While I still need to do a home tour of my apartment, hopefully, this little sneak peek will satisfy you guys for now. With such a bigger space, I was able to fully lean into my Christmas obsession this year. I bought a bigger tree and more ornaments and more decorations to place around my home. It truly feels like a Christmas wonderland in here!
I put up outside Christmas lights for the first time in yeeeeears. I hung some lights around my windows and wrapped my balcony railing with lights. So festive!
The huge stocking I put up above my TV is a family relic. We’ve had it since I was a kid, and it’s one of my most favorite things to bring out every year. It reminds me of my dad in a happy way, and I cherish memories like those.
I love the little Christmas scene in my bedroom—I love waking up in the middle of the night to the glow of Christmas lights. I bought the monogrammed stockings this year at Target. I needed a new stocking, and had to get tiny stockings for the girls! Perfect. Also, I took that photo before Eloise realized how easy it is to bat down the “merry” banner, sigh. Every time I re-hang it, it’s batted down within half a day. Stinker!
Do you see the rock in the middle of my dining room table? (Here’s a better picture.) My friend Kim painted it for me! Isn’t it amazing? She is so damn talented.
It’s weird—usually, I get to a point in December where I’m ready to take down the decorations and restore my apartment to its normal state (usually the day after Christmas, I’m sad to say!), but this year, I think I’ll leave up the decorations for a while. Maybe it’s because I need the extra cheer. Maybe it’s because I have a bigger apartment and it doesn’t feel as suffocating to have so many extra things around.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. If you are the praying type, please keep Mikaela, Nick, and baby Olive in your prayers. While they were hoping a surgeon in Miami would take her case, the surgeon ultimately declined because it was too risky. Her entire liver needs to be removed and there have been no successful cases of a liver transplant for this type of cancer. Instead, she started chemo yesterday and, while Olive’s oncologist doesn’t believe chemo responds to this type of tumor, I am going to believe with my whole heart and soul that it will. I will believe in a miracle. <3
Your decorations are GORGEOUS! I would totally want to leave them up past Christmas (or you could just see how long Eloise lets you leave them up? Ha ha ha.) Everything looks wonderful! I love that you can see how festive you are from outside your place! And the two small stockings are just too purrfect. Thanks for sharing this! I really loved seeing it all. It made me feel happy. And thank you for the shoutout for the rock and my new hobby!!!! <3
And I will definitely be thinking of Mikaela, Nick, and Olive. I am sad and disappointed the surgeon thought it was too risky. Will they ask another surgeon after they see how chemo goes? I am praying the chemo is responsive too. I'm sending lots of virtual hugs to you and them. <3 <3 <3
You’ve done so much in your new space already! I’ll be excited to see the whole thing when you’re able to get the full tour up!
Merry Christmas to you, and I hope you all can experience a miracle <3
Hi, I’m totally a lurker haha, but I just wanted to say, if Olive needs a transplant, I would be honored to be tested to be a living donor. I have a rare blood type (AB+) so probably will not be a match, but wanted to offer.
I love your apartment and all your decorations – even as someone who prefers minimal “stuff” around my own place! I can’t wait for the house tour – your space looks like it’s set up so well, and it must feel incredibly cozy and homey with all of the decorations up. I bet your neighbors love the lights you have up on the windows and railing – I get so much joy from seeing my neighbors’ lights.
I’m so sorry, though, about M’s baby girl. I am glad the surgeon removed themselves from a case that they did not feel that they could take on, but I ALSO hope that they referred the family to other children’s hospitals and liver transplant programs. There are some truly excellent programs out there – and I hope one of those can be the source of your miracle. I don’t pray, but oh, I will keep them in my thoughts. No family should have to go through this.
I love how much effort you put into making your apartment Christmassy! 🙂 It’s been a bright spot during this weird year… and I am so, so sorry to hear about your friend’s babygirl. Way to make 2020 more shitty. (Keeping her in my thoughts.)
I totally missed this post around Christmastime but came back to check it out when I saw it in your annual roundup. EVERYTHING LOOKS SO MAGICAL!