My Merry Little Christmas

So! I invited my mom and sis over for Christmas eve (my very first REAL Christmas eve with presents and dinner and a merry movie) and it was glorious. I want to start by thanking my boyfriend for going along with all of my stressful, last minute preparations because I really needed a pick-me-up in these dark and dreary times. Even though he hates shopping for presents and was feeling quite ill the entire time we had to brave the masses on those last days before Christmas. Now that's true love!

Just look at him rolling his eyes but going along with my cheesiness! 

I did my best to shop for personal, small (but not cheap crap) gifts and had a lot of fun wrapping all of it up in shiny, colorful paper. Seeing all of your hard work build up to a pile of bright packages in all shapes and sizes is almost as good as actually unwrapping your gifts. Almost. I got moisturizing body cream (for the dry, itchy skin on my back), a mirrored tea cup (both from Rituals), a Kate Moss for Rimmel London lipstick, chandelier earrings, a perfectly pink scarf, a 50€ gift card for COS, a Christmas ornament, The Muppet Christmas Carol dvd (which we watched to conclude our Xmas eve) and some fuschia pan coasters. Hope I'm not forgetting anything, but I really loved all of my gifts and especially the thought that went into them.

The presents weren't the only treat though: I also made an effort to put together a tasty, festive meal that wasn't too rich or heavy. After discussing it with my sis and guy I settled on quiche as a starter, gratin dauphinois and cod with winter vegetables en papillote as a main and apple pie with ice cream for dessert.

Enough talk, time for pictures!

My gold, Christmassy eye make up. Nothing gets me in the holiday spirit like gold shimmers.

My sis brought these awesome reindeer headbands I wish I could wear ALL YEAR

Look at all the pretty colors and ribbons!

Setting the table for dinner and dying a little over how adorable my paper napkins and tablecloth are! Got them at Albert Heijn.

Parchment paper cut into a heart to make my cod papillotes

Get cooking: cherry tomatoes, carrots, parsnip, leak, onion, thyme, lemon and kholrabi with my cod. Will put up detailed instructions and a recipe up one of these days!

Starter, main and dessert: all of it scrumptious!

YEAY PRESENT TIME

My sis is a total whino (with amazing hair)

Swiffer was more excited about the crunchy colorful wrapping paper: his faaaave thing in the world.

And that's it! I hope you felt some of the holiday cheer with these pictures, and that your day was at least as amazing as mine. Bye!