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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sister, Daughter, Wife, Carrot

This is a post about Christmas.  An unbearably late post about Christmas.  For some reason, what with everyone setting New Year's Resolutions, and all...it just felt...necessary. Maybe you'll see what I mean.  An Unbearably Late Post About Christmas.  Please Forgive.  


     This year, I was bound and determined to blow everyone's minds with Christmas Craftiness.  I was going to do something really outside-the box like find a way to make a really rad color like mustard yellow look Christmas-y.  I was going to gather all kinds of things from outside and spray paint them so everything would look super clean yet still kind of woodsy.


I was going to decorate in mono chromatics.  All white....all blue...all silver.


Boo-yah.


And then I started actually decorating, and I realized...all that was a lot for one christmas.  It was too much pressure.


I feel like we are still setting up house, to a certain extent.  So much of our decor, for a long time, has been things that were given to us or things I purchased, on a whim, at the dollar store.  Of course, many of these things have value.  We appreciate people's generosity, and of course the opportunity to find a good bargain.  However, I have had a really hard time feeling like our house is "us."  After nearly 2 and 1/2 years, I think we are finally catching our stride.


With that being said, you know I have a tendency to struggle with The Glumps.  You know I have a tendency to look at people and things in life as "me-upgrades."   This does not mean I have a low self-esteem.  (Let's face it, I rock and so do you).  This just means I am honest.  We all want to feel like we are putting our best, most-true-to-self foot forward- like we are expressing ourselves as we really are whether that's a blog layout, a pair of boots or a set of candlesticks.  The danger lies in the constant second guessing.  It's true.


So, I got out our Christmas decor and went to work.  I was a crazy person.  Moving things.  Sorting things.  MESSING with "things."  I was dangerously close to using words like "aesthetically pleasing" and "symmetrical."


And then it hit me.


This is not what Christmas is about.  


I heard, quite clearly, the words, "Less is more."


I think my friend, Carmen refers to it as "a call to simplicity."


So, that is what we did.


And then I went to one of my favorite antique stores and found this little number. (The Antique Tobacco tin in the right hand corner) 


And a light went on.


Tim and I?  We like old things.  Very old things.  We gushed over a set of antique model airplane replicas we recently spotted.  Our last Netflix we watched together featured Kathrine Hepburn.*  We'll take old, solid wood over plastic any day (although we do love IKEA)!


So, here we are.  The decor is not "clean."  It is not modern.  There's no glitter.  But it's us.


I remember reading a book called "Reviving Ophelia...."  which, in hindsight was very "late 90's-lilith-fair-Sarah Mchlachlan-grunge"of me, but it's still a good read nonetheless.


In said book, there is a quote from a girl who states, "I'm a perfectly good carrot that everyone is trying to turn into a rose.  As a carrot, I have good color and a nice, leafy top.  When I'm carved into a rose, I turn brown and whither."


And I recall thinking, "Yes.  That is so me."


I had to laugh as I thought about that now, because I don't feel like anyone is trying to "make" me be anything anymore ((sigh of relief)).  I think my late 20's/early 30's are going to really be about finding myself, cheesy as it sounds.


Nay, finding myself and owning it.


"Me upgrades" be darned!


So, there you have it.


And I leave you with this, my cousin's daughter Norah on Halloween!  Yet another shining example of a perfectly good carrot!  Have you ever seen a more adorable vegetable!?!?!   Yes, for this post, a child in a carrot costume just seemed fitting.




Love and antique tobacco tins,
H: Sister, Daughter, Wife, Proud Carrot


*The movie we watched was called Desk Set.  You should watch it.  

4 comments:

Shelly said...

This post makes me even more proud that Norah ASKED to be a carrot. Even though I had to make the costume and it wasn't all slick and store-bought-fancy, she wouldn't have been happy being anything other than what she wanted to be. I learn a lot from that kid.

meg fee said...

i love that first photo--the long, lean christmas tree. perfection.

Anonymous said...

Love old movies, love old things! We are also about reusing/refurbishing antiques. So much more character!

Amen to less "me upgrades"!

Hannah Sullivan said...

I am loving all the Christmas decorations!!!