lazy afternoon

This is the kind of day I love. Got up at a slightly lazy 7:45, dressed in jeans and flats and headed to work. Office was deserted. Worked on a cool, cute project and actually spent the time on it that it deserved, unlike my normal forced work process in which a project with all new creative is done in 3 hours or between meetings. Left my desk neat and tidy at noon - noon! - and headed home.

Brett greeted me at the door playing a new Wii game like a big kid, I just laughed. Then researched some fondue recipes for New Year's Eve. Lot's of people had lots of opinions on the subject on Food Network's message boards, some downright vicious! Geez, peeps, it is cheese and wine. Oh, and kirsch. More about that later.

Walked to Whole Foods for ingredients and had a strange experience. We saw one of our pilates teachers there, said hello, etc. and then I saw her walk right by a woman I know from our web agency at work. I always think it's so weird to see people from different compartments of my life converge! Like at our wedding. Awfully bizarre to see childhood friends with new friends with coworkers with grandparents with my godfather, etc.

Then to the liquor store, or as we say in the South, the package store :) Needed the aforementioned kirsch. Here's where my packaging snobbery kicks in to high gear. Yes, I spent over $30 more on the wax sealed, more authentic looking bottle of Kirschwasser instead of the cheesy DeKuypers cherry flavored brandy. Sooo, now we're looking for drink recipes that feature kirsch since I only actually need one tbsp for my recipe. Come on, I know ya'll agree!

Now my husband is cooking an early dinner and we're relaxin'. Finally. Holiday Season, I love you but you sure are exhausting.

Happy Happy New Year, everyone!

holiday indulgence

Since I am in the office this week, I find myself eating a bunch of crap that someone made and unloaded on their coworkers, as I often do. 

My favorite being a minty cookie/candy confection made with melty mints like we used to eat as kids. Probably full of partially hydrogenated substances, but I don't particularly care right now. Not to mention dyes, nothing in nature is this particular shade of green. Ho Ho Ho. 

That's how I laugh now since my innards are saturated with 

sugar n' spice.

favorite Christmas songs

I have 4, one for each member of my family:

Dad's: Here Comes Santa Claus

I don't really know why, but this song makes me think of my dad. Probably because my dad always did so much for us to make the holidays fun and has been known to take on the Santa persona himself now and then. I especially like the line, "He doesn't care if you're rich or poor, he loves you just the same." I heard it this morning in bed and I really missed him. XOXO, dad. Love you.

Mom's: Feliz Navidad

I can totally remember my mom singing this and getting into it when I was tiny. My mom was not often silly while I was growing up and I remember loving it when she would just lose herself in a silly moment and let me see her truly joyful side. Now it's easy to goad her into the giggles and we have so many special jokes. Love you, mom. Glad you're in a joyful place.

Katie's: All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

I probably don't really need to explain this and I suspect it is the Christmas themesong for many sisters! We love it more. I remember dancing to this a few years ago at one of the first Christmases we spent with our stepdad and stepbrothers and them just looking at us and sidling out of the kitchen like, oh my god, this is what its like to have girls in the family? Great.

Miss you, Katie. Have fun with the all the little girls this Christmas. Lucky you!

Mine: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Love the sentiment. Love Rosemary Clooney's version and the John Denver version from the Muppets Christmas album that I'm sure we wore out as kids!

bonus* Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We sang this in some ridiculous winter chorus concert, probably circa 1993 or 1994. Makes me think of all my girls, misbehaving in the music room and walking in the genuine Potsdam winter wonderland for so many fun and SNOWY winters! xoxoxoxoxoxo to all my Potsdam friends! Love you all so dearly.

bonus bonus* Sleigh Ride, the instrumental version

Especially when the big brassy crescendo happens. Nothing screams holiday festivities louder. Maybe because it was in a Gap commercial when my young and impressionable mind was forming ideas about what's cool. I also love the Ronnette's version.

Merry Christmas!

best. compliment. ever.

We just started watching Mad Men, and of course I am totally sucked in and obsessed. Coincidentally, I have a new found interest in cosmetics. More specifically, lipstick. Red. I always thought I looked sort of whorish in lipstick. And I turned into a girly girl really late in life for some reason. But anyway, I have been prancing around the house in this lipstick but didn't have the courage to wear it to work. I did wear it running, I think I felt faster. Friday I wore it at the office and you'd think I was wearing Manolo Blahniks on my face. Everyone lost it.

One girl said, "You look so vintage! You know, like Mad Men! You're like Mad Woman!" Funny, last week that would have really meant nothing to me, but this week: awesome.