught my eye, and I love it!

In addition to the gourdaments, there are other natural decorations on the tree, as well. The bows are made out of very velvety leaves!

The children love finding the hidden “Henry Shaw” in the tree, and the prizes are always adorable!

Part of its beauty is in its uniqueness…you’re not going to find many Christmas trees like this one!

There is also a cute display outside the Kemper Center. If you walk all the way around the central planter, you’ll see several different woodland creatures hidden among the flora:

I love all the different ways the Missouri Botanical Garden finds to decorate for Christmas every year!

Christmas Traditions 2017

Yesterday was that most magical day of the year when we went to St. Charles, MO, for the Christmas Traditions festival. I think this was one of our coldest visits to the event…some years, we’ve barely needed sweatshirts, but yesterday, we were wearing winter coats, hats and gloves! We braved the cold to see all of our favorite characters and collect their cards along the way…We ended up with 32 of 45 cards, which isn’t too bad! Every year, I hope that maybe this is the year we get them all, but I kind of doubt that will ever happen. Plus, there are Wednesday night bonus cards, so we really couldn’t ever collect all of them, since we can only make the journey to St. Charles once a year, and we would rather go during the day on the weekend.

We visited the Gingerbread Village, where, as always, I was impressed by the talent and creativity on display. I especially liked the gingerbread TARDIS!

Part of the fun is seeding the old buildings, horse-drawn carriages, and beautiful Christmas decorations:

By the time the parade rolled around, a few of us were too cold to watch, and had to head back to the car. Those that stayed enjoyed seeing ALL the characters, and taking part in the camaraderie of the crowd:

No matter how I feel about Santa, I always enjoy seeing the Santas of the world carrying in their country’s’ flags:

We didn’t take a lot of pictures with the characters, but we got the ones that mattered most, including a group shot with my favorite Santa (Frontier Santa, who I am pretty sure is exactly who Mr. Edwards met in Little House on the Prairie), and a photo with Bunny and Jack Frost, her Christmas Traditions hero:

And of course a family picture on the steps of the gazebo!

It always goes by too fast, but we’re already thinking about the fun we’ll have next year!

2017 Wreath Auction

It’s time for the Holiday Wreath Auction at the Missouri Botanical Garden again! I always look forward to seeing the wreaths on display, because they’re all so unique and creative. You’d think at some point, there would be no original ideas left, and yet every year, the wreaths are completely new!

It can be hard to choose a favorite, because they’re all so beautiful, but this year, it was easy…the wreath inspired by Degas’ Little Dancer:

Even if you can’t put in a bid on one of these creations (we never have), it’s worth a walk through the Visitors’ Center just to admire all the different ways the wreaths are constructed!

A Victorian Christmas at Tower Grove House

I love how seeing Tower Grove House at the Missouri Botanical Garden is decorated for Christmas every year. Some things are always the same, and yet there are elements of the design I somehow never noticed before…until I look back at my old pictures, and realize that I have previously photographed the very thing I thought was new! And there are always some things that are different. No matter how I look at it, though, even though it’s always vaguely familiar, it’s also always new and exciting to me!

Garden Glow 2017

We didn’t make it to the Member Preview Night of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow this year, but we did finally get our chance to visit it this week. It’s such a beautiful event, and I love how they make little changes from year to year, so there’s always a surprise of some kind. One of the most noticeable differences was the color scheme of the Climatron…this year, it’s lit up in blue and white (instead of the green and white of the previous two years), and it looks gorgeous!