am i the only one that remembers writing those “how i spent my vacation” essays in grade school?  i thought not.

welcome back, all!  i hope you had a fabulous holiday…i know i did.  i thought i’d share a few little highlights with you from my week(s) away.

i had a wonderful christmas, full of cozy time with my hubs and the rest of my family, and packed with treats and goodies i didn’t even know i couldn’t live without.  my sweet hubs hooked me up with a gargantuan tub of my favorite cadbury heroes (a british mix of bite-sized cadbury delights), and also made me – from scratch, dear readers – chocolate and graham-covered marshmallows.  i have asked him never to make them again, as they disappeared at a frightening rate.  fortunately, i think he knows i didn’t mean a word of it.

(image borrowed from life’s ambrosia, as i sadly forgot to take a photo. but you get the idea.)

i also got a fancy new camera memory card that automatically transfers photos from my camera to flickr, without my having to do a thing.  it’s like magic. what this means for you is that i might actually be posting photos i didn’t borrow elsewhere!  like, say, a photo of the beautiful new earrings i got for christmas:

i also got a second pair of what may have been my favorite purchase all year:  my rachel comey mars boots.  i bought them first in stamped nougat (the very last pair in the universe, i think), and was wearing them so faithfully, i decided i had to nab a second pair in black before they were gone.  it was a major feat of shopping to find them (curse these giant feet of mine!), but thanks to mick margo (and my sweet mom), they’re all mine!

next, we headed to northern california for a few days of rest and relaxation with my family.  but i did manage to make the world’s quickest detour into san francisco…had to make a little stop at my beloved barneys, have lunch at the neiman marcus rotunda, and nab some macarons at miette.  missions accomplished…

…and then some!  i managed to track down a scarf i’ve been wanting for months…and on sale, no less!  it’s like barneys knew i was coming.

those little greyhounds in their cute coats…how could i resist?!

while i was in cali, i also got to debut my new elm cardigan from le train bleu. it was love at first sight with this one – that fair isle/native american pattern is so striking, and the striped lapel just makes me swoon!  apparently i wasn’t alone…my stylish mom literally stole it off my back, and i was forced to order a replacement.  thankfully, the brilliant bria at le train bleu managed to get a few more in stock. i’m counting the minutes until my replacement arrives!

now i’m home, and ever so slowly getting back into the swing of things….though i admit, i’m moving like molasses.  it’s just too cold here in portland to focus on anything, really.  except maybe a piping hot cappuccino.

what about you, dear readers?  how were your holidays?  i’d love to hear all about them!

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