FOOD & WINE

Just a quick note... FOOD & WINE magazine included a picture of our kitchen in a piece entitled, Food Bloggers' Best Kitchen Design Ideas (page 56) in their January 2011 issue. It came out while Trina was in the hospital, so we've just picked up a copy ourselves. Here's the digital version as shown on their web site.

Wishing you all the happiest holiday season.

All the best,

Mike

December Tidings

I'm a little disconnected from blogging these days. It's not due to the arrival of our sweet babies though - we're still pregnant! Rather, it's due to my very pregnant body, and my general lack of energy to do much of anything.

Thankfully, my Mom is here and helped me decorate the dining room for Christmas!

On the way home from our last doctor's appointment (the only time I leave the house these days), we stopped in at our local Christmas tree stand to pick out a tree for our dining room. Mike commented that it was the quickest tree selection I've ever made! This is true...my aching feet and back cured my perennial case of 'Christmas tree indecision.'

The three of us decorated the tree with cardinals and simple strands of white lights. We'll have another Christmas tree in the living room, which will be decorated with our vast collection of childhood ornaments (yes, this includes my favorite ornament - 'Hunk of Love').

My favorite Christmas decoration is the greenery. I just love the lush green color against the sleeping winter landscape outside our window. I also love the fragrance of the cuttings, which offers such an intoxicating mix of nostalgia and crisp earthy freshness.

We replaced the burlap runner on the table with an antique crocheted table cloth I bought a few years ago for $10. My Mom has a larger one that my Great Great Grandmother made, which was always put out for Christmas Eve dinner.

My dear friend Joan from For the Love of a House added three beautiful antique brass candlesticks to my collection recently, which I've placed on the Empire card table below the mirror.

Hope you are staying warm and cozy wherever you are!

P.S. I've been meaning to mention that our kitchen was featured in a little article on Small Space Kitchen Design over at HGTV.com.