Of course I can't pass up the chance to share something 311-y with you! Nick Hexum does the most fabulous version of Mele Kalikimaka ever, so I thought I'd spread some joy and share. I normally do not like this song at all and get visions of cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation in his Speedo on the diving board holding his can of beer when I hear it, but this takes me to paradise!
Our family trio has been up some other things this December, so here is my snappy list of updates:
- We finally decided to brave the crowds downtown at City Creek, and it was b-e-a-utiful! It's so nice and so well put together. Totally fancy schmancy. I plan to go back so I can actually go in several stores for some shopping instead of just sight-seeing. I also loved that this is the first year Macy's brought back the traditional candy window displays that ZCMI used to do.
- Jake finished his semester with flying colors. He got a perfect score on one of his finals and passed the rest of his classes, despite even missing the deadline for one of his finals (which I about slaughtered him for because it means being kicked out of nursing school) until I found out his teacher was kind enough to cut him a break and take it. Phew! Stayed married after all.
- Gage got straight A's on his report card (clearly we know who he gets the brains from) and can't wait for Christmas break. He must have been so excited for break that he decided to take it a week early because he ended up with a nasty cold and was out for four days last week. Poor little lamb! And thank heavens I didn't catch it.
- I was deeply saddened at the
end of October to discover I had not been a random "winner" chosen for
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert tickets I tried signing up
for this year. I've only been once before and it was easily one of the most unique and special choir concerts I've been to. So, where there's a will, there's a way...or if you have
a dad who knows how to meddle his way into things, that helps too. So
yes, we were able to get in. Ha! This year was spectacular because this
years' guests were Tom Brokaw and Alfie Boe...my whole reason for wanting to attend.
If you are asking yourself
who the heck this Alfie guy is, his big role was playing Jean Valjean in
the huge 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables in London, which
I have watched multiple times on TV and have cried to multiple times. Should I mention a Jonas brother is also in it? Needless to say, the MoTab Christmas concert was another such event
where it was sobfest for me...especially when Alfie unexpectedly sang
his most amazing tear-jerking song from Les Miserables! So join
me in being a mess and watch the video below of Alfie's said song. Grab a tissue.
- This year, instead of taking Gage shopping to buy presents for me or Jake or other family members, we decided to give him ye olde lesson on giving to others by having him pick a name from his school's Sub For Santa tree. I was hoping he'd pick a young boy whose name would be listed (to make it more personal) and would have a list of fun toy ideas, but the tree had been picked over quite a bit. He ended up with an unknown older boy whose only request was adult size snow boots. We took him shopping to my beloved Kohl's and boots we bought. He wrapped them up and turned it into school the next day. Hopefully our lesson stuck and he'll remember it? Hopefully the person in need likes them because they weren't cheap!
- As I mentioned previously, I
got to attend two ugly sweat parties this year. The one we had at work
last week was fantastic, and not just because we had 5 different
conference rooms of pot luck food to feast on. No, it was because this photo session went down...
- Gage also decided he wanted to give Christmas goodies to his classmates, so we had him pick out some cute reindeer cards from the store and bought yummy Jolly Rancher candy canes to tape on the envelopes. He loves giving presents and making things for other people. He even started drawing a Christmas picture in each card until we told him he wouldn't have time to do 30 of them! Oh, and side note: I've already started arranging marriages for Gage after looking at his class picture and seeing how adorable some of the girls in his class are.
- And last but not least, while tuning into Blake Shelton's Christmas special on TV one evening, a cat commercial came on and showed a cat just like my used-to-be kitty!!! I probably shouldn't disclose that I instantly got choked up and teary eyed, but there you have it. I did. And I obviously paused the TV to take a picture so I could send it to everyone in my family to show them Chelsea was on TV. Thus, I bring you to this post's title...during Christmas, our family loved whenever "Angels We Have Heard on High" would be sung in church or heard on the radio because the "in excelsis Deo" part sounded like Chelsea's Day-O and we would giggle thinking of kitty. So, tribute to her! Oh, and I've been soooo pet hungry! Might just happen soon.
It's time to do another December post, so how about I show off my Christmas crafts and give a few updates...
First up, here we have the Jones Family Christmas Tree for 2012. After hassling with real trees over the past few years and all the crap that comes with them (sticky sap, nettles getting in every flipping nook and cranny, watering the dang thing like a pet, spiders in the cussing branches!), I decided it was time to give in and buy an artificial one. No discussion needed. Jake was not the happiest camper and pretty much thinks I'm destroying the Christmas spirit, taking it a step further to make sure to point out every tree lot we drive by now to show me all those trees left out in the cold that don't have a home this year. Yes, his guilt trips work and make me feel bad for the trees that don't get to be loved and decorated! I try to remind myself that I'm actually saving a tree because the more artificial ones that are bought means less of the real ones being cut down...right? Supply and demand, people. Anyway, I love our new 7.5 ft beauty! The branches look real and the set up was easy breezy. Hallelujah!
Next up, here is my wreath I completed for our front door. Wreaths are so expensive, and I couldn't find anything I completely liked. So, I decided to call upon my Martha crafting powers and create my own. I started off with a simple $15 wreath from Hobby Lobby that was just greenery and pine cones. I then added Christmas ornament balls to match my Christmas tree (the ornaments were extra ones leftovers from my tree), red and pearl berry sprigs with glitter, and brushed on fake snow to the pine cones to make them considerably more visible. I love the end result!
My next project was something for our outside flower box sitting on our front walkway. Remember seeing my post about it in the spring? Well, it's all bare and naked now and needs something in it for winter! For fall it was filled with pumpkins. So, hello Christmas signs! These turned out adorable, I must say. I saw a blog post on them and knew they'd be perfect. Once again, they match my Christmas colors I use on my tree, and I got to use the fake snow stuff again. It...is...the...best. It is comparable to whipped marshmallow. And funny thing about the blue candy candy stripe, it is painter's tape. I had planned to tape it off and color red over it, leaving it white underneath for a true candy cane stake, but once I got the tape on, I liked the color so much that I left it. Brilliant!
I kept going on the crafting craze and added a reindeer friend for my wooden Santa, and a plain red and white box sign to help fill in the top of our entertainment center that I decorate. Just add in a full hand-painted mini Nativity set for Jake's parents (not pictured), and that wraps up my holiday crafts. Whew!
Ugly Christmas sweater parties have been popping up over the last few years, and I have only had the privilege to attend just one...and it was only because I was the one to arrange it. So, you can imagine my excitement this year when I found out Jake's work Christmas party is ugly sweater themed AND my work party. Time to strut my stuff! If you could have only seen some of the Christmas sweater gems my nana used to wear. One in particular that stands out in my memory was an ivory over-sized knit sweater with sequin Christmas light bulbs all over in an assortment of colors...we're talking like 4-inch big a** bulbs, and I'd bet you a Klondike bar that it had shoulder pads. A true beauty.
Unfortunately, as I was rampaging for it through mother's collection of closets she's taken over since being an empty-nester, I was deeply saddened to hear that my mom had gotten rid of nana's fugly sweaters shortly after her passing. Even all the sweaters I used to wear as a child are no-more: no more moose sweater, iron-on kittens in Santa hats, homemade button-up Christmas vest, and even my red velvet Santa vest and skirt from singing group days couldn't be found. If only we could've predicted this fab coming back in style, then all those precious items wouldn't have been given to DI. I am left only with a red sweatshirt my mom used to wear that has a plaid Scottie dog on it, which really, is pretty cute...I just wish I had a turtleneck and leggings to go with it. Regardless, I am excited just to finally be a part of ugly sweater parties and hope they are everything I dream of.
Here's to looking merry and bright, and wishing Jake and I could look this awesome!...minus the freaky baby goat.
During my travels the other night, I came across the most spectacular house of lights. It was so bright that it caught my eye from the street, and upon a drive-by investigation to check things out, I was completely blown away! Here's a simple home in simple Lehi turned into a Christmas Light Extravaganza, complete with their own radio station that loops a variety of Christmas music, all timed and choreographed to hundreds of twinkling lights...no, thousands...maybe millions. Ok, maybe not millions. But you get the point! It was so amazing that I dragged hubby, kiddo, and brother to the house later that night to show off my prize, then text a video to my mom and dad, and even announced the location to my Utah Twitter friends. Ha! Now the only audience missing is my blog, so why not post it! Done.
Carol of The Bells - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Jingle Bells - The Chipmunks
PS...We have at least 3 more trips planned to see this house again with different people we've been recruiting.
Updates! I'm behind on my posts. How have I not posted anything yet in November?! Shame on me. Before this month ends (tomorrow), I'm fitting in a post or two.
Post, begin...
Hubby Jake celebrated his birthday November 13th. He chose Rodizio Grill for his schmancy dinner outing, and I sure didn't complain...until afterwards when I was overly stuffed full of various meats, salads and delicious Brazilian limeade to the point where I thought my stomach was going to burst. Mmm, hungry now typing this. I love you top sirloin! It was a simple birthday celebration on a Tuesday evening, ending with presents and cake afterwards. Birthday highlights include: Jake liking 2 of the 5 shirts I bought (that's a big win for me); feeling awkward explaining to Gage that the Steve Martin Twitter book I gave Jake is a funny "adult book" so he couldn't be filled in on what we were laughing about; discovering that Nothing Bundt Cakes is a fabulous bakery and the marble cake with cream cheese frosting I bought for Jake was the most amazing cake ever and now I'm plotting one for my birthday; also discovering that the birthday candles I bought that advertised as having colored flames were full of BS, as clearly seen in the photo below.
HaPpY BiRthDaY!!!
Side note: Jake
did blow at all the candles out in one blow. What a champ! Additional side
note: Clearly Jake is not turning 12 as the number of candles imply, so
regardless of blowing out all candles, his wish might be voided...which might be good since he probably wished for me to smother him less. Not happening! The other excitement November brings is obviously Thanksgiving. This year was definitely out of the ordinary since we were not able to spend it with my parents, who of course we rely on to do all the cooking. No, they decided to have a huge family party with my cousins out in Colorado at my Aunt and Uncle's new South Western adobe-style, half-million dollar mansion they just bought. Did I mention it's a half-million dollar mansion? Ahh! Why did we not go, you ask? Because dear sweet Jacob was assigned to work at the hospital on Thanksgiving!...only to find out at 5 a.m. ON Thanksgiving that he no longer needed to go in. Good hell. So, instead of rushing to pack our bags Home Alone movie style and venture on the 8-hour drive to Colorado, we stuck with our plans and prepared a wonderful meal for the two of us...no, wait, make that three of us because we were nice and invited my brother to join us, having pity on him for also missing out on the Colorado festivities.
Our Thanksgiving consisted of the Macy's Day parade (I get emotional when they show Santa at the end...wow, pathetic), delicious feast complete with mac n' cheese, watching 21 Jump Street, and deciding to venture out into the madness of Black Friday shopping ending up a new 40" Samsung HDTV for our bedroom, a DVD player, new vacuum and power drill. Well worth our hour and a half wait outside in the cold with other crazy people. It ended up being a nice holiday, and I was thankful to have a wonderful hubby to spend it with. Now bring on Christmas and MY birthday.
I give special kudos to my Bloody Mary pumpkin...used a red candle. Maybe Frankie should've had a green one?
Pretty much my favorite holiday!!...or at least second fave. Hip-hip, hooray! My Halloween will consist of scary movies (I've saved up my DVR full of them...thank you AMC Fear Fest!), making butter pecan cupcakes, picking up Cafe Rio for the hubs and I, and passing out candy for the first time in my own home. I am one happy camper. To add to my happiness, I also got to do my much-anticipated pumpkin carvings this year. Oh, what joy! Last year we were in the middle of moving into our house so unfortunately my beloved Halloween got skipped...minimal decor, no pumpkins, such a drag! I made up for it this time around with decorations up since middle of September and even spent $20 on a profesh pumpkin
carving kit, compliments of my pumpkin pattern site I've used for the
last 6 years, ZombiePumpkins.com...see it, share it, love it, thank me
later.
Zombie from The Walking Dead (Google bicycle girl...dare you). Been following the show faithfully for 3 seasons. OBSESSED!
Have a happiest of Halloweens, and enjoy my 2012 pumpkin carvings above and a super creepy song below that's been playing on the radio that will make you feel uncomfortable for laughing. Slightly disturbing, yet hilarious. If you don't laugh, I'm not sure we can be friends.
**UPDATE: Here is a picture of Gage in his creepy grim reaper costume and the coolest, spookiest house we took him trick-or-treating too. We've been waiting a year to go to this house since discovering it last year by our home.
Oh, and I couldn't help but share my Halloween craft from this year. Absolutely LOVE how he turned out!!
First up, here we have the Jones Family Christmas Tree for 2012. After hassling with real trees over the past few years and all the crap that comes with them (sticky sap, nettles getting in every flipping nook and cranny, watering the dang thing like a pet, spiders in the cussing branches!), I decided it was time to give in and buy an artificial one. No discussion needed. Jake was not the happiest camper and pretty much thinks I'm destroying the Christmas spirit, taking it a step further to make sure to point out every tree lot we drive by now to show me all those trees left out in the cold that don't have a home this year. Yes, his guilt trips work and make me feel bad for the trees that don't get to be loved and decorated! I try to remind myself that I'm actually saving a tree because the more artificial ones that are bought means less of the real ones being cut down...right? Supply and demand, people. Anyway, I love our new 7.5 ft beauty! The branches look real and the set up was easy breezy. Hallelujah! 
Next up, here is my wreath I completed for our front door. Wreaths are so expensive, and I couldn't find anything I completely liked. So, I decided to call upon my Martha crafting powers and create my own. I started off with a simple $15 wreath from Hobby Lobby that was just greenery and pine cones. I then added Christmas ornament balls to match my Christmas tree (the ornaments were extra ones leftovers from my tree), red and pearl berry sprigs with glitter, and brushed on fake snow to the pine cones to make them considerably more visible. I love the end result!
My next project was something for our outside flower box sitting on our front walkway. Remember seeing my post about it in the spring? Well, it's all bare and naked now and needs something in it for winter! For fall it was filled with pumpkins. So, hello Christmas signs! These turned out adorable, I must say. I saw a blog post on them and knew they'd be perfect. Once again, they match my Christmas colors I use on my tree, and I got to use the fake snow stuff again. It...is...the...best. It is comparable to whipped marshmallow. And funny thing about the blue candy candy stripe, it is painter's tape. I had planned to tape it off and color red over it, leaving it white underneath for a true candy cane stake, but once I got the tape on, I liked the color so much that I left it. Brilliant! 
Ugly Christmas sweater parties have been popping up over the last few years, and I have only had the privilege to attend just one...and it was only because I was the one to arrange it. So, you can imagine my excitement this year when I found out Jake's work Christmas party is ugly sweater themed AND my work party. Time to strut my stuff! If you could have only seen some of the Christmas sweater gems my nana used to wear. One in particular that stands out in my memory was an ivory over-sized knit sweater with sequin Christmas light bulbs all over in an assortment of colors...we're talking like 4-inch big a** bulbs, and I'd bet you a Klondike bar that it had shoulder pads. A true beauty. 
