Tiffany Blue

My Tiffany's collection//This year's Christmas present on the left and the necklace he gave me four years ago

I was not expecting jewelry this year based on what I saw under the tree. All the boxes were way too big but he tricked me!  I saved the largest box for last and it ended up holding the smallest present.  I unwrapped one large box only to find another smaller wrapped box. I unwrapped that box to find an oddly shaped package and inside that was a Tiffany Bag.  Inside the bag was the distinctive box in Tiffany Blue that every girl fantasizes about.  There is just something about that color and that box.  That pretty little box tied with a satin ribbon is sure to hold a beautiful treasure.  Inside was a silver necklace with a pink ballet slipper charm.  

Please return to Tiffany & Co New York

He told me right away we could take it back if I didn't like it but it's always hard to tell someone that you want to exchange their gift. The way I see it you might as well be honest about those things.  Tiffany's is not cheap and I would hate to keep something he spent his hard earned money on that hadn't totally captured my heart.  While we were getting dressed Christmas morning I told him that I liked the charm and I can see why he picked it for me.  I love how thoughtful he was in picking it out but that it just wasn't me. He was fine with it and said I could get something else which I didn't expect.  He'd gotten me other gifts so I thought we'd just return it.  When I tried this bracelet on I knew right away that it was perfect.  I'm no glamour girl.  I can't be bothered with full on make up or accessorizing every single day.  I love jewelry that is pretty but also functional and durable so I can wear it to work, to the gym, in the shower and sleep in it without even having to spend time taking it off.  Jewelry I can live in and wear every day with everything; like my wedding rings.  Both my Tiffany's pieces allow me to do that.  I was giddy with excitement before the guy even wrapped it up and I gave Mj a big kiss on the cheek and told him how much I loved it.  It worked out for him because I actually saved him some money on the deal!  He said I could pick out another thing but the bracelet was perfect and it was enough so I didn't.  It worked out for me because I have a bracelet I love from a man I love.  I can wear it every day and be reminded of what a sweet husband I have.  

So what is it about Tiffany & Co?  Well, it's only been around for 175 years.  They've even trademarked the color Tiffany Blue.  It can't be used to advertise or package anything else that is associated with or might be in direct competition.  They specialize in Silver which has always been my favorite.  Tiffany's is luxury and their jewelry is not only beautiful but very well made.  It represents the finer things in life wrapped up with a pretty bow and even us regular folks enjoy having a piece of it.  Having something from Tiffany's makes me feel special yes, but it's having something from Tiffany's that my husband bought me that means the most.

 

So This is Christmas

We started off the morning with German pancakes. In Mj's family they ate them every Christmas morning before presents. His mom was with us this year so that's what we did. He whipped them up, we ate and then it was time for presents.  Mj done good.  He's really good at surprising me by coming up with things that I like without me having asked for it.   I fully intend on getting better at that but I've always sucked at finding gifts for people.  I got him house slippers and an Apple Gift card.  He got me two NCAA Championships Gymnastics tickets.  It's a 3 day event.  He'll go as a last resort but he's really not THAT into gymnastics.  Well, he's not into it at all.  He also got me a coach clutch in my favorite color pink and that chambray shirt from Banana Republic I had my eye on.  And Tiffany's!!! There is just something about that blue box...more on that later.

I'm wearing a Christmas gift

After presents it was time to get dressed because the plan was to hit the road for my sister's house by 10am because we had a 3 hour drive to the Palm Springs.  We took the windy road scenic route, stopped for pics and made it in 2 1/2 hours so we were there by 12:30pm.

Mom in Law and Mj

When my parents and little sister finally made it a couple hours later we had a pretty early dinner because we were all starving.  The main dish was a roast with mashed potatoes and veggies on the side.  Everything was really good.  For dessert there was Chocolate Cake and Apple Pie.

My nephew playing in one of his new toys

Keurig Coffee Maker from her husband

Then we figured it was time for DJ to get started on that mountain of presents under their tree because he was falling asleep.  He woke up real quick and was in non stop play mode until he left.  I got just what I wanted from my Secret Santa (my older sister) and we all got a little something from mom because she can't help it. 

Mi Familia! My sisters and I are wearing infinity scarves from my mom

It was a really nice day with the family.  I enjoyed every second of it and as always it went by way too fast.  My mother in law is here until Sunday.  We went to the movies yesterday and saw Flight.  I got a long overdue manicure and pedicure today which was nice.  Christmas day might be over but Christmas break is still on until the New Year and I'm really enjoying my time off.

 

Christmas Eve Eve Eve

Dani, Me and Tia-Sister's!  I really am the middle child.

On the Saturday before Christmas I went up to my mom's house to spend some time with my sisters.  The younger one is in town from San Francisco and we don't get to see her as often so it was so much fun getting to hang out with her and all of us together.  My mother in law was supposed to come with me but she missed her Thursday night flight. She waited for 9 hours, the next flight was overbooked and she couldn't get another one until Monday!  Traveling on the holidays is no joke.  We spent the day at my mom's house then we went out to dinner at Claim Jumper.  My younger sister Tia got one of the biggest burgers I've ever seen.  She couldn't even eat it all. Dani and I just got salad's. We had to save room for dessert.

Trifle and many, many more desserts to choose from

Right after that we headed to my mom's friends house where we had a dessert party. I'm not sure if that was the best idea considering we've all been bombarded with sweets every which way for weeks but because its such a busy time we wanted something simple. She has two girls of her own and it's very rare for all of us to be in one place at the same time. There were soooo many desserts I couldn't even try them all. We had a really fun time chatting and hanging out before we went back to my parents house.  It got really late really fast and the next thing I knew we were all tired and it was time for me to hit the road for home.  

I had a great day with my family and was happy that we'd get to be together again on Christmas Day.

 

I'm Free!

Mj baked these sugar cookies with a dab of strawberry jelly in the center.  It's a secret recipe from his grandmother.  We packaged them up for our co workers as gifts. They are so delicious but I'm glad they are gone so I can stop trying not to eat them.

grilled chicken topped with cilantro, tomatoes and onions

Last night I made dinner.  Mj was shocked to see me making dinner AND using real plates.  He actually said, "What's going on, this never happens."  I'm sure he wondered where his wife was and what I had done with her but it was me.  I haven't cooked in a longer time then I'd like to admit so I thought I'd get in one meal before the holidays. Mj is making dinner tomorrow night and then it'll be mostly eating out after that. I actually impressed myself with how good it turned out.

You know it's time for Christmas Break when you find yourself and your co workers positively riveted by a remote control flying shark balloon. This thing was a given to my boss and it was a fun distraction from cookie munching and the slowly ticking clock counting down the last days of work.  I didn't even know these things existed but apparently they sell them at Bed Bath & Beyond of all places.  My boss was kind enough to let me leave early today.  There were only the 2 of us left.  It was the best feeling ever walking away knowing I'm done and don't have to go back until next year.  I'm free!  Let the lady of leisure lifestyle that I look forward to so much every year begin.  I had already planned to go to the gym so I went straight there and I had time to work out and still get home before I normally would.  It was nice to see daylight after work and I even beat Mj home for a change.

My mother in law will be here tomorrow and I'll be up first thing tomorrow cleaning house before she gets here.  This year I'm sharing my entire Christmas staycation with Mj.  He got tired of seeing me sleep in  every day during this time while he still has to work so he took some extra days off and his last day is tomorrow.  I had a nice long vacation in October but even still I'm plain old worn out.  I'm pretty sure the world isn't going to end so I'm looking forward to this much needed break.

Happy Holidays to you all!!

 

DSW Giveaway Winner.....

The saying goes that it is better to give then to receive and I have to say I agree.  As much as I love getting a thoughtful gift and something I didn't have to buy for myself it feels really good to give something away.  I'm pretty sure I'll do this again sometime.  Thanks to everyone who participated.   I'm not cool like all the other bloggers so I didn't use rafflecopter to set this thing up but at least I didn't pick names out of a hat.  I used an online random name selector so rest assured that the results are legit.

I really want everyone to win but we all know that's not the way it works.  Sorry to those who didn't.  I feel your pain as I haven't won a single one of the many giveaways I've entered within the last week either.  Without further ado I will announce that the winner of the $50 DSW gift card is MLMR of My Life Moments and Realities. Those extra entries you got by posting about the giveaway came in handy!  She really wanted a new pair of shoes for her Birthday so I'm glad that I can help her get them.  Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to you!  I will be contacting you for your mailing address and get it sent ASAP so you can get your shop on.  Speaking of which I have still been getting my shop on myself even though I said I was done.  I need an intervention.

 

Holiday Par-tay

I have this thing about company holiday party's.  That thing is that I love them.  It's a fabulous night out that doesn't cost me anything so what's not to love?  At my job we just got a holiday luncheon during the work day.  Mj's isn't until January this year but my friend B invited me to hers.  I met her at Hotel La Jolla right after work on Friday, got myself all dolled up and then it was time to party.  This company went all out.  Cocktail hour with appetizers at a swanky hotel to start.  Filet Mignon for dinner.  Dessert bar and a DJ next door.  Oh, and just in case you overdo it on the all night open bar they throw in a hotel room for the night.  I've spent 6 months and then 5 months apart from Mj back to back so it felt kind of silly that I was going to miss him even thought it was just one night.  I felt sad for some reason that he was going to be home without me but not sad enough to stop me from going.  We each do our own thing and we don't have to be together all the time; nor should we.

The cool thing about going to someone else's holiday party is that you can act a fool and you don't have to see those people on Monday morning at work.  When you are the friend your husband doesn't have to see those people at work either.  You can dance like nobody is watching even though the room is full.  You can drink too much and laugh way too loud.  Not that I did any of that of course, but I will say that open bars tend to have quite an effect on me.  We both had a really fun time.  Maybe too much fun.  The next morning we stayed in the room right until the very last minute for check out recovering and then I felt sluggish for the rest of the day.  I definitely don't bounce back like I used to so it's a good thing I don't do this all the time.  Every now and then it's fun to really let loose like that though so it was worth it.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet the last day is tomorrow.  Go here to enter.

 

Confessions for the Week

I confess that the only time I watch the news lately is at the gym.  On gym days I come home and it's did you hear about this, did you hear about that?  Those are the only days I might be more in the know on current events then Mj is.

I confess that I love Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and Dance Mom's.  The finale of Abby's Ultimate was on Tuesday and Dance Mom's starts up again on New Year's Day.  It feels like a kid show and the drama among the moms is out of control but it's entertaining and I love the dance part.  While I'm at it I might as well 'fess up about being hooked on Teen Mom 2.  Mj won't watch it with me anymore.  All of the girls are annoying the hell out of me right now and I'm to the point where I don't even really want to watch it anymore either but I can't stop. 

Link up with Leslie @A Blonde Ambition

I confess that I still haven't totally figured it out yet with all the # and @ business but Twitter is fun.  I didn't want to be bothered with it at first but it's been fun engaging in mindless banter and it's a good way to discover new bloggers.  Mj isn't allowed to follow me on Twitter.  Isn't Facebook enough?  I'm keeping Twitter for online blogging/blogger buddies and Facebook is for friends and family.

I confess that I'm spending the night away from my husband tonight and even after all the separations that we've had over the years I'm gonna miss him.  It's just one night so it feels ridiculous but yeah, I'll miss him.

I confess that I haven't sent out Christmas cards in years.  The one year we really should have was 2010 because we could have used our wedding pictures but we didn't.  Oh well.  Maybe next year but probably not.

I confess that it's getting harder and harder to get out of bed every morning and when I finally get my tired butt to work I am dragging.  I am dying for Christmas Break.  I need it bad!! Five more work days and I won't have to go back 'till next year.

I confess that I have entered a million giveaways over the last week and I probably will not even win a single one! Speaking of which if you want to enter another giveaway and maybe not win it's not too late to enter mine!!  Click below for details.  The deadline is Tuesday, December 18th. 

 

Holiday Giveaway :: Shoe Lovers Only

 I've been feeling like a bit of a shopaholic lately. This whole concept of seeing something I want and actually being able to buy it without having a near nervous breakdown is still relatively new to me and it's making me feel extremely excessive. In the holiday spirit of giving AND so as not to feel so bad about spending money on myself this time of year I've decided to do a giveaway of one of my favorite things.  You know, like Oprah's favorite things except I don't have my own cable network or TV show and I'm not rich so it's only one thing and not 25.  I love DSW and I'm guessing a lot of you do too.  I really appreciate everyone who reads and/or follows my blog so I'm really excited to give something back to one of you.

Last day to enter :: Tues Dec 18th

The Prize: 

One winner will receive a $50 DSW gift card

Entry Period: 

From now until December 18th, 2012

How to Enter
You must be a follower of my blog  
You must have a US address that I can ship to as it's being delivered direct  

One Entry:

Be a follower of my blog via GFC
Comment on this post that you are and that you want to enter

One Additional Entry:  

Follow me on Twitter; comment with your user name  
 (If you already follow just indicate so)

Three Additional Entries: 

Post about the giveaway on your blog
No need to dedicate a whole post to it, just a mention with a link back to this post will do 
Comment here with your post url


 It's simple enough giving you the option of between between 1 to 5 entries depending on how much you like me what you want to do.  It can all be in one comment but you must mention each entry you qualify for.   If you do one entry and decide to come back and do additional ones later just leave more comments accordingly.  The last day to enter is Tuesday December 18th and I will announce the winner on my blog that week.  Thank you and good luck! 

X-mas Tree :: X-mas Shopping Done

This year instead of buying our tree, having it sit undecorated for two weeks and finally decorating it the week before Christmas we were on it.   We picked up AND decorated our tree on the same day!!  Mj compromised and we went a little smaller this year like I wanted.  And it's a good thing too because we don't have an SUV this year.  We bought the tree from the lot down and across the street from our house and Mj literally picked it up and carried it home. It looked so funny watching him run across the street with a Christmas Tree in his arms.  He got kind of filthy along the way but he made it.  We put on some Christmas music and drank wine while we decorated.   We didn't even need all of our decorations and lights because the tree is smaller.  I used two boxes of candy canes because half will be gone by Christmas...I have a tendency to eat them right off tree. 

I also did all of my Holiday shopping on Saturday in about 3 hours and 4 stores.  Things aren't too crowded yet so it wasn't so bad and I pretty much knew exactly what I was going for.  I wanted to get it done as soon as possible so I wouldn't have to think about doing it anymore as the stores get more crowded by the day.  Our family keeps it simple to save time and money by doing a gift exchange among the adults.  We've been doing it for the last 5 years or so now.  As adults we don't need a lot of presents and it gets harder and harder to think of things we want anyways so this works pretty well.  We write down three things we want, draw names and aren't allowed to have our significant others.  This means I only have to shop for the family Secret Santa, my little nephew and Mj.  I spend less time running around buying things and more time enjoying this time of year.  I have to pick up two more items but other then that now I can just sit back and enjoy the holidays.

Check back tomorrow for my giveaway!  You won't want to miss it.

 

Confessional Friday

Bubbling cheesy Goodness

I confess that up until a few days ago my favorite Lasagna was Lasagna Classico at Olive Garden and not even the one I ate in Rome, Italy could top it.   We had a date night on Wednesday at this cute little restaurant called Alexander's on 30th on recommendation from a friend and armed with a Groupon.  This place is popular because even on a Wednesday night it was packed when we left and now I have a new favorite lasagna.  I was soooo delicious but on top of their delicious garlic bread I could only eat half.  I also confess that I burned a hole in the top of the menu with that candle.  We were wondering what that smell was.

I confess that since it's gotten colder which for us means overnight lows in the 40's and 50's  I've broken out the granny robe to wear around the house.  You know the giant boxy full body covering one with flowers all over it?   Mine is white fleece with blue and lavender flowers.  I've had it for 10 plus years and it's still going strong.  It may not be the sexiest thing ever but it's oh so cozy.  It saves us money too because if I  bundle up enough we don't have to turn our heat on.  Sometimes you literally just need to wear a blanket.  The down comforter keeps us warm over night.

I confess that I didn't go to the gym for a whole week last month.  I blame the time change, colder weather and the holidays.  The problem surely couldn't be me and my lack of motivation.  It's dark and cold when I get off work and the only place I want to go is home to my pajamas so I took a week off.  I got back to it the next week but my motivation is still pretty low.

Link up with Leslie @A Blonde Ambition

I confess that when I went to pick up a $112,000 check at work to pay one of our vendors I wished I could switch the name on it to mine.  Oh, the things I could do with that money!  It's not enough to quit your job or anything but I can think of a few splurges I would go for.  There are a few bills that would disappear and it would do wonders for my peace of mind to have it chillin' in the bank.  If only.

I confess that Mj and I watched two seasons of Walking Dead in 7 days on Netflix.  After each episode I could hardly wait to watch the next one.  We watched 5 episodes in one single night! I love horror movies and seeing as it's about zombies it's basically a really long one and I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I should be watching it.  Luckily there was a marathon so now we have season 3 and have already watched 3 episodes of it.

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via CeCe on Pinterest

 I confess that sometimes I feel like a shopaholic.  I saw a bloggers wishlist with these shoes on it and within hours I had a pair of Tom's Desert Booties in Taupe on it's way to me from Nordstrom's.  It never even made it onto my wishlist.  I'm so glad I bought 'em though.  I'm not one to run around in high heels every day.  I need comfortable shoes.  The wedge gives me a little height and adds some style, I feel like I'm wearing flats and it fits in with my casual style.

I confess that I love it when friends or co workers come to me for money handling advice.  I've lived a fiscally responsible life since I was a teenager, got my first job and started saving money.  I didn't make a lot of the money mistakes that a lot of people do and although my shopping habit seems to be blooming lately I don't abuse credit, I know my budget, I stick to it, I feed my savings every month and people know this about me.  Not that it happens a lot or anything but it feels good when it does.

  If you are like me then this day was a long time coming.  I had to drag my lifeless body out of bed this morning.  Finally Friday.  Have a great weekend and I'll be back next week with a great giveaway!

Flat Screen Mounted

Before

Over the weekend Mj invited his friends over to participate in some unpaid labor. That's what friends are for right? He bought this 55" 3D monster of a TV about a year ago and ever since he's been talking about mounting it. I was against it because I'd heard it could cost hundreds of dollars and it just didn't seem worth it to me when it's fine just sitting there on the table.  TV's are so thin now, they really don't take up much space. I also have a fear of putting holes in our walls.  We aren't renting so we can do whatever we want but for some reason this fear has not gone away.

During

after

Well, he didn't listen to me of course and he finally did it. He found everything he needed on Amazon for about $100 and the only labor cost was burgers and beer for the guys so it actually turned out to be a pretty inexpensive project.  I thought the destruction of the wall would be much worse but only two squares of drywall were removed and they were filled in with plastic inserts.  He and his friends did a great job.  I love the way it looks. There are no cords and it just floats there ever so perfectly like a picture on the wall.  Like magic.  So yeah, Mj was right about getting hardwood floors and about mounting the TV.  It looks great and I'm just glad he didn't have to spend a lot to do it. Now, if only I could finally finish decorating and find something to put on all of those empty surfaces...but not too much otherwise dusting is a real pain in the butt.