Chapel Hill

We kicked off our Christmas vacation by taking a day trip to Chapel Hill to go to the UNC-Davidson basketball game with Dani and Mark. This was my first visit and I had been wanting to go for a long time, so I jumped at the opportunity when they mentioned it. Mark went to Davidson so we all had a friendly rivalry for the day, since Bo and I consider ourselves loose affiliates of UNC (Bo's dad and his sister Charlotte and her husband Doug all went to school there)

We met at Top of the Hill for lunch, which was a really awesome rooftop restaurant and brewery. It was on the far end of campus, so we walked through most of campus to get to Dean Dome. I have to say it was the prettiest campus I've ever visited, even in the dead of winter. I can only imagine how pretty it is during spring or fall! Bo has been there several times when he was younger, and we would love to go back again.

 

 

 

  

 

 


It was such a great game, close the entire time, and UNC won 97-85 in overtime. Go heels!  

Big thank you to Dani and Mark for planning such a fun day! Hope to visit you guys again soon :)

O Christmas Tree

Decorating our Christmas tree is by far the highlight of my holiday decorations. It goes up as soon as possible after Thanksgiving Day, and doesn't come down until after the New Year. Which I cannot believe is already here, but I started taking it down today and am already sad to see it go. I went a little Christmas crazy last year, so Bo forced me I toned it down a little and the only additions we have to our holiday decorations are a few new ornaments - an absolute must!

Our annual crystal ornament

Annual ornament from my mom

A belated Christmas 2012 ornament from Bo's mom

I confess that I've been on the hunt for a good dog ornament ever since Molly was a puppy. I finally found these custom hand-painted ornaments on Etsy (Artdog Ornaments shop) for only $16...how could I not get them?! Aren't they the cutest!! Bo thought I was ridiculous for ordering them (possibly true...) but even he admitted they turned out awesome. Purchase justified ;)  I love them.

Molly

Abby

The rest of our new ornaments this year were all from our travels this year:

Totally random find during our Staycation in January

Birthday gift from Adrienne when I visited her in Chicago - so sweet! And perfect since I couldn't find one during my trip :)

classic Parisian ornament from our trip in February

  


Since Dubai does not have any Christmas ornaments, I bought these next two figurines and crafted them into ornaments when we got home. Turned out pretty well and we love them!

from our Desert Safari in Dubai in February

from the top of the Burj Khalifa, also in Dubai

and last but not least (and certainly not classiest!) - a mini barrel from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in September

And here is our tree all decorated! I love that it is full of so many wonderful memories.

It was a pretty good tree, though not my favorite. I missed going to the tree farm in North Carolina so we might bring back that tradition when we switch holidays again next year. And this tree was a little small for my taste, at only 8 feet tall. If you know my dad, you know his obsession with huge Christmas trees which I have entirely inherited. As has my brother Paul, we all found out this year when he got his first tree. Like father, like son (and daughter!). Apparently we are all related to Clark Griswold ;)
 

Mom & Dad's tree on the left; Paul & Sarah's on the right !!

 A stroll down Christmas Tree memory lane... 2012 and 2011