It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

Hot Chocolate!!!!! I managed to make the most epic hot chocolate ever last week when D and I decided to decorate the house. Melt some milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips in milk. Whisk until fully combined. Pour into respective festive holiday mugs. Then add a shot apiece of Kahlua and Smirnoff Toasted Marshmallow Vodka. YUMMMMMMMM. It will warm you right up. See? Hot chocolate isn't just for kids!

After Thanksgiving it was time to decorate for Christmas here at the Wollschlager's. What is super fun about this year is that we actually have a house to decorate. We have furniture and a tree and lights. Last year all we had was a bunch of boxes and no couch and zero counter space in the kitchen. My One Year Anniversary in Germany was on December 1st. It was amazing to think about everything that has happened in the past year while being overseas. I definitely could not have done it without all of the people in my life. I remember last year after I arrived, Jen Wall had celebrated her one year Germany anniversary and I was in awe. I read her blog post, and couldn't imagine what it would be like after living here for a whole year. Now after actually being there, it's pretty magical. So without further ado, here's our decked out house.

I saw this idea on pinterest, and with my newly covered pillows and the AWESOME ribbon I found in our "Christmas In A Box" box, I was able to make it happen! I love how festive it makes the living room feel!

Last year we bought our tree the day after Christmas to save money (half off!!!). So I am really excited to have a tree up for a whole month prior to Christmas! Granted, last year we left the tree up until almost April (oh man, don't say it) because we didn't have any lamps to light the living room. The tree helps light the area tremendous.

The christmas ball above was given to us by the Ndjerareou's this year and is our newest ornament! It's also one of my favorites because it says Merry Christmas in German. The picture ornament was given to us by Mama & Papa W last year with our November wedding picture inside.

The "W" was given to us by Mama & Papa W last Christmas. I was/still am so excited to embrace my new last initial. The glittery red felt snowflake was given to us by the Ndjerareou's last year and sparked the theme for a red and white tree.

The Wallace silver bell was given to us last year by my father. This is a Tudor family tradition I so hoped to carry to my own family someday. My parents bought a silver Wallace Christmas bell every year since I can remember. They were married for twenty-nine years which means that we have at least twenty-nine bells. The Polar Express was one of my favorite Christmas stories growing up. When we would decorate the tree, I would ring the Wallace bells and think of the Bell Santa gave to the boy. When I hear the magical chime of the bell, it means that the Christmas season has officially started... and as the book said, it's the most beautiful sound in the whole world. One of my favorite memories was when the bells would get tarnished and my mother and I would sit there with silver polish and rags and make the bells shine again while telling stories to each other.

Last year we found a box amongst our own belongings. It was labeled "Christmas in a Box". I was shocked and overjoyed to find that Mama W had sent us a huge plastic tote of Christmas decorations from her own home. Some of the ornaments that adorn our tree Dana has had all his life. She included everything you could possibly want or need... ornaments, ribbon, holiday napkins, paper plates, Christmas cards, figurines, a nut cracker & bowl, etc. It was one of the few moments in life where I felt more gratitude than I knew what to do with. It was something my mother would have done if she were still here. So thanks Joan... you truly made our Christmas special... forever.

This quilt is one of my most prized possessions. It's not very big, just a lap quilt... but it was made and hand quilted by my mother. The reason it's so special is that she quilted it during the winter of 2006 during her most vicious round of chemotherapy. If you look closely you can tell when she wasn't feeling well as her stitches get a little shaky. But I treasure this blanket because she sewed a piece of her heart inside. I love you my Sash... thanks for making me a piece of you to carry with me every Christmas.

The Christmas Cards are being made and sent out kids! So get excited to get yours in the mail! I'm doing them ten at a time, so don't get cranky if yours doesn't arrive at the same time as someone else's. I was so thrilled to put them together this year, as they are the first Christmas Cards D and I have sent out since we've been married. The advent calender above on the right is from Mama W. It's a huge blessing because it reminds me of my childhood. My mother always bought an advent calender at Christmas, the kind with chocolates inside. I could hardly wait to find the numbers and peel them back to get a treat everyday! You had better believe I was seriously bummed when I found out that I had to share with my baby brother....

The bakery down the road has started making and selling German Christmas cookies again! I am beyond excited here.... they are all so yummy and not so sweet... which basically means you can eat this entire plate full and not feel like you're going into a sugar coma. Fan-freaking-tastic if you as me!!! This year I decided to do a styled shoot with the cookies as I have learned a lot about food photography throughout the past year (Thanks Jess!!!). Dana found my note to Santa later in the day and proceeded to ask me if I was trying to hint at something.... I just laughed and showed him the photos. But, hey... it couldn't hurt *wink wink*

This past Monday I headed to Otterberg for Samantha's 2nd Birthday. I made "Pretty-In-Pink" Strawberry Cupcakes for her special day. I got to witness all kinds of special birthday traditions such as fairy-bread (toast with birthday sprinkles), colored eggs, and balloon-o-rama. It is such fun to see a mom treat her kids to a special birthday. Bravo Jess... I tip my hat to you. J also did an awesome photoshoot with her daughter titled "Two going on Sixteen". On Monday, I was able to get so me cute shots of J with her girls. So here's some snapshots of our adventures that day.

While at Jess's that day it was day TWO of SNOW!!!!!! I was so excited!!! Particularly when J looked out the window to exclaim "SNOW GLOBE SNOW!!!!". I looked at her like she was nuts and then laughed because she was totally right. It looked like a German winter snow globe outside. So of course while she put the girls down to nap, I went out into the freezing cold, sans-jacket to take photos. EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Friday is D's office Christmas Party and Saturday is the Jess's Ugly Sweater Party! Talk about holiday festivities!!! I love this time of year! I'm also hoping to try some holiday baking things and get to work on Leah's branding for her new company! So much stuff... oh and finish my holiday shopping... yikes. Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season!!! Lots of love to you all!!!!

The Birthday Surprise

In light of Thanksgiving this week (coupled with the fact that I am STILL majorly behind on picture editing) I wanted to post this photo and give thanks that I have a sister. It was the one thing I always lacked and am insanely curious about. I had many a friend growing up who had a sister and they'd fight (as sister's often do) but they would also play dress up together, braid each other's hair, talk about boys, and cover for each other with the parentals. This phenomenon was lost on me, as the closest thing I had to a sister was my mother. While my mother was AWESOME, there was still the parent boundary that occasionally got in the way of forging a true sister bond. I watch my mother with her sisters (lucky gal had four!) and I remember the day it dawned on me that I would have to grow up without that support system. It is a powerful bond, even if not by blood, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards my husband for sharing his sister with me. So here's to you Sar-bear. Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful for you, for the person you are, for the super mom courageous striking inspirational qualities you possess. Thank you for your encouragement and your love, for your understanding and patience, and for your big gigantic heart. You mean the world to me. I love you seeeeeeeeeeeeeeester!!!!

Now before you get all excited, no it's not permanently ours.... But Dana did suprise me in a ridiculous way for my birthday this year. We had a rough couple of weeks leading up to October 12, and I was looking forward to driving to Bitche, France for the weekend. Little did I know that Dana had spent the past several months planning... He brought me home flowers (& came home with a hair cut!)and we finished packing. He nonchalantly mentions that someone has parked in our numbered spot downstairs in the lot. I thought this was odd, because it never happens, but he's a smooth operator so I went with it. We get downstaris and I see the car parked in our spot is the car pictured above. A Mercedes SLK 200. *cue angel choir* Dana asked me if I had ever seen one up close and I said I hadn't, minorly annoyed that he was checking our a car that wasn't ours when I was eager to hit the road. It was until he reaches into his pocket and clicks the door locks that I realized it was ours for the weekend. Holy frosting on a cupcake I was psyched!!! and confused... and surprised... D was like a kid in a candy store. We loaded up our luggage and headed out. He again nonchalantly mentions that we were taking the long way to France, meaning a trip that should have taken 45 minutes would be taking us two hours. I was fine with that, I just figured he wanted to play with the car. It wasn't until two hours later when he queued up the voice activated navigation system that I got suspicious. "For what city would you like?" "Baden-Baden"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sweet jimmy jameny.... It took me the entire car ride to process that he was taking me to the spa capital of Germany.

This was the restaurant he took me to for dinner. They had the most beautifully plated food I've seen in a long time. Not to mention absolutely scintillatingly delicious!!! But of course, as he wanted me to enjoy the meal, no camera allowed. We stayed at the most quaint hotel that served us champagne upon our arrival and gave me a vase of water for my flowers.

The view from our room was breathtaking. I was one hundred percent charmed, and so proud to call Dana my husband.

Come to find out that the building above is where I would be the following morning for the most luxurious spa treatments I have ever received. I took a bath in rose petals, recieved an hour long massage, took a snooze in a watermassaging water bed, had a manicure, and finally an hour long facial. WOW. I didn't know these kinds of things existed. I only thought they were made up for the movies.

Now let me tell you what a sweet rocking town Baden-Baden is. Its the Uptown Dallas of Germany in its swanky upscale shopping, ritzy cars, and well dressed folks. I saw more bently's that weekend than I have seen in my entire life. It was a thrill just to walk around and take photos. Which is exactly what we did on Saturday afternoon. D was so patient while I played with my camera (the biggest birthday present of all!). So here's our photos from the weekend.

So that was my birthday surprise. You had better believe that we drove that car all weekend. Taking six hours to get home on Sunday. I felt like a million dollars. Thanks D for your careful planning and ability to surprise me. It was AWESOME!!!! I can't wait to go back and visit when B & Sean get here!

This week is Thanksgiving. Which means Holiday Bakefest 2012 Part A commences today. I am co-hosting Thankgsiving with Jess and Shawna in Otterberg at the Jess's on thursday. SO excited. We have a menu planned that would make any American proud. I just hope I can pull off making the top secret fudge recipe that's been in our family for years! It's the first year I'm making it all by myself. *cringe*

I wish everyone a beautiful holiday this week. May you be surrounded by your loved ones. and if you aren't come on up to Otterberg!!! Lots of love!