As part of my Christmas bucket list this year, I wanted to give something away. So with that in mind, I’d like to offer a free 60 days of medium-size ad space on the blog to two readers! All you need to do is comment on the post and tell me what you’re most excited about doing this holiday season. As part of this giveaway, I’ll be doing a spotlight post on each winner in January.
Two commenters will be chosen at random on Wednesday, the 12th.
love, elizabeth
The week of Thanksgiving, I got an invitation to do something I’ve dreamt about since I was a little girl. My friend Zoey lives in a very old neighborhood, near several recently leveled lots, and in the process of all of that digging and soil-turning, a lot of lost treasures began to surface. Zoey spotted a couple things – part of a tea cup, half a pocket watch, and other sundry bits of glass, pottery, and tile from decades (and more decades) ago. I was so interested to hear what she had found and when she invited me to come over and dig with her a little bit, I was thrilled. Zoey is one of those people who lives her life all the way to the edges of it, not interested in missing the weird, or the unusual, or the unexpected. She really inspires me to keep finding new things to love about Columbus and about life, in general.
Here are some snapshots from our hunt. Zoey totally has a knack for this kind of thing and she graciously shared some of her finds with me. I can’t even tell you how cool it was to dig in the dirt and uncover things that had been abandoned or thrown out or left behind years ago. (This is another reason I’m so excited to start my dissertation – I can spend hours poring through archives, touching history with my fingers. It’s crazy to me.)*
Some of my favorite finds: a handful of old bricks, some with writing on them, some pale green tiles, and five antique bottles. One of them is for Listerine (I think I can safely date it pre-1955 because the name of the original owner of the pharmaceutical company is on the glass, another one for Revlon (a company that has been around since the Depression), and at least one that looks like an old spice jar. A few of these things have found a permanent home in our living room and other things will probably be used for a mosaic project I’m hoping to start.
*DISCLAIMER: If you’re going to do any kind of treasure-hunting or digging like that, please know I am not advocating trespassing, theft, vandalism, or anything that might be dangerous to you or to property. If you are planning to do something like this, I encourage you to take someone else with you, go during daylight hours, to be careful not to harm any equipment or property, and to be mindful of any legalities specific to your circumstance. Safety is more important than any THING.
Are you a treasure hunter? A history buff? Have you done any projects with found objects?
love, elizabeth
PS: I have a Christmas present for you guys coming tomorrow…so check back tomorrow morning…
I love to cross things off of lists. That’s about 90% of the joy of list-making for me. That rush that comes with the ink running through words and…okay, I clearly have a list-making problem. But last month I crossed two big things off my bucket list for 2012. (Incidentally, I’m not doing so hot getting that list done but it isn’t terrible, I guess.)
In November, I passed my candidacy exams – 18 hours of writing, 42 pages, and a 2 hour oral defense. I don’t know that I have ever been that stressed out about anything in my life but I did it and it’s over and I PASSED! I am officially a PhD candidate. And clearly, very, VERY sophisticated.
BEFORE AFTER
I also fulfilled my promise to myself to learn how to make a pie crust from scratch. It was not the prettiest but it tasted great and I’ll be excited to keep practicing!
What thing did you cross of your list recently?
love, elizabeth
One year when I was little, my dad made plum pudding for Christmas dinner and don’t ask me why, but I’ve been wanting to try it again since then. It seems like a very festive, very grown-up thing to cook. So I did what any sensible blogger does and hit Pinterest for recipes. Apparently, however, ‘plum pudding’ means a lot of different things, some of which are more cake-like and not so much with the pudding. I’ve narrowed it down to a few different possibilities but I really only have time to try one of these this year so…I’d love your opinion. Which of these sounds the best to you? Have you had plum or ‘Christmas’ pudding before? Did you like it?
Source: allrecipes.co.uk via Elizabeth on Pinterest
Source: tastemag.co.za via Elizabeth on Pinterest
Source: retroplanet.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest
Source: guardian.co.uk via Elizabeth on Pinterest
Source: octoberfarm.blogspot.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest
I know. This is a highly momentous decision. Thoughts?
What is your favorite Christmas dish?
love, elizabeth
Source: impawards.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest
As per my Christmas to-do list, we curled up on the couch on Saturday night and watched my favorite Christmas movie of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This movie is just awesome and Kyle and I have seen it so many times, we can quote most of it.
Here are some of our favorite Grinch-isms:
“One man’s toxic sludge is another man’s potpourri.”
“Blast, this Christmas music! It’s joyful AND triumphant.”
“She’ll be on me like fleegel flies on a flat-faced flugelhorse! We'll, I’m sorry, Martha baby, but the G-Train has left the station!”
“If you so much as utter ONE syllable, I’ll hunt you down and gut you like a FISH! If you’d like to fax me, press the star key.”
“Kids today. So desensitized by movies and television.”
“The NERVE of those Who’s inviting me down there on such short notice! Even if I wanted to go, my schedule wouldn’t allow it. 4 o’clock – Wallow in self-pity. 4:30 – Stare into the abyss. 5 o’clock – Solve world hunger. Tell NO ONE. 5:30 – Jazzercise. 6:30 – Dinner with me. I can’t cancel that again! 7 o’clock – Wrestle with my self-loathing…I’m booked!”
“Now listen to me, young lady. Even if we’re HORRIBLY MANGLED, there’ll be no sad faces on Christmas.”
What’s your favorite quote from your favorite Christmas movie?
love, elizabeth
Being busy with my candidacy exam has meant missing out on a whole lot of awesome blog happenings. So yesterday, I attempted to catch up. Behold, seven awesome things I found:
1. The Kardashians teach us life lessons. And what the word ‘vomitacious’ really means.
2. Ernest Hemingway loved cats. Also, some cats have six toes.
3. The coolest flight attendant in the world talks about surviving Hurricane Sandy.
4. The Spinsters discuss what happens when all of your friends are married.
So share. What blogging have you been up to? What do I need to read? Tell meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
love, elizabeth
Today blogging feels a like that treadmill I’ve been ignoring for a couple months – it’s not that hard when I do it everyday, it feels really good when I do it, and I feel better about myself after. But I keep staring at that treadmill like maybe I’ve really forgotten how to treadmill properly. So here I am, hopping back on the blogging train. I have so much to TELL you!
Beginning with my game plan for Christmas this year. Honestly, I’ve been feeling not-Christmas-y. I’ve been slower than usual getting decorations up. I’ve been staring at the tree extra critically this year. I’ve actually had a few moments of sympathy for the Grinch – I mean, the Who’s DO celebrate their festivities fairly loudly, don’t they?
My December issue of Better Homes and Gardens came (and this is not a paid advertisement, by the way) and I was struck by some of the advice in the Sanity Savers article about holiday organization:
“Before you launch into holiday planning, ask yourself: what do I love most? What do I dread? This exercise will help you decide what belongs on your to-do list and what needs to be simplified or deleted altogether. If quality time is a priority, put it on the calendar, just like you would any other important activity. Pick an evening to munch cookies, sip cocoa, and watch a favorite holiday film… Don’t get caught in the trap of doing something just because it’s what you’ve always done. Only commit to activities that really matter to you and your family.” (Thanks to B&G writer, Berit Thorkelson, for the wisdom. I’m taking your advice.)
So with this in mind, Kyle and I made a list of Christmas activities that actually matter to us. We have until December 31st to do it all…but if we don’t, that’s okay too.
Okay, your turn. What’s on your Christmas list that you REALLY care about? I can’t wait to hear.
love, elizabeth
PS: I’m also taking Berit’s advice about Christmas cards this year: “Defer sending greetings until another holiday such as New Year’s or Valentine’s Day, when both you and your recipients have more time to enjoy the sentiment.” So if you ordinarily get a Christmas card from us, be checking your mailboxes in February instead!
