OOO #53: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like

I think the proportions are fine, the Crew!, and my top five favorite ornaments

Outfits

“You look short”

Ohio

In case you’re not up on US professional soccer news, the Columbus Crew won the MLS final this past weekend! I had the absolute joy of going to a match this past September, and I look forward to making it an annual event.

I did not grow up watching soccer, and I did not go to a single DC United game in the nine years I lived in DC. The extent of my soccer knowledge comes from 1) junior high soccer, which mostly consisted of me kicking tufts of weeds on the Bay Park soccer field while singing Jenny from the Block to myself moments before letting to other team score and 2) Brandi Chastain’s celebration during the 1999 FIFA women’s World Cup final. I was more successful as a badminton player and a baseball watcher.

But! Upon moving to Columbus and leaving my beloved Nats behind, I now live in a city with two professional sports team—The Crew and the Bluejackets. While I have yet to go to a Blue Jackets game (this is due to sheer laziness and not from lack of interest), I really liked going to see the Crew.

First… I absolutely love Lower.com Field. It looks like a space villain’s lair, which is indeed a high compliment. The inside is also really clean and well-designed.

Second, we "sat" in the Nordecke, the Crew’s fan section. The Nordecke’s ticket holders take their games (and chants) very seriously, and it’s always a joy to see people in their element and celebrating things they care deeply about.

The view from the Nordecke

Third, I love the idea that you can tie in a soccer game. I have sat through so many baseball games that had way too many extra innings—did you know the Nats do ANOTHER presidents race in the 13th inning? I sure do—and it’s cool that soccer matches are not extended unnecessarily.

While the Crew are off until February (according to a friend, I did not fact check this, nor will I!!!), I’ll be looking forward to a game next summer/fall.

Other Things I Like

Holiday Decorations Series Week 3:My Favorite Ornaments

A few Christmases ago, my grandmother asked me if I used real candles on my Christmas tree. I was a little shocked by this, but she said it was traditional, and I’m pretty sure she said she used to do this as a little girl. I do not use candles because that sounds like a great way to have a house fire, and I am instead staunchly on team color lights (Is this actually controversial? I’m curious).

My favorite part of decorating for Christmas is indeed the tree (PS our Strader’s tree has settled BEAUTIFULLY), and I look forward to putting on its ornaments every year. It feels so beautifully human to take part in a tradition that has been around for centuries—evergreen branches have actually had a place in winter solstice celebrations since ancient times!—and I was thankfully raised in a house where eclectic, colorful ornaments were the rule. Now that I have my own home, I have carried on with that tradition, and I’m thankful that my cool creative husband totally embraces it too.

Here are my top five favorite Christmas ornaments:

Henry VIII felt ornament: I have written about my interest in Henry VIII before (did I mention I wrote a third of a screenplay about Anne Boleyn in middle school?), so when I saw this felt HVIII ornament, I knew I had to buy it. I actually LOVE the trend of historical figures in felt ornaments: we also have Shakespeare and St. Louis. Forget Santa— if anyone ever finds a Marie Antoinette or a Julius Caesar or an Agatha Christie (or an Anne Boleyn, of course)… let me know!

The misshapen alligator: in 2015, my mom and I took a trip to Miami and found a paradise called Shell World. Mom and I spent several hours and a lot of money at Shell World, and my greatest treasure from that shopping trip is this weird misshapen alligator ornament. I always forget about it (mostly because it blends into the tree), and it makes me giggle every time I see it.

My preschool ornament: I made this ornament at the Wooden Shoe Nursery School in 1994. I love it so much! I do think I was a very cute kid, but my favorite detail is the fact that I absolutely had to hold my dear plastic Aladdin figurines in the photo… I was obsessed with my Disney figurine collection. This is such a snapshot of time in my own life, and it brings me so much joy. I’m really thankful to whoever came up with this idea at the Wooden Shoe; it was an A+ preschool craft.

The pinecone: a few years ago, my husband and I visited some dear friends in Heidelberg. One of the best things about Germany is their all-year Christmas shops (Spirit Halloween could never), and since I’m always looking for Christmas gifts abroad, I thought it was a great shop to visit. While I was there, I found some beautiful and unique ornaments that I love; my favorite is this teal and white snow colored pinecone (I promise it’s teal). I am to this day surprised that something so fragile could make it safely across the Atlantic in a women’s 60 L backpack, but it did. I smile every time I unwrap it from it’s tissue paper and am filled with both a beautiful memory of that trip and with that jolt of joy that comes from looking at something beautiful.

Pearl angel: For a while, a stuffed Krampus sat upon the top of the tree, but we caved and got a star. Despite this, I think every tree should have an angel on it somewhere. I have two, and I am particularly fond of this pearl angel. I think it belonged to my paternal grandmother (not the grandmother of lit candles on tree fame), but I could be wrong¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I love pearls and think this ornament is absolutely darling. It’s part of a set; the other is on my mother’s tree, and that connection is another reason I’m so fond of it!

My Honorable Mention: Candy Cane Bulbs

Perhaps the most traditional ornaments on the trees are my set of candy cane bulbs. I think they are beautiful and cheerful and still have a bit of character despite how traditional they are.

My Husband’s Honorable Mention: The Pickle

My husband maintains that this is totally a Midwest/Eastern European tradition: The host hides a pickle ornament on the tree and whoever finds it first wins money. Is this a thing? I’m curious!

That’s it—have a great rest of your week!