There’s not much to say here except I’ve gone Christmas Crazy and I don’t care who knows it!
I did the same thing for Christmas decorating that I did for Halloween – I perused Pinterest until my pointers were paralyzed then I tried to replicate the super expensive holiday decor at a fraction of the cost by getting everything at Dollarama. Hopefully, next year I’ll just use the same stuff from this year and my investment will pay off for the next thousand years. I can’t describe how lovely it feels to come home to a festive, warm house with twinkling lights and smelly candles. It’s the best.
Ugly:
The disastrous attempt at first cookie baking of the year. I accidentally read the butter wrong and put in 2 cups instead of one. I KNEW it didn’t look right!!!
Awesome:
My second batch of cookies which turned out lovely.
HO HO HO
This is a festive shelf in my bathroom. FESTIVE EVERYWHERE.
Christmas berries on meee toilet bowl!
My Dollarama Display!
ooooh Glowey!!!
Red stuff!
I got this idea from Pinterest! I put sugar in mason jars to look like sparkly snow!
Vase full o’ Christmas Balls!
Candy Cane Crystal!
Peppermint yummies
Fa la la la la!
La la!
La!
Laaaaaa!
I put bows everywhuuuurs.
It just ain’t Christmas without festive erasers.
This one is from Bath and Body Works – smells like peppermint.
Reindeer for your face.
Sweater for your feet.
A little tickle for the TV.
Vilkomen to mine Tenenbaum!
I looks like lush greenery, but it’s actually made of plastic! Who can tell?!? (Everyone)
Home Depot was selling this all made up for $65. I bought all the sparkly stuff separately, stuck them in myself and saved $40 each!
It’s a berry beautiful wreath.
Our temporary stockings!
I’d keep them there except I’m running out of socks.
Friday night, we celebrated Emily’s birthday at Bambi’s. Lots of sweaty dancing followed by terrible snack decisions at 7 Eleven. As I recall, I ordered a hot dog and so did Celeste. When my hot dog came, I put an enormous amount of ketchup on it. Except it was hot sauce. Celeste offered to trade hot dogs so I wouldn’t have to throw mine out. But it turns out hers was not so much a hot dog but a cheeseburger rolled into a hot dog shape. For some reason, this story amuses me.
Then on Monday, Ryann and I went to West Elm in Liberty Village for a book signing. Ryann got me on to this blog a couple years ago called “Young House Love”. It’s written by a funny and endearing couple, Sherry and John Petersik and it’s all about them renovating and redecorating their house. They have a fun style which I like and their posts are full of knowledge and funny business.
While we were standing in line for them to sign our new books, the West Elm employees handed out post-it notes, telling us to write down what we wanted our inscription to say. Basically, we were only really supposed to write our names down so they would spell them correctly, but the instructions made it seem like we were supposed to write our own inscription. My inscription from Sherry and John says “Dear Caitlin, Thanks for saving us from the apocalypse. You rule.” so I think I used the situation to my advantage in the end. Anyways, it was a super fun outing with Ryann, complete with yummy dinner after a the Brazen Head and it was fun to meet bloggers in real life who you follow so frequently that you forget sometimes they don’t actually know you at all. That’s kind of my goal in life. To be internet famous enough that someone will say to me one day “I feel like I know you but you don’t know me at all”. ARE YOU OUT THERE, BLOG FAN?! I LOVE YOU!
Ugly:
My completely transparent desperation to have internet fans. Even just like 5 of them would be cool…
Awesome:
The photo of Sherry, John, Ryann and I throwing up yuppie gang signs. Dream Come True.
David at Bambi’s – the light hurts his basement eyes…
David and Celeste prepare for sweaty dancing.
Chillin in the basement.
Darlings! Emily requested no photos – I obey you, Birthday Girl!
I had watched Charmed for 3 hours before this. I don’t know why that matters.
Weird eye happenings…
And I ruin another another photo. Again.
Sir Perry’s Pear cider makes me sooo happy!
Michelle and “the look”.
Was Lauren doing a dance? I forget. it was hot.
She did not mean to expose her dancing skills.
On our way to the book signing!!!
Too excited!!
Maybe one of the worst pictures ever taken.
First thing after arriving at West Elm – touch furry pillows.
This photo was taken mid-falling on the bed.
We lucked out on a perfect spot in line with a bed for sitting on!
Pretty things!
More prettiness!
Our little group in the lineup was us plus 3 babies and their makers.
After an hour in line…
Pretty table things. By this time the lineup went around the room!
BABY.
A DIFFERENT BABY.
Christmas treees!
Random picture of a tattooed lady cutting meat…sexxay.
Our first glimpse of Sherry and John!
Soooo close! This is when we decided about the gang signs.
This is us and Sherry and John. You know. Just hanging out.
Normal photo!!
My signed book!!
One day an alien with find this and they will know why their first try didn’t work.
A couple weeks ago, Jamie and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. Yep. CRAZY!
We escaped the city to the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood for a romantic, relaxing weekend of book reading, fire snuggling and food eating.
It’s the exact same trip we took 6 years ago when Jamie planned a surprise weekend away for our 1 year anniversary. Only this time, we are old.
We didn’t plan anything except our fancy dinner Saturday night at Oliver and Bonacini, so the rest of the time was filled doing exactly what we wanted to, whether that was reading our books in the hotel room next to the fire whilst listening to Christmas music, or going for a walk around the “mountain” or being illogically happy about getting festive Starbucks in the jolly red cups. It was the perfect weekend of complete and awesome nothingness.
Ugly:
My hair. The weekend was so relaxing, I chose not to wash my hair which I felt at the time would be too strenuous.
Awesome:
The super awesome anniversary present Jamie bought me (a Giants jersey with Eli Manning’s number) and finally drinking our special magic wine saved from our 5th anniversary in Niagara on the Lake.
Our Blue Mountain suite romantique
Fancy Shmancy boudoir
Pretty fireplace for theatrical posing.
Living room type area
Me and my best friend, Mountain.
Most dangerous jump picture!
My Mountain gallivanting outfit.
Christmas at Starbucks!! Weeeeee!
I love Christmas Starbucks.
Warming up by the campfire with a peppermint mocha.
campfire!
Mountain Monster!
Lovebirds
Like a giant Playmobile vilage
Taking this picture of Jamie, a child ran by suddenly…
Upon closer review, they had a special bond…
Right before I forced him to shop.
Shopping time!!
Furry chair.
This cute store was filled with Christmas stuff!
SPARKLY.
BIG WHEEL.
Christmas Owl
Hot Chocolate Heaven
yyeeeeeeaaaah
Chubby little Christmas birds
King of the Christmas birds
A pink sparkly hollagraphic mug with my name and Unicorn.
Unicorn boom!
The secret upstairs Christmas Tree Attic!
nom nom Cupcake Ornament
nom nom candy cane ornament
The quintessential festive tree.
He’s so Jolly!
Let’s all just hug.
Hipster Christmas Tree with a plaid moose!
This one too angelic for my liking. But still preettty.
Lounging in style and preparing to drink THE MAGIC WINE.
It’s a long story. But it is magical.
Jamie being classy at dinner as always – at Oliver and Bonacini
Pulling my hair back in preparation for the eating of the lamb.
Funny moment when the server put the bottle right in front of the camera during the picture taking. haha
Jamie liked this red a lot. I stuck to my Cave Springs deliciousness.
Wiiiiiine!
Yummy dessert cappuccino!
For some reason all my food photos turned out poopy. But this was delicious.
It was on a Wednesday and since I was in Ohio during the regular “Adult Halloween” weekend activities, I had a couple of gals over for a mellow gathering to watch “scary” movies, eat candy and dress up for fun. It was also the first Halloween since I moved to Toronto where I actually had more than 3 children come to my door trick or treating! It’s because my new neighbourhood is full of families and also because I have a real porch now which I decorated extensively. Handing out candy never worked in my old locations – I either lived in an apartment building, my “porch” looked like a business, it was on a busy road where children weren’t allowed to go, or I lived in the Potugese ghetto where children would rather smoke than go trick or treating. Now that I live in a respectable house-looking type thing, on an actual residential street sort of deal, children run rampant and I just barely had enough candy for all of them (I had bought extra for the girls I invited over- in the end, they didn’t get any…).
I had so much fun putting up more decorations (I know…) and making green slimy Halloween punch and dressing up and hanging out with fun time ladies. It almost makes me sad it was over so quickly and now it’s time to gear up for Christmas……..JUST KIDDING I LOVE CHRISTMAS WAY MORE THAN ANYTHING.
Ugly:
My “Glitzy the Gay Pageant Pig” costume from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Awesome:
Everyone else’s costumes! Especially Celeste’s “Paula Poundstone” and Alex’s “Man”. Jasmine’s “Gonzo made from gourd” costume was ground breaking.
Green Slimy Halloween Punch!
Green Halloween punch (rum, orange juice, 7 Up and green food colouring)
Spiderwebs turn Fall Decor into Halloween Decor…
Skeleton Hot-tub party centerpiece
Pinecone party…
Best part of Halloween…
Celeste and Alex learn how to tie ties from YouTube.
Celeste as Paula Poundstone, Alex as “man”.
Sara as terrifying vampire lady.
Eyeball Vase – classy!
Lindt Halloween chocolate balls. They are addictive.
Celeste as Paula Poundstone – perfect tie.
My costume – Glitzy The Gay Pageant Pig
Glitzy from Honey Boo Boo. I know. Not sad at all.
Monica as a sassy Pirate!
Pirate and Pig. Together at last.
Everybody Halloweening in the kitchen!
Watching “scary movie”, Hocus Pocus. Read: BEST movie…
Lindsay as a beautiful Butterfly!
Delicious Pumpkin Cupcakes (made by Sara) and Cheese puffs!
The ladies are so scared…of the movie we’re about to watch…
Glitzy and Pirate have eaten too many cheese puffs…
Jasmine’s Gonzo Costume was breath-taking.
Kari arrives as a 70’s girl!
John Cusack loves Jasmine too much…
Paula Poundstone wonders why we’re watching “1408”…
John Cusack’s Dad also loves Jasmine!! What’s the deal?