Just Like the McCalisters...

This year, the boy and I are spending Christmas with his family in good 'ole jolly England. It will be the first Christmas I ever spend with his family and the first time he will have spent Christmas at home in two years. It's quite exciting. In fact, it will be the first time in four years he and all his siblings will have been together, under the same roof, for Christmas. As his sister Anna so eloquently put it: "We shall all reunite and have a house full like in Home Alone! (Only we don't live in a massive mansion in Chicago.)"

Personally I cannot wait. I keep imagining a perfectly Dickensian holiday, complete with begging orphans, Ebeneezer Scrooge and snow...oh, how I hope it snows!

From here on out I will be counting down the days to Christmas right here on this blog. Tune in each day for a bit of holiday cheer--videos, music, DIY Christmas ideas, free printables and more....there may even be a guest post by the boy!

This is my favorite time of year and I can't wait to share the festivities with you! Happy Holidays!

Turkey Day

Thanks a Bunch!

So with the impending holiday, I naturally feel compelled to look at what I have been given and think about how lucky I am and have been over the years. So here is my list of the things I am most thankful for~

I am thankful for Brita water filters

I am thankful for frozen Pizzas

I am thankful for vinyl records

I am thankful for emails

I am thankful for Disneyland

I am thankful for music

I am thankful for sunsets

I am thankful for love letters from the boy

I am thankful for literature

I am thankful for the dance lessons that I received growing up

I am thankful to all my teachers

I am thankful for having such loving supportive and giving parents

I am thankful for my Friends

I am thankful for my brothers

I am thankful for having such a nice home with the boy

I am thankful for all the people that have helped the boy and I succeed

I am thankful for gingerbread cookies

But most of all, I am thankful for my family and the boy...I am extremely lucky to have so much love in my life!

moving slowly

photo: Leah Johnson

I have been going and going non-stop at such a fast pace these days, I feel tired and sore and just plain burnt out. I am looking forward to the long weekend, when I can hopefully slow down and relax a bit. I want to stop moving and just stay still so I can take in all the good things around me...

Alot like Christmas: Part 1

This is my favorite time of the year, and always has been. I'm the type who wants to start listening to Christmas music as soon as the weather starts to get chilly. I crave gingerbread cookies and eggnog lattes by mid-October. And I want to put up Christmas decorations as soon as I can possibly get away with it...the boy insists I wait till after Thanksgiving, and it slays me!

This year is no different. I started getting into the Christmas spirit weeks ago, and have actually slowly been putting up little decorations here and there; I am very sneaky! But now I am no longer alone in my seasonal excitement as the City of Beverly Hills had their annual Christmas decoration lighting extravaganza the other night! The boy and I strolled the streets of the Bev Hills the night before the official lighting (when they were testing all the lights) and we basked in the glow of the beautiful holiday decorations and festive store window displays. If there's anything Beverly Hills knows how to do up right, it's holiday decorations. It really made me feel like it's officially the holiday season. Or at least that everyone has caught up with me and my holiday spirit!








Here the boy snaps a shot of himself in a Christmas ornament, and I try to pose like a proper holiday store window manikin. And below, you can see the cute penguins by the fountain outside Tiffany's and the lights stretching over Wilshire Blvd. So lovely. Finally, the paper poinsettia wreaths at Paper Source are so adorable and festive, I want to try to make some for our own home decorations!

never thought I'd say it.....

It's a very funny thing, but I actually, kinda, sort of, almost miss my old job....well I miss the people I worked with mostly. I had such great people working around me, and we always had fun even in the face of high stress and long hours. I miss my friends from work. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs!

{sackbutt}

I have been particularly cranky lately, and there may be reasons, but I cannot divulge them all just now. Suffice to say, I am sure the boy is completely sick of my griping and complaining. I am going to try to be a bit more pleasant in the days to come. I hate feeling moody like this, and it certainly doesn't make me much fun to be around. Here's to having a better attitude!

Sunday Brunch

My mother and I are throwing a bridal shower for my brother's fiance Emily, later this month, and I am trying my best to stick with a completely DIY decorating scheme. The invites were my first challenge. Now that everyone who is invited to the shindig has seen them (including the bride-to-be) I can share my brilliant design here with all of you! It was really fun to make them and send them out to all our family and friends! {Forgive the blurriness. I had to blur out the details for privacy sake, you understand.}













Since it's a Sunday Brunch theme, I used newspaper to frame the invite. And each of the envelopes contained a card with registry information, embellished with a sparkly paper flower! Each one was different shade of yellow or yellow pattern. Even my parents' dog Max tried to help in putting them altogether, though honestly he wasn't much help.

reaching for the moon

I watch Sabrina the other day (the old one with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, not the newer one with Harrison Ford.) And I love that movie....sometimes I feel a bit like Sabrina Fairchild. The boy and I live in a beautiful part of a very upscale neighborhood, but we are not quite as upscale. That is to say, we are of a more limited means, kind of like Sabrina Fairchild and her chauffeur father. They lived above the Larabee's garage, and the boy and I rent an apartment above the garage for our apartment building. Yet I often feel like I am living a charmed life here in our little abode above the garage. Just like Sabrina!

Now if only I looked like Audrey Hepburn!

plug it in

Friends, I must take this moment to plug the holiday production I am in: California Contemporary Ballet's annual production of The Snow Queen. Happening at the Glendale College Theater December 18-20th. It's what we do instead of Nutcracker, and I have to say it's a welcome change for me. I have done enough Nutcrackers in my life to last a good long while (although I will always secretly LOVE it.)

In any event, the show is in rehearsals now and really is looking awesome. I play the role of the Princess, which means I am done up to the nines in tiara, tutu and full diva ballerina gear! If you are in the LA/Glendale/Pasadena area you should try to come and see it. The information is below. I hope to see you all there!

California Contemporary Ballet's
The Snow Queen
Fri. December 18th at 7:30pm, Sat. December 19th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, Sun. December 20th at 2:00pm.
Tickets:In Advance:$20-$25 At the Door (when available) $25-$30.

Information: 818-790-7924
info@ccballet.net
www.ccballet.net
www.snowqueenballet.com

A bit more Zen then Usual

I have recently discovered a line of jewelry that I can't help but find compelling and oh-so-pretty that it too has made it's way onto my winter wishlist. It's called Energy Muse and while it is really not what I would normally consider "my style," I am inexplicably smitten with their necklaces and bracelets.

I mean, it's gorgeous bead-work and each piece features a beautiful stone pendant or an ancient Chinese coin. But what drew me in was all the meaning and symbolism behind each type of stone and each piece of jewelry that makes it unique. I don't really buy into the whole zen, power of crystals and stones thing....or at least I never did before, and maybe still don't now. But it's still a nice thought, and when nice thoughts are coupled with pretty necklaces? What can I say? I'm an easy sell.

I am particularly crushing on the Transformation Necklace and the Life Force Bracelet. I think they both sound like they have special properties that I could totally use (aka: absorbing mental stress!) Now if only these magical and beautiful pieces of zen jewelry would go on sale....

beauty basics

I am thinking I need to simplify my beauty regiment. Actually I need to improve & simplify my beauty regiment. Now that I find myself a little older (and a little wiser) I also find myself, or my skin more specifically, more susceptible to late nights, greasy foods and sleeping with my mascara on! Oh to be young again!

Looking at the facts: I am almost 27 and I am incredibly lazy. The obvious solution to my beauty woes is to put less on my face, so I have less to take off at the end of the day. I am already pretty minimal, so this isn't a huge change, but I think that picking a few make-up essentials and sticking to using just those products is my new way to go.

I am particularly fond of Nars lipstick in Senorita, Nars blush in orgasm, and Nars eyeshadow in Indian Summer. And Bare Essentials mineral veil and pure radiance to give my skin a dewy glow. What are your beauty favs?

{wish list}

I have been getting some major pressure lately from the boy to tell him what it is I want for Christmas this year. Of course my answer is always "Oh you don't need to get me anything..." But I have been told that regardless of what I say, he will get me something so I may as well tell him so it's a something I really do want.

I have been having a hard time coming up with things to ask for, but here goes!

1. Diana Camera (cause how cool is that?)

2. Lovely "Waterfall" Scarf from Anthropologie (sooo pretty!)

3. Beaded Headband from Anthropologie (As you know I love headbands.)

4. The Illustrated Quick Cook cookbook (I need recipes like it's nobody's business!)

5. Vinyl copy of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (It's the sound of Christmas from my childhood.)

6. Pushing Daisies Season 2 on DVD (Don't care what anybody says, I liked this show, alot.)

7. A Bunny Winter Hat (Because why not?)

8. Cake Stand (Funny, but I can't seem to get enough cake stands!)

I would also greatly like peace on earth, an end to all homelessness and an instant fix for global warming, but I think I will ask Santa for those things this year.....

Halloween Fun

So with the demise of my old computer I sort of got behind in my postings. I really wanted to share with you some of the awesome pictures the boy and I took over Halloween. We went to my parent's place for a very haunting and spook-tacular party. I think you'll agree that my Mom's decorations were pretty awesome. (See pics above and below)

It was a pretty momentous affair as well, since it was the first time I have ever succeeded in convincing the boy to dress in costume....and not just any costume, one that made us a matching set! Oh how I love the boy! The holiday was Practically Perfect in Every Way!



We were Mary Poppins and Burt! Yay!

incredible gift

Hello my dears. Sorry it's been a while. My computer died over Halloween weekend and I basically felt like I had lost a limb (how terrible that I depend on it so much, huh?) I mean we all knew it was coming. She was slowing down and acting strange and now she has passed on. I was a bit sad to tell the truth.

But then, my generous and loving parents came to the rescue! Some of you may know that I am a Christmas baby and therefore December has always been kind of a mad rush between my birthday celebrations and Christmas celebrations. Naturally, the birthday has always been slightly overshadowed by the birth of Jesus and Santa Claus coming to town and all that, not that I have ever really minded...too much.

But this year, as both birthday and Christmas present, my parents helped me out in getting a new computer! And may I say, it's pretty awesome! Thanks Mom and Dad! I am one lucky girl! {And I love that it has photo booth! Can you say hours of fun?}