Thanks to Facebook, I have pictures of every New Year’s party I’ve attended since 2005.  What I love most about looking through these pictures is that I am still friends with the people in these pictures. In fact, I’m still celebrating New Year’s celebrations with them – that makes it even better. Talk about life longers.

2005

This was the party my friend Sam threw at his apartment in college. We packed in probably more than 50 people. We didn’t have an official watch, so Sam was counting down on a cell phone. I believe we were off by 10 seconds at least. This was my first new year’s party with Bill. We looked pretty darn classy.

2006

Sam threw another party in 2006 – this time at his parent’s house, in the same college town where we lived. This is the only picture I could find of myself in which I did not look like a complete mess. Fun fact? I wore the same pants in 2005 as I did in 2006. They were gray and sparkly. This is when Jared’s hair was red, red. And Bill had medium length hair.

2007

This was the year of the epic dance party in Matt and Erica’s apartment. Though, I think at the time – Erica didn’t live there but instead it was Dante and Sasha. This was the first year in some time that we didn’t go to Sam’s house. It was a nice change – we danced all night to Bruce Springsteen and pondered what John McPhee would do.

2008

Back to Sam’s parents’ house again. We had a blast. I got to snap a picture with several of my favorite ladies in the world. This party included my most favorite people. I remember bouncing from room to room and getting back in touch with old pals.

2009

…. we’ll find out soon enough!

Hope you have a nice New Year’s eve!

Happy New Year’s! Check out my resolutions that will be posted tomorrow!

First of all, I want to apologize to all the vegetarians and vegans. You may not want to read this post.

I also hope I don’t get kicked out of our blog community for this one.

I don’t know where we got the idea to do this – but we did. It wasn’t a challenge type of thing, though it feels that way. Bill and I hit up two hot dog establishments in eastern Pennsylvania during our Christmas break in order to determine who has the best hot dogs. Read below to see who won!

Potts’ Dog House

The first place we stopped was Potts’ Dog House, which is a small drive-thru building. It is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. We went there for lunch on Tuesday.

Yocco’s

The next day, we went to the legendary Yocco’s, which you may or may not have heard of it. It’s a pretty big deal around here.

Now, let’s compare and contrast, shall we? I’ll start with Potts’.

I think my favorite part of this hot dog was the fact that I could include a pickle. It was really the only vegetable on the menu, and it made my dog a whole lot better. I also added cheese and ketchup. I think the cheese was that nacho cheese, so I wasn’t too impressed. Nevertheless, the hot dog did seem to melt in my mouth. Tasty bun.

Here is my hot dog eating face. The cute part about Potts’ is that since it’s not a restaurant, you have to eat in the car. I like eating on the run. Makes me feel at home.

My thinking face. Here are the possible thoughts I could have been having:

• “Dang, I love this pickle.”
• “Dang, I can’t believe I’m eating a hot dog.”
• “Dang, I hope I don’t throw up.”

I didn’t, for the record.

I didn’t take a scoresheet (totally should have) so this review is a little more opinionated than number based. Hope you’re OK with that.

I give this a “hey, high five!” and a “nice job, dog!” and “I’ll see you again next year (if I ever eat a hot dog again)!”

The next day – after skating – we headed to Yocco’s. Judging from this sign, you’d think I’d already picked a clear winner. But I assure you, I’m not biased. I just like pointing at tall signs.

We went with Bill’s parents and ordered a tray full of dogs, two orders of fries and fried pierogies. I think this plate looks beautiful in its own sort of way.

I ate one traditional hot dog. The Yocco’s dogs are covered with a special chili sauce, onions and mustard. The combination scared me a bit at first (I hate spicy things), but after I took the first bite – I could get my stomach behind this one. This hot dog is not as large as it appears in this photo.

Hot dog eating face at Yocco’s. I look a little more tired. Probably from all the exercise I put in to counteract the hot dog calories.

Hot dog eating thinking face. I kinda look like I’m enjoying this. I seem pretty into it.

Here’s a close-up of the dog.

I really liked this mixture together, and I liked that the buns are kept in a steamer. It was a breeze to eat this dog, and I liked that the chili mix wasn’t spicy but did have a nice bite and kick. Overall, I was satisfied with my experience at Yocco’s. I also liked that the hot dog cost $1.24.

I give this a “hey, high five!” and a “nice, innovative work!” and “give me a hug, ole pal!”

I also can’t forget the fact that I ate a fried pierogie. My goodness, almighty. I love a good pierogie, let alone one that’s been fried. It was fantastic?

So who wins in the ultimate hot dog showdown?

It’s a tough call. For starters, I’m not the best hot dog judge in the world. I also get too distracted by side items. I still can’t get over the pickle in the hot dog or the fried pierogie, and I’m trying hard to not let those items sway me.

I am leaning toward Potts’. The underdog. (zing!)

You see, I like the convenience and speed. I also liked that pickle. And the dog itself was pretty darn good.

Not that I didn’t like Yocco’s. I think the combination was stellar. Chili + onions + mustard? My goodness, it’s genius. I’d eat a hot dog from there again (for the sake of the blog).

….but I’d go to Potts’ first, I think. Congratulations, little hot dog stand. You win!

Ever have one of those days where you feel like you’re on thin ice?

Um, cause I did.

You may or may not know that I used to take ice skating lessons as a child. As a former heavy set kid, I was never the most graceful on ice, but I stuck it out and got better and better. Today was the first time I’ve skated in nearly 5-7 years. I can’t even remember the last time.

Good thing I had Bill’s aunt and mom to help me remember some of the old moves – and some new ones!

Coffee breaks are necessary every 10 rounds. Did you know that 10 laps around an ice rink is a mile? That was the case at this one anyway.

The good thing about being our morning skate session? No one fell, and we didn’t have to dial 911. Victory!

And speaking of thin ice, I think that’s what my stomach’s been on the past two days due to some random hot dog adventures. More details on that tomorrow. I can’t give too much away at this point, except for this:

I spent the rest of the day reading blogs, napping and buying shirts at Banana Republic. I won’t lie – my legs were sore, and my back is achey. We watched Inglorious Bastards and ate dinner in parts. We started with light appetizers – cheese, crackers, veggies, fruit.

I’m trying to think of an ice skating pun for this plate and coming up with none. It’s been a tiring day.

The next part consisted of pierogies from the farmer’s market and crab cakes. Hello, yummy in my tummy.

After dinner, someone else was on thin ice.

I love this cat. No matter what shenanigans he gets into. Love.

Have you ever gone ice skating?

{or}

Are you on thin ice?

Sometimes I want to switch lives with my cat. I’d love lying by a window all morning and afternoon.

The good news? That’s what I’ve been doing this break – and I’ve been loving it. I started off yesterday with some sleeping in (yes, I’ve been sleeping until almost 10 a.m. every day – it’s been great), and then ate a pretzel roll for breakfast. I added some jam to this after the picture was taken.

A little while later I decided to test out the elliptical machine. It’s been far too long since I’ve done any kind of exercise – my muscles have been screaming at me. I put in 30 minutes. It was tougher than I remember.

Good thing I had two pals to get me through. Although, I don’t really enjoy Women’s Health anymore. I feel like I’ve read every article before…. lame!

Later that afternoon, something ridiculous happened that I can’t talk about until later. Let’s just say I ate something I haven’t eaten in about 10 years.

Then we had the most gorgeous dinner at night. We got Bill’s parents this cheese book – and Bill’s mom put it on display. Fancy, right? I love the way it looks in this photo.

We had polenta topped with swiss chard, ham and cheese.

You want to try this combination. Trust me.

After dinner, as per tradition, we spent some time cracking nuts.

And then I was given the honor of opening a German chocolate egg.

Look what was inside!

And look what I did with it!

Do you like toys?

We arrived at Bill’s parents’ house late Sunday night, and it’s already Tuesday – wow. Time is flying this holiday break! We opened gifts that night and stayed up until nearly 3 a.m. It was a beautiful night!

Yesterday we started the day off with some diner food. The one thing I love most about eastern pennsylvania [in addition to bill's parents, of course].

We spent the day watching movies, drinking Starbucks and just hanging out. Around 7 p.m., we went out for dinner with Bill’s godparents – Tom and Lynn – and their daughter Sarah. Since I know Lynn is a faithful blog reader, I’ll say a big hello right here and now.

We decided to get Mexican food at a nearby restaurant.

I went with the Sopeton, which was a corn patty, black beans, chicken, cheese, guac and other goodies.

And then everyone took pictures of their meals. I don’t remember what all they had, so enjoy this photo montage.

Dinner was fantastic. We had a great time catching up… I think this is the 4th Christmas that I’ve spent in Allentown, and I’ve enjoyed every meal and every person I’ve met. I especially enjoy the food + company.

Do you like Mexican food?

Is your family as cool as mine? I’m guessing not, but I may be slightly biased.

On Christmas day night, as per tradition, Bill and I headed down to my mom and stepdad’s house for more holiday celebrations. One thing about having divorced parents is that I’ve always had two Christmases! For the first hour we were there, my brother’s lady Allyson (and faithful blog reader) was there! It was nice catching up. Ah, young love.

Kevin prepared dinner and what a feast it was. Check out mom. I think someone should be a food blogger!

We had ham with pineapple, veggies and scalloped potatoes.

My brother Justin consumed his weight in crescent rolls, as usual.

Dinner was lovely as always! My stepdad has always been a great cook, and the meals are always simple and tasty. Perfect for a day of eating.

After dinner, my mom and I decided to serve up a little bubbly – cherry 7-up! This is a tradition in our family. My grandmother always had this on hand at Christmas celebrations.

And for dessert, we had assorted cinnamon coffee cake and banana bread! I had a slice of the coffee cake – delicious.

Their tree was gorgeous in the corner… we opened gifts shortly after dinner.

And then it was time for some family photos. My brother and I started, and we came up with this – inspired by the video they made me for my birthday.

My mom and Kevin couldn’t stop laughing to take a serious picture. How cute and Christmas-y are they!

And a tradition shot of Bill and I. Yay!

And I can’t forget about Silas – the family pooch

After dinner we watched Four Christmases and just hung out. It was a beautiful end to Christmas day and reminded me even more of why I love my family so much.

I love the holidays!

Blog friends! It has been much too long since I posted. I’ve had a busy Christmas holiday so far – and it’s still going! Right now I’m spending a few days at Bill’s parents’ house, and we spent time with my family last week. Here’s a short little recap. I’m pretty sure I have to do this in parts because there are just so.many.pictures.

We started the journey on December 23 and stopped in to see Ashley on the way to Johnstown. We promptly got Scone interacting with Ashley’s cat – Drama, and needless to say, it did not go that well.

The good news? We got to chit chat over pizza and breadsticks. Yum.

It has been much too long since I’ve seen Ashley. She still cracks me up the same way she did when we were in college. However, this time we got to talk about blogs we read too

Cat ladies. In all our cat lady glory.

That was probably mid hiss. Meow.

We scooted off to Johnstown that night and hung out with my family before they went to bed. The next day we opened gifts! We have a tradition of opening presents on Christmas eve and this year we opened gifts early at my dad and Jan’s house this year to accommodate my brother and his wife’s schedule. It was a lovely afternoon of paper, presents and cute little nieces.

The house was decked out beautifully.

I took 150 pictures (or rather Bill did) during the gift opening, so I’ll just try and showcase some of my favorite pictures of each family member.

Aurora was a little under the weather but still cute as a button. She really seemed to like ALL of her presents.

Ava was loving the Christmas gift wrap. We almost lost her in a pile of paper.

Annie hung out with my dad in his chair for most of the day. He and Jan make the proudest grandparents.

I took care of getting the gifts out for everyone – my favorite part of Christmas. Giving!

Bill hung out on the floor with the babies and was our photographer. He looked so cute in his gray sweater

Brother Eric assumed his position in the chair, as always. Love him.

And Brittany helped unwrap most of the gifts – she has her hands full with three little ones!

We had a beautiful time. I love my family! We meant to get a group picture, but it was so chaotic and paper-filled that we forgot. Check out the carnage. There may or may not be a baby hiding in there somewhere!

We hung out the rest of the day – visited various grandparents and went to church. The next day we got together at my Aunt’s house for dinner. I had quite a plate full of food – definitely over did it this year, as I tend to do in Johnstown.

There is some beautiful lighting in my aunt’s kitchen – that is for sure.

A few hours later, we headed down to my mom’s house for another meal + visit. I’m going to save that for my next recap as my pictures are taking forever to load.

Stay tuned for part two!

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!