It's Not Over Until the Twelfth Drummer Drums

I hope your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, (or if you're Jehovah's Witness, weekend where everything was closed and the only thing you could do was eat Chinese food or go to the movies), was fabulous. While Christmas is not my favorite holiday (it comes in at a close second to Thanksgiving), it is my favorite time of year. With all the twinkle lights and Christmas songs played everywhere you go, there just seems to be a certain glow about everything. Friends come home. Family gets together. I love the magical, warm and fuzzy feeling I get every year around this time. And let's face it, presents don't hurt either. For the first time in more years than I'd like to count, Kurt and I exchanged presents. In years past, we were just-out-of-college-and-starting-out-on-our-own-poor, or saving for something important (like a wedding), so we agreed not to exchange. This year, we finally feel like we're on our feet and while there's always something to save for, we decided to exchange and, not wanting to go overboard, capped the value at a modest amount. I got him cologne and some books and dvds and he got me a pair of beautiful turquoise earrings. That's right. Cologne and books. Turquoise earrings. It's not hard to see who made out better in that exchange.

On Christmas Eve, we go to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner. We have a few traditions on Christmas Eve that date back to before I can remember. I love traditions. This is because I am largely a creature of habit. Once, my parents surprised us with tickets to Disney World (my favorite place on Earth) for Thanksgiving and my response was, "Wait, we're not going to see Aunt Arlene and Uncle Ed?" I was also appalled that we would be eating Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant (no offense to anyone who does, but since we had never eaten Thanksgiving in a restaurant before, I was completely against it. see: Creature of Habit above.).

Anyway, back to Christmas. Before Christmas Eve dinner each year, we each take a piece of Christmas wafer (or Opłatki, in Polish) and go around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. The way it works is this: you walk up to someone, say Merry Christmas, take a piece of their wafer, while they break off a piece of yours, you each eat your own little piece of each other's wafer, then kiss on the cheek or shake hands. Move to the next person and repeat. This, as you can imagine, was torturous for Kurt the first time I brought him to Christmas Eve. It's a fun little tradition to initiate anyone into the family. This, and not the food, is my favorite part of Christmas Eve dinner. As a kid, I used to let each person take only a tiny piece from my wafer so I could eat the rest when we were done. This little habit, I realized a few years ago, must have been picked up from my Nonni who would do the same, but also take the largest piece possible from everyone else.

After the wafers, we move onto dinner. My aunt's parents were Polish and my grandparents were Italian, so we have a mish mash of cultural food. Pierogies with sauerkraut or cheese, pickled herring, and kielbasa represent the Polish side, while the feast of the seven fishes, stuffed mushrooms, and risotto two ways represent the Italian side (usually, we also have lasagna as a first course). And let's not forget, we're also American, so we have to have ham, potatoes, carrots, and the staple of any American holiday dinner table: green bean casserole. After dinner comes a ridiculous amount of desserts. This year, my dad must have been feeling adventurous because, for dessert on Christmas Day, he made an Eggnog Cheesecake, which, if you've ever had any dessert made by my father, you would know was to die for. Now that all four of us cousins are old enough to drink, the wine and champagne flows and by the end of the meal, everyone is stuffed, happy, warm, and just a little bit tipsy.

On Christmas Day, my dad and sister came over for pancakes and we gave my sister the nerdiest Christmas present ever: Anatomy Flash Cards (which she asked for and loved).

And then we made the rounds visiting Kurt's parents and then back to my aunt and uncle's to end where we began.

I've always liked Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day. I think it has something to do with anticipation being sweeter than whatever is being anticipated. On Christmas Eve, there's still one day left, there are still presents to open, people to see, food to eat. On Christmas Day, it's over. After December 25th, radio stations stop playing Christmas music, people start taking down their trees, everyone goes back to work. It's just so sad. We spend months preparing for Christmas, living each day in a sort of stressed, yet somehow warm and fuzzy, holiday stupor. Each day, the excitement mounts. And then suddenly, it's over and we're required to go on with our days as usual. Did you know The Twelve Days of Christmas are actually AFTER Christmas? I learned this fact only a month ago. I think it's marvelous, a way to ease out of the holiday the way we eased in. I, for one, still have my Christmas tree up, my wreath is still on the front door, and my Glee Christmas CD is still in my car stereo. And while I'm being forced against my will to take down my tree this weekend (tax season starts on Monday, so Kurt won't be around to take down the tree after this weekend), I plan to celebrate Christmas until the twelfth and final day. Happy 5th Day of Christmas!

Typography Clock

One of the blogs I check on a daily basis is Apartment Therapy. I like to find decorating and furnishing ideas for the rooms of my future. Hey, it's better than spending money I don't have on furniture that won't fit in our apartment, right? Anyway, yesterday, Apartment Therapy posted this fabulous clock by Doug's Word Clocks.

Yes, I know it's not for everyone, but I am totally in love with it. I love how odd it is. It’s not for those of us who need to know the exact minute at all times (ok, me), but it could go in a room where that’s not totally necessary. I’m imagining it hanging in a cool dining room or living room as a unique piece of art, because at a whopping $363.50 AUD, that's the only way I could justify buying it. One day.

Oversharing: The Secret to Making Friends

Have you ever met someone and hit it off right away, finding yourself sharing way too much information in your first meeting and feeling totally normal about it? Well, this Saturday night, Kurt and I went to my friends’ Christmas party and did just that. We didn’t know many people, so naturally, we stood by the kitchen and intercepted homemade spanikopita fresh from the oven and mini apricot and brie filo pastries that burned the roofs of our mouths from the unsuspecting arms of our hostess. Yes, my friends, I know how to party. (Sidenote: this is also the best place to stand during the cocktail hour at weddings. No more will you be shouting, “THERE WERE MINI HOTDOGS?!” because you will have first dibs. You’re welcome.)

Anyway, after awhile, another couple came over and introduced themselves. They were our hosts’ neighbors and in the first 15 minutes we covered birth control, vasectomies, periods, and poop, without irony, or shame. Forget the weather and what you do for a living; apparently, the best way to make friends is to delve into those really, deeply personal and awkward topics. After realizing what we'd been talking about with, let's face it, perfect strangers, we laughed and moved on to more “appropriate” topics as more people joined our conversation. Meanwhile, I contemplated how to make these people our very best friends, because really, how often do you meet people right off the bat with whom topics like these surface naturally (outside of a doctor's office, of course)?

Tangerine Tango

Each year, pantone announces the color of the year. 2010 was turquoise, 2011 was a bright red called Honeysuckle. The official announcement for the color of 2012 came on Thursday: Tangerine Tango.

It’s so bright and energetic, exactly what we need to revive ourselves this coming year. I’m ready to paint something, anything this zesty color.

What Happens When You Read Too Many Decorating Blogs

Every once in awhile, I get the urge to do some major redecorating. I've basically been feeling that way for months about our bedroom and living room, but both logic and lack of funds have restrained me. Kurt and I have agreed to curb our new furniture shopping sprees (and by "our", I mean "my") until we buy a house and know what we need to get. I'm one of those people who believe the perfect room is achieved little by little, collecting pieces you love that might not match, but go perfectly together. For an idea of my style, think of Jess's bedroom in the show New Girl. I love color, antiques, and a mish mash of styles.

Since I won't be buying new furniture anytime soon, I've had to satisfy my longing for change in other, less costly ways. We have built-in bookshelves in our living room that surround the door to our bedroom. These bookshelves are something I will truly miss when we leave this apartment.** I'm still trying to figure out a way to take them with me. Since they are a focal point in the living room, I've struggled with how I want to organize my books to make them look appealing. Before, they were arranged alphabetically by author (my anal, OCD, used-to-work-in-publishing self taking over) and Kurt complained that he could never find anything. Then, they were arranged by size and series. Now, my visual, "I need to look at something beautiful" self has taken control and done this:

How awesome are my new bookshelves, if I do say so myself? I am very happy with them. Finally. That is, until my right brain completely kicks my left brain out of the equation and I organize them by color.

**While there are many things I will miss about our apartment, here are some things I will not miss: The sprickets, the drafts, the feeling that I can never get anything clean no matter how hard I try, the ghost (though I'm developing a soft spot for him (or her)), the potential for flooding, the uneven plaster walls that I long to paint anything but white, the fact that in the past two weeks, the kitchen ceiling has begun to leak, the drawer underneath the oven has broken for no apparent reason (and the 2 screws that came undone are missing (I'm blaming the ghost)), and the two 2x4s with hooks that were nailed (yes, nailed and not screwed) to the plywood (yes, plywood) kitchen wall and hung all of our pots and pans fell down amidst lots of crashing and cursing.

A Few Things That Have Nothing to Do With One Another

1. I just discovered an amazing thing: DayQuil and NyQuil LIQUIGELS! No more disgusting liquid NyQuil. Whenever I’m sick, I swear by NyQuil, but I dread taking it. When it’s time to take a dose, I prepare myself and get out a full glass of water and a piece of bread. The bread is the only thing that gets that awful taste out of my mouth. But now the geniuses over at the NyQuil Company have made it so I don’t have to use an entire loaf of bread each time I’m sick. Plus, it’s way easier to carry a bunch of liquigels in your purse than a bottle of medicine.

2. Our wedding video is now up on vimeo. When we first started planning a wedding, I didn’t want a videographer. The main reason was I didn’t want to have to watch myself on video. I didn’t want to see the awkward dancing or bad angles. Friends of mine (one of whom is a wedding videographer herself) encouraged me to get a videographer. “You won’t regret it.” “It’s totally worth it.” And I scoffed and stood my ground. But at the last minute, a man Kurt works with offered to do our video for a very reasonable price. The price was so reasonable, we just couldn’t pass it up. And boy am I glad we didn’t pass it up. He did a beautiful job. I was so impressed with this video (and it’s only the “short” version). I love watching it, something I never thought would happen. Ok, I still don’t love the awkward dancing part and look away every time it comes up, but still. I think my favorite part is when one of my bridesmaids ducks the bubbles. So, if you’re into watching wedding videos, click here. It’s only 8 minutes long. If you’re not and feel like you’ve wasted an entire 2 minutes of your life reading about wedding videos and feel like you haven’t gotten anything out of this post, click here to see the biggest insect in the world.

PS - if you're looking for a videographer, Bob Beebe is your man.