Merry Christmas Eve, my favorite Holiday! I love the anticipation and magic of Christmas Eve. As a child my family used to get dressed up and go out to dinner on Christmas eve after attending a Christmas Eve service and singing Silent Night by candlelight. This year my husband and I will be spending most of it in the car driving up to my parent's place in the Bay Area, but we will keep one of the Hess family traditions alive by making sure we stop for dinner somewhere along the way. We decided not to do a tree this year, instead I pulled out a couple of my favorite ornaments and hung them around the apartment.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

This absolutely adorable knitted star was made by the fabulous Alla Hale.  I miss our wine and knitting nights together!!

I made these ornaments the first year I lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in San Diego. They were made from a small handful of sand and shells collected on my frequent walks on the beach. It was likely the only time I will live in a house with an ocean view,  where I could sit and spot whales migrating from my balcony. So this is a small token from a wonderful place :)