Merry Christmas! What better day than Christmas to talk about FUN??? Having fun is key to my life. There is no other way to express it than to say so simply. I strive to enjoy my life and surround myself with people I love most. This year has been no different.

What did I learn about fun? It’s so easy to have.

Road triping to see best friends will fill your heart and your stomach – with laughter.

Any good party is one that serves intelligent, classy beer with a room full of beautiful people.

A game of Taboo always gets the party rolling.

Running 13.1 miles can be fun – especially if you do it with people you love (and especially once the running part is over

It’s important to take time and pick the berries.

… and spend some beautiful time at the bay!

Cards might be the key to my heart. Just maybe.

And having a house full of random visitors warms my heart.

And speaking of Cat….Random, unexpected trips from Cat also warm my heart in numerous ways.

Fun is always had when old friends come to the nation’s capitol.

And who knew you could have so much fun with ladies you just met one day before?

And nothing like a wedding to get everyone together again.

And there is little better than hanging at the beach with someone you love.

My oh my – this barely skims the surface when it comes to the fun I’ve had in one year. This post may have to be continued when I’m less tired.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It was a year of experimentation and dedication in terms of my art. I tried prioritizing bookmaking and starting writing in different veins. Although I never do as much as I want to get done – I certainly accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of the little projects I’ve made over the year. I hope to get even more done in 2010.

For starters, I learned that experimentation is key – and it’s worth getting out of your comfort zone.

And always save, save, save every little thing you can. You never know when a bucket full of bottle caps will come in handy.

Taking time is the key to making solid, sturdy books for special friends.

And it’s important to keep in mind a friend’s lifestyle when making a book especially for them.

Wedding books are a very special thing for very special people.

[I love the way love can displayed so differently based on the connection and union!]

And when it comes to writing, I learned that exploring different paths is key to working on a collection of stories with a number of characters.

It’s been a busy year of words and books, and I hope to make 2010 the best I can. I have it in me. Here’s hoping!

I had some time to squeeze in a quick post! I’m waiting on Bill to get back from dropping his friend off at the airport before we can leave for PA. I snapped a few pictures of the Christmas preparations – I can’t wait to give out gifts. It is truly my favorite part of Christmas!

We have them all sectioned off in separate bags for our various families.

Now that my older brother has three beautiful daughters, I have so many more gifts to give. The bags are FULL. I can’t wait to see the little girls’ faces when they receive their not-so-quiet toys. [I really hope my brother and sis-in-law don't kill me for this!]

The bags have also been packed since last night. I feel organized for once in my life!

I got Scone’s dishes ready for the drive. Here’s hoping to a not-bumpy trip for the little bugger.

A little someone is excited for his first Christmas with us. Or at least that’s what I’m assuming anyway

Wow, is it just me or does Scone look huge in the picture? He has such a small head. Wowza.

Yes, we still have some last minute presents to wrap, hence the paper.

I’m also taking this lovely bottle on the road.

A gift from my boss! Don’t worry. I promise I won’t drink and ride. Though I may dip into this tonight, if needed. If you’re reading, thanks, El!

We’re stopping along the way tonight to see Ashley. It will be Scone’s first kitty play date! Let’s hope the claws stay in. Then we’ll arrive at my Dad and Stepmom’s house – and I’m hoping to hit up some old high school pals. Apparently there is karaoke at the local bar. I’m down!

Merry Christmas!

Cause my dad and stepmom did. Last night.

Check out how close Jan is to Kenny. That’s insanity. My dad is only a row back, singing his heart out. I’m so proud.

Yes, dad, this qualifies as “placemat worthy.” My dad’s been trying to make the placemat for years, or so he tells me. Here you go! Merry Christmas! So proud of you and Jan.

Here’s his whole singing group and KENNY!!! Look how relaxed he looks about the whole thing. Super suave. I bet he’s a ladies man.

I took the liberty of editing these photos a bit for your enjoyment.

More Christmas-related posts coming soon! And hopefully something about food too!

Do you like the new header?
(polls)

[For the rest of 2009, blog posts are going to be sporadic. I have some batteries that need recharging and some special people to spend time with. Happy Holidays!]

I’ve prepared a few special end-of-the-year posts for the rest of December. I hope you enjoy them.

2009 was quite a year. I can say with honesty and certainty that it wasn’t the best year of my life. But! A lot of good and fun things happened, and I’m glad to have my blog to document those memories.

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? This is just a random sampling of fun and interesting things I liked remembering.

January: I went to Obama’s Inauguration and We Welcomed Scone into our Home.

February: I interviewed Stephanie Izzard from Top Chef.

March: I introduced the blog world to my pink ninja friend.

April: I discovered a sun octopus.

May: I ran my first half-marathon in Pittsburgh.

June: I celebrated my blog’s birthday by cooking a lobster.

July: My blog was featured in the Washington Post Express!

August: I attended the Healthy Living Summit.

September: I wrote an ode about my best friend.

October: I went on the epic best friends adventure to Bloomington.

November: I celebrated the impending birth of my cousin’s baby in Ohio.

December: I invented my most favorite recipe of all time.

It was a year of good food and fun!

What did you do this year?

Stay tuned for….

• What I Learned About Food
• What I Learned About Art
• What I Learned about Fun
• My New Years Resolution/s

I recently received some samples in the mail from Halls of their new product – Halls Refresh. They asked me if I’d write up a little review and so here it is.

Before I begin, a couple notes about this product:

• It is NOT a cough drop but instead something that moistens your mouth (after speaking for a while, as an example).
• It can be used by anyone five years older and up.
• It’s available in nine-piece sticks and 20-count bags.
• There are six calories per drop.
• It’s a sugar-free product.

So I received the drops early in the week and decided to carry them in my bag and use them when my mouth needed some moisture. I failed to take pictures before eating all of them. That should show you two things:

• They were tasty.
• I’ve been busy.

What I Like:

The Halls Refresh line gives me a sensation similar to a Halls cough drop but not as intense. It moistened my mouth and did not have a bad aftertaste. The taste is nice; you won’t have that yucky candy-coated mouth.They’re  small and very portable. They also last longer in your mouth than I expected.

What I Don’t Understand:

I understand the concept behind this product, but Bill brought up an interesting point. Do you think something like this would confuse a six-year-old taking them? As in – they would think that to moisten your mouth, you should just take candy? I’m not saying the Halls Refresh drop is candy because it’s not. But it gives off that vibe. That’s my only concern.

Would I Buy This Product?

Probably not on the regular. I’d keep them in my purse for months, knowing me. I’d probably take them if I thought I was getting a sore throat. Even though it’s not a cough drop, there does seem to be some healing power behind it. For example, I feel a sore throat coming on now – and I took one of the drops, and it certainly helped.

Thanks, Halls, for sending these my way!

More Info:

For more information, visit gethalls.com or call the number on the product (1-800-524-2854). Please consult your doctor for individual needs.

Warning: If you are a female family member or friend of mine with the following name, do not read this post if you want to be surprised at Christmas: Mom, Jan, Carol, Brittany, Katie or Leanna.

[I'm serious! Don't read further. These are homemade gifts I made for you!]

Are you looking for a last-minute gift that you can make at home? Instead of biscotti or cookies (which I’ve made in years past), I decided to take “homemade” to a different lobster level this year. After doing some Google research, I found a few recipes for homemade and organic scrubs. Not only were these a cinch to make – my entire kitchen smelled wonderful.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Organic dark brown sugar
• Organic turbinado sugar
• Organic safflower oil (found in the cooking section)
• Organic avocado oil (found in the cooking section)
• Essential oil (I used lavender and bought it at the co-op).

You’ll also need:

• Jars – I recommend shorter, wider jars. I like the type I used but worry the scrub will be hard to remove later.
• Ribbon – to be used as seen above.
• Decorative paper – not only for the tag but also the top of the jar.

Scrub Directions

1. Mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup turbinado sugar.

2. Add enough of each oil so the sugars clumb together – but aren’t too oily.

3. Try out some of the mixture on your hands. See if more oil is needed.

4. Add oils, if necessary.

5. Add just a drop or two of the essential oil – mainly for scent.

6. You’re finished!

This recipe made one jar-full for me, so obviously I made several batches and came out with 6 complete jars.

Jar Directions

1. Make sure you buy jars with both a screw top and flat lid.

2. Cut circles using the flat lid as a guide and glue them to the top. (I actually found that the cap of my Mod Podge worked perfectly).

3. Glue the circular piece to the top of the lid with Mod Podge and a brush. Screw the lid together.

4. Make up tags and tie them around the jar with ribbon.

I highly recommend this scrubs! My hands felt much smoother and smelled great. Plus I only spent about $35 and got six gifts out of it. Good bang for your buck, if you ask me.