mipmup.

friday favorites.

here are my friday favorites for this week:

• making cookies. for the first time in my life, i made cookies to give at christmas. for some reason, i had it in my mind that it was my mom's duty. and no matter how many times i've asked her, she won't let me bake with her to learn our family recipes. she's persnickety like that. but thanks to my trusty friend at life begins at thirty, i gave these cookies a go. they were a hit! i made four batches (two of which made during a bout of insomnia at around 2:30 a.m. one morning) and gave them to co-workers, neighbors, family and friends. as one person said, "they're perfect for dunking!" i did modify the recipe and added more ginger. i'm a ginger kinda gal.

• macmall. remember good old fashioned service? macmall has it. we've never had any problem with them. their reps are knowledgeable and ready to help. despite their growth, they still feel like a small company to me. (and for all of you pc users, check out pc mall. but promise you'll think about coming to the light side, ok?)

• l.l.bean. i know, i'm not some old mountain man or volvo-driver that's into plaid, headbands and kitchen remodels, but i do like l.l.bean nonetheless. especially after my experience with them this past week. i ordered my dad some warm winter clothes (he's doing better, btw - more later) and when i received my order confirmation, one of the items, a crewneck thermal top, was listed as "out of stock." so i live-chatted with the customer service rep and first, he apologized profusely. he then proceeded to tell me that the color i probably wanted to match the bottoms was  not listed on the site. he apologized again. he suggested i call in and tell them what i wanted. so i did. not only did they correct my order, but gave me express shipping to boot. i had to sort of work for the express shipping part, but they did it! everything came in together yesterday. that's great service. for mountain men and not-so-mountain women alike.

• floradix. this stuff is great. i have been taking it (almost) everyday for a few months now (since my dad's accident) and it's really helped me manage my moods and feel stronger. the extra iron is important for a veggiesaurus like me, even though i eat a bunch of dark green leafy vegetables. highly recommended. about $22.

• martha stewart's catalog close-out. why, martha, why? why must you take away this great catalog (even though i never really bought much because it was too overpriced?)? anyway, with items up to 70% off, i'm craving the deluxe label-maker (is this the same thing as a p-touch?).

art credit: macmall; l.l.bean; flora; marthastewart.com.

i've been replaced.

my sister gave my husband giada's new book, set to arrive in february. not only does he love her recipes, but he in love with her. just noticed he's ever-so-slyly covered a photo from our honeymoon with the gift certificate my sister made him. i think he really wants an italian everyday.

on the road.

christmas day travels.

notable quotables.

quotes heard at my family celebration this christmas:

"is santa real? well, i'm not in the bible and i'm real." (the cousin controversy 2004 - one set believes, the other doesn't due to "biblical" reasons.)

"wonder woman is tight, auntie."

"guys, guys! gamma! can we open pwesents???"

"i had diarrhea!" - my three-year-old niece, announcing it to the entire room.

"everything was great except the candles." after the candles on the table burned almost everyone sitting at it.

"that's capitalism." - my sister on wal-mart's questionable business practices.

christmas greetings.

merry christmas, everyone!

"may you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. may the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. may you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. may a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go out into the world. may the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. remember, those whose lives you have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. it is the content of the encounter that is more important than the form.

may you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. find time each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. what you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. may you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. may you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments. may you always feel loved."
—unknown

friday favorites.

our 2004 holiday cd design.

here are my favorites for this week, the holiday edition:

• favorite gift given. i snuck into my then-boyfriend's (now husband's) house and took a bunch of his family photos he had laying around messily on his dresser and had them framed. when he opened them, he was shocked and touched. this ranks as his favorite gift received ever (we quiz each other incessently. well, actually, i develop quizzes and he answers, usually with a sigh.) this gift was even more special as it was the first and last christmas i got to spend with his mom and when he opened them in front of her, i knew that she felt i could take care of her son.

• favorite gift received. when i was about eight, i wanted a puppy so badly (who didn't?). though my mom didn't get me one, she did give me a white spotted flopsy, flipsy stuffed animal puppy i named "rags." i thought it was such a great compromise. i think i forgot about the real puppy.

• favorite holiday memory. getting to decorate the tree with my grandmother's fragile vintage ornaments. as i child, i had to be super careful with them. when my mom let me decorate the whole tree with them, i felt grown-up and the tree looked gorgeous.

• favorite holiday gift wrapping secret. double-stick tape, kraft paper (including brown lunch bags) and grosgrain ribbon. dresses up any package. it's all i used this year.

• favorite holiday splurge. white poinsettias. ok. i know it was a huge splurge, but these plants don't last (despite what it says here), so i consider it an "extra." i planted three in metal buckets and placed them on our front porch. instant christmas.

• favorite holiday tradition. going to my best friend's house next door to my mom. each christmas morning, we'd run over to each other's house and exchange gifts. the best part? her dad would give us the same gift each year (he still does). gifts have ranged from a handmade rubberband gun to c rations (long story) to a floppy stuffed animal monkey. even though we're "up in age" shall we say, this exchange always lets me know that no matter how old i get, i'm still loved and will always be their "adopted" daughter.

• favorite new holiday tradition. giving something handmade. though this tradition started out of necessity (due to budget crisis 2003), i'm going to continue it. we made our own holiday music mix* with custom label again this year (hint: never buy memorex cd-rs; they're awful) and i made these cookies, which were a hit. i had aspirations of making rosemary-infused sea salt, but i couldn't find the containers or the sea salt. found the containers though with the help of gnome g (thanks again!), so i'll be prepared next year.

*songlist (for bex):
winter wonderland   
bing crosby   

up on the housetop
gene autry   

a marshmallow world   
bing crosby   

christmas island
the andrews sisters

must be santa
brave combo

hey santa!   
chris isaak   

(everybody's waitin' for)  the man with the bag
the brian setzer orchestra

merry christmas baby  (extended version)   
elvis presley   

green christmas
barenaked ladies   

east tennessee christmas
chet atkins   

good morning blues
ella fitzgerald   

the merriest
june christy

santa claus is comin' to town
johnny mercer

rockin' around the christmas tree
brenda lee   

linus and lucy
vince guaraldi trio

someday at christmas
stevie wonder   

white christmas
charlie parker

have yourself a merry little christmas 
diana krall   

what child is this
poncho sanchez   

if i needed someone 
michael hedges   

note: i had to mess around with the final playlists because of itunes' digital rights management stuff. i ended up adding a song at the end of some of the cds so that i could burn additional copies of basically the same playlist. argh.

it snowed in my house today.

you know how you have that one spot in your house that you try to avoid because it's a complete disaster? well, mine is in the office closet. sure, it looks like an innocent closet from the outside, but once you peek inside. drama.

boxes and grocery bags of papers to be reviewed, shredded, filed. client stuff. our stuff. my stuff. his stuff. it's just u.g.l.y. that's why i've avoided it for almost two years we've been in our place. until yesterday.

for some reason, as i was looking for labels, stretching across this junk to get what i needed, i just snapped.

i thought, "i'll just do one bag."

well, that led me to a four-hour marathon of opening, filing, recycling and yes, shredding. so much shredding that my floor was covered in itsy-bitsy teensy-weensy pieces (i have a cross-cut, don't you know?).  no matter how hard i tried, the papers managed to make it to the floor instead of the trash bag every time i emptied the bin. pieces in the corners. pieces stuck around the wires. pieces stuck to my slippers requiring a lint remover to get them off. my back ached, i hadn't eaten. i couldn't stop. i was a slave to the "stuff."

five trash bags later and two recycling cans full, i'm still not finished. i know this speaks to a larger problem i have, obviously: organization, duh. but it's a start. or as i like to call it, "the first snowfall."

love thoughts by my husband.

my husband has told me the following during the course of our relationship:

• "your pores are big."
• "your nose is bigger than mine."
• "you smell like pencil."
• "your lip stuff reminds me of playdough."
• "is your hair supposed to do that?"
• "those shoes look like something zira from planet of the apes would wear."
• and this just in: "that lotion smells like someone is smoking a pipe."

these comments have been sprinkled throughout our relationship and add an endearing quality that i just can't resist laughing about. he certainly says it like it is. that and he never had any sisters. that explains a lot i think.

and i can endure just about anything when he spies my favorite flower at the store, the one that made up my wedding bouquet, and surprises me with a single stem for no reason.

at those moments, he can tell me just about anything and maybe i'll even agree.

photo credit: mahogany tables, inc.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• buttercream body bon bon by splash bath & body. oh my god. this stuff is amazing. remember how i recently broke out in some kind of rash/eczema thing? it cleared up through the use of tea tree oil, but i think it was caused because my skin was so darned dry. this cream is completely dreamy and leaves my hands silky smooth. it has 20% cocoa butter which makes it super-moisturizing. i sort of want to eat it. it smells that good. this is a smallish local (to me) shop that produces all-natural (almost no animal ingredients or byproducts except for milk and honey in some of them), handmade bath and body stuff. i talked with the owner at length and she has a great "start-up" story. she initally began making soaps for her friends, traveled to england and found a similar shop that she wanted to bring to america. they declined so she went out on her own. it's been 10 years and she's going strong (see earthlights?). she mentioned that sales are a little slow this holiday, so why don't you give her a try? order something and your loved one will not be disappointed. the bon bon cream is just $8.95.


• kiehl's leave-in conditioner. my hair seems to be stuck on frizz this holiday season. i know i need to just bite the bullet and deep-condition once a week, but i'm too lazy, so i did the next best thing. i bought this leave-in that i use everyday. a bonus of this product is that it gives my hair a little definition, too. it makes my hair soft, but not lifeless and most definitely, not greasy. it's a bit on the pricey side, but if you're into a splurge, this one is worth it. 8 ounces for $25.


• avalon organics lavender bar soap. i can never remember their brand name. there's avalan, but there is also aubrey, aveda and abba and i purchase from all of them frequently. i get too confused. do you have to have a name that begins with "a" to be in organic beauty? anyway, i love this soap. since i'm trying to use only animal-ingredient free products and support those that do not test on animals, i 86'd my oil of olay soap and was on a quest to find one that gave me the same smooth sensation. i came across avalon's soap at trader joe's and love its fresh scent and the way it moisturizes my skin. it's a "win win" as they say. about $4 at your natural food store or online.


• la natura's mango lip balm. my all-time favorite. it's elusive though, unfortunately. this stuff does the trick for dry, cracked winter-beaten puckers. i'm not a fan of anything minty and i've run into the mint over and over in lip stuff. this mango balm leaves my lips kissable (except if your husband hates any lip balm no matter what you do). again, no animal ingredients or testing here. i'm glad to see that shoppers are now able to order small quantities. $8.


• thai lemongrass candles. i received one as a gift this year. i'm kind of picky (surprised?) about the color of my candles. i like the pineapple cilantro illume candles, but the green color just doesn't cut it in my house. why can't they make it in plain white or ivory? this color matches though! it's quite a warm color which goes well in my loo. the company describes the scent much better than i could: "a grassy, lemon scent, with slightly spicy and earthy undertones, make this an exotic, warm, and fresh fragrance. intense but not overbearing... ." if i were buying it, i'd go for the soy version. $4.95 for a small glass votive.

photo credits: splash bath & body; kiehl's; la natura; avalon natural products: pacifica candles.

how to give good gift (or not).

yes, yes, we all know the mantra of the holidays is "it's the thought that counts." but what happens when you don't give good gift?

i gave my manicurist our very own holiday mix cd (granted, it's not packaged as bee-u-tifully as gnome g's) and a lovely handmade brown sugar soy wax candle. personally, i loved giving the gifts and she seemed appreciative. smelled the candle ("makes me hungry for cookies!"). the candles are tdf!

but then "stacy" came in.

apparently stacy is the gift giving goddess of 2004 because stacy gave good gift. first, an adorable little santa sack that held this awardwinner: a decorative business card holder that almost made the manicurist fall out of her chair. she said "thank you" about 70 times and "i love it" about 70 more. maybe it was because it was more personal? she just moved salons and didn't have a holder. or maybe it was the design?

as my toes were drying, i steamed away, cursing stacy and all those good gifters out there. there's no way i could join in rubber-sol's gifty round 2. i thought i gave good gift, but then again - there was stacy.

bitch.

does that thought count?

update: to make matters worse, for the first time in three years, the manicure she gave me left me with hangnails on almost every finger, dry cuticles and peeling polish. what the?

photo credit: real simple. ps you need to get the december/january issue. it's amazing.