So I'm back

Christmas was lovely, the weeks leading up to Christmas were lovely, and now it's all over. I'm always a bit blue after Christmas. I don't want all the loveliness and coziness to go away.


Here a few glimpses into our celebrations.




Swanky Work Sponsored Date


At the beginning of the month TC's employer held their annual year-end dinner and got rooms for all to stay at the Grand America Hotel. It was quite exciting!

TC got dressed up, which we all know I really enjoy. He cleans up nicely. What can I say?

Here is the obligatory "we are in the elevator of a fancy hotel and are super excited, but we're trying to keep it on the down-low, but since there's no one else in the elevator with us we are going to show our excitement" photo. 

And here I am chilling in the living room of our suite. My wardrobe included my Vince Camuto shoes, and my hot pink paper sack skirt. 

In the morning we had breakfast at the buffet and positively filled our gullets. Then we walked around and browsed in the hotel shops. Lastly, before checking out we bought gelato. 

Holiday Baking

I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen, but for some reason did not photographically document any of it. 

I made Puppy Chow (could the name be any stupider?) for TC's coworkers and put them in cute little cellophane bags with green polka dots. All very cute, no photos to show off my handiwork. Also, I really wanted to write on the tag the following: "Allergy warning, may contain peanuts and Christmas cheer." I thought it was very funny. I was outvoted by the sane and left it off.

I made Muffins that Taste Like Donuts with the intention of including them as gifts for the coworkers, but they did not turn out. They taste fine, but looked like mutants. I might have left out some, or all, of the salt. They may or may not have been raw in the middle and severely concave. Sigh. And TC didn't like them because they had too much cinnamon for his taste (I say, "Too much cinnamon? Impossible.")

I made Pan Dulce with chocolate chips substituted for the dried fruit (TC HATES dried fruit and cannot emphasize this enough). It was tasty, but dry. So if you ate it with hot chocolate and dipped it in the hot chocolate it was great. Double sigh.  

I made wheat bread, and it was dense and heavy. 

I planned to make the following items, but did not get around to it:

Garrapiñada (sugar coated peanuts), a traditional Argentine Christmas treat

Fruit Salad, another traditional Argentine Christmas treat

Sugar Cookies, a traditional American Christmas treat

But alas, I did not find/make the time. 

Christmas Cheer

And for our celebrations, we spent time with my family, TC's family, and ourselves. 

Photos from the festivities:

TC and I in front of a beautiful tree in our Sunday clothes. 

 

Just because red and white are pretty colors.

Our tree, Eileen.

Us in front of our tree. By the way, we did not have a white Christmas, but it was lovely nonetheless. And it is supposed to snow today. So yay!

Me at my parent's house with one of my awesome gifts. Mom got me a Cricut cartridge.

TC with his favorite gift of all Christmas. (The previous statement may be infused with slight facetiousness.) 

It turns out that all the manly men in the family got Eclipse, so here they are showing that real men love shiny vampires.

And here they are showing their more feminine sides.

Muscular nephew Derrick showing his muscular muscles.

Me looking demented.

In a nutshell, Christmas was lovely. I have been listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing Christmas music on Pandora for weeks now and I'm not quite ready to switch over to non-religious, non-Christmas music just yet. I want to draw out this peaceful feeling, the quiet remembrance of the Savior and all He did for us, that man that was born just a tiny little baby in a manger. 

Merry Christmas all. 

5.7 million minutes

This man and I have been bound together in holy matrimony for over 5.7 million minutes, or 11 years, today. Happy anniversary to us!

The Friday that is Black

On black Friday, we went shopping. I managed not to buy anything for myself, except for these exceptional boots.

They are Guess Heatherly. And we bought them at DSW. Now I went to DSW with the intention of helping SIL2 pick out some boots for herself. And that we did. But, while she was deliberating, my eyes were wandering, and TC insisted I try these boots on. So I did. And you all know what happens when I try on shoes. 

So, yada yada yada, I have new boots.

'

Let's just be honest here.

Seen on the corner of State St and 1700 S in Salt Lake City. At least he's honest.

Blue tights

I found blue tights to match my blue shoes. And I wore them together, and had TC take a photo of me. I'm not sure I LOVE the rest of the outfit, but I DO love the blue tights on blue shoes. I think I need a charcoal grey sweater dress to go with the bottom half.

R.I.P. Plantita Adorada

I loved you from the moment I saw you at Costco and realized that you were a Gardenia plant.

I loved you all those moments I watered you, and all those moments I forgot to water you.

I loved you all those times I brought you from the outdoors in to protect you from the unpredictable spring and fall weather.

I loved you every time you bloomed a new blossom.

I loved you every time you drooped from neglect.

I loved you even when I forgot to bring you indoors during the worst storm of the season.

I loved you even when I forgot about you as I watched on the news all the storm warnings, and warnings of sub-zero temperatures.

I loved you when I looked outside to realize that you had been killed by the inclement weather.

I loved you when I brought you indoors hoping you would resurrect. And I loved you when I realized that I had not brought you in time to save you.

And I loved you as I dropped you down the trash chute.

R.I.P. I will miss you.

Thanks for the giving

This year Thanksgiving was longer than usual. For the first time in my life I hosted. I have always been a guest, except for my first Thanksgiving as a married woman when TC and I tried to have our own celebration, but in the end found the cost of a turkey prohibitive and decided to forego in favor of chicken breast, which ended up shrinking in the oven. Except for that time, I have never hosted my own Thanksgiving feast. This year, we invited TC's sisters and their families, and MIL.

I found recipes for the foods I wanted to make, made up a shopping list, created a cooking schedule that started on Tuesday, and then stressed like crazy. I kept having bad dreams that unexpected guests came (like random members of my family and distant cousins and the like), and came too early, and that I had forgotten to do essential things like, um, put the turkey in the oven. I start to feel the panic coming on when I just think about the panic I felt. Goodness.

At any rate, all went well. No uninvited third cousins twice removed came over, and no turkeys were left uncooked. I came out of it all with a cut on my thumb (from shattering glass all over the kitchen and living room and then hurriedly cleaning it up and finding a tiny shard of glass embedded in my finger), and minor burns on the palm of my hand (from taking the turkey out of the oven to baste with only a small hot pad).

To sum up the holiday, here are some photos taken by SIL 2.

TC and SIL3 making mashed potatoes and squash.

Get your butt in the kitchen. Ha ha. Ha. (Mine is on the right, in case you wanted to see it.)'

SIL1 tossing a salad. Please, please ignore my double chin in the background. And the horrible hair-do. In fact, focus all your energies on the beauty tossing the salad. 

Me, carving the turkey. I feel like I've set the standard high for myself on this blog, and here I am, letting all of you, my dear readers, down with my lameness in appearance. I have an excuse: the cooking of it all, and taking breaks in between basting to play PS3 with the Huz took precedence over fixing my hair and putting on clothing that was actually sort of flattering. So there you go. But at least in this photo you can't see my double chin, so that's good, right?

One of the little ones enjoying rolls.

The little ones with their Tio Van, playing Lego Indiana Jones.

The littlest little one with SIL2.

The spread: rolls, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and squash, cranberry sauce, and Ferrero Rocher. 

And don't forget the dulce de leche apple pie (on the top of the microwave), Coca Cola and Sprite.