I don’t know about you, but it’s always such a relief to drop off the one hundred and some Christmas cards at the post office!
This year I had a vision for our card and well, it didn’t happen. Life got in the way, but it’s OK because there is always next year…or the year after that!
For the past two years Jay has put together our photo cards in Photoshop. It’s super cheap because you just have to pay for the print price rather that the holiday photo card price {although photo cards are soooo inexpensive these days!} Basically this year we spent about $15 for 120 prints of our card at Walgreens:
{Spending Thanksgiving Day 2010 with Shamu}
I found this darling paper at Vons! I thought it was a little something out of the holiday ordinary…plus it’s 2-sided so the back is all polka dots, too! I love the chartreuse….
{Sorry, magnifying glass not included}
Wishing you a {Polka Dotty} Christmas!
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Thank you SO much for flopping along with me in 2010. I truly have enjoyed blogging this year and can’t wait to see what 2011 holds. I hope you’ll come along with me and find out!
All the best to you and yours this holiday season and always.
Many thanks to the ladies behind it all…and all the generosity displayed to bring clean & safe {water} to those desperately in need.
The random.org results are in and flipflopfollies has a winner:
Ellen from Stockholm!
Yay and congrats! So thrilled to send some Havs all the way to Sweden!
Thank you, thank you for your donation and entries.
The goldies and a couple rolled rosette pins coming your way {once you send your address to amy{at}flipflopfollies{dot}com ~ thanks!}
Also, thank you to Shauna for your entry. I will be hosting another Havaianas giveaway to welcome Spring, so please check back from time to time to enter that drawing!
{Shauna, I assumed that you were entering the giveaway for the gold Havs….if you were interested in the black ones, then YOU are the winner of those! Please let me know….however, if you know someone that these cuties would fit [again size 4/5 US, but they do run a bit big], they’re yours and I’d be happy to pop them in the mail to you!}
What a great way to start out the week before Christmas.
I remember getting my first official business cards when I was with HSBC.
“Marketing Coordinator”
It was so exciting to see my name and title printed on the little cards….
Gosh, that was about 10 years ago.
I received a fun early Christmas goodie from one of my best fellow mama friends, Mel:
I’ve seen these and wanted to get myself some…..
They’re the perfect little gifty for the mamas in your life.
How many times have you rummaged around in your purse to find a scrap of paper and a pen to jot down your info? These are MUCH cuter and fit nicely in your wallet. I sent one to school with Elliott today…she has a little classmate that she wants to arrange a playdate with ~ she said “Mommy, don’t forget to give me one of your cards!” So fun.
You may want to grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa. This is going to be a mile long Monday post!
Things are heating up and the clock is ticking ~ less than 2 weeks and Santa will be coming down the chimney. This week is BUSY. So much on the holiday plate {more like a HUGE platter!}:
Make loads of puppy chow and saltine toffee, share holiday traditions in Elliott’s class, shop for white elephant gift and gift for Jay’s boss, pick up Christmas card photos, print letters, address, seal and stamp 120 envelopes, menu plan for 7+ guests here for Christmas, etc. etc.
Not to mention I’ve only bought about 2.5 gifts and haven’t wrapped a thing!
Last month when I glanced at “December” on the calendar I knew it was going to be full, but isn’t it always? Something BIG going on every weekend…Vegas, Jay’s b-day and company party, Elliott’s Winter Recital and then, BAM!, Christmas! And, of course, there are all the little things sprinkled in amongst the big ones ~ school parties, playdates, laundry, dishes, homework, studying sight words, dance class ~ which brings me to the “something’s gotta give” thing. This week dance class lost out. I finally realized that I was packing WAY too much in. I felt terrible that she had to miss it, but at that moment, I needed to make sure that Jay’s b-day dinner was top priority.
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Saturday evening was Jay’s holiday party which is always a good time. It’s held at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley. It’s so neat to sit under Air Force One and enjoy appetizers, martinis, dinner, chats and dancing with fun co-workers!
Each year I stress on what to wear…finding the perfect dress, shoes and accessories. This year a new dress was out of the question. I do have a gorgeous plum colored number from Banana that I got earlier in the year that I was planning on wearing, however, my foot/ankle has really been bothering me the last few days so I knew heels were also out of the question. I decided on a pair of shoes and then built the outfit around them.
I bought these little plaid mary janes for like $2.50 at Target and then glue-gunned on the rosettes.
Jay said it was “business casual” {perfect!} so I immediately thought that the festive pantalones rojos would make an appearance. I just paired them with an old black top, cropped short-sleeved sweater, my crazy “Vegas” necklace and red rosette statement ring.
Done.
Comfy. Festive. Comfy. Casual. Comfy. {did I mention that?}
{The above pic cracked me up. I think, in this situation, Jay enjoys being the photographer because he doesn’t have to dance!}
{California Gurls!}
Cheesy background shot:
Group Shot:
We hired a babysitter for the first time ever! A super sweet girl from across the street. No, I didn’t call once to check up, however, SHE called us at midnight to get some idea of when we’d be home! Oops…I think I forgot to mention that. We were still in Simi waiting for the valet to bring us the car!
I think it’s evident by the photos that we had a good time.
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Then yesterday I had my monthly Bitch Bingo session with the ladies.
So much fun….and I won twice!
It was a brunch and I brought Creme Brulee French Toast. This is a recipe that my sister told me about years ago and I am just now getting around to trying it. I MUST share it with you!
It’s the perfect thing to assemble on Christmas Eve and then bake up Christmas morning and serve while opening gifts.
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Last night Jay and the kids decorated the annual gingerbread house.
Royal icing and mini gum drops everywhere!
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Oh, and the weather is crazy warm for this time of year. There’s something just not right with going to see all the Christmas lights in a tank top and flip flops!
When it comes to sangria, I think less is more {not drinking less, but less ingredients!}. There are some complex recipes out there, but in my opinion the simpler ones are just as delish.
{Thanks, Hollie for supplying last night’s beverage!}
I wanted a quick and easy tapas style appetizer and came across the manchego recipe from Ty Flo {Tyler Florence}.
Soooo good!
I made paella on Valentine’s Day almost 5 years ago and Jay’s been asking me to make it ever since.
So glad I found this recipe because I will make it more often now. You can also add mussels or clams…I just used chicken breasts, pork chorizo and shrimp.
Last year when we were celebrating Jay’s 40th in Vegas, we went to Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and had the café con leche flan for dessert. It was out of this world! Mine was obviously not as good, but not a total failure….I cooked the caramel a little too long in the beginning, but the custard part was fine. I also used a square pan rather than the standard round cake pan {because seriously, how does the flan know if it’s round or square?}
It was a little ghetto-tastic, but I look forward to perfecting my skills down the road…
And it’s not a party until someone dresses up as “Santa Tiana”…
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I hope you enjoyed your Spanish feast, Babe!
May all your hopes and dreams come true on your way to 42.
Hmmm, I wonder if I could come up with a joke based on this post’s title….
A dolphin and a unicorn walk {er….swim/fly?} into a bar….
Can you tell the caffeine hasn’t quite kicked in yet on this Friday morn?
Anywhoo, last night our good friends and old neighbors from Nor Cal passed through on their way to the O.C. and delivered some Christmas goodies for E & H.
All I can say is THANK YOU Logan & Finley…now I don’t have to hear, “I want a {pi-woe} pet! I want to ask Santa for a Pi-woe pet!”
And that commercial ~ “It’s a pillow, it’s a pet, it’s a Pillow Pet!”
How many times have we all heard that?
We’re now the proud owners of:
and
Even though I am not a big fan of stuffed animals, these are great because the kids were excited to go to bed AND they are one-piece!
{Don’t worry Santa Gramma, I was informed this morning that Dolphin & Unicorn need friends so we’re happy to adopt two more!}
*****
Tonight we’re celebrating Jay’s happy day with a Spanish inspired feast:
We finally uploaded our Thanksgiving Weekend pics to the computer and YES we did feed marine life on Turkey Day.
We took the kiddos on their maiden voyage to Sea World ~ many thanks to Gramma K for treating!
Getting his bearings:
A quick whirl on the Elmo ride:
You’d of thought we were at Disneyland with the permagrin on his face!
Gramma & Elliott bringing up the rear in the zebra Elmo:
“Petting” the manta rays:
Then it was lunchtime {for them not us!}:
Do I have to touch it?
I rolled up my sleeves and got in there:
Then we went to “Blue Horizons” {dolphin show}. I must say that they have stepped this show up and it {almost} has a little Cirque du Soleil feel to it. Costumed acrobats swinging & twirling over the tank. Divers. The whole nine. I was pretty impressed.
{Sorry. No pictures of that part, though.}
We then ventured to see the sharks followed by the sea lions.
This guy {gal?} was quite vocal:
Holden LOVED feeding these guys.
First you hold a mackerel in your hand and bring it up over your head:
…then fling it into the exhibit:
{I was thankful for warm water and antibacterial soap at this point}
We then saw the Holiday Paws show and got to pet the pot belly pig:
Then it was another visit to Santa and then some face time with Shamu.
Elliott really wanted to ice skate.
If you’re going to feed a sea lion on Thanksgiving, why not go ice skating, too?
A tuckered Holdy cuddling with Gramma:
All laced up and ready to roll….I mean skate!
If this isn’t Southern California I don’t know what is….the sun setting over the Pacific, palm tree silhouettes, sea gulls in flight:
Gorgeous!
{This part really made me miss my hometown}
Holden awoke from his power nap and was ready to join in on the rink action:
After the drive to SD and an afternoon at Sea World, we capped off our Thanksgiving with Panda Express!
It was a departure from the norm on Turkey Day, but so welcomed.
My Dad made it into San Diego late that evening and we ended up having our feast and giving our official thanks on Friday evening. We had some family friends {who my parents have known for 50 years!} join us. Holden came down with a low grade fever that afternoon so between giving him doses of Advil, making sure Toy Story 2 was playing, visiting with dear friends and eating, we didn’t get any pics of the spread! But Elliott did help Gramma earlier in the day with the stuffing:
She added plenty of pepper!
Friday afternoon before dinner we also took a drive through Balboa Park. I love driving down the 163 corridor past the zoo…so beautiful. We drove by the organ pavillion and across the bridge and reminisced about our wedding day 6 years ago.
On Saturday we were able to catch up with more old friends. Jay and Elliott went to visit one of the groomsmen in our wedding while I stayed home with Holden and kept his fever at bay. I also ran/walked to the mall near my Mom’s place to fetch our holiday ornaments which you can read about here. It was literally over the bridge and under the freeway to the Westfield mall I go! There is a trail that goes along the lake {Lake Hodges} and under the 15 freeway and puts you right at the mall. So yes, I got this year’s ornaments “on foot”.
Saturday night I met up with my high school besties and we went to a 40th surprise party. It’s so nice to just be able to pick up where you left off so to speak. We met up for a pre-party libation and then their lovely 16-year old daughter drove us to and from the party. It was great to get caught up with old faces and celebrate more folks turning the BIG FOUR-OH!
