let's be honest

disclaimer: this may become an on going series of posts that include my opinion on things that I observe in everyday life. it is strictly that...my opinion. nothing i say is meant to offend anyone. it's simply the way i see things. :) thanks for understanding!

Let's address a topic that I've had an issue with for years now: Pigtails.

I could go on for days. All too often do I see women my own age and older with this hair style and all I can' think to myself is "How on earth can you expect ANYONE to take you as a serious human being when you walk out the door with your hair like that??" It's absolutely ridiculous. After the age of 10 I feel like pigtails should be banned from the hairstyle repertoire, especially if you're going out into public. If your sitting around the privacy of your own home, pigtail away, but if you want to be out in the world and seen as a functioning citizen of society DO NOT think that pigtails are the way to go.

Now, of course I'm not banning all pigtails and there are very certain and specific circumstances where pigtails are acceptable. Let's look at the examples.

 Babies: Do I even need to explain myself?? These babies are adorable in their tiny pigtails! And they obviously love wearing them! If that doesn't just melt your heart then nothing will!

Just precious. So innocent and wispy and AGE APPROPRIATE!! How society has managed to ruin such a symbol of youth just blows my mind. It's shameful.

French Braid Pigtails: ONLY acceptable on athletes and incorporated in an up-do. For athletes it's a hairstyle of function, not fashion. It's a great way to get your hair out of your face and off your neck for your sport. I feel like volleyball players in particular who have this do become more intimidating than childish. Get it Girls!!
As Kate Hudson and Sarah Michelle Gellar have pulled off, the french braided pigtails when swept into a chic up-do are youthful without become kinky or childish. And when paired with the right outfit you can either make it look sleek and classy or messy and casual. Either way the hair is still slightly sophisticated.



Costume: This is still a bit of a stretch for me but I can't judge too much since even I as a young college girl, thought it was appropriate to pull this off for a Halloween. I can't say that I'm proud of my decision.
So, I suppose this hair is alright as a costume for that ONE day a year. And again I can't help but feel like a 20-something is more able to wear it successfully as opposed to a 40-50 year old. I don't want the visual image anymore. Moving on.
Outside of Halloween, the only other time this hair/outfit combo is acceptable is in the privacy of one's bedroom! Keep it to yourself and your man!! And if you feel the need to take pictures of yourself, DO NOT put them on facebook. No one wants it and you just look like a big slut. Those are the facts Jack.

Rachel Green:  Come on, it's Jennifer Aniston. She can do no wrong. Soooo maybe I'm a little biased since I'm Team Aniston but I don't think anyone can pull the tails off quite like Jen. I could be because they are down and not dangling over her ears. Regardless, I'll let it slide.

TEAM ANISTON FOREVER!!







Alright, now that we've seen the good, you know I can't just end the post without pointing out the bad. Oh it's so bad.

 I could vomit. Now I know I'm going to seriously upset some people with what I'm about to say, my own family included, so to all you Abbey lovers, you might just want to skip this section.

I HATE ABBEY!!!!! Ugh. that felt good. Let's be absolutely honest for a moment. NO government agency, of any kind, would allow a professional to dress like this in their workplace! NONE! Yes I know, it's just a show, but come on. How am I supposed to take this show seriously when they've got this clown running around in her pigtails and spiked chokers. SERIOUSLY?!?! ish.

A pair of ass clowns. In both life and their choice of hair style. Sure Britney was young at the time but it was NOT a good example for girls in those days. And I can't help but feel like it brought the pigtail craze back. Tori Spelling.....it's not even worth it. 

 Can we say Daddy issues??? Geez Louise. If you do this to yourself the morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself that this is the do for you.....you're delusional. How could anyone expect to be taken seriously looking like this??

REALLY???? Is this a joke??? This hair is BARELY acceptable on Willie Nelson(a stretch for sure) but with a dress shirt and tie nonetheless. Either you have no friends or your have very awful friends because obviously not one of them cares about you enough to stop you from this train wreck of a photo.



So let's be honest. Pigtails are more unacceptable than they are acceptable. If you're not a baby, Jennifer Aniston, or a professional beach volleyball player, keep the tails in your home! No one wants to see them and you look like an adult child. Not a good look.

Friends don't let friends wear pigtails.

self survey

My best came across this little survey the other day here and filled it out in her own blog. It's a collection of questions meant to help you survey your life and where it's going. It seems fitting for me as I'm starting to look to the future and what that will look like. So here they are:

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? 21 or 22. Still in that middle phase of not being a child but not quite feeling like an adult yet.
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying. If you never try things you won't know what you're truly capable of.
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? I think it becomes a sense of necessity. People aren't encouraged enough to find the things they love to do and make a living out of them, so often we find whatever will make us money whether we like it or not. Then years down the road we realize that we are miserable and don't know how we got ourselves into such a hole.
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? I hope not but looking back at my life currently that might be the case.
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? People's hateful attitudes. It's ignorant and pointless.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Any work involving helping others and spreading some love!
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? Settling currently. While I do enjoy my work on some level, it's not entirely fulfilling.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I'd start expressing my true feelings more. I would stop being afraid of them and really embrace them I'd stop worrying about my loans and just do what I love.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? The majority but there have been curve balls along the way that I had no say over. 
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Doing things right. I feel like there is this path I "need" to take instead of "should" be taking.
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do? I mention that she is my friend and ask that they kindly stop. I would hope that she would do the same for me.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? laugh as often and as hard as possible.
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? It would depend on the situation but more likely than not.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Two Words....Lady Gaga.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? View relationships. I have a pretty old school idea of how relationships should go and I don't think many people feel the same way.
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Because everyone's unique in what gets them going.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back? Pack up and travel somewhere without a plan. It's frightening! And potentially expensive.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? State- Georgia. It was always where I said I was going to live when I was little. Not too hot, not too cold. Country- Greece. I've never been but it seems gorgeous and so natural still.
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No. I came to terms with the way elevators are many many years ago. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Joyful simpleton. Worrying is a terrible disease.
22. Why are you, you? I'm a product of my childhood and my parents. They set me up with a great foundation that I've been building on throughout my life. And no matter what I put on top of it, I've always got that foundation that will never change.
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? I'd like to think so. I try to treat others the way I want to be treated.
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a near by friend. If it's a true friend no amount of distance will effect your friendship.
25. What are you most grateful for? Living in a country where I'm free to pursue whatever I want!
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? Lose the old ones.
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Yes.
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? Not yet.
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now? No. No.
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special? Sunday lunches at my Gramps' house. It was a family tradition that kept us all close and after my Gramps died we stopped doing it.
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? When I'm working in a theatre, doing what I love.
32. If not now, then when? SOON.
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Not a damn thing.
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Yes. Those are the best.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because religions tend to have blinders on their love and they want everyone else to love the same way. There isn't enough tolerance included in their love.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Yes.
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Only to start another one.
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work I enjoy. I'm a much more productive when I'm busy AND loving what I'm doing.
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? YES and it's frustrating.
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? Too long ago.
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My family.
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No. Neither will get your anywhere.
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Being alive is functioning normally from day to day...just surviving. Truly living is enjoying your life and thriving in what you do.
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? When it becomes stressful to calculate.
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Sometimes even though we've learned from a mistake we feel some shame in it.
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Say bold things. Wear crazy clothes. Fall on my ass.
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? A few nights ago when I had trouble falling asleep.
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? Theatre. Crafting. My friends. Yes Yes and Yes!
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that? Probably not. Unless is something specific I wrote about in my blog.
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? More than ever I feel like I'm making decisions for myself. And it feels great. 

What an eye opening survey. Even if you don't fill it out for all to see, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions. It really makes you look at your life and think about some things you'd like to change or improve on. Maybe you'll even surprise yourself with some of your answer. Thanks Violet! 

The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.

I FINALLY finished another book! I had started one that I had a lot of trouble getting into. It was a tough read and as much as I was interested in the topic it just wasn't clicking for me. So when another book came along, with a small amount of guilt, I surrendered and switched to reading it.

Over the summer I was loaned "A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines" by Anthony Bourdain from one of the chefs at the hotel. He said it was a great book and thought I would really enjoy it. I'm happy to report that he was totally right.

If you like food, have a desire to travel, and don't mind profanity, then this is a good book for you too! It's an account of Bourdain's adventures as he was filming his first show "A Cook's Tour" for the Food Network. From Vietnam to Cambodia, California to Mexico, and a few other places in between, Tony (as he usually refers to himself) gives the reader a candid account of his personal feeling and opinions on the locations, the foods, and his disdain for making a t.v. show. It also gives a look into how he grew up as a boy visiting France with his family as well as his life as the chef of Les Halles in New York City.

One particular place that Tony writes about often in the book is Vietnam. I didn't know much about Vietnam beyond what I learned in school and growing up in America I feel like that education can be somewhat skewed. So when I began to read the chapters on Vietnam I wasn't really sure what to expect. The way Bourdain describes the food and the people and the culture...I'm hooked. Is it a tourist friendly place like Europe, not quite, but it's certainly not the uncivilized jungle that many try to portray it as. It's a country of people who have been through hell and back and are still growing and rebuilding. Oh and the food....sounds amazing. If I ever had the chance I think I would definitely go to Vietnam.

I can't help but wonder if I would feel as inspired/comfortable to travel to distant lands as I do from reading this book, if I hadn't gone to Egypt in college. Growing up (and a little still) I was an extremely picky eater. I didn't like anything and certainly didn't try new foods. When I went to Egypt it was like I turned into this fearless foodie who was willing to try anything and everything. It was liberating! Sure there were things that I didn't like but there were also SO many things that I did. It was such a great experience that opened my eyes to traveling and exploring really different places.

But enough about me. Moral of the story, this book is a great read. It's as if you're sitting at a table across from Anthony as he regales you with the stories of his adventures. You can practically smell the food as he describes it. I will make one warning statement though. If you are a hardcore vegetarian/vegan/peta person, this book might not be for you. Although there is a chapter where Bourdain talks about his venture into raw food, there are many many more describing his deep love for all things meat. That's just his nature.

what a silver fox

So if you love food and travel and candid reading then I think you'll really enjoy this book. You don't even have to be a chef or world traveler. Big thanks to Chef Brian for letting me borrow his copy....it may come back to you a little beat up but it was well enjoyed! :)

hats upon hats

UPON HATS!! I feel like 2011 was the year of the hat! If I had to guess I'd say I probably knit over 20 hats last year. Maybe that's not a high number in the scheme of things but it's a lot to me. No complaints here though. When I look at the hats I made at the beginning of the year and the hats I made towards the end, I can see so much progress in my skills. My hats seems to have less errors and little slip ups. It's pretty exciting. Since most of the hats I made were gifts I wasn't able to put them on here. (Again...I just can't ruin Christmas...you never know who's reading these things!) So here they are, some of the swell hats I made in the last couple months of  2011!

Hats I made for some super sweet chef friends!

Mom's hat

Man hats for my cousins and me sisters BF

Swirly hat for Charklie

Baby Hat for an Etsy customer

A slouchy hat for a secret santa gift

So many hats!! And I know there were others that I didn't get to take pictures of. I don't know how my fingers kept up! So, after all that knitting, I've decided that a knitting sabbatical was in order. I needed some time off to reboot and re-energize my knitting. So for the month of January I have not been knitting in hopes that when February rolls around I will be ready to tackle new projects. I really want to start working on bigger items and challenging myself.....clothes maybe? I also want to learn how to crochet! The idea of only having 1 implement is kinda strange to me but from what I've hear it's waaaaay easier and quicker than knitting. So here's hoping.
My knitting hiatus has also given me some time and energy to work on some sewing projects too which has been very exciting. Again, they are gifts so noooo peeking just yet. One of these days I'm gonna work on something un-gift related!! I promise! Until then, there are still plenty of projects to show you from the holidays! :)

As you can see I've changed some things around here.

I'm not sure if I like it yet....maybe because I'm not used to it, maybe it's not what I was really going for. I'm not sure.

I'd love your input tho. Lord knows I'm fairly terrible at making decisions most the time.

snapshots of love

Here are some of the pictures from the weekend. I figured they deserved their own post. Enjoy :)

The dapper gents

Justin and I

Add caption

the happy couple

Dallas

I love us!!

she was too nice!

she lost that loving feeling

some of the fam

twins!

a Texas wedding

What a weekend. Phew. Thursday I got on a plane and headed south, to Dallas, Texas. Why Dallas you say? Well let me tell you...

Back in December 2010, my friend Justin (aka Bama, aka Booger, aka Southern Comfort) came to visit me all the way from Alabama! It was a glorious visit and we knew we couldn't let too much time go by before we got together again. A few months ago he and I were talking randomly about me wanting to take some kind of vacation and the possibilities of that being to Alabama for a visit. Out of the blue Justin said "hey, why don't you be my date to my brother's wedding in January"? It took me all of 3 seconds to decide and say "Let's do it"! A few weeks and a plane ride later and I was in Dallas ready for a great weekend.

I don't think the word 'great' can really begin to do it justice though. Not only was it so fulfilling to spend time with Justin, but his family is one of the warmest I've ever had to pleasure of knowing. There are those families who you know love each other but it's more of an unspoken, not overly expressed type of love. Well Justin's family is NOT that type of family. Just being in the same room with this group you can feel the love and pure joy that they share by being together. It was incredible and mildly addictive. And the best part? You don't even have to be related to get in on it. They are so welcoming of everyone, I felt like I've been a part of them for years.

And the wedding itself, so beautiful and perfect. I've seen plenty of weddings from working at the hotel and none of them have compared to this one. The bride was gorgeous, the flowers beautiful, and the reception was detailed to the T. But more important than all of that was the couple themselves. I've never seen two people more in love and truly prefect for each other. It was really awesome to be a part of and I felt so so honored to be there. If I ever find a man that looks at me the way the groom looked at his bride, it'll be a done deal.

Justin was a phenomenal best man. I've know him for going on 6 years now and I've been able to sit back and watch this person grow and change and become a truly great version of himself and this weekend only solidified that. He was absolutely in his element and it was awesome to watch. Between his best man speech, that almost had me in tears, and his overall sense of responsibility over getting people organized and ready, he was truly a force to be reckoned with. It was an astounding thing to see. I'm truly blessed to have him in my life and as one of my dearest friends.

To add to all this fun I was also able to spend some time with my own family! My aunt and uncle have lived in Dallas for about 30 years now so we don't get to see each other as often as my other relatives. Obviously I wasn't going to go all the way to Texas without spending time with them as well. They were a huge help to getting me around to and from the airport as well. How fortunate I am. Thursday night my uncle and I went out for pizza and beers. It was great. We talked about all sorts of things and he bestowed much Uncle-ly advise on me. Then on Sunday he picked me up from the hotel and I spent the day at their house just lounging, watching football, and drinking wine. It was glorious.

How did I get so blessed?? Before this month I hadn't taken a vacation in 2 years and I've already taken 2 in 2012!! Both were equally crazy and restoring all at the same time. I really needed a break and to get away for a bit. And now, being back home, I feel so rejuvenated and ready to get back to a normal schedule and work. I can't wait to get back into the gym regularly and watch my Tuesday night shows with my besties and go to Wednesday night trivia and make some regular paychecks!

SO, a huge THANK YOU to my Southern Comfort and his entire family!! You're cheaper fun than the alcohol and there's no hangover either! I love you to death and I can't wait until we are reunited again. And congrats to the happy couple!! I only dream of someday having the same love that you two share.

Hooray to vacation and hooray to returning to a normal schedule.

christmas pants 2011

Fabrics for this year!

I have SO much you show you all!! I actually started on Christmas crafts at a decent time this year so most of the projects I worked on I wasn't able to post on here. I hate it when Christmas gets ruined!! The project nearest and dearest to my heart are the Christmas pants for my family. If you recall from this post last year I decided to make pajama pants for my family to wear on Christmas eve when we open gifts. Last year I DID NOT give myself enough time to complete the pants in time so it was imperative that I fix that this year. Since Joanns gets their Christmas fabric in October I was able to get what I wanted in the beginning of Novemeber. I went with Christmas fabrics this year and got straight to work. Since I have most, if not all, of Wednesdays off from work it was the prime time to work on the pants while my parents were out of the house. Another little help to myself this time around....NO DRAWSTRINGS.Good Lord I never could have imagined the time and hassle it spared me by just using elastic in the waists. With God as my witness I'll never use drawstrings again! phew. Now, without the drawstrings I still wanted some way to tie all the pants together. Last year I used each persons drawstring in a different person's pants. This year the best option I had was switching the pockets. It added such a cute and unifying touch to the whole thing. So with the combination of time and elastic I was able to finish and wrap all the pants by the first week of December. What a relief it was.

The switched pockets

Come Christmas Eve eve I snuck around my dark house placing the wrapped pants outside my families doors with a note that said "Open ASAP. You know what to do!!". As predicted last year, my step-dad woke up early (he got called into work), kicked his gift, and didn't think much of it since their door was near the tree. He didn't have a clue haha. I woke up nice and early the next morning and stayed in my room, trying to listen for people as they woke up. When it seemed like they were all upstairs I went up, wearing my pants, and discovered them awake and in their pants as well! It was glorious. I hadn't said anything about the pants all year so they had forgotten all about it. And boy did they look swell. I was so pleased that the whole thing went as smoothly as it did. AND I even got proof this year!

our better sides!

Our traditional family "Capt'n" pose.

I'm so happy with how everything turned out. And even more happy with the smiles on my family's faces. They all loved their pants and wore them for the rest of the day and into the weekend. What a Merry Christmas for all!

a new year

resolution- the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

As I started thinking about resolutions this year I had this overwhelming sense of....realism I guess. I wanted to make my resolutions realistic. Sure I could say that I'm gonna eat healthier, go to the gym everyday, become fluent in a language, and write a book, but I know myself. I know myself well enough to know that while those all sound great in theory, the likelihood of them actually getting entirely accomplished is slim. Really slim. So I wanted to make sure that the things I was committing myself to this year were actual and realistic goals to work toward. I also made sure that they were fulfilling to me personally, things that I've recognized in myself that I don't like and that I want to change. So, without further ado, here it is, my list of resolutions for 2012!

Spend more time on both my blogs. I tend to give this one more attention than my craft blog and I shouldn't play favorites with my children! 

Do more crafting/how-to's to add to said craft blog. There are so many new projects I want to try and learn.

Stop using the F word so often/at all. I used to hate the word but college turned me into a bit of a sailor. 

Call people more often. I've become too dependent on texting and chat and I find myself missing people's voices.

Keep reading. This was on from last year and I did a pretty alright job of it so I'd like to keep it going.

Be more optimistic. I find my sense of realism turning to pessimism sometimes and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's pessimism.

 Be more financially conscious. Another one stemming from last year. I find myself going through waves of being really diligent about it and then being totally careless. Not good. 

There you have it. I may come up with more as the year goes on but that's what great about resolutions, there's nothing that says that you can only start them on January 1st! Good stuff eh? 

I really look forward to coming back to this blog as the year goes on. I don't know that I've ever actually written down my resolutions so I think it will be a great way to keep myself accountable. And for those of you reading this, feel free to ask me about how they're coming along throughout the year. Nothing makes you stick to a decision like some accountability. Hopefully by next year I will be the person who is all these things and has a whole new list of things to better myself. 

So here's to 2012! I choose to believe that this year will be glorious and rewarding!! See, one resolution already in action! Cheers!

 

3 weekends of awesome

The past 3 weekends have been some of the best ever! I don't know how I got so fortunate. Not only did I have some stupendous people to spend this time with but we also shared some really wonderful experiences at the same time. It's pretty exciting when I'm too busy living life to write about it sometimes! So here they are, my 3 weekends of awesome:

Weekend 1: My guy friends from high school and I are all split down the middle in our love for our football teams. Half of us like the Buffalo Bills (obviously) and the other half of us like the Miami Dolphins (not as obvious). Needless to say it makes from some pretty heated competition and rivalry amongst us. And since the Bills and Dolphins are in the same division they play each other twice a year, once in Miami and once in Buffalo. Last year we all planned on going to the game in Buffalo but it happened to be the season opener so getting tickets just didn't happen for us. This year we were hell bent on making sure that we went to the game and WE DID! We caravaned up to Buffalo at 7:30 the morning of the game and spent the morning playing corn-hole and picking on Canadians and enjoying some adult beverages. Oh and freezing our asses off! But it was so worth it. And to top it off, the Dolphins won! Most importantly though it felt so great to hang out with my guys again. We don't all see each other too often what with jobs and girlfriends(theirs not mine lol) and life in general so it makes the times when we can be together that much better.

Weekend 2: Christmas!! Since I already wrote a post on the greatness that was Christmas I won't repeat it all again. Moral of the story, full of fun and relaxation and perfection. And obviously added to my string of weekends.

Weekend 3: Probably the most fun of all, though that may have something to do with the fact that it was 4 days long...New Years Eve! A couple of months ago my best friend and I were talking with another friend about wanting to visit our friends Tim and Josh in North Carolina. When the conversation turned to what our New Years plans were, my best friend had a light bulb moment-why don't we all go to NC FOR NYE! It was a perfect plan. We immediately texted our friends to let them know of our plan (they didn't have much of a choice). Fast forward to the Thursday before the NYE and we were off to the south. The next 4 days were indescribable. We slept all day and stayed up all night. We rode four-wheelers, line danced, cooked out, and wore matching argyle sweaters. There weren't any schedules or deadlines or alarms (well, except for Tim. workaholic). It was an honest to God vacation and an over-due one at that! I couldn't have asked for better weather and better people to spend time with! Especially the latter. Those 2 guys are some of my favorites and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

And now I'm going to bombard you with some great pictures as proof of the awesomeness!!!

the whole gang!

us gals

Dolphin Pride!

WOOOOOO!

Best Friends since 8th Grade!

me and the fellas!

Tim and I! 

Family Portrait!

Studs

Josh and Me!

i won't give up

That pretty much sums it up

the holidays

What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been. Between the Christmas Chaos and the New Year madness I'm ashamed to see my blogging got left behind. Needless to say I'm over flowing with post ideas so you'll have to bear with me. Let's start with Christmas

My Christmas was perfect. This year I was put in charge of decorating our tree...our tree that happened to be the biggest we've ever had at a staggering 7.5 feet! Obviously I needed a ladder, but it felt so good to do and really feel in the spirit. I had SO much more holiday spirit this year then I did last year. I ate too much and did lots of laying around but most importantly I was able to spend some great quality time with my family. My sister came home with her boyfriend for the long weekend, which is more time than she usually gets, and we had such a great time together. It just felt right having her around the house.
And the gifts!! I got some really great and thoughtful gifts this year. One of the most significant was a record player that my parents got me. My family knew that I had been wanting one since the summer time and for some reason hadn't gotten one yet. On Christmas Eve morning when I opened the large box that held it, I couldn't believe me eyes. I was so moved at the thoughtfulness of it that I even began to tear up a little. More important that having the player I was just grateful to have such a wonderful family who loves me that much.

Cassie had been wanting this for years!

The hats I made!

Family pajama pants!!

Blitzen and his Holiday Harem

Cousins!

too much festivity for these two

we aren't related or anything

So like I already said, Christmas was pretty perfect