hurricanes and jelly beans: December 2008

12.29.2008

hors de prix

I am certainly not the only one who thinks Audrey Tautou is utterly spectacular.

coco

Here are the invitations I sent out to my excuse for a New Years party. So much fun!

rushmore

Tonight I had a date with myself.

I got dressed up, made myself a delicious pasta dinner, and played the bitter:sweet album Drama, which is by far the sexiest thing I've ever heard.

Then I took myself out to a movie... All the way upstairs to watch Rushmore.

Everybody should feel special for themselves sometimes.

drama

Zooey Deschanel and her new fiancee Ben Gibbard of the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie. Coolest couple ever? I think so.

12.25.2008

mint inc.

Those fabulous hugging salt and pepper shakers made me look at the makers' website, Mint Inc.

They have really neat things!

Merry Christmas, everybody! The family is snoozing (even my dog is snoring beside me), so I thought I'd take the time to share photos and check my subscriptions. What a beautiful Christmas day it is! The sky is blue, the sun is setting, and snowing is falling softly. I got a brand new camera from my step-dad this morning, so I took some photos of my new goodies and the family. Now I'll actually be able to record my time in France and Spain in March!

Keeper, ever the camera lover.

My step-dad, Serge, feeding Keeper nuts from his stocking.

My mom

Hugging salt and pepper shakers

A bug to hang off the screen door

A beautiful, hand carved/polished box from Ten Thousand Villages

A hand painted and blown egg

Worry-dolls, to take my stress away for a lighter New Year.

Our family portrait, a present for each of us from Serge.

My mom got me a goat for a family in a third world country in my name. I cried (what a sap.)

A belt from The Bay

My uncle, Ernst, in Edmonton always gets me the best literature.

A new waist length pea coat from Old Navy.

An Extreme Ironing Calendar

And last night, during the celebration with the Italians (there are over 30 of us now!), I snagged a gift bag (which was essentially a care package custom fit for me) of the most beautiful blue nylon and acrylic blanket, a large and colourful mug, a set of hot chocolate mixes (in tall glass bottles, with a miniature whisk!), a tree-like candle holder, and a set of six vanilla candles. So cozy!

Now I am cozied up with a good book, a good blanket, good music (The Killers' 'Sawdust,' a collection of remixes and B-sides I got Serge for Christmas), and good company (a snoozing dog). Tonight we feast, and tomorrow I head out with Emma for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Boxing Day shopping. I hope you are all enjoying your holidays as much as I am, and that you get to spend them in some regard with the people you love! I know I certainly am. It's cheesy, but for all of you I say 'may your days be merry and bright,' whether or not your Christmases are actually white.

:)

12.24.2008

christmas presents

Happy Christmas Eve, everybody!
I am off to celebrate with my loud and large Italian extended family. :)

tippecanoe and taylor, too

Today was my annual gift exchange with my best friend of 13 years, Jennie, and it was great to see her again. I got her a book of art by film directors, Goodnight Bush (a parody of Goodnight Moon), a foam fruitcake and a book of its uses, a straw fedora/farmer/cowboy hat from Courage My Love in Toronto, and A Year of Living Biblically. She got me amazing soap made locally, a pin spun from yarn and wooden beads by our friend Grace, a pin made from a branch with a Dr. Suess character on the front (also made by our friend Grace - she's quite the artist), a pop eye pin, and a beautiful copper chain necklace with an open arc hanging from the bottom. And she says she's in the process of making a headband as well! Clearly our gifts had themes, and I hope she enjoys hers as much as I enjoy mine!