We leave today for our Tulsa/Dallas/Denver trip and I'm leaving all of my gadgets behind (well besides my Blackberry because...its a part of me.) I've entitled this vacation "Technology Rehab: Life in All of Its Actuality With People You Love and Care About."

But you know I'll be back in January with a zillion pictures.

Merry Christmas to you all. See you in '09- the Year of the Ox! Woo-hoo!
(I'm an Ox- what are you?)

We spent the weekend at my parents' celebrating Christmas since Erik and I will be with his family on the 25th. This pillow I made in 8th grade Home Economics was resting on our bed when we arrived.

Dear Mom,

You know I think you were the most excellent mother in every way...

but

I'd like to know what the H*E*double HOCKEY STICKS you were thinking when you sat me down in this guy's lap twenty-one years ago? 2 black eyes. TWO. and please tell me you didn't pay for this. was it a two-for one down at the Orange County Police Department? lookie here! its a mugshot AND a santa photo! did they pay you? or was this guy holding us for ransom?
Is this the reason you made us all of those homemade cream puffs throughout the years? to balance this little "altercation" out?

i don't know mom....

but while I'm writing you, I might as well thank you for this wonderful Christmas weekend we are having. You make life so charming and beautiful- serving mimosas for breakfast, delivering cookies with me in the snow, telling us stories about your wild past.

I love you more than special hot cocoa and Martha Stewart cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing. (that's a lot of love.)

p.s. Why is Kelsea barefoot? I'm the hippie of the family.

...

I know most of you are thinking, "bored? BORED?? There are only 4 days left to get ready for Christmas! I wish I was bored!" but look- we've had quite a few snow days in a row now and I'm developing a slight case of cabin fever.

I got this idea from a friend of mine in Stillwater. Isn't it cute?

Best Baby Laugh

I made dad's famous Spaghetti Butter:

Butter

Oil

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Dill Weed

Cayenne Pepper

*pour over pasta*

**top with toasted breadcrumbs**

schools are closed today...even though the snow never came.

so

we're spending the day together

making cookies

getting ready

for friends to join us this evening

These little dudes are from my Jim Shore nativity gifted by the amazing Julie and Donna! :)

All right...we all know that Seattle-ites are some of the coolest, progressive people in the nation but when it comes to freaking out about weather they take the cake. wow. meanwhile, it is beautiful in our city and more snow is on the way!

Give the Gift of Glassblowing!

I made this glass paperweight a few years ago when my mom arranged for a friend and I to take classes at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio on 5th. It was such a wonderful/unique/interesting experience!

More Than Santa Clause...Your Sister Knows When You've Been Bad and Good.

Kelsea and I met up after work tonight for dinner at Macaroni Grill. We felt like kids again when our waitress drew her name on the table with a crayon. We caught up on the important things in life...you know...nasty co-worker stories and the Young and the Restless. I LOVE HER.

While I'm sure most of you have finished up your holiday shopping...(my mother was done- presents wrapped and all- before Thanksgiving!!)...I am not.

I have a few favorite sites for gifting...Etsy, ThinkGeek, and Harry & David (of course!)
Go check them out!

For all of your holiday pleasure...
Its worth a trip to the store just for this. Erik and I enjoyed it tonight- so much that I'm going to have to type the strange and awkward word "yummy." (hey- that's what it is)

If I had to pick my top 5 favorite places in Seattle the library would definitly be on my list. On top of the fascinating architecture of the Central location, there are so many fun and interesting things happening there. I was randomly inspired to turn off the TV when I got home from work and head out to the library where I got 2 novels. One I've been wanting to read for awhile now: Birds Without Wings and one I found there on the spot: So Vast the Prison. Sometimes its better to let a book find you.

i
admire
a man

willing

to face fear
opposition
failure

with courage

to follow a dream
that sits higher
than he thinks
he can reach

determined

to make the life he wants
not just the life he thinks he's supposed to have

i am proud to be loved

by a man like that.

I wore the Chinese Laundry shoes I found at Value Village and the western belt from

my sister's closet.

A White (sort of) Christmas

Its Christmastime! A group of us went out to see our friend Katie perform on Snowflake Lane in Bellevue! If you get a chance- go check out the fun! It really gets you in the Christmas spirit!

http://www.magicseason.com/events/snowflake.html