Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

                                                                                  Source: ady1501.tumblr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Wishing happiness to you and yours.

Festive Fridays: Christmas Lights & Grinch Cookies

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, or Eve squared for all the math lovers (of which I never was one).

I found these adorable pictures of people wrapped with Christmas lights around them on Pinterest, and I promise you, if I ever get skinny and want a picture with my full body showing, I'd do the exact same thing.  I'd even be willing to just hug myself in the picture, no boyfriend necessary.

For now I'm content with pictures in chest-up form, and only on days when my face isn't broken out (And to think I thought waking up to zits would end after puberty...I'm 29, kids, that's the harsh reality you have to look forward to).

How adorable are these photos though? I love it.

I'm already thinking this would be great for my annual photo Christmas card next year...yes?

Source: haleysheffield.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: rocknrollbride.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

And what would a Festive Friday post be without a holiday recipe? Take two of my favorite things: Christmas and chocolate chip cookies-and you have Grinch Cookies! These make me think of my dear friend Amelia who has always absolutely, positively loved everything mint and chocolate.

Source: flickr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

What a fun treat for the holidays!

RECIPE FOUND HERE.

Have a very merry Christmas eve eve!

12 Days of Christmas: All I Want for Christmas are these 3 things!

Have you done all your Christmas shopping? 

I confess that I have not. I don't know if I have really started it either, but I definitely know I haven't finished it. What can I say...I'm better when I procrastinate (sometimes).

I asked some of my very best friends for ideas on gift-buying by asking them what they put on their Christmas wishlist. They have a lot more imagination and creativity than I do in terms of the gift department...I usually just ask for a dvd or a giftcard. Although, I did ask for a Kindle Touch and my sister already sent me one in the mail (gift wrap and all), so Merry Christmas to me. I will not use this moment as a vehicle to explain that I never thought I'd own an e-reader, and as an avid book store supporter, I feel like I'm succumbing to the dark side. More on that for another day. Back to wishlists...

Amelia-Bedelia

Little Amelia has been a very good girl this year while sportin' that stylish new haircut,

and asked Santa for:

1. A big file folder for collecting images that inspire her {she's such an artist...doesn't she know Pinterest is for things like this? ;) }

2. A mug from Anthropologie (ohhh, trendy!). 

I don't know if this is the one she's talking about, but it's pretty cute.

3. Clothes.

Cousin Hannah

Sweet Cousin Hannah loves making Christmas wish-lists. 

Sometimes, she even gets what's on them.

This year all she wanted for Christmas was to spend a warm, cozy, December evening by asking for the following:

1. Christmas pajama pants from Old Navy

2. Kindle Giftcard

3. Teas and Coffees for her new electric teapot.

J. Crowe

This past year, J. Crowe already got everything on her wishlist

with the birth of sweet, precious baby Amos. 

However, she still came up with a couple of things to fill her wishlist. 

1. An apron from Anthropologie 

(all my friends love this store, probably because it's so adorable, and so are they)

2. Mindy Kaling's book "Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?"  

3. The Family Stone DVD

J. Phil 

Sweet J. Phil didn't ask a lot for Christmas, but I hope she gets much of what she wants. 

On her Christmas wishlist, we find the following: 

1. A nice bedspread to go with her newly re-decorated basement apartment 

(she told me what brand, and it was really classy, 

but being the unclassy lady that I am, 

I forgot what it was...maybe Barbara Barry?)

2. A new camera (J. Phil is a wonderful photographer)

3. Andy Grammer 

(I made that last one up, but it's probably true and she'd probably love it)

 

And me? 

What did I ask for?

Well, first I want to stop dressing like a grand-ma, 

and never sport khaki pants with tennis shoes again.

I will also have you know I had to talk smack to parents who kept trying to cut me off while I waited in line for that picture up in Gatlinburg. For some funny reason, a single girl standing by herself near a sled doesn't register for waiting in line for a

picture in a sled quite like a family with small kids. 

And those tennis shoes, well, it's a little consequence of spraining my ankle back in October.

If I know I have to walk a lot, I wear reliable shoes.

But I digress (your Christmas present is the fact that I even posted that).

For Christmas, I'd like...

1. A Kindle Touch (fancy that, I already got it!)

2. A digital camera, so I have to stop using my phone as my only means of picture-taking.

3. Starbucks giftcards 

 (fancy that also, I have been blessed with many hidden in cards in the mail lately)

What's on YOUR Christmas wishlist?

It's not too late to tell Santa, he doesn't come for 2 more days.

12 Days of Christmas: 8 Reasons Why I Loved the 0-1-1, Son!

 I finally graduated college! 

Yes, you can applaud.

 Baby Kirby was born and I am now an auntie to the best nephew ever.

His smile melts my heart.

I love him more than I knew I could.

 I saw Cousin Elisabeth from Japan more times than I can remember! 

We got to cousin it up from the spring time to the fall time.

She's a blessing!

(just like all my cousins!)

I totally rocked out in Chicago 

with the Garners and baby Kirby

for a splendid week in July. 

And I showed myself I could fly!

(with the help of anxiety meds)

J. Phil & I had multiple hang-out sessions again.

BFFLLDWB.

For life.

Lacey and Mauney made me smile all year.

We became like the Brat Pack.

Minus the Brat.

Maybe just a pack?

 These two crazy kids had a kid!

Baby Amos was born to Matt and J. Crowe.

My heart rejoices for them!

Plus, he's pretty stinkin' cute.

Derek Dooley fell in love with me.

Well, not love, but I think he liked me.

Either way  I have photographic evidence to prove we touched.

And he started wearing those orange pants this year.

My, my, my, those are hot.

Festive Fridays: Reindeer Food

                                                               Source: sweetcheekstastytreats.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

RECIPE HERE

How adorable is this Christmas gift?

I always wanted a use for old Starbucks Frappuccino bottles, and now I have one.

I used to keep loose change in them, but this is far better.

Plus Reindeer food is a Christmas treat I always love to eat.

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week, surprisingly I've been far busy ever since I graduated last week. I'm attempting to finish my Christmas cards before it's too late.

What's your favorite homemade Christmas treat 

to make during the holidays?

12 Days of Christmas: 12 Favorite Songs in the 0-1-1, Son!

Let's countdown to Christmas with some of my favorite things...

On the 12th day of Christmas I give you my 12 favorite songs from this past year. No, that does not necessarily mean they were released in the 0-1-1, however, it does mean they had no relevance in my life until this year. 

Some of them I've already mentioned on my blog before now, but some may be new. 

Take a listen and maybe you'll find one you love too.

Love Song-Adele (Live from Letterman)

Paradise-Coldplay (Live from ACL Festival)

Mat Kearney-Sooner or Later

Alexi Murdoch-Wait

Sigur Ros-Goobledigook

Zee Avi-No Christmas for Me

Ben Rector-White Dress

Imagine Dragons-Tokyo

Andrew Belle-Oh My Stars

Florence + The Machine-Shake It Out (Live from SNL)

Little Boots-New in Town (Fred Falke Remix)

Kate York-My Best Friend

What was your favorite song from the 0-1-1?

Festive Fridays: GRADUATION! :)

Let's take a break from posting about food and post about celebrating accomplishments.

I'm officially a college grad for the second time.

I earned my Associate's Degree in 2008, and now I've got a Bachelor's to match in the 0-1-1, Son!

It was a long ten years, but worth it in what I felt today. 

I'll post more later about my day, but for now just appreciate my post-grad glow.

Are you doing anything festive this weekend?

Maybe celebrating an achievement, yourself?

Tonight.

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Tonight is the last all-nighter of my college career. I could probably try and sleep, but is there really any other way to finish my 10 years of schooling?

2 exams on Thursday and Friday brings graduation and family and closure.

So close I can taste it...I can smell it. And it feels good.

I finally have room to breathe. Finally have belief in myself that this is happening.

But more on that later.

Back to studying...and praying...and relishing the last few moments of my time at the University of Tennessee as a student.

Next time I post, I'll be a bonafied college grad.

Can you handle that?

Me neither.

Hello, December.

via Stephanie on Pinterest

I'm finally ready to welcome December, in all of it's snowy, cold, festive glory.

I've taken down all my fall decor and replaced it with one, large, leaning, unadorned green tree.

So welcome, December.

Welcome another year coming to a close.
Welcome change and cold nights.
Welcome Christmas lights and caroling.
Welcome more hot cocoa and marshmallows.
Welcome wrapped presents and gifts under the tree.
Welcome hustle.
Welcome bustle.
Welcome traditions and traveling.
Welcome parties and parading.
Welcome snow flakes and breath written in the cold night air.
Welcome Christmas classics and cozy comforts.
Welcome most wonderful time of the year.

I'm finally ready to embrace you!

Hello, December.

Festive Fridays: Peppermint Chocolate Coffee

                                                                                 Source: pauladeen.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

RECIPE HERE

Could this be any more delectable?

Peppermint? Chocolate? AND Coffee?

Three of my favorite things.

And perfect for those of us who are suffering from cold and flu season, granted I can't taste much right now.

Hard to believe it's already December, DECEMBER! 

Feels like yesterday was January 1st and I thought the end of the year would never come.

Now it's already Christmas season again and I'm not even prepared.

Graduation...Holiday shopping...Job hunting...I've got to get on it!

I love putting up my tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, and this year I still have fall decor out on December 2nd. You can shake your head in shame. I'm slowly letting Christmas slip by. I'm going to try and get my act together this weekend. Clean, declutter, organize, and decorate! It CAN be done!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Have any plans for this first festive Friday?