A Belated Christmas Post

Christmas Cards

I've finally had a chance to sit down and post about my Christmas.  I had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year so I had hardly any time off.  I had a pretty low key Christmas but it was still really nice.

I didn't get a lot of gifts this year but what I got meant a lot to me.  Tom got me a bottle of  Quinta do Vesuvio vintage port, my dad made me strawberry and peach preserves (along with sending me a ton of adorable Hello Kitty stuff) and Daniel surprised me me with a trip to Enchanted Airlie ( and also the Hello Kitty DS game I wanted lol)

Sewing Buddies by Michael Jarman

This is a pastel drawing that Michael did and framed for me.  It's a spool of thread with a needle in it holding up my grandmother's silver thimble. In the foreground are my mother's sewing shears.  

Lar Doce Lar

This is the embroidery my Mother made for me, the fabric is part of a pillowcase that my great aunt embroidered and my mother put "Lar Doce Lar" in the middle.  It means "Home Sweet Home" in Portuguese.  

Portuguese Tea Cozy

The little house in the middle of this picture is a tea cozy my grandmother made a very long time ago in Portugal.  It's hand sewn and all the details are hand embroidered, the doors, windows, even the roses growing along the walls.  I used to play with it when I was little and mom gave it to me for Christmas.

PortugueseHouse1

This picture was taken in the 50's in my grandmother's house, if you look you'll see the little house on the table on the right.  I got this picture from my mother's new site She and Michael started about her life and growing up in Portugal.  It's still being made but I love to go and look at the old pictures of her and my grandparents and family.

Pasteis de Nata

Pasteis de Nata that I made for my mother, these are a very traditional Portuguese custard pastry that you can't really find in the states and definitly not in NC.  I found a great recipe at Algarve Buzz and they turned out great. Mom was really surprised when she saw them.

Christmas 08

I was able to go to Jacksonville to visit with Mom and Michael for a few hours in the evening on Christmas day.  I brought Sebastian and he had a great time being spoiled by "grandma and grandpa" lol.  

At first I really wasn't too excited about Christmas, I'd had a crazy year and I had to work for the entire holiday.  But spending time with my friends and family, especially on Christmas Day, really meant a lot.  I'm a sentimental girl and the personal thought that everyone put into my gifts meant the most to me.  I love having things that have been given to me that I can pass down to my own family someday.  Gifts that are made, that come from the heart, are always my favorite.  I'm a lucky girl to have such wonderful people in my life, which is what the holidays are all about. 

Comments

[maura_ea]

Sounds like you had a great Christmas! Mine was modest as well, and I find they are so less stressful and so much more meaningful :)

[Nicole Carina]

Absolutely. I'm glad you had a nice holiday too.

[zhy]

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