Birthday Weekend

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm hoping to have a lovely day. Josh asked me what I wanted to do and I replied that I'd like to go to my favorite museum, the Amon Carter, and have a game night with my family. So, that's what is on our agenda. There are two photography exhibits at the Amon Carter I want to see- one focusing on landscapes and the other on work. I've picked up all my favorite snack foods for game night and Mom is going to make some German chocolate cupcakes for me. I don't know if I'll do it on my actual birthday, but I'm also hoping to use some gift cards to pick up a few items I've been eyeing. There are some nude flats at Payless that I want, and a scarf at Old Navy that's piqued my interest. I'm also planning on getting a new necklace, to replace a duplicate Christmas gift that was returned. And Josh's mom got me one of the necklaces I asked for at Christmas, but didn't receive. It's shaping up to be a stylish birthday this year!


















Skeet McAuley (b. 1951)
Navajo Housing Project, Chinle, Arizona, 1984 , 1984
Dye destruction print
Courtesy of the artist and Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Gift of M. Lee Hutchins
P2009.7.22

Merry Post-Christmas

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I know I sure did. Christmas Eve was filled with lots of family, fun and food. I was up late playing Santa, divvying up candy and filling stockings. Christmas morning we had a great breakfast and everyone loved all the presents they got, including me. Josh and I opened our gifts to each other after my family left. I already knew he had spoiled me because he "forgot" our gift count limit of 5. Along with all sorts of movies and books I wanted he got me a new drive & battery for my laptop, and a brand new netbook! I can't wait to be able to take notes so much quicker in class next semester! He spent his personal money on it. I don't get to tell him how he should spend that, and though I keep telling him he shouldn't have I'm still super glad to have a cute white netbook to use for school. And on top of all that, yesterday a package came for him from Cypress. He was confused, but when he opened it he realized it was the necklace I'd wanted from Etsy. He hadn't even noticed that it hadn't arrived yet! On top of all that I got a few of the things from the wish list I shared here too- those cute boots, the flash for my Holga, the movies, etc. I am so blessed to have people who care about me, and showed me that through picking out thoughtful gifts and wrapping them up sweetly.

Josh loved his presents, especially his super soft robe and the graphic novel. And our mom was really happy to get her new coat and the little peanut pendant necklace I got her at the last minute. But, I'd say the home run gift this year was the vintage hypnosis book we got for his stepdad, Jack. He really seemed impressed that we'd found something so neat that fit his interests so well. Etsy scores another win!

Christmas night we spent at Josh's dad and stepmom Ann's house. Along with siblings, uncles, aunts, and some of Ann's family in from Rochester, we had a wonderful evening with lots of good snacky food, fun games, and a warm fire. Again, left feeling super blessed to have so much wonderful family in our lives.

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

First off, I don't care how many people speak ill of it- I like that Paul McCartney Christmas song. Now that that's out of the way, I can share that I got my final GPA for my first semester- 4.0! Woohoo! I'm not a dullard! But, on to more important things like Christmas. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, can you believe it? This year has whizzed by so quickly. All of our gifts are wrapped and under the tree. This year I got Josh a new cozy robe, some pajamas, a hilarious graphic novel from one of my new pals on Twitter, a video game he had on his wish list, and the second season of Kids In The Hall on DVD. I'm excited to see him open all his presents! And he wrapped up lots of goodies for me, so I'm excited to open some too.

Tonight we'll be having dinner with our awesome friend Diggy, in for the holidays from San Francisco. I can't wait to watch his latest short film that he's bringing to us, and pepper him with questions all about his next big idea. Tomorrow I've got to get some groceries for our holiday festivities. I'll do a little baking and then we'll be headed to Josh's mom's for Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas morning my mom, brother and his family will be coming over for breakfast and gift opening. Then Josh and I will have a little time to relax and marvel at how blessed we are before we head off to his dad's house for even more blessings! Some of his stepmother's relatives will be in from Rochester and we'll have a nice evening of snacks, champagne, visiting, and Bananagrams. My father-in-law has been talking big about how he's going to kick all our butts, so I've got my game-face ready to meet his challenge!

I hope that everyone has a great holiday, with friends and family close and lots of wonderful memories made!

My 2010 Christmas Wish List (plus some other stuff)

The other stuff is that I am 99.9% done with school for the semester! I took my last math test and History final yesterday. Thanks to several extra credit opportunities, and actually studying, I got a 120 on my History test! My average for the semester came out to 107.4. Woohoo! And, despite it taking me forever, I got a 90 on my math test. I am more than pleased with that, since I sat struggling with 4 of the problems for quite awhile. I finally remembered what I was supposed to do to solve three of them, and guessed on the 4th. Funnily enough, the one I guessed I got right! I can't convey the bliss of coming home, making dinner, and having the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want. I watched 3 hours of television Monday night. It was awesome. Tomorrow I have to turn in my final Comp 1 paper, but I'm intending on heckling my teacher into grading it right then and there so I can know what I'm making. I also want to take a copy of the graded paper with me. These analytical papers on films might come in handy later, what with me hoping to major in Radio, Television, Film.

Now that school is out of the way, I really have to get on the ball for Christmas. I've got 30 gifts to wrap, and I need to do a couple of them ASAP to get them in the mail. I realized last night that I'm nowhere near having enough Christmas cards, so I need to pick some more of those up. And now, to share my Christmas Wish List for this holiday season.

























Play:

• Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s Instant Film Camera- I love my Holga, but I wanted something fun to play with that came with a little instant gratification
• Holga Manual Mount Flash- Speaking of my Holga, I asked for something to up my shooting ante
  
• Pottery Barn Wood Gallery Square Frames- You don't really play with frames I guess, but I recently ordered some of these and need more to finish my family photo gallery for the hall

Read:

• Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris- Dying to read Sedaris' latest book. Especially after hearing him talk about it on The Daily Show
• The War for Late Night by Bill Carter- Carter's latest book, about Conan, that big chinned dude, and the whole Tonight Shot debacle. I think it's pretty obvious why I asked for this. :)
• Woody Allen: A Biography by Eric Lax- I loved the previous Allen book by Eric Lax that I read, so I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy this one. Lax has a great grasp on who Woody, considering he's been interviewing him for over 30 years.

Wear:

• Mossimo Western Boots- I'm working on growing my boot wardrobe. These are from Target.
• Enamel necklace from etsy- Don't tell me if you click this link and it says sold- I'm being a good girl and not peeking!
• The Looping Lanes and Soft Bow belts, both from Anthropologie- both also appear to be gone form their website, so really hoping somebody bought me at least one. Fingers crossed!

Watch:

• Mystery Science Theater 3000: I Accuse My Parents- one of my favorite MST3K flicks. It's amazing how few of these I own, and yet how much I adore them.
• Star Wars Trilogy- Yeah, I don't even know why we don't own this yet. I routinely don't buy the movies we love. I'm crazy.

Well, that wraps up my 2010 wish list. Technically there's a bunch more stuff on my list, but these are some of the highlights; the things I am most coveting.

Josh's Christmas Gifts 2009

Once again, Josh has promised to not peek so that I might share with you what he'll be finding from me under the Christmas tree this year. Josh actually asked for some stuff this year, and pretty early in the season too, so I had an easy task ahead of me. Didn't take me too long to decide what to get for him. Here's a peek at his presents. His gifts look a lot more colorful compared to last year's.























The Complete Monty Python's 16-Ton Megaset: Flying Circus, Justice, Volume 1 graphic novel, Mirror's Edge for PS3, Striped sweater from Old Navy (sold out), Moongel dampening gels (stocking stuffer), Flight of the Conchords Season 2 DVD, The Acid House by Irvine Welsh, digital tuner and metranome, Drumsticks and brushes (stocking stuffers)

My 2009 Christmas Wish list

This year I decided to do just one post on some of the things I put on my Christmas wish list, a la Olivia at Gnome Sweet Gnome. So, here are some of the things I am hoping to find under the tree this holiday season.


















1. A set of filters and some film for my Holga camera
2. A water color set, sketch pad, and brushes (inspired by Emily)
3. I always ask for books- shown: The Groucho Letters, My Life In France, Woody Allen: A Biography, The Photographer's Eye, Blink, and Bill Wood's Business
4. Some glass replacements for my old, plastic food containers and a new compost pail from Crate & Barrel
5. New slippers with a hard sole
6. The Grab Bag of Swell Season 2008 tour posters
7. A Darcy proposal mug and Pride & Prejudice ornament from Etsy seller Brookish (currently sold out)
8. The Muppet Show Season 3 on DVD
9. Bakelite necklace from Etsy seller PetitOiseau

Birthday Wishes

My birthday is next Wednesday, so I thought I would share what I'm hoping to get. Presents helps take the sting off the slow climb to 30 that I'm on, ha.


















.Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook
.Understanding Exposure
.Tokyo Milk Dead Sexy No. 06
.Hannah and Her Sisters
.The Mirror Has Two Faces
.Three Little Words
.Moleskine Weekly Notebook
.Nina by Nina Ricci mini-spray & lotion set

Josh's Christmas Gifts

I made sure that Josh wouldn't be peeking before I decided to share what I've got tucked under the tree for him to open Christmas morning. Shopping for Josh can be difficult. He tends to say he has everything he wants (aside from expensive technology that I refuse to purchase him). Add to that the size of our family who needs ideas for Josh too and I usually have to come up with a slew of suggestions for everyone, including me. On top of that, Josh usually ends up spoiling it a bit for me because he usually asks for something I've chosen for him already, ruining the surprise just a bit. But at least I know he'll like it! Here's what he's getting this year.



















The Dark Knight Two Disc SE DVD, new cartridge for our turntable, 8 GB flash drive, Portishead "Third" LP, JellyBalloons tee from Threadless.com, graphic novel, Stephen King paperback, pajama set, and The Onion's "Our Dumb World"

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

The past two years we have hosted my immediate family for Christmas morning, which means I have to play Santa Claus and handle all the stockings. Usually everyone contributes a little something for everybody's stocking, but I'm in charge of all the rest. I've taken care of a good chunk of my Christmas gift shopping, so my mind has turned to the little goodies I'd like to get for everyone this year. Some of these are ideas I've already used, some I plan to use this year and then there are some that are a constant tradition. What do you like to find in your stocking?




















Gift Cards- they are always a welcome gift, popular ones are for iTunes, Target and restaurants.
Apples- a traditional stocking stuffer.
Clementines- so much easier to eat than an orange and easier to work in around all the other goodies.
Ferrero Roche- my bro loves these candies, and I happen to like them too.
Socks- I think a cute pair of socks is a nice surprise.
Burt's Bees- any lip balm could do, but Josh specifically asked for this after I gave him a tube last year.
St. Ive's Apricot Scrub- I always ask for a tube at Christmas.
Dublin Dr. Pepper- This is the Dr. Pepper still made with pure cane sugar, a local delicacy.
Mexican Coca-Cola- Again made with real sugar, so good right out of the nostalgic bottle.
Haribos Golden Bears- THE BEST GUMMI BEARS, everyone gets a bag every year.
Chocolates- Ghirardelli squares are a favorite as are Lindt truffle balls, Toblerone and plenty of classics like kisses, peanut butter cups, etc.
Hand Cream- A classic like Nuetrogena's is a unisex treat.
Handkerchiefs- I've gotten Josh some before and he uses them all the time. I feel like I married a real gentleman when he pulls one out of his back pocket. And I never have to worry about carrying tissues in my bag!
Candy Cane- Duh! Gotta have a candy cane hanging on your stocking.

My Christmas Wish List No. 2

Like I mentioned before I broke my wish list this year up into four categories- Want, Need, Wear, Read. This item is from the Need category. Now, I know what you're thinking. I need the Expandable Bamboo Cutlery Tray from Crate & Barrel? Yes. Yes I do. And I'll tell you why. Because I have searched high and low for an attractive tray that will allow me to organize my flatware the way I wish to, and this is the first one I've found that looks like it will fit the bill and fit my taste. And I am so ridiculously neurotic and particular about things that I won't use our new flatware until it has a nice home to go to after washing up. And I have such regard for the new flatware that I refuse to put it in the cheap plastic tray I bought many moons ago when we moved into our apartment. Not to mention that the plastic tray we have won't let me organize the utensils just the way I want. Again, with the pickiness, I know. Anyway, that's the reason it's a need, not a want. I really need to put my pretty forks, knives and spoons to good use and to rest in a good home.

My Christmas Wish List No. 1

With such a short amount of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year people are already asking for gift ideas from me. So, I've been working on my wish list lately. I've separated it into 4 categories- Want, Need, Wear, and Read. I got the idea from dandee via stephmodo. At the top of my Want list is a fun little camera.

Spoiled

I'm spoiling myself a little bit, but that's okay, right? Hopefully I'll have them the first week of June.



























Lens photo by Bree R

Shout Out

It seems like everyone knows someone right now who is having a baby, or recently welcomed a little bundle of joy. I think there are three pretty pregnant ladies on my blogroll alone. If you're looking for a cute gift for a mommy-to-be you should check out my friend Marissa's brand spankin' new Etsy shop, LaCour Baby. She's just starting out, so the shop isn't quite full yet, but just look how adorable her burp cloths and receiving blankets are!

Birthday Goodies

This was actually a pretty quiet year for my birthday. Some years there have been a full week of dinners with different family and friends. Occasionally there was a night out. All we did Monday is fly back from NYC and eat our favorite burrito bowls. But I did get some good gifts this year.

My mom gave me a bit o'cash for our trip and this great book













My bro gifted me this movie. He says it's the best serial killer movie ever. I'm waiting to watch it till Josh can sit with me.














Steph, Rodney & Rylo got me this great Martha Stewart recipe box.













And my mom-in-law got me a Michael's GC (which I intend to spend on Martha Stewart Craft items) and this t-shirt which we will hopefully be picking up from her this weekend.

The Day After

I know I should have wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Instead of leaving my little blog out in the cold for a week. But things were busy. I left work Thursday evening to start my Christmas vacation, but at times it seemed as if I had left for a holiday interment camp. I had a lot of fun, but I also did a lot of work, and there were moments where I wanted to just collapse. But I watched a lot of holiday movies, wrapped a bazillion gifts, and was lucky enough to even squeeze in some cuddly couch time with Josh. Not enough of it, but some is better than none for sure. So it most definitely wasn't all bad. And then of course I got totally spoiled with gifts. I got the Astaire & Rogers box set, Woody Allen's new book, and Radio Days, along with a plethora of other items. Josh got me Clotilde Dusoulier's latest book, one of my favorite MST3K movies, Help!, the three season Good Neighbors set, Ghost Hunters Season 3 Part 1 dvd set, my favorite Barbra Streisand movie- What's Up, Doc, and Dial M For Murder. I told you, spoiled. I also got a knife sharpener, a cookie scoop, and Born Yesterday, from my mom, in addition to the Astaire & Rogers box set. And my bro, his wife, and my niece got me French Women For All Seasons, Team of Rivals, and Broadway Danny Rose. That means I've moved past the halfway point in my goal of owning all Woody Allen's movies. We went to see Josh's brother, Alec and his wife Kim along with their new little baby boy Griffin, on Christmas Eve. They ended up having to go to the hospital the day we were supposed to do our gift exchange, so we were finally able to do that. They got us this awesome set of soup & sandwich trays. I've got at least 2 soups on my recipe to-do list, so these are gonna be so useful. The biggest surprise gift this year though was the iPod shuffle that my cousin Mike got for me. It was especially surprising because I had no clue who got my name in the Christmas exchange, and as the gift pile dwindled and my name hadn't been called, I began to worry that I'd been forgotten completely- not an impossible thing in my big family. But then I finally got a package and instead of being overlooked I was spoiled once again!

Of course the best part of Christmas was spending time with all of our family. And getting to see the look on people's faces when they opened the gifts I had chosen especially for them. And I will think of everyone and how much they love me while I enjoy my new toys, and I hope they do the same with their gifts.