I can't wait to see what 2010 has is store!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
weekend recap {christmas edition}
I hope you all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas! We had a busy, but beautiful weekend packed full of activities and celebration!
On Christmas Eve I cut out of work early to pick up Priss from School. We went and got Daddy from work just as it started to snow. How wonderful! Growing up in Northern Ohio, I have only ever known a white Christmas---but as I am sure ya'll can figure out, I don't get that living in Texas. So I was beyond excited that it started snowing on Christmas Eve!! It made it feel a liitle more like home :) We headed to the store for supplies to build a fire, make cookies & chocolate covered pretzels, and of course, smores :)
On our way to Blockbuster .
Our first ever fire in the fire place.
(I was soo excited about this)
Our cozy apartment on Christmas Eve.
Cookies for Santa :)
I have a lot more pictures on my camera, but someone can't find the cord to upload them, so all of these are from the iphone....{insert sad face here}
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Santa came in the middle of the night, and baby girl was up bright & early Christmas Morning --5:45 a.m. ! -- To check out her loot! She ran to the kitchen and couldn't believe that Santa had eaten her cookies she had left him AND drank all his milk!
Let me just say, Christmas morning with a four year old is very interesting. When tearing open her pink boots that I Santa went to FIVE --seriously, FIVE-- different targets to find in her size Priss said "Oh man, these aren't even the pink boots that I love." WTH?!?!?! I swear these are the exact boots that she swooned over for a month! Ughh...deep breaths for Mom Santa.
Next up? A Batman tee from the big jolly man! "Oh my gosh, a batman shirt!!! But how did he know?" Justin and I qucikly explained that Santa is always watching, so when he saw Mommy & Ava in the store, and Mommy said "No" to this batman shirt, Santa just knew Ava had to have it. "I don't think it works like that...I think you and Daddy got this for me." WTH!?!?!? How is she figuring this out? Not to self: Only give her gifts from "Santa" that she put on her list. Are we already needing to worry that she won't believe in Santa?!?!
After opening what seemed to be disappointment after disappointment --a Thermos just like Daddy's, Converse just like Mommy, a calendar for her room, an art set, ((she's got seriously too much since we combined Santa's gifts with Mommy & Daddy's gifts, Nana & Papa's gifts from Ohio, and Aunts and Uncles!)) she looked at us and said "I don't know why Santa brought me all these things that I didn't ask for. I asked for a scooter, and I don't see THAT anywhere!" WTH?!?!? Little shit brat stinker. Little did she know the scooter was delievered to her Daddy Steve's house where we were having Christmas a little later on. I was so mad at her that I may or may not have threatened to call Santa to come and take all her presents, and I may or may not have threatened to take back everything from Mommy and Daddy too. I did have to excuse myself so that I could call my Mom to vent on how I did NOT raise her to be so ungrateful! She is normally so sweet and polite, and I was beside myself at her attititude. After about 20 minutes, my sweet girl came in to tell me " I'm sorry I wasn't being grateful Mommy. I love all my gifts and really love my pink boots & batman tee. I love that we have matching shoes. and that daddy and I can take coffee to work and scool together"...ahhh--and all was right with the world again :) She is such a literal child, that she couldn't wrap her pretty little head around the Majic of Santa. But that is okay...the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus and being able to just be with your loved ones, even if they are a little bit of a pain :)
Opening presents.
Here is my sweet girl modeling her new duds and pink boots ;)
FINALLY...the new scooter :)
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On Saturday, J & A and I headed to the mall for some after christmas shopping! I got some fabulous skinny jeans,((I have been contimplating buying a pair for a year now, but didn't want to look fat in them. OMG--they are heaven if you like to wear tall boots! They look fab! I was seriously thinking "Where have you been all my life" Girls...if you don't yet own a pair, go get some!!)) a tee shirt from jcrew, and a thermal from Gap. Priss got some boyfriend jeans from Gap,and an adorable tee from Gap too. The hubs settled for some new denim :)
Here is Priss before the leaving to go to the mall. She was so excited to wear this shirt. We put a girlie spin on it with her new pink chuck taylors :)
My New Jeans...:)
Priss'es new jeans...Can you say Adorable?!?!
Her new tee :)
Sat. Afternoon we had a sweet visitor for a few hours! Miss Bella came to play while Sissy and Greg went to see a movie ((this is Sarah's sisters baby...they live in Cali and where home for the Holidays)) It was so fun to be "Aunt Candace" for a while, and to see Ava loving on Bella. It may have given me a little bit of baby fever. :)
Love this one!
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On Sunday I headed to the best place on earth, also know as Target! So fun to get to browse all the aisles ((I am for reals...every.aisle.)) and to pick up a few more after christmas goodies. ((Justin and I didn't do Christmas for each other this year, and agreed that what ever we got from our parents & grandparents we could spend after christmas! So that is how I got the go for all this fabulous loot!))
I ended up getting J some new tees, socks, a belt, and a super cute manly sweater. I scored some new make up and this little pretty...
editor't note: Please excute this horrible picture of me that I just took with my iphone so that I could show you this spectaular bauble!
I am usually not a sucker for jewlery, but I love the big statement necklaces and cocktail rings. I just HAD to have this!
Yesterday, we got yet another package from Nana ((my Mom)) with this little guy inside....
Have you heard about The Elf on the Shelf? IF not, go here now! I cannot wait to use Fisbee((She got to name her new elf)) with Ava next year!
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Such a fun. busy.loving.family time. weekend! I am glad this is another short week! We have plans to go listen to Brandon Ryder on NYE as long as the MIL pulls through on keeping priss...we shall see!
I hope you all had a wondeful Holiday with your families! Hoepfully you all have a short work week, or even better, no work at all!
Happy Tuesday!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
christmas survey...
With Christmas just two days away, I wanted to join in on the fun questionnaire that I have seen everywhere in bloggy land :)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I wrap my gifts! I love watching people tear into them! However, all of our families got gift bags this year beacuse they all got ornaments ;)
2. Real tree or artificial?
I grew up with an real tree, and loved the smell of it at Christmas time. However, the hubs and priss have terrible allergies, and would not make it with a real tree. So we have an artificial pre-lit tree, and I have to admit it does make putting up the tree & taking it down SO much easier!
3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually the day after Thanksgiving but this year it went up two weeks before Thanksgiving.
4. Do you like eggnog?
Yuck.
5. Favorite gift received as a child?
A guitar when I was like 6 ;)
6. Do you have a nativity scene?
I don't! But I am definately going to be trying to pick one up during my after Christmas shopping!
7. Hardest person to buy for?
My Mom. I always think I don't do enough for her. She is a great Mom and Nana, and I always feel like she deserves more!
8. Easiest person to buy for?
My husband.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I mail my Christmas cards. I love receiving them too!
10. Favorite Christmas movie?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. LOVE it. and so does Priss;)
11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Not until after Thanksgiving. If I start to early, I end up giving the gifts before Christmas!
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Christmas cookies.
13. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree?
I love clear lights on the tree.
14. Favorite Christmas song?
"Silent Night" as classic.
"Merry Christmas" by NSYNC as my guilty pleasure ((you know you love that one too!))
15. Travel or stay home at Christmas?
Stay at home. Even though I miss my family terribly at Christmas, it is super important to me that Ava has Christmas with Justin and I at home on Christmas morning.
16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and RUDOLPH
17. Angel on tree top or star?
Neither. I love the feathers and jewels toppers that people do!
18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning?
On christas eve we open ONE present, and it's always Christmas PJ's ((a tradition my parents had with us growing up that I love!)) Everything else is Christmas Day.
19. The most annoying thing about this time of year?
Holiday shopping. people are so rude.
20. What I love most about Christmas?
I love that there is so much family time. christmas lights. laughter. love. and happiness!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
'twas the weekend before christmas....
We went to Santa's village this past weekend and it was so much fun!! Becuase this is a lame attempt at a post, I am again just going to leave you with the photos!! Happy Holidays from our house to yours!!
Monday, December 21, 2009
just call me martha...
Stuart, that is. The crafty Martha, not the cooking & baking Martha. The 'works at an invenstment bank' Martha. Not the "busted for insider trading" Martha.
This year the hubs and I made a pact not to go over budget at Christmas. If you remember this post from a while back, then you know we are working towards being debt free, and that our biggest obstacle right now is getting my car paid off. So hubs asked that we really just do for Ava this year, and next year we can go all out. This is really hard to do! I LOVE Christmas, and I LOVE to give gifts -- but I we have a huge family, so this year I had to get crafty creative. Thanks to all the awesome craftastic blogs that I follow, I got some super fun & easy ideas to do for gifts!
First up? Our "family" presents. I have ((I hope you are ready for this)) 4 older sisters((they are all married)) a younger brother ((with a serious girlie-friend)), a half sister, a half brother, my mom and step dad ((who I have always concidered to by my DAD, the wonderful man who raised me)), my dad and his wife, and 4 nephews in my "immidiate family". Justin has his Brother and his wife ((the besties)), his sister and her husband, his mom, his dad and step mom, and half brother on his side. That is a lot of people to think of, and so we always try to do the same things for xmas, and jazz it up on their birthdays!! So this year, I got the fab idea to make ornaments from Kelly's Korner here. They were super easy, and really inexpensive! I got all the supplies from Michael's on sale ;)
All the goodies :)
Filled and ribbons added.
initials :)
And that is it! I sent them all to my mom with cute bags for them to go in! I will pass them out to Justin's family at all the Christmas events. I spent about 3 hours on these ((I made 24 ornaments girls!)) on a Satruday afternoon. These realy were super easy, and will hopefully be a keepsake for our families...a way for them to think of us every year at christmas time ;)
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Up next, my co-workers! I wanted to find the perfect stocking stuffer for the sweet girls I am working with. I am filling in for a lady who works in a different department than me, and I LOVE these girls! They wanted me to join them ((and invited my friend Katie-the other event coordinator-- to join them as well)) in their Christmas festivities since I am working with them through the holidays! So last night I got to work on homeade coaster sets for them! I found this fab idea here! I had the afternoon to myself yesterday, so I quickly got to work!
Here is the start. I made six sets of coasters in about 4 hours from start to finish. I got the tiles and cork board at Home Depot, the modge podge, glue gun, sealer, and ribbon from Michaels, and the cockatail napkins from Party City.
Here are the cocktail napkins after I cut them all down to size.
After a layer of the Modge Podge glue.
Getting ready to seal them!
Drying outside!
A close up :)
Ready to go!
Ta-da!
This project was so fun, and I was really pleased on how they turned out! I really can't wait for the gift exchange tomorrow!
What do you do for fun, creative gifts? For co-workers? For Family? I love reading about all the fun projects and ideas that ya'll have!!
Can you even believe that Christmas is this Friday? My lawsy!! Happy Monday Everyone!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Grand Prairie Lights show!
This past weekend we went to the Grand Praire Light Show with our Favorite Emerson's :) Because I am swamped at work and shouldn't even be blogging, I am going to just show you the pictures! Ha!
Enjoy:)
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