White Christmas

{mum's Swedish flag garland dances across the window to the white world outside}{mum's forest of trees lining the windowsill}

{calming chamomile}

{mum's Swedish puff pastry}

{paper trees + zigzag stitching...my simple handmade Christmas cards}

{knitted lavendar hearts...a few little gifts I made}
{my first ever caramel-making attempt...}

{...a success despite my lack of candy thermometer!}

{our mailbox}

...

Another Christmas has come and gone and I always find myself feeling more than a little relieved. I love the time of year but I'm also happy to have life once again return to a more normal pace...where the stores aren't filled with frenzied shoppers and my lists aren't miles long, mostly because of expectations I put on myself. There're always so many things I want to do and make and bake and try...and once Christmas has past, I can let all those things go for another year...which feels so good! We spent a few days over Christmas staying with my parents in their new home, and although it wasn't the house I grew up in and was used to going back home to, it still felt like home to me with all of Mum's lovely touches...her cozy decorations and freshly baked goodies. While Hub and my Dad did their fare share of bonding over snowblowing and shoveling, we were anxious to return home and see what our snow-covered house would look like. News reports were saying that we'd received the most snow in the state...being dumped on with about 24 inches of snow while we were away! Thankfully we came home to find our driveway freshly plowed by a kind neighbor...a nice and unexpected gift which made a very merry end to our Christmas!