Wooden bead trivets

I didn't intend to be away from here for 3 weeks! The holidays took hold and I went along for the ride. This was the first time we spent Christmas at home, in our apartment, just us and the cats. We decided to start some of our own traditions.

On Christmas Eve, we ate fancy grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup and exchanged a homemade gift. Josh made me these awesome wooden bead trivets! I love them. He created three different sized strands to support the weight of a small saucepan or a heavy cast iron pan. You can see the DIY video here from Remodelista.

I made him an 11 x 17 in. poster that folded down into a mini-book, titled Year in Review. I highlighted places we'd visited, notable events, and things we'd learned. It was a nice exercise and something I hope to do each year. It made me realize I need to do a better job documenting our weekend excursions and trips, so I intend to make that a priority this year.

And here's a peek at our favorite dishes from our Christmas Day feast of manchego and crostini, maple-glazed carrots, kale gratin, roasted chicken and onions, and gingerbread cake for dessert (I highly recommend the gingerbread cake recipe).

I hope you had a very happy holiday and new year. Here's to health and happiness for 2013!