3...2...1... 
We had the best NYE celebration... complete with noisemakers, beads and party hats and a fabulous accordion player and polka band.  So what if our countdown started at 4 o'clock in the afternoon!  We were rocking the roof off the nursing home - standing room only.  Staff was saying it was the best party ever!

Later, at the house, I made these really good baked pears with brie and pistachios and a delicious filet...

The pup got her own plate.

How cute is this little bud?  XO

We always hold a piece of bread and money when the countdown is happening at midnight and she ate most of her bread before the ball dropped so I only gave her a little taste of the NYE Pretzel. She can't be trusted with baked goods. ;-)

Happy 2015.

X MARKS THE SPOT
I am a big fan of warm chestnuts... I hate cutting the X in them, though.  I remember being a little kid and watching my dad cut them... fearful he would cut himself. And now, I was thinking what is going to happen when The Dad isn't around? I had this fabulous idea for a contraption that cuts it for you.  I did a little research and found that it already exists.  How on earth did I not know this before now?!? Anyway, I ordered the CHESTNUTTER for the dad (ok - really for me) and it has already been put to good use... starting christmas night when we all took turns using it around the table. 

Probably not the most necessary gadget in the kitchen but, seriously, how awesome is this???

Buy yours here.

SNOW CUTE
Seriously - cutest Smiley Cookie ever.

I wonder if I can special order not so happy snowmen?  Reminiscent of these guys...

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS... JUST LIKE THE ONES I USED TO KNOW
I brought Aunt Gloria to the house for Christmas Dinner last night.  I wasn't sure it was a good idea or not. I think it probably added to her confusion.  I ended up getting a call saying she fell in her room later in the evening - she was really shaky on her feet after sitting here for awhile.  She did ok - actually ate!  She lost 26 lbs in the last few months and has been refusing to eat there.  She seemed like she was ok and even said a few funny things but she reminded me of a little kid at the grown up table - not quite knowing what was going on or who she was even with.

When I got to the nursing home to pick her up she had no idea why I brought gifts or, really, what Christmas was...

I told her we were going over Daddy's for dinner and she asked why.  She didn't even make it to dessert before she said she better go back.

It took three of us to get her down the steps. Debbie and I drove her back and Debbie got out of the car and ran in the lobby to grab a wheelchair.  I helped Glo out of the car, put her into the wheelchair and she looked up at Debbie and said - Hi, I'm Gloria - like she hadn't even spent the last few hours with her at the house let alone being in the same car.

What a sad, lonely disease this is.

CHRISTMAS ACCORDING TO LILY
Christmas morning hot chocolate...

Look mama these are from me...

I'm hungry - I'll start eating this one...

Ok now I'm bored... Can we just play with my old sushi toy?

When can I open MY presents?!?

This present opening business is exhausting!

I'm going to take a nap until Uncle Jimmy gets here!

ELF (NOT) ON A SHELF
This has been a very strange year.  I usually wrap as I go along but I didn't this year - I haven't felt well and I've been working a lot so I just pushed everything aside.  I buy things through the year so it took me awhile to actually find everything downstairs. I'm still not sure everything is accounted for.  I had about 400 Amazon boxes to open that have just been accumulating in the game room, too.

We got home from Debbie's and Lily and I got to work wrapping.  Lily is a good helper but she does get distracted...

By the time I carried everything upstairs and organized it and wrapped - we finally finished at 4 am.  I was cleaning up and walked in the other room and heard a strange noise.  I looked around and couldn't figure out what it was until I glanced over at the gingerbread house where my elf resides.  I saw this...

Turns out that Elfonso, knowing there was still cleaning and cooking to do for tomorrow, was so distraught that he found it necessary to try to leap to his death. He jumped right out of his hat into a sea of dog toys.

Lily, more than likely thinking he was a new toy, gave him pug-to-elf resuscitation and revived him.

BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKE

ENJOY THE VIEW
The girls were in this weekend for Christmas so we got together for an adventure.  We were originally planning on going to this awesomely creepy village in Ohio that Chrissy has been wanting to go to but time constraints kept us closer to home.

We went to Phipps...

...which is always fun.

Hello, Romero...

Phipps was full of succulents... my favorite "flower."

And there were air plants galore - kissing balls and a bunch of snowmen - including an entire air plant snowman wedding.  Here comes the bride...

Hilary wanted to ride the Incline...

...we went up and had lunch at the Grandview Saloon and gazed at the spectacular view of the city.

Wouldn't it be nice to walk out your door and see that beautiful skyline every day? I think it's pretty certain that this city really can't take a bad picture.

We went to the German Market and ended at PPG for the ever popular Santas and sweet gingerbread houses...

Christmas is coming... and I'm not exactly ready for it.

STOP IT, HOMEGOODS
Seriously, why do you have to tempt me with such fabulous finds?

I'm like an addict from time to time and need to call my sponsor... I  texted Cara and Chrissy and asked if I could get this magical and majestic flying pig... Cara said YES and that she would even buy it for me for Christmas... I got a "FUCKING NO" in bold letters from Chrissy.  She later changed her mind and said I could - only if I brought it straight to storage.

Dilemma.

What do you think I did?

"IS YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE, CLARK?"
Work tonight consisted of a ride around to see the Christmas lights... I know, tough day at the office.

AND THEY ALL FELL DOWN
I met one of my co-workers at HomeGoods tonight after work... it was her first time there. I got off first so I had some time to stop at a few stores to try to get some things off my list before we were meeting.  I walked into BB&B to search for something else but was challenged by this store display... so I gave them a little tap...

...and I knocked every single one down. ;-)

GHOST ADVENTURES
This is the second time I heard something this week but this time I think I could make it out.  I woke up in the middle of the night to someone saying "get away from her." Was someone trying to get me?  Or The Bud?  I think it was me and I think it was my mother who said it???

SHOP. EAT. REPEAT.
We ventured out to Robinson... I haven't been there in a long time.

This is the most unprepared I've been for Christmas. I hardly have anything bought or ready.  Sad thing is - I don't really care.  I'm over it already and it hasn't even begun. Bah Humpug.

KEEP CALM AND TURN IT OFF AND ON AGAIN

Uggh.  I don't know what I'm doing with this computer...  One of the bad things about not having a smart, computer savvy husband is you have to figure this out yourself. From what I googled I think it may be the logic board?!  Is that possible?  Would it work some times and go off other times?  I need a mac genius STAT.  And a giant back up drive.

SMELLS LIKE PUG SPIRIT
...and wet dog.  Someone wasn't too happy with me the other day.

DO YOU WANT TO EAT A SNOWMAN?
We had our work Christmas party...  these guys were flying off the trays like hot cakes - or hot snowmen...

Look at this snowman cheese ball... complete with snowballs.

And how cute are these pineapple top trees?

OH CHRISTMAS TREE(S)
I think I have five trees in storage not counting the smaller ones.  I can't get to any of the ornaments now and I don't even know what's in the bins.  We were supposed to go through all the Christmas stuff together but that never happened.  So whatever DCD brought over to storage is what I have.  I have two pencil trees at the bottom of the steps - one has stayed the same way I brought it over with some of my most favorite snowmen ornaments/tree topper from Rolliers...

...the other was here and changes for the seasons - usually.  At least Christmas and Halloween - that's all I managed to do this year. ;-)

The Dad has one in the living room with wine stuff on it year round.  I spent the last two hours removing lights from it because one set wasn't working and I can't figure out how to change the fuse or whatever.  That took me way too long. I strung new lights and added the pug ornaments because that's all I have at the house...

I found some of RoseBud in the box.

One of my co-workers doesn't sleep either and is up crafting all night so we're usually texting each other pics of what we are doing or pinterest links of what we want to make... As usual I get a beep as I always do at 12:06... just happened to be her about my Danbury Mint pug collection. Without fail I get some sort of notification at that hour and others with those numbers. Weird.

SLEIGH BELLS RING - ARE YOU LISTENING...
Big event at work tonight... sleigh ride time!

Santa always pays a visit. Here he is with Aunt Gloria.

DELIVER ME
If this isn't the cutest thing I don't know what is... This little four year old boy loves the UPS man/truck.  Watch the video in this link. I don't even know what my favorite part is - when he sees his little truck for the first time or gives the clap when he loads his packages or the thumbs up when driving or sharing a sandwich with Mr. Ernie...  OMG... so, so cute. ;-)

SKY MALL
A coworker told me about the airport opening up to shoppers today so you know I was all over it.  I remember going to the old airport when I was little. We would go and watch the planes land and take off... I haven't flown in four years so I got to go through the new security machine... I got patted down and everything!  So much fun!

Anyway, the line was long - even with pre-registration...

... it turned out to be really fun though.

Ted scoped out the dining possibilities and we went to Bar Symon...

We did some shopping - got some coffee and treats - Cara even bought a dress for her work Christmas party.

MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT
I took a group of peers/residents to the Engineers Club for their annual Volunteer Ombudsman Christmas luncheon.

Just like last year,  the DGA party was in the evening - they were setting up for it as we were leaving.

I asked our driver if he would take the long way home... we did a little urban tour of the holiday decorations all around town... rode them by the ice skating rink and the creche and the city county building... we even went through lawrenceville and they called out the numbers every time they saw a gingerbread in a storefront from the cookie walk.