Christmas Eve-Eve

So, its the day before the day before Christmas! I wish I could say that I've done something festive today, but unfortunately all I've done is run a few errands (finally got the Post Office!!!, bought some toilet paper, haha), pack up some more things at the apartment, and walk my professor's dog (who slipped out of his collar and ran amuck around the neighborhood before I was able to catch him, grrr).

The pictures are from my parents' house. Their kitten Rosie has decided that she makes a better ornament than a housecat, and has taken her place amongst the highest branches of the tree to wait for Santa.

December 27

So, did everyone have a happy holiday? I hope so! I know I did. I daresay that this was the best Christmas ever.... I got to spend it with the person I love. What could be better? Donn came over around noon on Christmas day, we exchanged gifts, and took lots of pictures!

Did anyone guess that the gift I posted a [not-so] sneaky picture of on here the other day was a scarf? Well, it was, and I made it myself. And, the best part is, that the yarn I used was actually made from recycled plastic bottles! Amazing! Its really, really soft and warm, too! He absolutely loves it. ♥ I also gave him a framed photo of us, and some of his favorite candies (organic Sunny Bears from Giant, vegan chocolate-dipped candied ginger, and seitan-jerky). Plus I ordered a CD for him that still hasn't come in the mail. I went a little crazy with the gifts, but hey. I love him.

His gifts to me were seriously awesome. Its amazing how well he figured me out! He totally nailed it. Check it out: he got me this book, which I've never heard of but is totally something I think I will love (its coming on the plane to Curacao with me, of course) and this CD which I did not have, but desperately needed. Best ever.

And now, without further ado, I shall bombard you with pictures!

We played dress-up some more (had to try on our outfits together, of course!)

Duffy really liked his peanut butter bone. The look on his face is priceless - wild!!

We made vegan sugar cookies....

I made a Trogdor one! Look at that big, beefy arm!

Some holiday portraits...

We made silly faces.

This one's my favorite.

Wearing his new scarf. :D

It was a really nice day. ♥

Merry Christmas!

This is Donn's pile of presents from me. I went the newspaper-wrapping-paper route; he took a different approach (see below):

That, my friends, is a Whole Foods bag, sealed with packing tape, and written on with a permanant marker ("Punk Rock Christmas!" <--so cute). I love it.

All of his gifts are 'green' and/or organic. There's really not any risk that he's going to read my blog before tomorrow (seeing as how he doesn't have internet...), but still, I'd rather not take any chances. I'll list what I gave him sometime after Christmas. I do want to share a little sneak-peek at one of the 'big' gifts I'm giving him... any guesses at what it is?

I hope everyone has a very lovely holiday filled with good company, good food, and lots of love!

Silver Bells

Well, not silver bells, but a silver tree......

....with a giant, glittery silver star on the top!Donn and I decorated my room for Christmas today. I wasn't going to decorate my room this year because of time constraints (ie, the trip to Curacao right after Christmas, and getting back the night before the first day of the next semester...oi!), but I just couldn't resist!

I didn't go too crazy, just my small silver tree, a few pom-pom garlands, and some paintings I did last year:

I really love these garlands...I got them on after-Christmas-super-clearance last year at Target, for like .50 cents! So great. My room feels so festive now!

As festive as it all is, I feel pretty bummed out tonight. Finals week is officially in full-swing, which really isn't so terrible; its just that I'm already in a 'this semester is so over!' mindset. That's a bad thing, I'm sure. And besides that, Donn had to go back home tonight. Boo, no fun. Of course, he has to go to work, but still. I hate it so much when he has to leave. At least I know I'll see him again in less than a week. Whew! I just have to get through finals week [alive] and everything will be A-OK! I'm going to spend Monday-Thursday next week in Annapolis with him, so that's exciting. We're going to a metal show on Sunday, haha! It should be interesting. ;)

On a totally unrelated note, sorry for the long silences lately. Life has just been crazy with the semester coming to an end, and of course its the 'holiday-shopping' season at work (bleh), and all that good stuff. I should definitely be able to actually post a bit more often now since everything is slowing down, at least for a few weeks.

Happy Monday, and good luck to everyone else out there who is having finals this week!

Presents!

Oh! And I completely forgot to ever put pictures up here of my Christmas gifts!

So, here they are!

Cute little fox and raccoon pillows from Urban Outfitters

The best lamp ever, also from U.O.

Sweet little snowglobe. I can't bare to put it away with the Christmas decorations, even though it plays Jingle Bells..... I just won't play the music until next Christmas. :D

I got bunches of other things, but those are 3 of my most favorites. It was a really wonderful Christmas, especially because my whole family was together (and not sick or in hospitals, like years past...but that's another story), and my Chris, too. ♥

Doesn't he look so cute in his sweater. I told him he's looking more and more like a Professor! ;)

Just...one.......more!!!

That's right, folks - only one more final to go!

I breezed right through my Comm final, no problem. I'm guaranteed an A in that class, so that's good. My last final is for Problems of the Environment, for which I am also guaranteed an A. So I'm really not sweating it. I just can't wait to get this day over with, because tomorrow begins a glorious 4-week break! Woo!

Of course, I work Friday-Sunday this weekend, like always, but at least I have off Monday-Thursday this coming week. My plan is to head up to State College to be with Chris for a few days, since I won't get to go to his graduation on the 21st (I told him I'd switch with someone at work if he wanted me to go, but he said he really doesn't see what the big deal is. Anyway I figured I'd rather spend 4 days with him, just the two of us, rather than 1 day with his parents and aunt and uncle). So that's my plan.

On a side-note, I officially finished my Christmas shopping today. I decided to conserve as much time/energy/money as possible this year and only buy for my immediate family, Chris, and my very best friend. I love giving gifts, but being a starving college student, I really can't afford to shower all of the people I'd like to with gifts. But I do plan on sending out Christmas cards to everyone else, probably tomorrow. Or at least sometime over the weekend, definitely. But anyway, yeah. I finished my Christmas shopping, with very minimal damage to the wallet, and almost all of the gifts were purchased from Etsy, so I'm proud of that too. Go handmade!

I'm soooo done with studying. My poor brain just can't take one more ounce of information. I've done nothing but study for the past week, and now, I'm done. I quit. No more. I'm going to spend the next.....almost an hour.... until my last exam browsing Etsy, because I have missed Etsy so. I've made some super-lovely purchases in the past week or two. Perhaps I should share a few of them? Hmm.... well, no. Probably not, because you just never know who is going to pop in and read this blog. And I wouldn't want to ruin any Christmas surprises. But I can tell you about the lovely makeup I bought for myself last night...

Coffin Color Sampler by Coffin Color

I picked Bloody Mary, Gangrene, Poison Purple, and Tombstone. Such morbidity! But I love it! Plus, its super-awesome because its totally vegan, yay!

My sweet little Chickadee cards are on their way to their new home today, too.

That kind of reminds me, I asked Santa to bring me a gocco printer for Christmas... I really hope he listened! We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Well, my computer's battery is about to die (and still an hour left before my exam - grr!), so I shall end this post.

Happy Thursday!

♥♥♥

Score!!

Oh boy, I found some treasures today that really put me in the holiday spirit! I spent most of my day (and still right now) with a terrible headache... but these treasures definitely made me feel a bit better! Plus, the news that we're in for a snowstorm tomorrow...hooray!

More wooden ornaments!

Look at the detail! This is my favorite one.

Another little mushroom-sitting elf, just like my other one. He might just sneak into ye old shoppe one day soon...

And what do you suppose this little guy is doing? My best guess is that he's playing a holiday game of...volleyball?? Hmm..

And this one was just too funny to pass up.... a tiny red baby bassonet.....

With a tiny wooden baby inside! Is it Baby Jesus? I don't know!

I am so thrilled about my little ornaments!

I've added some new stuff to the shop since last night.... and there's still more to come! I have bunches to do tonight, like picking out clothes for my field trip in the mountains tomorrow, packing a lunch, doing some laundry, cleaning my room.... the list goes on and on!

Until later!

♥♥♥

Its beginning to look a lot like....you know!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I love Thanksgiving for a couple of reasons: turkey, of course (although my recently becoming vege-....er, flexi-tarian makes it a bit strange....but still), being with friends and family, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (I was there last Saturday!) - which, I might add, I am watching this very moment. But most of all, I love Thanksgiving because tomorrow is the day on which my mother has always brought out the Christmas decorations! In our house, its the official beginning of the Christmas season. And oh, how I do love Christmas. ♥

I've already set up one of my little trees....the other one is going up tonight!

And this was the scene around here (just for one day, though...boo) last week!

Macys in NY, the world's largest store, last Saturday - amazing!

Yesterday, Chris and I went Goodwill hunting and I found these little gems:

I truly think these are my most favorite thrifting treasures EVER! Aren't they just the cutest little things? So perfectly German and....wooden....I can't wait to hang them on my other tree tonight!!