Every year I do a quick tour of our home at the holidays, all the decorations plump and showing off. Honestly, things don't change much. Mostly that's okay with me. I do yearn for a different kind of tree (and I still want a pink tree, but I abandoned the hunt this year in favor of other things) and a different look. But we love our Christmas decorations and love having them out each year. When I saw Christine's beautiful gift tag printables, I immediately pictured them as a garland on our mantle. This is the kind of project that I dream about and don't ever follow through on, but this time, as my mom baked cookies and my dad tried to thwart Cal's efforts at a video game, I cut and tied and here we are. Let's face it, I'm ridiculously pleased.

After days and days of rain and what my mom has called "close" weather (warm and muggy), the temps have finally dropped and it's feeling more festive. They're even calling for flurries tonight. What a Christmas treat that would be!

I've saved the best for almost last, you see. Annie sent me an email right as we left for London giving me directions to their flat (she'd be at work when we arrived) and saying that their house was our house. She and Richard really made us feel as if they meant it. Fresh flowers, snacks, the offer of a soft bed, and our reunion with Neel really did make us feel at home.

For me, more than all of the amazing things we saw and experiences we had, this was the best. Truly meeting dear friends, sharing meals and enjoying their boundless generosity. When I really think about everything that Annie and Richard did for us, how they opened their hearts and their homes, well, I feel moved beyond words.

You may notice, I didn't take as many pictures of Annie and Richard's flat as I did of our apartment in Paris. It felt a bit voyeuristic perhaps, too intimate. It was, however, exceedingly lovely. Light and bright, and, as you can imagine with Annie, all about the details. Design books on the coffee table. A stunning lamp in the corner. Lego figures sharing pride of place on a cabinet, and of course flowers everywhere. The bath looked and smelled luxurious. The terrace off their bedroom overlooked such gorgeous gardens that I thought Neel might curl up and sleep on the floor.

Annie and Richard have all sorts of exciting plans for their flat, many changes they want to make as they settle in, but as it stands, it feels light and bright and beautiful. More than that was how we felt while we were there, which was very much at home.

I know that they struggle a bit with the choice they made, going for the neighborhood as much as the space itself, but to us, as guests, it felt very right and very them. I can't wait to see what they do with it. No matter what, it feels like home.

holiday home, 2013 {life}

house proud, london {life}