Make Believe
/What I'm wearing to the fabulous New Year's Eve party I've been invited to:
By the way, did I mention that Clive Owen has asked me to be his date? Yep. Totally.
He even has a matcing tie. You know it.
Baby its cold outside
/
I know this sounds weird...but I really enjoy manual labor. Isn't it great to get out there and really work? I'm always up for a little outside work as long as it is not mowing the lawn (I learned how this summer) in 90+degree temperatures, or weeding the dusty garden in gale force winds, or anything else that causes me to break much of a sweat or swear. Okay, so maybe I don't really love manual labor. But I do love the satisfaction that comes when you stand back and see what you have accomplished. A job well done. Invigorating. My husband does not share the same opinion. He opted to watch football this morning while I shoveled. No matter, it is I who reaped the cardiovascular benefits.
Between all that piling up of snow, I snuck in some smooches too. The kids didn't last long. It really was freezing cold out this morning. About 10 degrees with some blowing and drifting snow. I kept thinking about how fluffy and wonderful the snow was. Perfect for skiing. It won't be long now.
I'll admit that there was plenty of lounging around this weekend as well. Watched this and this. Both pretty good.
Oh yes, a bit of organizing and making as well. Trying to keep up with my mitten advent calender that I started last year. I am ready to be done with it. I think that I lost my enthusiasm for it on mitten #4.
But alas, I am only on #14.
We are headed over to our friend's house for a bar-b-que. Yep, that's right-- with potato salad and all. We decided on a throw back to summer. Hope you are warm wherever you are!!
**For anyone intersted, the pattern I used for the crochet mittens can be found here.
Traditions
/Our little shopping weekend in Spokane has come to mean several things to me.
1. Beautiful, beautiful, lovely things to look at (including handbags at Nordstrom which I didn't photograph because, well you know- its Nordstrom). I loved this black and white tree.
2. A "blue mirror" picture.
3. At least one self-taken group shot (missing my Aunt). We were going to get our picture taken with Santa, but then the thought of sitting on the lap of some creepy, unknown costumed man, as a full-grown adult woman made us opt for this frame instead. Much wiser indeed.
4. Yummy, yummy food at Clinkerdager's. A seafood kebab on top of garlic mashed potatoes. Some bread with artichoke/crab dip, their famous pea salad and Riesling were also consumed in mass quantities.
4. (cont.) Creme Brule- 'nuff said.
5. Something silly and fun. As in: shots of Jagermeister in the hotel room. If you know me, you would know that shots of anything make me nervous. I still get that "we're gonna get in trouble for this" kind of feeling in my stomach. My Aunt assured me that Jager is medicinal and will never give you a hangover or make you sick. I told myself to believe her. Never underestimate the power of a wee bit of alcohol to alleviate the stress of holiday crowds. Emphasis on the wee bit.
6. Good times. Because my Mom died over 15 years ago now...I don't get to do this kind of thing very often. Boy, do I look forward to it. The whole female bonding thing is really vital to me. A wide range of topics were covered in conversation: fake breasts, Alaskan Men (inside joke), sugar addictions, love languages, child rearing, memory loss, childbirth, hairdos, God's love, and many other equally stimulating thoughts and ideas.
Not only did I come home totally refreshed (if that can be possible after spending gobs of money and walking miles and miles up and down the mall), but also my shopping is nearly done! So now, let the wrapping begin.
Thanks to my Tante, Jenny, Lisa and my Husband (who successfully navigated a weekend with empty cupboards, birthday parties, and three emotional daughters) for making this weekend filled with more memorable traditions.