What I'll Miss After Christmas

I hope that everyone enjoys their New Years eve and their New Years day as well. This year, like every year, I feel that December came and went so fast. I barely had time to drive around and look at Christmas lights on houses - one of my favorite things to do with S and a to-go cup of hot chocolate. I will, and already do, miss the little adventures that December brings. 

One thing that I had to show off from my December was this duo that arrived in the mail from a dear friend, Jen of Jennipho. In highschool, Jen was the one who taught me how to knit and the one I would have my craft days with. For Christmas she sent me the cutest crochet cup cozy with a cookie charm, as well as, be still my heart, this macaron ring. In the photo below I was enjoying a whiskey + ginger ale while hemming S's new pants from H&M. The cookie cozy was perfect for clutching the glass without touching the condensation - a bit of a pet peeve of mine. 

If you know me, you know my love of all things French - I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to All Things French. Jen made the cookie charm and this adorable + tiny macaron out of clay. She makes custom Dunny's too! So, if you ever want any crocheted or sculpted goodies, she makes and sells them in her Etsy shop! 

Another thing I love about this time of the year is all of the candles! Not only do I burn a ton of candles during the cooler nights, but people give plenty of them as gifts too! I honestly don't think any two of my candles are similar in scent, and I love every single one of them. Some new ones this year include "wild honeysuckle" that reminds me of growing up in New York since we had a honeysuckle bush on the side of the house, "tarot deck" which smells of pencil shavings + nostalgia, and of course Bath + Bodywork's  "Paris" candle which smells so fresh + reminds me of summer time. 

I love the hustle and bustle that this time of the year has. The shops and sidewalks are full of people, and everyone is in a good mood throwing out "Happy Holidays" with every breath. All of this movement must have aged me a bit this year because I found my first gray hair. At first I felt surprised and humorous, then I was kind of alarmed, and now I'm just hoping it's the only one I have for a while. But I definitely had to photograph it, being only 22 (almost 23!) with a stray gray. 

Decorations... holiday decorations around the house are some of the cheeriest things to come home to. Every year when I put the decorations away in January I feel a bit sad, knowing I have to wait 11 months to see these items again. There are plenty of items that I have started to keep out year round because I just can't seem to put everything in a box. Like our Christmas lights on the porch, I always end up keeping those out until mid-January for my birthday, but something always comes up and they end up staying up until March. And this dried-grapevine bird's nest, I bought it a few years ago for Christmas decor, but ever since, found a spot on a frame for it to hang all year long.

I realized that I never shared my new camera. It's a basic Nikon D3100 with the stock kit lens. I figured since it is my first DSLR that I would start with something basic and upgrade the lens next. I'm thinking 35mm or wide angle, but it doesn't really matter because that's not happening for a while. I'm happy with my new camera and it's stock lens!

Note the pastel green walls in my bathroom, inspired by Deyrolle of Paris. Anyway, I'm happy to be spending the holidays with family, using my camera as much as I can to document these moments that I always cherish.

Adieu, Yelle