This has been the most relaxing Christmas I’ve had in a long time. I miss not going home [childhood home] for Christmas, but it definitely makes it feel quiet around these parts…
There is time to do a little bit of baking – some pans of cinnamon rolls to deliver to neighbors, both those we’ve met and those we hadn’t. As well as stick a plate in the mailbox for the mailman/lady [we happen to not have the same person each day]. I always thought that would be so nice to do, give the mailman a little plate of something baked, but I never had. Today was the day, but I forgot to look out of the window when he or she came by… I wonder if they’ve ever been given that before. :)
Looks like a balmy weekend is in the forecast for us. So I’ll just be listening to songs of white Christmases and dreaming while we sit in air conditioning. :)
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Almost two weeks ago, Ben and I went on a weekend getaway- just the two of us! That hasn’t happened in over 2 years, that it’s been just us. Definitely past time! A huge thanks to Ben’s parents for watching the girls for us!
This was also a late anniversary getaway [yeah, our anniversary is in June]. For our 5th, we really wanted to do something exotic, like somewhere in Europe, or perhaps Antigua, Guatemala, where I spent a few months before I got married. But in between our 4th and 5th anniversaries, we bought The Cottage. And hence, no $$$$$$ to go somewhere exotic. :)
So we went to Jacksonville. And let me tell you, just going somewhere alone, just the two of us, well, it felt rather exotic to me! Especially when I saw the place Ben had pricelined for us…
The Hyatt Regency.
3.5 star. 19 stories. Ballroom.
Ummmm. Let’s just say we felt a little out of our league!!
Fancy-shmancy. SWANKY.
We like nice hotels, but this, we found, well, a little too nice.
-No free breakfast [please eat at one of the 3 restaurants located on the ground floor]
-No free water bottles [“Hey babe! How’s your $4 water bottle tasting?”]
-No free wi-fi [please pay $14.95 per 24 hour usage (which we didn’t)]
-No free carts [please pay bellboy who MUST attend all departing or incoming luggage]
-No free parking [$15 per night for the parking garage]
So, all in all, the super good deal we pricelined turned into a bit more expensive than we expected. Not that the room was that expensive, oh no. Super cheap, actually. But all the extra “amenities” that we really didn’t anticipate sucked up some money.
So now we know. For next time. Stay under 3 star. :)
But for then, we enjoyed it. Because, really, why not?
We had a wonderful time!
I began reading a book, lent by a friend… I’ve only read one of Florence Barclay’s books before, and LOVED it.
We slept in [no pictures of this, please]. The week we were going we were saying to each other that we were both really tired, and were looking forward to catching up on some sleep. Little did we know how serious we both were. Twelve hours of sleep the first night and ten hours the second night. Yup, we sure were caught up after that! :) Ready to face the world of children again!
We went to a local shopping center on Saturday. This was a mostly window-shopping day. Bless Ben’s soul for going with me! I’m not a bit clothing shopper, as in can just walk for hours and hours looking at clothes, but I DO like to look at home furnishings/interior design stores.
We were in luck. High-end stores like Pottery Barn and anthropologie were both there, among other super-expensive, far-out-of-our-price-range stores. I can just get LOST in places like that!! Not that I buy a lot, but I love the ideas… Like these:
This was my favorite kitchen apron. I’m a sucker for these, because I wear one every single day. But $60? I’ll pass (and maybe try to copy one day).
But seriously, how fun would it be to cook in something this precious?!
I thought this was such a cool idea. I haven’t had time to make them this Christmas, but I’ll store away the picture for another year… Muffin and coffee pot liners, who would have thought?!
This tray grabbed me with all the white, the many tiers, and just the creativeness of it… I’m mentally pulling out my hot glue gun for a future project… :)
As did this lamp. Not sure where I’d put a lamp like this, but it sure is cute.
THIS I thought was the coolest thing there: a dictionary-inspired lamp. Only $360 for the lamp and shade *cough*.
Closer-up… because I really want to make one like this one day. Seriously, how cool is that?!
And that was my trip into anthropologie… That place gets the creative juices stirring, I tell ya.
And then we went and sat at Barnes & Noble together for a while, which, in my opinion, is one of the very happiest things to do… :)
Another very happy thing was going to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for a Christmas concert. It was absolutely SPLENDID! Our small-town doesn’t offer a lot of Christmas programs/concerts, so being able to attend anything with quality is a great treat!
And the two days flew by… And we enjoyed each other so much. It had been so long since we just had fun together, and this was the weekend to catch up on just enjoying one another’s company. Not just as husband and wife, but also as friends. I married a good man. :)
And I’m already looking forward to the next getaway. Hopefully in less than two years from now. ;)
~clarita
so many fun crafty ideas! I really want to try those cupcake christmas trees :) Such a fun craft idea I’ll have to do with my babysitting buddies :P It’s so fun to see ordinary stuff made into cute creative stuff!
Glad you had fun on your mini vacation :) I’m sure you were more well rested than had to you gone far far away :) Those places never seem to give you as much rest as some place close to home ;)
Jacksonville looks and sounds exotic to me! :) or maybe I don’t get out much. that could be it!
swanky and a-w-a-y sounds wonderful too. sigh. Happy belated 5th!
and only $360 for a lamp and the shade?
well then I’ll take two!
not!
how cuh-razy is that? but so funfunfun to look at!
Your little get-away sounds extremely splendid right now. Esp. with just having had a baby and all of us making the needed adjustments. Life can be quite UN-romantic at times and a little more stressful than normal (oh yeah, throw in a sick husband for a couple of days too!). Enjoying my sweet baby right now, but also looking forward to future days of a fully recovered body and even just a weekend date now and then. :)
I love all the creative pics/ideas, too! I have no doubts that you’ll soon be making your own beautiful versions of them. You are so good with that!!
Have a very Merry Christmas (if we don’t talk to each other before then!).
It all sounds just lovely!! MERRY CHRISTMAS my friend!
what a great get-away, sleep, shopping, music, togetherness!
That is awesome that you guys got to go away together…alone!! And I can understand the “needing to catch up on sleep” part.
I stayed at a hotel like that a few times with girlfriends and I think those extra charges are such a sham. Give me a good old Super 8 or Holiday Inn and I’m more at home!
Merry Christmas to you!
Oh, it’s precious. Just precious I tell you! I want to magically make pretty scarves, AND go to Anthropologie, AND spend all day at Barnes&Noble, AND go to a symphony, AND look gorgeous like you!
those christmas trees are darling~ such a great idea. i love looking in anthropologie… more for how it’s decorated than anything! i’ve been told more than once to put my camera away. :/ don’t know why some places won’t let you take pictures – – it’s like they think you’re a spy or something. a spy of what i’m not sure. :)
your weekend away sounds dreamy.
merry christmas sweet girl.
glad i’ve gotten to know you the past few months!!
love & hugs.
@grace2be – sometimes they’re okay with me taking pictures and sometimes not… on the ‘not’ times, you don’t think they’re worried people will steal their ideas and make them themselves, do ya?? :) Merry Christmas to you too, beautiful woman… So glad to have gotten to know you too! ♥
So Miss Clarita, I was snooping around your site today with my husband, because as we’re painting the kitchen (well, I’m sitting here reading your blog, keeping Jeff company while he paints ;). I’m trying to convince him to knock down a couple of walls. And, I am showing him your little cottage because it’s just the cutest place EVER!
And, as I was on here, I realized that I missed a couple of posts! How? I don’t know? You are one of my favorites, I get very excited when you post!!! So I’m now caught up on everything I’ve missed and am going to comment.
Anthropologie…LOVE that store! I was in there last week Christmas shopping with my sister..and drooling at all we couldn’t afford…..we can only shop the little clearance room they have there! But we did hit a splendid sale, because everything that was on sale was an additional 20% off!!!
Like you I wear an apron every single day…and one that I have been wanting and waiting patiently for two years to go on sale was Finally on sale! $40 marked down to $20 with an additional 20% off! I was thrilled! I was supposed to be Christmas shopping for others, so I helped Jeff out by doing some shopping for Him! =)
When I was in the store, I asked what they do with all their decor when they change it over…they said they try to repurpose it. I told them they could “repurpose” it to my house. They laughed….I guess that means they’re not giving it up!
How nice that you guys had a weekend away! I love weekends away with just Jeff. It’s so nice to be alone, just husband and wife. Every year at Christmas time, we stay in the city (Chicago) for a weekend. It didn’t work out this year though. =( But, there’s always another time!
I bet the syphony was so, so fun! I love hearing an orchestra.
And the hotel…sounds so lovely!
Well, glad you had a nice and relaxing holiday….time for cinnamon rolls and baking!
Thanks for having such a cute house to look at! ;)
Thanks for knocking down your walls and giving inspiration to us. =)
Happy Tuesday to you. =)
Oh, your’re so sweet! :) You’re a personal favorite of MINE! ♥
And happy painting! Oh, that gets me all excited! Can’t wait to see pictures!!! A new coat of paint makes things look like a million bucks, I say!
And you’re an apron-wearer!! I’m so excited! I’ve hardly ever met anyone else that EVER wears an apron, much less every day too! I want to hug you. :) And yep, pretty much the only thing I can afford in Anthropologie is the clearance of all clearances. My husband was with me during our $20 checkout, and afterward whispered to me in astonishment, “Did you see that tiny little bag the lady had in front of us? And her bill was $170!!!!” :) I go for inspiration mainly. And wow, wouldn’t that be WONDERFUL if you could repurpose that stuff in YOUR house?? :) Keep asking, ya never know when they’ll change their display! :)
I know just what you mean about the pricey hotels costing so much more. We go on Business trips to those kinds of hotels and they sure do add up, even though the room is covered by the company. We have discovered Fairfield Inn and Suites or Springhill Inn and Suite (both by Marriot) are such nice places tostay with great rooms and yummy breakfast and free WiFi. And they have rooms with 2 queens and a pull out sofa for when you have 4 kids like us. =) Love the tiered plates! And the Christmas trees!
@luvinmommyhood – Thanks! I’ll have to remember that! For next time. And for when we have our 4 kids. :)
This sounds like the *perfect* weekend! We like doing exactly the same kinds of things when we go away together. And, yeah, we discovered the same thing about the pricey hotels–we like the free amenities of the less expensive ones. It’s still fun to be there once in awhile for something very special. :) I’m glad you had a great weekend. You probably feel like you could use another one after all the sickness. :)