357 Days until Christmas

It has been so silent on here! This month was so full of Christmassing and work! Work was busy in December wrapping up loose ends before the Christmas break. In between the workdays, I found time to enjoy the season. Ever since I was a little girl, I looked for ways to soak in every second of December and make the spirit of the Christmas season as tangible and present as possible. I always searched for ways to make it feel MORE like Christmas and to enjoy each moment more. My favorite example is the year I thought it’d be a great idea to celebrate the Christmas season by going on a “Christmas Diet” the entire month of December in which I’d eat nothing but candy canes, Christmas sweets, and hot chocolate. Things really haven’t changed all that much..

Scott and I spent a weekend going to the Symphony of Lights at the Merriweather Post Pavilion and Zoolights in DC. We also celebrated Christmas a bit early this year before his family left for vacation. We had our own Christmas morning together with Scott even checking to see if Santa came before he let me see the presents under my (very tiny 2 ft tall) Christmas tree. We opened gifts together in our pajamas and had a delicious breakfast of tofu scramble and cinnamon buns. We forgot to take pictures while wrapped up in the moment but I promise that Santa treated us both very well.

Christmas with Scott was followed by Christmas in NJ with the family. All of my brothers, nieces, and nephew were there; having everyone together was amazing. I wish we could have slowed the whole day down and stretched it out even longer. I have a feeling that I’ll be wishing that every Christmas. The day (and the season) just can’t last long enough.

Monumental

If you want Christmas shot through your veins, if you want to be surrounded by people bundled in mittens and scarves, if you want to be engulfed in the scent of crepes (crepes!), hot chocolate, and cider, if you want  to sing Christmas carols in chorus with strangers and choirs, if you want to get teary-eyed from the most beautiful fireworks display ever (EVER), go to Mt. Vernon next December, dress warmly, and watch the mayor light the Washington Monument like a Christmas tree. Dear Baltimore, I'm falling for you.

Beirut

The song "Elephant Gun" by Beirut is amazing. I first heard it in December, so I always find myself listening to it around this time of year. I love everything about this song and video. Try to not watch it more than once; I dare you.

Christmas in Bawlmer

Baltimore loves Christmas. Its wonderful to see the city embrace this time of year with open arms. This weekend, one of my very best friends, Liz, came to visit and do some exploring. We caught up over dinner and French Pear Martinis at a beautiful French restaurant called Marie Louise Bistro. Although not typically very vegan-friendly, I have a huge soft spot for French restaurants partially because of my dreams to travel there and partially due to my short stint at Paris 66 in Pittsburgh. It was a perfect, low-key night.

We spent most of the day on Saturday in Hampden. Hampden is a unique and quirky part of Baltimore that has quickly become my favorite area of this city (Its a tough choice, though! This city has a lot to offer!). We found tons of antique and thrift stores, small businesses, and coffee shops. We crossed a few Christmas gifts off our lists and bought a thing or two for ourselves (I got 2 beautiful maps to frame and hang on my wall!).

We then headed over to Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the Annual Parade of Lighted Boats. We sat with our hands warmed by peppermint mochas and watched as dozens of ships of all sizes sailed by covered in Christmas lights! Each boat had its own personality: some were witty, others were clearly party boats, many were traditional in style, some were huge, others embraced how small they were. It was amazing! My favorite was a pair of ships that carried flying lighted reindeers with Rudolph leading the pack. On the back of the ship was the nativity scene as a reminder of the reason for the season! It was so exciting to see so many different people get involved in a city tradition. The parade was followed by a Christmas light show on the Power Plant with fireworks and flames. Our night ended with cheap mexican food and classy martinis. Another perfect evening with a great friend.

I'm looking forward to continuing to experience how this city celebrates the season! The Lighting of the Monument is this Thursday and I'm hoping to see the "Miracle on 34th Street" in Hampden in the next few weeks!

Happy December!