holiday high

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...... I love Christmas time!  Some day I will have children and will want to do all of these things but I just plain won't have the time or energy!  Maybe at that time in my life I will be able to afford to just take two straight months off of work to do Christmas-y things with my family and nothing else.  Maybe not... but I would love every second of it if I could do that. ;)

Recap of holiday festivities this week....

I made bourbon balls and pistachio cranberry bark for a Christmas cookie exchange.  Delicious!  I overheard a couple people say the bourbon balls were their favorite. :)

I shopped and shopped and shopped.  I am officially done-zo with Christmas shopping.  I still have a little bit of crafting to do but I think it is going to be really easy.  I'm going to decorate some onesies for my future nephew, and I need to make 5 more hot cocoa jars for my coworkers for holiday gifts.  Other than waiting on one more thing to arrive at my house, it is all complete!  That's 3 brothers, 3 sisters-in-law and my parents, and my niece = 9 gift recipients!  I don't mind the effort nor spending the money, because I so rarely get to see my family.  We always go all out for family gatherings, especially Christmas.  We don't send birthday gifts to each other, but Christmas is hands-down everybody's favorite holiday, and reason to be together.  If we lived closer to each other, we'd spend a lot more money on dinners out and other things throughout the year... so instead we just do it all at once in a span of 4-5 days!  The boys get clothes this year, the SILs get jewelry, my niece gets a Barbie car (shhhhh....) and I splurged on a Brahmin wallet for my mom (Justifying it as Christmas + birthday).

I think I have an idea of one toy that Santa is bringing me this year but I'll keep that a secret wish for now, in case Santa finds out and puts me on the naughty list for being too greedy...  (Hint: It might make all this baking a little easier next Christmas! Hehe)

I went to another "tacky" party last night, and unofficially won the best outfit (of course!).  I didn't officially participate in the judging, but everybody knows I took the cake. ;)  It's a shame such little effort goes into these outfits!  I spent a grand total of $12 on the materials for my attire this year, and lots of blood, sweat and tears (literally)... including a broken sewing machine needle and a hot glue gun injury.  Totally worth it.

I also made a tacky cheese ball to bring to the party!  It was actually a yummy cheese ball recipe from an old church cook book which my mom snapped a photo and sent me via email. Cream cheese, dried beef, horseradish, Parmesan cheese and stuffed olives. Classic!

Today I baked flourless cookies from this recipe by Real Simple (I will edit with a link later! I promise!). I have numerous friends/coworkers who are gluten-free, and I hate it when I make things that I can't share with them.  I love this recipe because it's gluten-free without trying to be gluten free.  From what I've heard, gluten-free baking is pretty complicated... after all baking is a bunch of chemical and physical reactions, and if you change one aspect of it, it's just not going to be the same.  I don't dare attempt baking gluten-free, but when a recipe just doesn't have flour or wheat products in it to begin with, then it works!  They are super tasty, and I'm taking them to our department holiday luncheon tomorrow, where everyone can enjoy.

Tonight, I'm rounding out the weekend watching Elf in my Christmas PJs, while addressing Christmas cards.

Merry merry merry!

holiday fun

I so wish I could instantly post what is on my mind and what has happened lately and all the pretty pictures to illustrate how much I have been enjoying the first 9 days of December!

My house is decorated to the nines, and I'm already on my third Christmas party of the season, tomorrow night and two Christmas choir concert performances down.  I have made a bacon-cheddar cheese ball, red and green jello shots, homemade hot cocoa mix, bourbon balls, and cranberry pistachio bark!  I've dressed up and dressed down.  I have gone tacky and classy.  I've sewed a tree skirt into a human skirt and fleece into mason-jar coozies and even made my own Christmas hat.  I've strung lights on my porch and on my tree and on my body.  I've even dressed my beer in a festive sweater!

Drinks deserve to dress festively too!

I love this time of year, and I'm super thankful that I have an extra busy social calendar this year thanks to the different organizations I've been involved with and new friends, as well as hobbies like cooking and crafting and decorating.  This time of year it's really easy to feel lonely and sad and miss a potential someone from your past.  A year ago, this time of year was very difficult for me.  I missed old friends, and that old boy (back when there was still potential of it being something again), and I missed my family and I didn't know anyone.  I am proud to say that while I was in my grad school town this past weekend for a party (where that ex-boy lives and still goes to med school/public health school), I had absolutely no temptation of reaching out to him in any way.  I haven't had a free minute since the first of this month to even think about that sort of thing.  While I wish I had a handsome date that were as gung-ho about parties as I am, it is one less responsibility, and instead I get to focus on having a really cute outfit and baking yummy treats for my friends!

More pictures and recipes and crafty things to come-- hope you all are enjoying your holiday season as well!  I don't want it to end!

Homemade coozie (an original design!) + homemade hot cocoa (pinterest-inspired) + Baileys (of course)

november occupations

November was a great month!  It deserves multiple posts, but I got lazy because I was keeping super busy.  Here are a few highlights from the last month of being a 20-something single girl...

In early November, I switched my front door decor to Thanksgiving with this pilgrim hanging from TJ Maxx for $4.  I love holidays!

My welcoming entrance

Summer boxes turned into fall pots with lingering purple sweet potato vine, yellow + orange mums and mini pumpkins

November 8, I went to my grandmother's for a weekend, supervised while she blew the leaves out of her driveway, and drove her through the gorgeous mountains to Highlands for a day trip.

Do you know any other 89 year old ladies who do this?

Trying on furs in a mountain shop

November 12, I bonded with a couple of new friends over a couple bottles of wine... I haven't laughed that hard in a loooong time.

New friends!

Throughout the month, I made several amazing delicious recipes, including Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna (from Southern Living), Cauliflower soup (from the Pioneer Woman), Corn Pudding (from Southern Living), Pecan Bars (from my late grandmother's recipe box), and Cranberry Salsa with Sweet Potato Chips (from Coastal Living).  I've had so much fun learning more about cooking this month!

Cauliflower Soup in pre-stages - It smelled amazing!

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna - This was a LOT of work

Corn Pudding with Goat Cheese and Basil (Amaziiiing!) and Yummy Pecan Bars

November 22, I played hookie from work and drove to Ohio, desperate for some hometown fall flavor, bonding with my parents, and a Friendsgiving celebration with some high school friends, since I was going to be working throughout Thanksgiving week.

Me and my two high school "BFFs" - with accidentally coordinating outfits

Our anthro-inspired tablescape with antique crocheted linens, silver candlesticks and party crackers.

About the bad karma from playing hookie..... I totally got a speeding ticket going 78/60 through Nowhereland, Ohio, 5 hours into my 8.5 hour drive.  Bummer!

I had the privilege of working this Thanksgiving and serving 11 patients with fun therapy sessions and a smiling face.  There is a different feeling in the air at a nursing home on a holiday.  It is a little calmer, employees are a little more friendly and patients are a little more excited to have some attention.  Of course for others, they are wondering why they can't get "one day off" from therapy...  I really don't mind working holidays when I don't have anything I am missing because of it... in fact the day went by sooo fast and practically nothing went wrong! That says a lot about the attitude you have when you start work on non-holidays. :)

My version of watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade....

Probably half of my caseload that day were patients/residents who weren't getting to see their family until the evening (and so were along all day), or weren't going to see any family at all.  Many just stayed in bed all day.  My second patient of the day, around 8:00am, was obviously not doing too well when she hadn't touched her breakfast, could not form a sentence and was not responding to any commands.  None of my therapy team had arrived and no nursing personnel were anywhere to be found (per usual in our facility, as we are very short staffed).  Thankfully, my PT colleagues got there shortly after, and I pulled them into the room.  They agreed with my assessment that she needed more medical attention.  Within 30 minutes, this lady ended up being taken to the hospital.  With such small staff, especially on the holiday, I wonder what could have happened to this lady had we not intervened that early in the morning.  (I haven't heard an update about her condition since Thursday...)

Thanksgiving night, I came home and reheated a few leftovers from Ohio Friendsgiving and cooked a chicken breast.  I tore down all my fall decor, threw out my pumpkins and packed up my cornocopia.  Out came the Christmas decor, and on came the holiday music!  (More to come...)  By 7:00, most of my decorations were up, dinner was cleaned up, and I was caught up with my shows on Hulu/Netflix.  So I waited for 8:00 when Target opened and went shopping in the craziness... that was very interesting.

Thanksgiving for 1.

The best part of Thanksgiving night, however, was a phone call from my big brother to announce that he and his wife are expecting a baby boy in May!  Sooooo excited for a little guy being added to our big fam!

Among other November occupations included lots and LOTS of shopping (although not so much buying...), several shifts of volunteering at the thrift store, lots of fun phone calls with Mom planning for Thanksgiving/Christmas (it's never too early...), singing in the choir (rehearsals/Sunday mornings), and finding out that my official PRN job offer at the Orthopedic Hospital is going to be coming my way any time now.

November was pretty good to me and I'm so excited for my one of my very favorite months of the year!  Much to look forward to, and lots of pretty pictures to post!  Cheers!