I have always wanted a doll house, since I was a child, but it's something I never got. I was one of four, the only girl, and my dad and stepmom worked hard to provide for us, but times were different and it wasn't always possible to give big gifts.
What I do remember, is that no matter what, we loved every gift we received, and I miss that, I miss the simple days and the simple holidays. The days where gifts were not extravagant, not expensive but they came from the heart and meant so much.
The excitement of birthdays and Christmas was palpable, and I don't know about you all, but I feel that those feelings have been lost along the way. Of course we're older and I myself will be the first to admit that I don't have that excitement about gifts as I did when I was a child, but it's not just that, it's the fact that nowadays gifts seem to be all about the biggest, the most expensive, and being better than the year before.
It's made it all so materialistic and void of joy, and I really want to change that.
As I am making this big Gingerbread house that my sweet husband bought me, I am like a child back in my early teens, finally receiving the doll house she always wanted. I am getting such pure happiness out of building these small pieces that will go into the finished house.
This is what brought all these memories back and made me really want to start looking at Christmas especially, in a different way. I mentioned a few blogs back that I really want this year to be different, to be more of a vintage older kind of Christmas, from the tree to the gifts, to the food and especially the atmosphere.
So I am just throwing thoughts around in my head and trying very hard to make that come true. I feel the whole world is falling apart and our homes, our families are the only peace we really have around us, so why not make these upcoming holidays even more special than usual?
Homemade is at the top of that list, for sure.
Speaking of homemade and slightly drifting off the subject, I have been working on my sourdough for over a year. My sourdough starter or Suzy as I call her, lives in my fridge and she has been thriving all this time. I couldn't be happier.
But having a good sourdough starter and producing a good loaf is a completely different thing. I have struggled, I have made flops, I have made drops, I have made flat, dense, rock hard loaves, I have made them all. But I have finally mastered a good sourdough loaf and I am thrilled beyond thrilled.
Above you can see my loaf wrapped in a beautiful kitchen towel from Aveiro, Portugal.
Just look at this beauty? Look at those holes and the perfect crust. This loaf is one of the best I have made and I am so proud of myself for sticking with it.
In the meantime, while I work on all these ideas floating around in my already overloaded and overwhelmed brain, I have been building shelves and trying to create a very cozy den/dining room area. It's a work in progress for sure.
But when we have Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want everyone who walks through the doors to feel welcome and cozy and warm and happy.
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