I’m half embarrassed and half enamored by this video, made by a website called Pummelvision with just a few clicks of a mouse. It’s a music video made up of your tagged photos on Facebook.

Unfortunately you can’t select the music, and it doesn’t include photos from your albums unless you’ve tagged yourself, but it’s still mildly entertaining. And it literally takes 2 minutes.

Tonight I’m listening to the pouring rain and the howling wind. Sipping a glass of red wine, watching a few of my favorite TV shows while lounging on my parents couch. It’s nights like this that make me love, love, love being at home in Portland. If only the rain outside was snow. Now that, would be perfect.

Earlier tonight, after loads of laundry and errands with mom, our neighbors came over for wine and appetizers. Not the Christmas Eve neighbors, but our other forever friends. The family has lived next door for longer than we’ve been in the ‘hood, and our moms have been best friends since day one. They worked at the same school for over 15 years and us children, well we’re like siblings.

Their son, who is a few years older than my older sister, lives in Florida now. He has for a number of years, so his visits to Maine are few and far between. Needless to say, we were thrilled when we heard he was home for Christmas, and dad couldn’t resist snapping a few photos from the evening.

The skies were cloudy for most of the morning and the trails were barely covered with snow, but after a long Christmas weekend the boyfriend and I were excited to get away from the busy holiday schedule and just hit the slopes. We woke up early at my cousins’ house, made a cup of coffee, enjoyed eggs and fresh fruit and drove down to the base lodge.

We skied all day. All day long. We skied with my great uncle, two cousins and their little son Cal. We stopped at Bullwinkle’s, the mid mountain restaurant, for a coffee break with that part of the family around 10. Skied more. Had lunch in the lodge. Skied more. Met up with my two teenage cousins. Skied some more. Met my girlfriend and her fiance for a beer at Bullwinkle’s for a beer around 1. Skied even more.

And then about 6 hours after our first run, we called it a day. Bought a double mocha from Java Joe’s in the village and (quite sadly) made our way south to Portland. My legs are sore and my eyes tired, but man oh man, it was the perfect day.

My family celebrated Christmas Eve in Portland with friends, but early Sunday morning we packed the car with presents and treats and took off to Grandma’s house, to the family celebration up north. My grandparents live in a great big, old house. It sits on top of a big, steep hill just past the town center. A historical landmark in town, it was built well over 200 years ago, was involved in the underground railroad and once served as an small inn. I suppose I’m biased, but I like to think that our family’s memories trump it’s more historical roots.

Anyways, Christmas this year was extra special. Last year, my Grandma was sick in the hospital, recovering for a string of surgeries, and too sick to travel north for the holiday season. To be honest my family didn’t know if she would make it through that season, so for her to be recovered, and back in Maine to celebrate was a blessing to us all. She is still weak, but her spirit still radiates, and my Grandfather gave her a special toast during grace. A toast that included a new nickname. One that took us all by surprise and will never be forgotten: “big momma.”

Keep in mind my dear Grandma is no tall than 5’3″ and can’t weigh over 100lbs. But big momma she shall be called, because what Grandpa says, Grandpa goes. And gosh, he sure does love this woman.

The grandchildren stayed late to help clean up the house, and after all of the tables were cleared and the dishes were cleaned, the boyfriend and I traveled even further north to Sugarloaf. We spent the night playing board games with my cousins on the mountain, drinking wine and watching football. We woke up early and enjoyed our first ski day of the season!

We ate, we drank, we shucked oysters and exchanged presents. We ate a delicious dinner with our neighbors and stayed up until our hearts were filled with joy and our tummies filled with goodies.

One of my favorite gifts was a small, wooden box. My father the handyman made two identical boxes, one for my sister, one for me. Inside each box we found an arsenal of family recipes: meat dishes, soups, salads, seafood dishes, pastas, deserts, the whole nine yards. It is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

15 more minutes until Christmas vacation! I still cannot believe it’s Christmas. Literally cannot believe it. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was out on the boat enjoying summer weekends in Maine? Time is freaking flying, but that’s not to say that this girl is not insanely excited the holidays. I had an incredible Thanksgiving in Maine and Christmas is sure to be even more wonderful.

After work today the boyfriend and I will head to Maine. I’ll spend a night out on the town with girlfriends, dressed in holiday dresses and sparkly tights. Sipping champagne and drinking wine.

Christmas Eve means last minute preparations with mom. My sister and her husband will come over in the late afternoon and my immediate family will exchange gifts. Christmas Eve dinner is a longstanding tradition between my family and my neighbors. They’ll come over, we’ll have a candlelit dinner and give thanks for our health and happiness this year. Then we stay up late, drinking wine, spiked eggnog, blasting tunes and enjoying one another’s company. The kids will most definitely outlast the parents, and we’ll retreat only when our eyes are so tired and our cheeks are as rosy as old St. Nick’s. Our families have been best friends and direct neighbors since I was two, so this family means the world to me and Christmas Eve is our special night.

Christmas morning mom, dad and I will wake up together. Probably get a Starbucks and return home to nibble on the most delicious, moist rum cake in the universe (made and delivered by one of my neighbors and her children every year). It’s odd to think my sister has a family of her own now, but I suppose that’s just life, huh? After we fill the car with presents, food and ski gear, we’ll drive north to my grandparents house. Of course along the way we’ll stop at a gas station in Auburn, the same gas station we stop at every year, so that my dad can purchase scratch cards for us kids (now a days that’s just me!).

Christmas day is the one time of year that my whole family gets together. Two cousins won’t make it this year as they are in Colorado, but the rest of the gang is there. More family members come than do for Thanksgiving, so it’s incredibly special. The annual yankee swap is guaranteed to bring laughs and fights, and dinner and drinks are sure to put us all to sleep afterwards.

This year I’ll stay up north, where the boyfriend will join in the late afternoon, and we’ll be busy skiing with my cousins for a few days.

Photos found on Pinterest here and here.

And… get this. This year, boss man gave our group the entire week off. So I’ll be home in Maine for the week between Christmas and New Years. I’ll return to Boston late next week because (drum roll and giddy dancing please) Heather, Nathan and baby CB are visiting for the weekend!

Well, that’s where I’ll be for the next 7 days. What are your holiday plans?

I’ve mentioned before that my mostly neutral wardrobe consists of tan, beige, brown, white, cream, gray, black and then more tan. So I threw together what is pretty much my every day outfit. An oversized, cowl neck sweater, scarf, skinny jeans and Toms (or boots). All of course in neutral colors!

I’d wear this to work (since our office is extremely casual), shopping on Saturday, or for a coffee date with girlfriends. It’s perfect, it’s cozy, comfortable, and understated. What’s your go to outfit?

There’s nothing I love more than quickly sprucing up the apartment with a bouquet of fresh flowers, so when my parents sent me back to Boston with planted paper whites, I died. I knew that not only would they look incredible and serve as a perfect holiday centerpiece, but they smell like Christmas! Pine needles, nutmeg, paper whites are literally my definition of the smells of Christmas.

Planting paper whites is one of my parents long standing Christmas traditions, so I’ve grown to love – and look forward to – the smell each holiday season.

What’s your favorite holiday smell?

Remember how my weekend was ruined after a minor car accident and an earring down the drain? Well have no fear. My lovely father drove down to Boston this afternoon to unplug the PVC trap. Mister fix it came, unscrewed, and saved the day.

And the first thing he said after removing the earring? “Well geez, that sure is a small earring.” Yea Dad, I never said it was big! C’mon!