Oh Christmas Tree. Of the many traditions in our family, most passed down through the generations of women, our Christmas trees owe a mighty holiday cheer to my grandmother. Packed with lights shining like the North Star, she took days to unwrap, place, adjust, and stuff her trees with ornaments, …
Sister Catherine, a distant relative by marriage, spent her golden years retired from the nunnery but still in its service. For most of the year she worked tirelessly on whimsical felt ornaments, embellished with embroidery, beads and sequins. As the holidays approached, she would sell her crafts, often at parties …
Today’s Day 12, the halfway point of our holiday countdown. To celebrate, we created our own Halfway There holiday playlist featuring twelve of our favorite songs by women artists that will have you humming along while you drive, wrap and bake all those holiday memories. It’s available on Spotify to …
You may remember our friend Trudy from Monday’s story about Bim Willow’s tree-making workshop. Trudy was our neighbor and sister in arms that morning; we shared laughs and suggestions while struggling to coerce our willow branches into anything resembling a tree. (Reminder: It takes a village to make a holiday …
Is there anything better than a new book for Christmas? (Trick question – there’s nothing better!) We could always list a bunch of recommendations from the Best Of 2019 lists, but we thought, why not ask the women we featured in mutterhood this year to tell us what’s topping their …
When I first brought my tree home (left) my husband said it looked like it belonged at Burning Man. I blinged it up for inside and Ellen decorated hers (right) for the outdoors. Not sure they’ll ask us to decorate holiday windows on State Street, but it was fun.
Bim Willow sounds like the name of a charming character in a delightful children’s fairy tale. Instead, he’s a taskmaster of tree-limbed furniture whose not-so-whimsical workshop we attended one early Saturday morning in November. The Chicago Botanic Garden, which hosted the session, offers classes in everything from drawing to yoga to nature-walking. …
Spotted: this confusing mashup of holiday icons in the window of a thrift shop.
I scurry around the house looking for the usual suspects. Bottle of wine? Candles? Coffee mug? Picture frame? Does this ornament look used? Does this book look read? I don’t have time to bake cookies. Those earrings I never wear? This fancy box of tea that I never opened? Does …
I think it’s time we talk about Santa. Because honestly, I love the guy. I love him as St. Nicholas, aka Nicholas the Wonderworker, a fourth-century Christian saint and protector of sailors, orphans, prisoners, and everyone in between, whose prayers brought about miracles and whose secret gift-giving is the origin …