{ 2012 }

Tonight, at midnight, we ring in the New Year.

2012.

At which I throw up the silent prayer that we don't go the way of that awful John Cusack movie.

Tonight, we plan to celebrate quietly with a close friend.

And some bubbly.

2011 was a good year. There were ups and downs. Hooks to the left and steps backwards. Sad times and glad times and moments that took our breath away.

I remain focused on the positive. 

And 2012 is going to be even better. 

Lots of love and good wishes to you and your families, friends and loved ones!

Happy New Year!

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{ merry christmas }

May your day be full of love and happiness, family and friends.

We will be spending the day with Nana and Papa Bear and couldn't be happier.

<3

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{ rudolph the red-nosed reindeer... }

...needs to eat. Just like everybody else.

So we mixed up some reindeer food today. We'll sprinkle it on the lawn on Christmas Eve. So the reindeer can have a little snack while Santa does his thing.

I set up oats, raisins, cocoa powder, crushed chips and a sprinkle-glitter mixture. It was up to Turtle to mix up just the right combination of ingredients.

He was pretty fond of the sprinkles.

A little bit o' this. A little bit o' that.

Mommy! Look!

He took his time measuring out the perfect quantities.

Shaking it all up. I guess maybe that activates the extra flying power? I don't know. I was just supervising.

Hopefully, the reindeer enjoy it!

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{ it's christmas week }

Which means that things will be slow around here.


Nana and Papa Bear are in town!

 We are having the best time. Turtle is getting lots of lovin' in. It's wonderful. 

We have so many fun things planned, but for now, we're just enjoying our time...

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{ turtle's first real photograph }

Last night, we explored the Night of Lights in historic downtown.

I was snapping pictures that I was way too lazy to download and edit. 

We were nearing the end of our visit, when Turtle told me he wanted to take a picture of Mommy and Daddy.

Uhhhh....

I love my child to pieces, but I'm just a wee bit protective of my DSLR, so the thought of turning it over to him, while standing over concrete on a path where he might possibly get jostled... It was wasn't appealing.

So I gave him my iPhone.

It took him a moment to figure out how to push the button, and once I helped how him how to keep his finger off the lens, while using another finger to snap the pic, I took my place by MacGyver and a replica cannon and we did our very best "cheese."

I think it's a wonderful abstract capture of the moment. 

Don't you?

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{ letters to santa }

This morning, we finally wrote Turtle's letter to Santa.

By which I mean, I wrote, and he dictated.

This is what we got.

Like you, I am baffled as to why reindeers would need or want fire, but you don't argue with the three year old when he's dictating his Santa letter.

Of special note? 

See that scrawl at the bottom? 

That's his name.

Written by himself. 

For the first time.

My heart swells.

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{ festival of trees }

One of the local hotels sets up an amazing display of fully decorated trees and wreaths for a week or two. Business and organizations donate trees, and visitors can vote or bid for their favorites in a silent auction.

In almost four years, we've never checked it out.

It was simply set up, but so pretty.

Trees ranged from traditional to more innovative.

Yes, the snowman was Turtle's favorite. How did you guess?

I was a fan of this candy cane striped one.

It didn't take too long to walk through and admire, but it was a fun little event for our family, nonetheless.

As you can probably tell, I'm a sucker for all the pretty lights.

We are looking forward to more of the things to do around town as we get closer to Christmas. Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than spending time with MacGyver and Turtle, enjoying the lights and music.

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{ our christmas tree }

It took me about a week and a half, but it's up and it's decked.

And, if I do say so myself, it's magnificent.

It touches the ceiling (I actually had to trim a limb or two to get the star on there). I would have loved it a little wider (to entirely block the windows, you know), but it was the best we could do, given our selection.

We stuck to the local tree lot this time, instead of hoofing it out to the farm like last year. MacGyver may have been disappointed. But any day that I don't get attacked by a cactus in the hunt for a Christmas tree is a good day in my book.

I was so excited to hang the new Hallmark Pug ornament.

And Turtle was thrilled to see Buzz Lightyear up near the top!

I crammed as many lights on it as I could. We love turning it on after the sun sets and enjoying the warm glow.

I finally convinced (or bribed, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe) Turtle to pose by "his" tree with a smile on his face. 

Lollipops have that effect on him.

I love hearing about different trees. Do you use real or artificial? White lights or multicolored? Garland, tinsel, beads or ribbons? Color-coordinated glass balls and accents or a mish mosh of random ornaments? 

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{ we're going on a trip: a honeymoon trip }

It's been a while since we've had a 

Which clearly means we haven't been doing anything travel-y.

Boo.

But on November 4, MacGyver and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. And that's kind of a big deal.

We took a trip. Not far away. Less than an hour, really.

And with Turtle in the care of some wonderful friends (thank you, T & K), we headed off for two nights at One Ocean Resort.

The hotel is gorgeous, 

as are the rooms.

Our view.

MacGyver arranged for champagne to be waiting for us in the room. I'm a sucker for the bubbly.

Our first night, we planned on eating a late, romantic dinner in the hotel's restaurant, Azurea. They have the most yummy menu that changes each season and I was looking forward to enjoying a long, quiet night with lots of yummy food.

They were running behind and so the restaurant treated us to a complimentary round of martinis while we waited. One of the ways to my heart is via martini, so I was in a happy place.

We moved on to our booth and got right to work drooling over the menu. 

To start, we had this Pacific Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, which was a little too rich for me because of the crabmeat, but still yummy.

And the most magical salad with beets, roasted almonds and the best goat cheese we've ever had. I could eat this at every meal for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

I'm not sure what MacGyver had for dinner. Something with lamb chops, maybe. All i know was that this Late Harvest White Corn Risotto was divine. Creamy, perfectly cooked, and with a lovely little crunch from the pumpkin seeds - it was such a warm, welcoming fall dish. I had it prepared vegetarian style (the menu offers it with ham). Delicious.

It was nearing 11, and we were both pretty exhausted. MacGyver had been talking about "hitting some bars" but I translated that to "taking dessert back to the room and watching TV."

Turns out, I speak his language quite well.

We slept late. Which was weird. Normally, I am awake by 6:30, if not out of bed. But we lounged around til maybe 9:30 or 10. 

The plan was to wander down the street to this place called Poe's Tavern and hang out for some NCAA football and then maybe wander around the little downtown area to grab some dinner off the beaten path.

We assumed our bar stools at 11:30. Bloody Mary, anyone?

Poe's is known for their burgers. Something about grinding high-quality beef on premises each day.

Sometimes, a good burger makes everything better. Perfect fries don't hurt, either.

As far as I am concerned, Poe's should also be known for it's kick-ace bathrooms. The ones they paper in pages from Edgar Allen Poe stories.

Yes. I took pictures in the loo. I'm classy that way.

We hung out for hours. Actually, hours. Ok, I admit it. I went back to the hotel for a little nap. The fresh air at the outdoor bar kind of knocked me out. 

When I returned, MacGyver had "made friends" and the bartender made us some kind of anniversary shot. I still don't know what was in it...

It's been many, many years since we just chilled at a bar, glued to football. It was pretty fun to get to do it again. Kind of like riding a bike.

That night, we wandered around One Ocean again, admiring the view of the water and the moon (almost full), and getting warmed up by the fire pit. 

Sunday dawned and I think we were both ready to get home to Turtle.

We had a quick breakfast.

And a very quick walk out on the pier.

And then we hopped in the car and hurried south.

It was great to get some quality, adult time, and we would stay at One Ocean and dine at Azurea pretty much any day. Fabulous service, top quality, and close enough to home to make it an easy overnight trip.

Happy anniversary, MacGyver! It was a wonderful time!

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{ wordless wednesday: just some cakes }

Which is really code for "I've been playing catch-up since MacGyver got back in town, trying to deck the halls and spread the holly jolly and whatnot, and haven't had a chance to put together a useful post, but let me distract you with cake!!!!"

People like cake.

This duo was for a baby shower for twins. I love the little tie & mustache theme, carried over from the invitation.

Next up was a small birthday cake for a sweet 4 year old, who loves Cars.

I confess that I had the best time making this. It was just fun.

And last, but certainly not least, a tower fit for Rapunzel.

This was probably my greatest cake challenge. Ever. It's pretty much completely edible (except for the figures and the cake board).

And I think the birthday girl was pretty darn happy. 

I have three more very special cakes to do before the year is out, and I'm looking forward to baking! 


Happy Wednesday!

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{ last minute gifting }

Not exactly last minute.

It's not like it's store closing time on Christmas Eve or anything like that.

And to be honest, I'm not particularly caught up in the whole shopping craze this year. We did manage to snap a LeapPad for Turtle well before Thanksgiving, when a mom friend of mine spread the word that this was going to be THE toy of the season and would be sold out by Black Friday. Far be it from me to fight the Black Friday hysteria, so we grabbed one on Amazon and set it aside for later.


But really? I have everything I want and need. MacGyver. Turtle. The pugs. Our health. Our home. Nana and Papa Bear are coming in less than two weeks and will be here on Christmas morning. 


And while I would not be sad if Santa dropped an iPad, or a MacBook, or a Canon 35 1.4, or a pony down the (nonexistent) chimney, I wouldn't trade what I have for anything in the world.


I still love giving gifts, though. Although sometimes I get stumped on ideas. 


So I'm going to share a few things I love that might be perfect for the people you love. Hopefully, this helps in your last minute gift-finding efforts! 




1. Ornaments. I love ornaments at Christmas time. Whether you hit up the Hallmark store for one of their Keepsake ornaments (and might I add, that after 20 years, they FINALLY added a pug to their Puppy Love series),

or make something at home, ornaments can be so special. I have a collection as old as I am, and every year, I love unwrapping them and hanging them on the tree. You can make simple things (candy canes out of beads and chenille stems) or get more fancy with repurposed light bulbs or glass balls, or even make cinnamon applesauce or salt dough varieties (there are hundreds of recipes and techniques out there). Check out Pinterest for some great ideas.




2. Books. Oh, books. Beautiful books. Great for adults and kids alike. I'm a purist. I like books with paper and hard covers and spines that crack. However, with the new Kindles and Nooks and e-readers on the market, a gift card for e-books would probably be just as welcome as "the real thing." This year, I'm eyeing a new work by author Garry Cook.

(available on amazon.com)

It's about a little black pug dog and his adventures (it's going to be a series, too!!!!). I love Cook's illustrations and I love the fact that a black pug is getting some attention (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find things that resemble Molly!) And, since I have an admitted pug addiction, it would make a perfect addition to Turtle's (and any pug-lover's) library. 




3. Anything from Etsy. I realize that doesn't narrow it down, too much. But I adore Etsy, and I love supporting small businesses if I can.


Check out these adorable State Love Onesies from Morning Star Loft. This is one of my favorite shops for children's onesies and tees. Dana also does amazing custom work. 

Vintage holiday coasters from The Retro Road? Yes, please.

Camera strap covers? Dessert stands? Jewelry? Repurposed and upcycled wares? Ruffles, ribbons, bows, dresses, art? You can pretty much find it on etsy. It's magical.

4. Edibles. If you love to cook or bake, you can make amazing gifts in your very own kitchen. Create intricately iced cut out cookies and package them in a pretty box, or put together the spice mix for your world-famous chili in bags tied with ribbon. Fudge, candy, grilling rubs, breads, muffins, mulling spices... you make it, you package it, you win.

5. Theme baskets. Sometimes, there exist people (or families) who are just hard to find gifts for. Either they seem to have everything or they want nothing. But what everyone seems to need in this busy world is time. And possibly some relaxation. So put together a spa kit with a cold mask, a sugar scrub (could be homemade, could be from the store), snuggly slippers and some lotions. A pedicure basket with some foot lotions, great nail polish colors, and pedi tools. A family game or movie night: include a board game or movie rental gift card with some popcorn, boxed candy, and bags of snacks. Even a romantic movie night basket with a bottle of wine, a great rom-com, a box of chocolates and maybe even a gift card for dinner.

So there it is. Just some ideas from my place on the internet to yours. Hopefully this helps you in your quest for some last(ish) minute presents and inspires where you were drawing a blank!

Happy Shopping! (Or Baking! Or Creating)

Disclosure: I am not being compensated in any way for this post. These are gift ideas and items that I personally utilize at my own expense, from stores and websites I personally frequent. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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