Our New Year's Gratitude Tree

 The trauma that happened this Fall prevented me from making a Thanksgiving Day gratitude tree, and I'm glad. The idea was postponed for a few months until there was room for reflection again.

On walking back from yoga in late December, I came across a huge tree limb that had been torn off during a winter storm and smashed into the street. I paused for a moment to consider, and then slung one of the smaller branches over my shoulder and carried it a few blocks home. Eric laughed when he saw me parading down the street with a tree branch taller than I am, but he helped me wrestle it inside and fill a pot of dirt to keep it upright.

I decided this would be a gratitude tree for the New Year instead. We had a brunch on New Year's day, and I asked each of our guests to write down one thing they were grateful for in 2012, and one thing they wished for in 2013. Then everyone tied those little hopes and thanks to the dry bare branches. Whenever anyone comes inside, I've asked them to do the same.

I love walking past those fluttering slips of white paper, covered with handwriting; spidery curls, tidy printing, or bold block letters. Some thoughts are short and others detailed. Some are lofty, ("No more hungry children in 2013!") some outlandish, ("I hope the Vikings win the Superbowl ..in my lifetime anyway.") some just simple pleasures, ("2013: The perfect Old Fashioned.")

I've enjoyed it as a reminder of what good things we've had already as we go on hoping for more. newer, better too. I don't know if this wobbly shard of a branch will last an entire year in our apartment, but I love the idea of saving him till 2014 and using him as kindling for a giant bonfire to ring in another New Year.

Tell me gentle readers, what are you grateful for in 2012? What are your wishes for 2013?

Store your Christmas Ornaments in Apple Containers!

Since I put up my tree so early this year, I was very prompt in packing it up- first thing New Year's day. I'm always looking for a better way to store my collection of fragile vintage glass ornaments and this year my apple pie making helped out. We buy our apples at Costco (only place to get 'em around here really, and they aren't great.) and they come in these monstrously wasteful bubble containers. Convenient, but excessive.

Turns out they are the perfect size for storing ornaments!

Do you have any tips for storing Christmas decorations? I am trying hard to keep my collection limited to it's current three bin max, but I seem to acquire a few more pieces each year.

DIY with The Fab Miss B: Fancy New Year Party Favors!

We decided to throw an impromptu New Year's Eve Party this year (because we live in a small town and if you want fun after 9pm you'd better make it yourself!) and I whipped together some party favors to make it feel more glamorous and festive. I scattered these around our apartment with noise makers and confetti and lots of candles and that was all the decoration we needed.

I love making favors for smallish parties because you can go over the top in a way you never could if you were hosting 60-100 guests. Here's what I used to make my New Year Party Favors:

Foil Party Picks
Plastic Champagne Bottle Bubbles
Plastic Zebras(they are already dressed to the nines in those black and white stripes!) Look for them on Etsy.
Champagne Saucers. I found mine at thrifts shops and tag sales for around .50 cents a piece, but you could also try Etsy.
Gold Foil Wrapped Chocolates- mine are Dove White Chocolates, on clearance post Christmas!
I thought about twining the stems with the metallic garlands I had on hand, but in the end I decided they were overkill.

I only purchased the hollow stem champagne saucers because the foil picks stand at perfect attention when you slip them inside. So festive!

Then, I added the champagne bubbles at a jaunty angle, the zebras for a whimsical twist and the gold foil wrapped chocolates to bring sweetness in the New Year! Then I made little paper flags with a calligraphy marker & super skinny sharpie to finish them off.

We had a great time tooting and noisily welcoming the New Year here in Hawaii- everyone around here goes mad with fireworks and we were able to watch them popping and sparkling from our lanai. I'm excited for 2012- this year both Eric and I will celebrate our 30th Birthdays (!!) and we are hoping to take some more fun trips- perhaps to the Phillipines, or maybe we'll finally do that Airstream Trip I've been fantasizing about this summer. I can't wait.

What are you most excited about in the New Year?