Resolutions - Just Not Mine

 I've said before that I just don't do New Years Resolutions anymore.  I never keep them.  Three years ago it was to work out more.  That's a joke.  I hate working out...or really exerting energy.  Friday night Kaylen and I played Just Dance on the Wii.  After one round of Jump On It I thought I was going to die in the living room.  Two years ago my resolution was to wear more high heels.  Since that time I have bought a whopping one pair...ONE pair of high heels.  I. Don't. Do. Heels.

 So instead of boring you with all the goals I'm not going to keep, I will present to you ten New Years resolutions I wish others would make:

Throw away all MC Hammer pants and sleeveless shirts.  -Justin Bieber

Sing less and focus more on my fragrance line.  -Taylor Swift 

Post fewer political rants and pictures on Facebook.  -Everyone on Facebook. 

Be less of an entitled tool and leave the smoking jackets to Hugh Hefner.  -Scott Disick

Break the habit of sloshing water everywhere and drinking it off the floor instead of just drinking from the bowl in the first place.  -Dixie

Show more emotion and fix my crooked smile.  -Kristen Stewart

Learn to cook and to sing so Alyssa and I can sing harmonies while I make fantastic dinners.  -Chris

Quit drinking, don't cheat on this husband (no matter how good looking my next co-star is), get it together and start making good music again.  -LeAnn Rimes

 Work really hard on growing some money.  -Tree in the front yard

Put in extra hours to get Sons of Anarchy back on TV before September.  Nine months really is too long.  -Kurt Sutter 

There you have it.  So far it looks like Chris and I will be ringing in the new year at a local bar and listening to The Naked Eskimos (an awesome local cover band).  I think I've mentioned them before.  Should be fun.  Make 2013 a good year!

Everyone have a safe and happy New Years Eve!

Gloria!

 Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

From us to you,

Merry Christmas!

Sunday Social

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!  Chris and I joined my family at church this morning for their Christmas service and it was quite something.  I really enjoy going there.  I've got to get into the habit of going each week because I always leave happy!

I'm already back in pajamas resting comfortably.  I might buy a new book on my nook or take a nap.  Who knows.  

Anywho, here's something else I really enjoy doing on Sundays!

Sunday Social!

    1. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? I stick with classic vanilla or chocolate.

  2. What is your favorite smell? Anything with  vanilla.  I also like the smell of sun lotion and laundry detergent.

3. What is your favorite TV commercial? (Past or present)

Maybe the cutest commercial ever.

4. What is your favorite day of the week? Saturdays.  Holy crap Saturdays.  I'm super excited because since I don't have to back to work til the 2nd everyday feels like Saturday!   5. What is your favorite way to waste time? Usually pinterest but more recently online jigsaw puzzles.   6. What is your favorite article of clothing? Probably my comfy slim boot cut jeans from AE.  Sooo much more comfortable than my skinnies that I have to do a little dance to get into.
Link up with Neely and/or Ashley to play along on Sundays!

Currently

Our Christmas card photo by Yours Truly believe it or not.

Watching:  Mad Men.  The husband and I watched our very first episode ever Wednesday night thanks to Netflix and a wild hair.  We watched three more tonight.  Why have we not watched this before?!  So far I love everything about it.  Especially the fashion!  Maggie Siff from SOA has been in these first few episodes and it's weird to see her out of jeans and leather and in pencil skirts and fancy hats.  And if I could pick any face in the world to have it might be January Jones's.  Oh to live in a time where women wore dresses and pearls every single day!

Thanking about:  I turned 25 yesterday.  That to me is unbelievable.  I don't feel 25.  I feel like I'm 18 or 19 and don't know what I'm doing.  I wonder if it's always like that as you get older.  Where you can't believe you're this old and still don't have it all together.  I look at my parents and think "wow, they ALWAYS know what to do!"  Will I finally know what I'm doing at their age or will I still just be playing it by ear?  Could it be that you never really and truly know what you're doing but you just make a series of a good decisions along the way and it makes you look like you've got it going on?  Did that makes sense?

Listening to: This week my Pandora has been consumed by Disney.  After Kaylen introduced me to Tangled Sunday (what a cute movie!) I felt the sudden urge to listen to Disney music!  The ballad from that movie is beautiful.  And of course I try not to sit at my desk and cry like an idiot when A Whole New World or A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes comes on.  And I also have to stop myself from singing along to I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book.  I figure that might be frowned upon.  But, gah, I love that monkey. 

Making me happy: thinking about all the fun I've had this month!  Our secret santa reveal was Wednesday and mine was none other than Lauren!  I think I was the only one who still wasn't 100% sure who theirs was.  For my reveal gift I got the most adorable cat canvas tote (she knows me well) and a Justin Bieber poster. Haha!  With a note attached saying it was in hopes of giving me "the fever".  That poster is currently hanging in our office.  I told Chris we could put it in our bedroom as the first piece of wall decor.  He didn't go for it.

Wishing: Everyone a very Merry Christmas!  Be blessed! 

PS.

You might notice a few changes here and there.  I'm going to be doing some redecorating.  So, ya know, don't freak out or anything.

And it's officially December 22nd and the world didn't end!

Goofballs.

10 on WEDNESDAY - Ron Perlman is a Teddy Bear

1. I'm ready for Anne Hathaway to grow her hair back out.

2. Monday my Secret Santa got me two tabloids, a Dove chocolate bar and a Dr. Pepper.  Yesterday was some lip balm, a card and some catnip mice toys for the kids.  Again I say, best Secret Santa EVER.  Today is the big reveal!

3. This is me this week.  Blah with a dash of snarky.

4. I realized something about myself today.  I have a crush on Seth McFarlane.  He's handsome, has a velvety smooth voice and he's hilarious.  If we were married and were arguing, all he'd have to do is bust out the Stewie voice.  Argument over.  I'd be laughing too hard to be mad.

5. Now about my real husband.  We are SO doing this mail box.  No joke.

6. In case you missed it in the middle of my post Sunday...my cats are famous.  See here.

7. Last night I worked late and hubby surprised me with Taco Bell!  Nothing says love like cheesy fiesta potatoes. 

8. I bet Ron Perlman is a teddy bear.

9. Been thinking about it and the only thing left to say about CT is that there IS nothing to say that's good enough.  That's why I was silent yesterday.  It seemed appropriate.  I think it goes so much deeper than gun control or mental diseases that I honestly don't care to go into it.  There ya go.

10.  And because every Ten has to have a cat:

Link up with Linny AND Amber to play along!

Everyone have a happy, peaceful, laughter-filled, WONDERFUL rest of the week.

Silence

Sunday Social...JUST BE

Morning, all. Did anyone else have something all planned out to say earlier this weekend but just decided it wasn't important?  Yep.  Me too.  Last night after getting home from a family Christmas party and some light shopping I came home and turned on the TV and got on facebook.  That was a mistake.  I turned both off, put on a movie (Julie and Julia) and addressed more Christmas cards.  I just couldn't hear anymore.  But before I went to sleep I thanked God for the people I love so much and for His protection over them.  A few bloggers got together and  organized a way to remember and help.  Here's the link for more details if you'd like to participate.

Also, I'd like to point out that my babies are now famous.  Please visit Catsparella to see their beautiful feline faces featured in this week's Caturday post.

And finally, on to Social Sunday.  Hop over to Ashley or Neely's respective blogs to link up and play along!

What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?

A picture from pumpkin carving LAST Halloween.  Need to update that.  It's just not easy on my dinosaur phone.

What do you keep beside your bed?

A lamp (duh), Maw's Disney World book, my bible, and a box of tissues.  And there's always some random crap thrown on it.

What is your least favorite chore?

Dishes.  I would rather do laundry all day long that do dishes once.

If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be?

Drying my hair.  It looks better dry, but seems to take forever because it's so long.  So if I could NOT dry it and it still look pretty, I'd go for that.

 

What do you do to vent anger? 

Oh gosh.  I'm a cryer.  I cry...and might scream a little.  I got out of the habit of throwing things when I threw a toothpaste bottle at a door and it exploded.

 

What is your favorite Holiday of the year and why?

Christmas by far.  Always has been, always will be.  It's a whole month of fun stuff to do.  It's pretty to look at.  It has its own movies and music.  It celebrates one of the events that my entire faith is based on.  

After all this sadness and death this week I couldn't help but remember a post I wrote a couple of years ago about living with passion because everyday could realistically be your last.  Might be worth another read today and if it gives you a little bit of happiness, awesome.

Everyone hold tight to the people you love, count your blessings, have a wonderful week and remember to JUST BE. 

Captivated

When was the last time you were absolutely captivated by something?  You were so entranced you couldn't look away even for a second?  When you were totally and completely involved in something?

For me it was Wednesday night at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert.  

Music has always moved me.  Especially Christmas music.  Sometimes while in the car, listening to the 24/7 Christmas station I cry while I drive for no other reason than the music is beautiful.  

But this was beauty on a whole other level.  Some parts were explosive and you could feel your heart pounding with the beat.  Other parts, like when a female vocalist sang O Come All Ye Faithful, were so  powerful you held your breath until the last note was over.  I loved every moment.  I couldn't have been more in awe if I were sitting in the front row.
 

 

If you've never seen a TSO show, you should!  I'll never listen to The First Noel the same way again.

10 on Tuesday - Monkies in Stylish Winter Coats

1. Got a good picture of the husband and I and picked up Christmas cards yesterday!  (I'll share later.)  It was a little more expensive than I'd anticipated, but can you really put a price on holiday cheer?...

2. Did you know that Alfred Angelo has a line of Disney inspired bridal gowns?  Why didn't they have that when I got married??  I'm pretty sure I lean toward Cinderella.  Which princess are you??


 3. Trans-Siberian Orchestra TOMORROW!

4. Here's my swag from my Secret Santa so far this week!  I love the coffee mug!

 And today I got this kitty stocking FULL of toys:a Christmas trivia game, cookie cutters, a penguin snowglobe, a paddle and ball, candy canes and a cute little penguin that walks when you wind him up! 

5. I've been on a movie kick lately.  So far this week I've watched The Breakfast Club, Tombstone, The Hunger Games and Breaking Dawn Part 1.  Tonight will either be The Shining or Julie and Julia.  Who knows.  What an exciting life I lead.

6. Did you hear about Ikea Monkey?  Apparently in at the Toronto Ikea yesterday a tiny monkey in a tiny stylish winter coat strolled in and did some furniture shopping!  Can you imagine?!

7. Lauren and I are on a mission to win SOMETHING at Whispering Sweet Nothings.  I want a Target gift card and I'm pretty sure Lauren is dying for a Starbucks gift card.

8. Been struggling with this one lately:

 9. For the first time in my life today I had a stuffed bell pepper.  Not what I was expecting.

10. I got a giggle out of watching Bieber performing at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show the other night, dancing around and gawking at the models...like he would actually know what to do with one.

Link up with Linny AND Amber this week and from here on out to make your own Ten on Tuesday!

Currently

Photo by Robby's Lady Photography

 Reading: I just started Cop: A True Story by Michael L. Middleton and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.  I haven't gotten that far into either one but chapter one of Cop was particularly gruesome.  I bought Anna Karenina on my Nook on a whim after hearing a lot of hype about that movie and what a fantastic story it is.  Only after buying it did I realize it was 1,180 pages long.  We'll see how long this takes.

Watching: Since ALL of our weekly shows have to come an end for the season (DWTS, SOA, Nashville) we are back on Breaking Bad.  [Spoilers Alert!]  We are at the part where Hank is in the hospital after being shot by and then killing the demon twins (that's what I call them because they legit freak me out).  Now Skylar knows what Walt is up to and how much money he has.  I'm curious as to how long it's going to take her to change her tune and come running back.  And so far I kind of like Gus!  He's intriguing. 

Thinking about: Christmas pictures we're going to take today.  I decided Friday that this would be a good year to do Christmas cards with us about to move in the house and all.  I'm so ashamed I didn't think of this sooner.  My idea is to get some of us sitting on our new fireplace.  The living room is still super junky from working on the house so last night I took a few simple decorations and cleaned around the fireplace just for the sake of the picture.  I put Maw's Christmas tree next to it, threw our tree skirt around it and laid some plain garland on the mantle and hung our stockings up.  Mom is taking the pictures for us and we were going to try to get some outside but it's so ugly!  Grr!  And we need to do it soon so I can have time to order prints and mail them!  Alyssa, why didn't you think of this last week?!

Listening to: At work my Pandora has been mostly on movie scores.  I added a Twilight Saga: New Moon film score (judge away)  probably a year ago and haven't gotten tired of it yet.  It plays music from Romeo + Juliet, Avatar, Pride and Prejudice, The Hours, and lots of pretty piano music.  It's perfect for work.  It gives me something to enjoy without getting caught up in the lyrics so I can actually focus on work.  

Wishing: for a little more down time.  We've got everything in the world going on for the holidays all while we're finally ready to start moving in.  There just aren't enough hours in the day or days in the week!

Secret Santa Quest!

This week has been the best work week ever!   Everyone really embraced Secret Santa! I think I got the best one of all.

 Yesterday was this:

Haha.  MistleTOES.  Get it??

But this morning was just plain fun.  I had a note on my desk that said follow the clues....

  The first one led me to Kendra.

That would be buddy, Lauren!

How cute.  This took me upstairs to our photog, Michelle. 

Love this one!  Back down the stairs I went to Pam.  I must've looked like a nut running up and down the stairs two at a time!

The last stop was the kitchen where I found my surprise!

Isn't that awesome?!  A tray FULL of goodies, a Starbucks vanilla drink and a 2013 cat calender!  I was almost in tears from the excitement!  You'll never find anyone that loves surprises more than me!  

My co-workers > Your co-workers.

I'm bursting with Christmas cheer because there's so much to do this week!  Tomorrow is the town Christmas parade that I always look forward to.  Wednesday night is TSO!  Woop woop!  Thursday Lauren, Pam and I are going to our co-worker and friend Sheila's house to eat goodies and Christmas craft.  Then a week from today the fam and I are going to the Alabama Theater in Birmingham to see Christmas Vacation!  Somewhere in there I'm going to put together some Christmas cards from Chris and I.

All of this AND we're ready to start moving into the house!  Lots going on!

That's not even to mention someone very special's birthday week after next.  Someone we all know and love...

Anyway, I'm trying to win some free swag over at Whispering Sweet Nothings.  Check it out.  Have you ever seen so much awesomeness in one place???  I'm crossing fingers and toes for a Target gift card.  =)

I hope everyone is in the Christmas spirit and has a wonderful weekend!

10 on Tuesday - Festive, Pregnant Parrots

1. We started Secret Santa at work and I've got two gifts already!  Yesterday was a cute tin filled with gloves, fuzzy Christmas socks, hair-tie lollipop, Kahlua coffee and a Christmas brownie that I ate shortly after recieving it.  

Today was this adorable Christmas bracelet!  I got a great partner!  Can't wait til the big reveal!

2. I have found a new happy place in this blog.  It's perfect!  I might have submitted my babies' pictures for their weekly Caturday posts...  

3. Have you heard the news?!  Kate Middleton is pregnant!  I hope it's a girl and Will names her after his Mama.

 

 4. The husband and I love watching the show Nashville, but please, can we stop having to pretend that Hayden Panettiere is hott?  It's not working.

5. I can NOT stop watching this video!  Seriously, SO funny!

6. This morning my mom came running to me saying "Bobby is trying to get in the garage and your cats are trying to get Bobby!  Do something!"  So I'm like "WHY are my cats trying to get Bobby and WHY are you letting a man in the house while I'm a bath towel?!"
I forgot that Bobbi is my grandmother's new cat. 

7. One week and a day until Trans-Siberian Orchestra!!

8. Tonight is the season finale of Sons and I'm so sad!  We lose DWTS and Sons at the same time.  What are we going to do with our Mondays and Tuesdays??  I hope Jax cuts his hair again in the next season.  Holla!

 9. As we speak I'm eating the most delicious red velvet cake.  Jealous?

10. They're = They are
Their shows pocession.
It's really not that hard.

Normally I would say "Link up with Linny!" but this today we're linking up with Amber.  Keep Linny in your thoughts and prayers this week!

Three weeks til Christmas! 

Thank You Mama and Daddy [and Sunday Social]

Yesterday, December 1st, was my parent's 28th anniversary.  I wanted to take a minute to thank them for being awesome:

Thank you for never beating us.

Thank you for never getting divorced, remarrying and making Kaylen and I deal with step-siblings.  It would never have worked out.

Thank you for not being drinkers.

Thank you for teaching me how men are supposed to treat women.

Thank you for always working so hard to make sure we had not only everything we needed but mostly everything we could want too.

Thank you for taking me to church and teaching me about Jesus.

Thank you for not killing me during my teenage years.

Thank you for always being a support system through getting married young, two deployments, one far-away duty station and every other part of Corps life!

Thank you for raising me to have manners and be a decent almost-adult.

Thank you for your completely unconditional love and showing me what a marriage and parents are supposed to be.

 Now onto my new thing, Sunday Social.  I really enjoyed doing this and reading everyone else's answers last week!  Link up with Neely and Ashley to play along each Sunday!

1. What is your favorite holiday season tradition?

Putting up the tree with my family, the Christmas parade in town, Christmas Eve with one whole side of my family, and the big day with my nearest and dearest.

 2. Do you have a certain holiday movie you watch more than others? If so what is it?

As many as I can!  My favorites are Home Alone, Santa Clause: The Movie, and The Grinch.

3. Show us your favorite decoration or pinterest decoration you wish you could have.

This would be awesome:

 
4. What is your favorite holiday song?

O Holy Night for sure.  I definitely love the hymns.  But other than that, it's The Carpenters' Merry Christmas Darling.  It never fails to make me cry because it reminds me so much of when Chris was deployed twice for Christmas and it makes me so thankful to have him here!

5. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Oreo balls, gingerbread men, and Christmas cookies!  I don't discriminate when it comes to dessert.

6. What is on your wish list this year?

  Some new flats, a Dunkin Donuts gift card, and flannel pajamas.  I ALWAYS get pajamas!

23 Day til Christmas!