Christmas in NYC for me has always been very minimalist. We don’t have a fireplace and live on the 3rd floor, and there isn’t much room to decorate. Nevertheless, we try.

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This was Christmas here last year. We put lights up on the windows and hung a bough of plastic holly with lights across the windowsill (or “mantle”, as we call it, since it’s above the radiator.)

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There was a mishap with the garland last year since Esteemed Sewing Assistant ate a few of the plastic berries, thinking them to be “real” berries, and kept swatting them from the garland and eating them. I had to bring him to the vet and he was OK, but there won’t be any garlands or plastic berries this year.

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Esteemed Sewing Assistant, Bean, gets dressed up as Santa.

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It was very difficult to get this photo. Bean does not like hats. Even Santa hats.

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Behind Santa Esteemed Sewing Assistant is a small ceramic tree that plugs into the wall and has decorations baked in. This was part of my mother’s Christmas decoration upstate, which I abducted to bring cheer to my windowsill.

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Baking shortbread from Fisk’s family recipe.

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We haven’t done any of the Christmas decorating this year since it’s been so hectic, but hope to decorate soon.