12.31.2021

New Year's Eve, 2021

Sewing Vintage Simplicity Patterns


This is a post to mark the passing of time. Full disclosure, ya might wanna skip it. It’s not the usual mood around here, but as everyone’s aware at this point, the glossy half of social media is just that: half of it. This post is for that blip in the future when one of us turns to the other and says oh yeah that christmas was crazy. What happened that year? And I head to the digital journal of blog and instagram to check my trail of breadcrumbs.


Future Me won’t find much on the grid at the end of this misbegotten year. 2021! The year Covid reached legal drinking age, invited all its irresponsible friends over for a house party, got TOTALLY WASTED, and in the morning left the rest of the world to clean up the wreckage. 


The Handmade Harriells Youtube Eggnog tutorial


The party landed on us both at exactly the same moment (because we do everything together), right after we’d spent an evening making an innuendo filled Egg Nog video (because nothing says innuendo like Granddaddy’s Egg Nog). Of course we didn’t know it was covid until later, since New York turned up the volume to Threat Level Eleven overnight, and testing meant an hours long wait on cold streets. We just assumed we were part of the avalanche of (vaxxed and boosted) omicron cases, canceled the handful of dates we’d made, kept ourselves isolated, and worked from home through sore throats & body aches. After a few fever free days, I masked up and ran out for new toothbrushes, and—a Christmas miracle!—rapid tests. Our corner drugstore was hiding them behind the counter with no signage, only handing them over if requested, like some morbid version of ordering off the secret menu at In ‘n Out Burger.


To be honest we’ve both been sicker—Rob had a case of food poisoning a month ago that was worse, and I recall a 2018 post Thanksgiving garden-variety-plague where a hoard of water-soaked Gremlins set up a mosh pit in my head. Ah, fond memories of just being plain sick, instead of being interminably wrapped up in a preventable pandemic! 


Comparisons aside, these past weeks were still worse. Because the worst part about being this kind of sick is that we don't have to be. 


Hanging with Ethan Iverson at ZInc Bar NYC


Christmas Eve came with the unsurprising announcement that our NYE concert at Zinc Bar was canceled (like many indoor events in the city at the moment). On Christmas day, we watched a little Bake Off. Then a little Die Hard. Rob went to bed early and I stayed up looking at the lights, and our weird little peppermint striped tree that I bought because it reminded me of my Nan.


Peppermint candy christmas tree


We’d planned on taking y’all on a stroll around the city to share some real holiday diplays, and just how pretty it can be here at Christmas, but that night found me with zilch to edit, and just about as depressed as I’ve felt, ever. We’ve certainly been in worse situations, but we tend to put on our game face and head into battle. Like everyone else, I got to the point where I had no more game face. 


But they say you have to figure out why you’re putting content out there, what you’re doing to serve your audience. We decided early on our goal was to make people smile. So I thought about what I wanted—to laugh—and thought about what our goal was with our content—to make others laugh—and I sat up on that quiet night making a bloopers reel. It cheered me up to splice togeher our generous amount of ridculouness. It's nothing that's going to, you know, end a pandemic or bring about world peace; but maybe it’ll give you a giggle.


What I'm Sewing | oonaballoona by Marcy Harriell


It’s New Year’s Eve, and although we’re 95% good, I’m shelving the 95% finished metallic-gold off-the-shoulder concert dress in favor of something a little more housebound. Though I’m normally down for sewing a gown for no reason whatsoever, I’d rather not look at the thing I should be performing in tonight. All is not lost though, as you can see, I'll still be rocking technicolor--inspired by our week of binge watching Gillian Anderson float around in billowy yards of jewel tones. (Side note: watch Sex Education. It is BRILLIANT. For a mixed chick, this series looks like the world. It is made up of every type of human coexisting in every type of situation with no need to explain the why or how. And that is a *very small* part of what makes this series one of the best things on Netflix. If you’re not into sex, the title is, erm, an obvious warning. But if you want kaleidoscopic, beautifully created characters set to a hilarious and heartaching soundtrack of high school, don't walk, run.)


That’s it, that’s the blip in time! If you’ve made it this far, here's the most important part: although I've spent a good bit of the end of this year in that decidedly 2020s mood of being furiously depressed by the situation, I'm also acutely aware of the larger situation of the world, and those who have things FAR worse. I’m extremely grateful that I can head out to the store, pick up something festive, and toast whatever the hell is coming our way in handmade technicolor.


I hope the switch to 2022 finds you doing something enjoyable, or even just something manageable. Me, I'm off to pick up the makings for a New Year's Night in. I'm thinking nachos. New Year's Nachos, baby. Sounds achievable! 


Happy New Year, friends 💗


26 comments:

  1. Thinking of you as you recover! It's everywhere right now. I'm glad you have each other and are still creating!

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  2. I am glad you feel able to share what is in your heart all the time, even on a less happy note than usual. Hope you continue to feel better both in body and spirit. Thank you for taking all the time to post, I look forward to each one! Debbie Hunt

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    1. thank you so much, Debbie, that's really so lovely to hear. I do enjoy posting here and am planning on getting back to weekly posts!

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  3. Thank you for taking the time to leave an honest and heartfelt end of year message. My mother would always tell me not to complain because someone out there has it worse than you. As witnessed this past couple of weeks, the fire in Colorado, floods in Brazil, typhoons in the Philipines, tornadoes, amazing the amount of people homeless at the moment. Do take care of yourself and your lovely Rob, and like lots of us, enjoy the New Year, albiet quiet. Looking forward to next years offerings. Susan Cheer

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    1. Yes, there is always something to put things in perspective, good or bad. So much going on right now....I hope this finds you as good as your last name!

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  4. I'm so glad you two are on the mend, & your blooper reel DID make me laugh

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  5. I'm sending you warm wishes of better times, it feels good to share a bit of that depressed mood from time to time ... to better jump into next step ! I wish you a better start of the year !

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    1. Yes, you know...I could happily be happy all the time. But of course it's not the way things roll. Let's all have a reset and a happier start!

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  6. Thanks for sharing such an honest message, Marcy, and for showing us that life isn't all rainbows and unicorns for everyone else. Sending wishes for a happier and healthier 2022 x

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    1. Thanks Samantha. We all have those days--and everyone is going through something the rest of us don't see! Happy new year's wishes to you!

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  7. Glad you're better. Glad you're keeping it real. Yes. Manageable, with a side of peace and a topping of joy, sounds good indeed!

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    1. A side of peace and a topping of joy, I love that. Sounds like a dessert I want for breakfast.

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  8. This:
    "The year Covid reached legal drinking age, invited all its irresponsible friends over for a house party, got TOTALLY WASTED, and in the morning left the rest of the world to clean up the wreckage."

    It's the perfect explanation for what's going on right now. I'm glad you and Rob are doing so much better and sorry that you both had to feel the sting of this disease. I'm hoping 2022 will be better but not sure it will be...

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    1. I'll admit... I was pretty proud of myself on that description. Though I could do without the reason for it!!

      I'm sideyeing 2022 from a safe distance and doing what I can to keep our ish good. Gotta just do what we can...

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  9. I wish you a year full of creativity and love!

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  10. [arms outstretched, wiggling his fingers New York way]
    Sending both of you healing rays!

    Now do tell, what over-the-counter, and kitchen counter, things did you take to rejuvenate? Is that Nog recipe part of the upward spiral? From tonic to colonic, dish!

    Oh, and happiest of times to your and yours (this wish comes in 12 monthly installments, and no worries, you're in the automatic renewal program),

    Oona's poet-at-large

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    1. That nog was DELICIOUS, maybe it contributed to our milder symptoms...but steak and Thai food delivery definitely aided and abetted.

      I like this program. Keep me in a lifetime subscription please 💗

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  11. So glad you two are recovering ok, interesting days we are in for sure. I so feel you with the 2020 blues, combine that with a failed fertility treatment at the very end of the year its been a sincerely sucky two years. Praying for some kind of relief in 2022, and please keep the videos and giggles coming. They bring bright happy breaks to this crazy world and we can use all the wonderful things you bring to it. Your blog is still my favorite, because you bring a loving, encouraging and brilliantly colorful bit of happiness to the world and my life is inspired by it. <3

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    1. Thank you so much, and I'm sorry to hear about your end of the year...the pandemic has a way of piling it on for most of us. I hope things are looking brighter...we're getting back on track with videos and hoping to bring you some happy soon 💗!

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  12. Yayyy to being on the mend! This virus is just doing the most eh? BTW this peppermint stripe tree is cutesy!

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    1. HA. Yes, this virus is the WRONG kind of extra!!!
      I've still got my peppermint tree up. I may leave it up till summer!

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  13. Best wishes on a better 2022! So thankful it was mild for you both.

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!