I think I’ve eaten more food in the past few days than I have all year.
Hope everyone who celebrates had a very Merry Christmas! 😀
Tag Archives: holidays
holidays 07
Just wanted to sneak on here to say I’ve been MIA lately because I’m in Southern CA for Christmas. My dad has the worst internet access at his house (DIAL-UP… can you IMAGINE?!) so I try not to be online for very long because I know I’ll be tempted to throw something at the computer for running so slowly. It’s painful. I mean, the Google homepage takes about 5 minutes to load. Seriously.
Before I take off, I want to apologize to Alie and Kelly because I completely spaced and forgot to go to the post office to mail your holiday cards. 🙁 They’re going to end up as Happy New Year cards. :/
Anyway, I’ll be back in the Bay Area by the end of the week and I’ll post more then.
😀
the tree
December is flying by waaaayyy too quickly. Starting next Thursday, I’ll be done with work for the year. I’m taking advantage of a couple of vacation days and then my company is closed the entire week between Christmas and New Year. YOU GUYS. That means I have 13 days of time off. Seriously, I’m so ridiculously happy I could cry. But first, I have to get through 3 more days and a mountain of work to complete before that time. EEEKKK. I’m not going to think about that right now. :/
Today, I’m going to head into the city for afternoon tea with my old college roommate Shirley and her friends. Should be fun! While I’m downtown, I’ll probably attempt to do some holiday shopping… if it isn’t too crowded. I have so much to do and so little time! 😛
Before I go, I want to share my Christmas tree! It’s the same gold/ivory theme as the years prior…
Mmmm. Sooo pretty.
oc series finale
Sarah, your holiday card was the first I received of the season! Whee! Alie and Marianne, yours arrived today. So exciting. Thank you, thank you. 🙂
I’m super behind on current TV (Grey’s, Ugly Betty, Private Practice, etc) but instead of catching up, I decided to open my OC season 4 DVDs and watch the series finale instead. 😀 Plus, I figure with the writers strike, I’ll have time in the next few months to get up to speed.
Gawd, I miss this show. I don’t think I ever blogged about the finale so here goes…
I really adored the entire episode. I was touched by the callbacks to the first season… from the score to the flashbacks of pivotal moments from the pilot (Ryan meeting Seth, Ryan gazing at Marissa as Sandy drives him back to Chino). But what I loved the best was seeing where the characters ended up.
The Coopers (Julie and Kaitlin, that is) are made of awesome. 🙂 I didn’t particularly like Kaitlin when she first came back to Newport but in the last season, she showed vulnerability and heart and that was reflected in her relationship with Julie. They turned into such a great mother-daughter team. And when Julie got her college degree with Kaitlin in the audience cheering her on… well, that was icing on the cake.
Seth and Summer getting married was totally expected but I still loved seeing it happen. Their best moment of the finale by far, though, was their goodbye scene. When Summer sat down on the bus, looked at Seth through the window, and put her hand on the glass… Guh. I fell in love with them all over again.
Ryan and Taylor’s ending was left open-ended (damn you, Josh Schwartz!) but I think their scenes left pretty good hints of what’s to come. 😀 Or at least that’s what *I* like to believe. I mean, come on — did you SEE Taylor rip Ryan’s shirt off as soon as they had a moment alone together? They ooze sexual tension.
I do wish that there would have been some room in the finale for one last Sandy/Ryan scene… and I wish they would have filmed the Berkeley scenes on location. The UCLA and Caltech campuses are gorgeous but they just don’t look anything like Cal.
But back to my other favorite moments…
— Summer giving Julie the locket with Marissa’s photo. I always tear up during this scene and I’ve seen the finale at least 4 or 5 times now.
— The Valley meta… “Real life Jake and real life April broke up!” I know it can be overdone but I like that the show can poke some fun at itself.
— Ryan taking Flapjacks out of his hoodie pocket. Awww. Though I admit his pocket was not exactly the best place to hold the little guy.
— And THE BEST scene of the episode, was definitely this exchange between Ryan and Seth…
Ryan: “I’m a lot better off than when you found me.”
Seth: “Me, too.”
*sniff*
thanksgiving 07
It’s been an awesome Thanksgiving weekend so far… until yesterday morning when I woke up with a massive headache and sniffly nose. ARGH. Rob and I didn’t really have any plans yesterday but STILL. It sucks being sick during a long weekend.
So what else have I been up to?
On Wednesday after a completely useless 3-hours at work (our network and internet were down so I ended up cleaning my desk and filing the entire time), Rob and I had a “His and Hers” movie night with our friends Ruby and Jason. Ruby and I watched Enchanted and the boys saw Hitman. 😀 Enchanted had its cheesy moments (of course) but overall, it was a really sweet movie. And Amy Adams was *perfect* as Giselle. Loved her.
For Thanksgiving we went over to Rob’s brother’s new condo in the city where we stuffed ourselves silly with food. Rob’s sister-in-law Susie made turkey, the BEST stuffing ever, cornbread, green bean casserole, asparagus wrapped in ham, mashed potatoes with gravy and we brought over candied yams, pumpkin pie, and Rob’s special maple chicken wings. WOW… it didn’t seem like a lot of food on the table but now that I listed everything… it seems a little obscene. Besides eating, we watched a lot of football, played with our dogs, and ate some more. 😀 It was a lazy day. Just the way I like it!
Then of course the next day was Black Friday shopping madness! It’s become a tradition for us… Rob and I scour the ads on Thursday night and then wake up early to hit Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and K-Mart. This year we were specifically looking for a digital camera (ours broke a few weeks ago) and a printer (I need one to print out miscellaneous wedding stationery, like programs, etc). The camera we wanted turned out to be least expensive on Amazon so we didn’t even have to brave the crowds for that purchase! Surprisingly though, we didn’t really encounter any insane lines or crowds. But then we didn’t head out until about 8am so we missed the craziness for the big ticket items. Anyway, we managed to get some Christmas shopping done — a GPS system and iPod Nanos for Rob’s parents, DVDs for friends, this HP Photosmart C5280 printer for only $80, and the Justin Timberlake concert DVD and The OC season 4 DVDs ($14.88!) for me. Phew.
Yesterday we bought our Christmas tree! We got a small one this year (roughly 6ft) because we don’t have much room… but it’s so cute! As soon as we get our new camera, I’ll post pictures.
Now I’m savoring the last few hours of the weekend. After such a great few days, I really don’t want to get up for work in the morning. Nooooooooo. *sigh*
christmas meme
I know it’s a little early but I’ve already starting making holiday cards and listening to Christmas music… so here’s a fun meme I found on Chef Messy…
01. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint flavoring and marshmallows
02. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrap presents, OF COURSE! Each year, I buy coordinating paper, ribbon, and tags from Martha Stewart’s collection at K-Mart. I love it.
03. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
White. I used to LOVE colored lights but now, not so much.
04. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, aside from the tree and our mini stockings on the TV stand, we don’t really put up any other holiday decorations around the apartment.
05. When do you put your decorations up?
We usually buy our tree the day after Thanksgiving and decorate it that night. Rob puts the wire hangers on and I hang the ornaments.
06. What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
It’s a Filipino dish — every Christmas Eve, my uncle makes what’s called “Arroz Caldo,” which is like a rice porridge with chicken. It’s soooo good. He serves it right after midnight, once we’ve finished opening our presents.
07. Favourite Holiday memory as a child?
The smell of pancakes and bacon cooking as I woke up on Christmas morning. It’s what my mom made every year until she passed away.
08. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Sadly, I don’t remember.
09. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
All of them! Actually, it depends on the way you look at it. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve so after our big dinner, we wait and wait until midnight to open our presents. So technically, that’s Christmas day. 😀
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
My color “theme” is always gold and cream. Sooo elegant and pretty. I’ve collected a lot of ornaments over the years and I buy at least 2 or 3 each year to add to my stash.
after xmas poem
Oh wow, this poem *totally* describes me right now… I can barely fit into any of my pants! GRRR.
‘Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste,
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I’d remember the marvelous meals I’d prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I’d never said, “No thank you, please.”
As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can,
“You can’t spend a winter disguised as a man!”
So–away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
‘Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have a cookie–not even a lick,
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn’t that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot,
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
Found at Chef Messy. 🙂
return to normal
So I’m back in the Bay. The past week I spent in LA went by way too quickly. WHY DOES IT ALWAYS DO THAT?
Some highlights…
— Attending my cousin’s college graduation. Finally, she graduates! Hehe.
— Christmas shopping for 12+ hours with my dad at 2 different malls. He decided to wait until the last minute to buy ALL his gifts.
— Playing with the Wii for 6 hours on Christmas Eve. Rob brought it over to my family’s get-together and instead of dozing off like we normally do while waiting for midnight, we played video games. LOL. Even my dad!
— Spending 2 days with my best friends in LA.
— Receiving holiday cards in the mail from Alie, Sarah, Marianne, Jill, and Kelly.
And, of course, PRESENTS! I had a pretty darn awesome haul…
— diamond heart necklace from my dad. Awww.
— massage gift certificate to Burke Williams
— $100 Victoria’s Secret gift card
— $100 American Express gift check
— $50 Target gift card
— $50 Banana Republic gift card
— $50 Macy’s gift card
— $25 Amazon gift certificate
— a few Starbucks gift cards
— AMC movie gift certificates
— some cash
— black goose down jacket
— red sherpa robe. Mmmm, so soft.
— VS PINK velour lounge pants
— Anne of Green Gables book set
— South Beach Diet recipe book
— Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger
— Eragon by Christopher Paolini
— Beverly Hills 90210 s1 DVDs
— 24 s5 DVDs
— The Devil Wears Prada DVD
— 2 pairs of fingerless gloves. LOVE THESE.
— trouser socks
— scarf
— Harry Potter scene it
YAY.
I don’t want the holidays (and my vacation) to end!!! *sniff* Only 3 more days til… WORK. ARGH.
But first, New Year’s Eve! I’m almost positive Rob and I are going to have a low key night at home as usual. Do any of you have fun plans? 🙂
happy holidays
It’s a little late but wanted to wish everyone…
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Anyway, I’m still in LA enjoying the last week of my vacation. I’ll be back in the Bay on Thursday… 😀
home for the holidays
Ok, I totally lied. I haven’t been able to take all the photos for the meme yet… partly because I’ve been swamped at work but mostly because my apartment is a mess! Seriously, there’s wrapping paper all over the floor, shopping bags in every corner, mail all over the place… It’s embarassing. So I’ve decided to take the rest of the photos after the holidays once I get the chance to clean a bit. 😀
I also procrastinated in sending out my holiday cards… I sent out the international ones last week but I only mailed out the US/Canada ones 2 days ago. :/ Sorry guys. It’s been madness lately.
Anyway, I have the next week off from work so I’m flying down to LA tonight to spend the holidays with my family. I’ll blog while I’m down there (hopefully). 🙂