It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

My friends are having an Ugly Holiday Sweater party.

I couldn't be more excited.

Ohh, the possibilities.

I've been trolling ebay for  some finds - here are a couple options.

 Kittens love Christmas.

 

 Holiday tic tac toe, anyone?

 

Nothing wrong with a polar bear cardigan.  Nothing at all.

 

 Vintage Mickey.  Maybe for my husband.

 

 Nothing's more cozy than a Santa sweatshirt.

It's really the fine art on the sleeves.  The SLEEVES!

That has this one in the running.

 

 You won't be catching a chill thanks to the coordinating turtleneck.

On second thought, my husband might have to wear this.

It would be worth it just to see him in a turtleneck.

 

Carolers, snowmen and a fashionable sweater vest.

We might have a winner.

Although I would prefer that my ensemble have at least a light or sound feature.

Yup, I want to be wearing something that requires a battery pack.

The search shall continue.  I'll keep you posted.

Things I do starting NOW to combat Holiday weight gain

The Holidays are rapidly approaching (or have already arrived if you buried your face in the Halloween candy bowl). Let's face it I/we (yes that's you readers who equal the "we") are going to drink more wine than normal, eat more mayonnaise based foods, have more desserts. I have no will power there is no way I am not partaking in Holiday eating. Here is what I do am doing starting NOW to enjoy the holiday season but not gain weight.

1) Portion Control- I cut down on my portion. For breakfast I eat only half an english muffin in stead of a full one for example.

2) Take the bulk or filler foods out of meals- For lunch I switch to soup or salads instead of 6inch from Subway with chips.

3) Adds fruits and Veggies- I feel hungrier because I am eating less, so I add fruits and veggies in place of more chips/bread/food. My soup lunch includes an apple. My half an english muffin includes a banana. My dinner includes a veggie salad instead of rice or a roll.

4) Work it out- Yes, I am working out more often.

Riddle me this . . .

Dreaming of this peacock blue wall.

 

It's Wednesday but seems like Friday. 

My to-do list seems a mile long.

What better way to waste time then to take a quiz?

Mais, oui.

It's by Homegoods and Deborah Needleman (former editor of Domino).

Ten questions and shazam - they diagnose your design aesthetic.

I was Elegant Classic.

No argument here.

Here's the quiz.

Homegoods Stylescope

Try it out. Perfect way to put off that to-do list.

Let me know what you ended up with.

Maybe we're compatible.

Thwarted

My attempts at coolness and chicness has been temporarily thwarted. Those oh so cool for fall/winter thigh high boots I ordered a week or so ago never came. Instead a package with a turtleneck sweater arrived in its place. Not exactly the look I was going for. Is the universe trying to tell me something? Am I not that cool? Nah, that can't be the case. I will totally rock thigh high boots, and look awesome doing it! I will not be dissuaded.

Friendship

I have a really GREAT set of friends. The BEST! They are unbelievable. Some I have known since childhood, some I met when we were in our late teens/early adulthood, and some I have met as an adult. They are all fantastic. I treasure them all. I try to be there for them, as they always are for me. That is why these people have continued to be my friends.

Some people are not as lucky. Some people have toxic friends. I choose to not keep people like this in my life. I personally can not deal with the heartache, the backstabbing, the negativity, and the drama these people create. I know bonds are strong but I will truly never understand why people chose to keep this kind of relationship in their life.

DDST . . .

 My girlfriends know that stands for "Deep Dark Secret Time"
It's what we use as a prelude to any really big news.
No, I don't have any to share.
But we are always trying to coax some out of each other.

I was talking to a friend this weekend and she was totally jamming
out to Jason Mraz, I'm Yours, in her car.
She loves the song. Loves it.

Just puts her in a great mood.

Unfortunately, it's also a deep dark secret for her.

She's really more of a rocker and hip hop chic.

Thinks her street cred would be ruined if people knew.

Got me thinking - we all have deep, dark secrets.

Whether it's music, food, activities, dreams, nightmares, regrets, actions.
We all carry something that we never reveal.
Or only reveal to our most trusted.

Sometimes they are heavy and burdensome
and some are very innocent.
Some we carry to protect ourselves.
Some to protect others.
Some people lend their secrets to their friends or family.
So the burden is not theirs alone.
Imagine all the secrets floating around out there.

What are yours?

Hey Parents Listen UP

Something you should try to avoid on a Sunday is bringing your toddlers to the ridiculously crowded Trader Joe's on Lincoln in Chicago. But once you have made the ill-fated decision, because let's face it we all get in a jam and need to go, it would be great if you could decide to NOT let them drive their own child size basket that they continually run into all other shoppers. Or walk on the wrong side of the aisle creating a complete standstill for all other shoppers. Also if you could maybe NOT have them run around in the traffic jammed parking lot, it would great! Mom's I would like to give you mostly a break here because I would have to say that is it more often than not Dad's who have children exhibiting said behavior with them.