Friday, December 31, 2010

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Wouldn't you just LOVE to be wearing these gorgeous Louboutins as 2011 rolls around? But I digress...



There are good people still out and about in this world! I must tell everyone about the wonderful thing that happened to me this morning: I went to get a mani/pedi and I was feeling a little guilty about it. It's not that I don't have the money but since I don't have a job right now I kept thinking I should spend the money on something else. But, I decided to go ahead and do it. I made no mention of this to anyone at the nail spa. As I was getting my toes done, a lady walked in with her mom and aunt. I recognized her from another time I was getting my nails done this summer. It was right around the time I closed on my townhome and we had chatted about it. I had run into her a few weeks later at Pottery Barn Outlet. She had been getting things to redecorate her grandmother's house. So, she came in and we chatted a bit. She asked how my townhome was coming along and told me she'd finally gotten her grandmother's house done. I finished up and grabbed my purse across the room and she said something to me. I walked back to her pedi chair and asked what she'd said because I didn't hear her. She said, "I got it, Happy New Year!" I was so taken aback by this sweet gesture I said "What? Are you sure? I don't even know your name!" She said I'm Amanda. I told her thank you and happy new year and so on. I don't even remember because I was so touched by her sweetness.


Like I mentioned before, I never once told anyone about my job or anything. It just goes to show that nice people are out there and that God looks out for us in many ways. He even looks out for us in the smallest pleasures (ie starting the new year out with pretty hands and toes). As we start 2011, I encourage everyone to pay it forward! See you in 2011!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: 20-25

I did complete my Christmas challenge. However, with travelling and getting ready to go out of town I didn't have time to blog it. So here it is:
Day 20: Annual Christmas baking with Bethany!
Red velvet cookies (among the many things we baked that day!)

Emory was our little helper!

Day 21: Christmas with my good friends, the Candys.
Lauren and Rachel got me the greatest gift! I can't wait to start using it:


Day 22: Arrive in Colorado and Trans Siberian Orchestra concert!


Day 23: Getting together with old friends and picking up Christopher from the airport for his first Colorado Christmas!
I got to spend time with Jill, my best friend from high school and Justin my best friend ever and my dear friend Conni and dinner with my dear friend Heather. Nothing like getting in the Christmas spirit like getting together with loved ones.
My friend Conni:

Picking up CW from the airport:

Day 24: Christmas Eve!
We went on a hayride at church and went around the neighborhood carolling to the neighbors before the service.
Christmas tradition: receiving pajamas every year to wear Christmas Eve. CW was included in on the tradition.

Day 25: Christmas Day (obviously)
Opening presents!
Next stop: Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains!
The Stanley Hotel:

Rocky Mountain National Park:

There wasn't any snow at my parents' house, but at least we could drive to some so C could see a white Christmas!
Christmas night, we went and looked at Christmas lights. This is the Greeley Griswolds:
What a wonderful Christmas season! I know I say this every year, but I can't believe it's already over! Here's to 2011, I know it'll be a great one!


























































































Monday, December 20, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Days 17,18 & 19

Day 17: Christmas cupcakes!
Last year I got this book for Christmas:


It has amazing recipes in it for cupcakes. They even have cupcakes that look like Chinese take out and everything is made from candy and is edible. So I tried one of their simpler recipes and I have to say I am pretty darn impressed with myself!

Poinsettias!



Big red gum and M&Ms. Who knew? The inside is gingerbread flavored and then iced with vanilla icing and rolled in white coarse sugar crystals.

Day 18: MY 28TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a great day that included lunch with C, a little Christmas shopping (so I did do something Christmassy, which I normally don't like to do on my birthday.) Then I went and watched C coach his 9th grade church basketball game.
I got some surprises throughout the week leading up to my big day. Including this cute "Birthday Girl" wine glass from my mom:
Then onto dinner at Ruth's Chris.
Where C got me a new camera and it's orange!
I had a great birthday. Christopher went to a lot of trouble to give me a very special day.
Day 19: Christmas and my birthday with C's family.
Carrot cake cupcakes! My favorite!

C's sweet grandfather made me his delicious homemade spaghetti. Yum!

Friday, December 17, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Days 15 & 16

Day 15: Christmas Shopping!!!

Sadly, I have no picture of this. My stupid phone has sent it somewhere into cyberspace. But, in case you were wondering it's a cute picture of Christopher in Dillard's, trying on a hat with earflaps. Similar to this:

We got most of our Christmas shopping done, and then had yummy Mexican food for dinner at La Hacienda.
Day 16: Christmas cards finished!
I love the Victorian look to these cards.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Days 13 & 14

Day 13:
After eating a delicious Papa John's sausage pizza (it was way too cold to leave the house!)
I spent a relaxing evening, cuddled up on the couch watching a Christmas staple:
It wouldn't be Christmas without it!
I had my movie buddies to cuddle with:

Day 14:
Christmas sing-a-long! After a late (and fancy, I might add) dinner of Tuna Helper, Christopher got out his guitar and we sat around singing different Christmas carols. It was a fun, impromptu evening.

Oh, and I finally finished the wreath!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Days 8-12

Day 8: Made wreath for backdoor. (stay tuned for finished product pic, I need to get more ornaments). Found idea here.

Take plain ball, ornaments. I found mine at the dollar store.
Hot glue the topper to the ornament so it won't fall off when you put it on the hanger.

Bend hanger into a circle and untwist the top.
String ornaments on the hanger.

Day 9: Gingerbread house and "Christmas Vacation"


Day 10: Celebrated my friend Jessica's birthday. Not really a Christmas thing, but a December occurance.


Day 11: Ice skating at zoo lights
(followed by chicken and rice night at Cracker Barrel, yum!)

Day 12: Christmas card picture and "Christmas with the Kranks"



























Wednesday, December 8, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Day 7

Confession: I didn't do anything on Day 6. It was a blah day. Moving on...

Day 7: After a dinner of King Ranch Chicken (Christopher's favorite) we went and looked at Christmas lights. I love looking at Christmas lights. While, on my own house I would choose tasteful, simple lights. On other people's house, the tackier the better! For example, this house in east Memphis:
(I actually took this picture a few years ago, but it's the same every year.)
And of course, the most popular house in the country (after the White House)...
I LOVE the lifesize nativity.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Days 4 & 5

Day 4 was filled with lots of Christmas activities. I started off the day attending Christopher's company Christmas party. It was a breakfast with Santa. We ate lots of yummy breakfast foods, played bingo and we both won things in the raffle! I won a cute Santa platter (which came in handy the next day at my cookie exchange) and Christopher won a $50 Visa gift card).

Day 5 was my annual cookie exchange. I am stocked up on cookies for the season for sure!
Before all the cookies arrived. That's my Santa platter covered in my nutella pistachio icebox-butter cookies and madeleines.
Libby and Marty supervised my party preparations.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

25 Days of Christmas

Okay, I'm a little behind. I started this post 3 days ago and got caught up in things. So here's the plan: 25 Days of Christmas. I am going to do one (or maybe more) Christmasy thing each day til Christmas. Hence, the name 25 Days of Christmas. Yes, I realize this is what the ABC Family Channel does when they show a Christmas movie each night until Christmas. Mine is different. Besides, as much as I love it, "Harry Potter" is not a Christmas movie! Ugh! Okay, that's a soapbox for another day.
Here is what I did for Day 1:

Christmas tree and decorations up!
My entertainment center is the closest I have to a mantle.

Day 2: Baked cookies for Sunday's 2nd Annual Cookie Exchange

Nutella-Pistachio Icebox Butter Cookies found here.
Petite Madeleines au Nutella found here (which might be my new favorite blog).



Day 3: Finished decorations.


Nativity I've had since childhood.

Pink tree in my room!




Stay tuned for Day 4!