Deck those halls

Most of the time, I just can't get into seasonal decorating. I can't help but feel like it's a little pointless to put up decorations that you're just going to take down again in a few weeks. So getting around to putting up our Christmas usually takes a while. But once I do get started, I tend to actually have a lot of fun setting up the tree, decorating the mantle and throwing garlands on everything.

This year, I snagged an unlit six-foot tree at Target for $15...a vast improvement over the tree we've used the last few years. (We used it last year too, I promise, I just didn't post a pic apparently.) Anyway, now our house feels more like a real grown-up home, I think.






So the way our place is set up, there's two living rooms. The front door opens right into the front living room, and the middle living room separates the front one from the kitchen and also leads to upstairs. Those shots above are taken from the stairs; here's a shot of them from right next to the tree:



I also tackled our mantle!




My sweet friend Ally sends me the sweetest ornaments. The photo above is of one she sent last year; it's heavy and I like to display it safely. This year, she sent a lovely replica faberge egg from the gift shop at the Met. She lives outside Manhattan and I love how her ornaments always have a tie to the city.








I had fun playing around to shoot and edit these photos; it's amazing how much faster/better I've gotten at adjusting my settings to fit the scene. (If anyone's wondering, I got that faded VSCOcam effect using part of this tutorial.)

Do you decorate for each season, or just the holidays, or not at all? Do you dread it until you get started like me, or are you one of the "It's November 1st let's put up the tree!!!" types a la this mom?

'Tis the season

For many things, it would seem. Including my annual "cold that's so bad I'm pretty sure I'm going to keel over" illness extravaganza. I spent all day yesterday on the couch, and barely dragged my sorry butt through work today. But time and tide wait for no man, or something like that (feels like that cold medicine is kicking in...I'm loopy) so here are some pics of our Christmas tree this year.








I wanted to get a real tree, but space is something of an issue, so I used our speaker as a kind of tree extender, complete with green garland and lights. And because there wasn't room for all of our (okay, my) Christmas ornaments, I used some to decorate beside the tree and on our mantle (which is crazy cluttered and therefore unphotographed). We have a lot of Ohio University ornaments. School pride! Go Bobcats!

In other news, it was really frustrating taking these photos until I discovered that I can actually adjust the ISO settings on my point-and-shoot. Score!

Oh, and those presents down there? Matt and I opened them already. I was really excited for him to open his gifts, so I insisted that we do it last week. I got him a really nice new tent and cufflinks shaped like the Starship Enterprise. He got me some gloves that have fingertips specially designed to work with touch screens, so I can text and stay warm :) And a bunch of Pampered Chef things I really wanted, AND an amazing pair of slippers that keep my feet toasty warm. (That's kind of a gift for him, too...I used to put my cold feet on his legs at night to warm them. But no longer!)

What about you guys? Any early present-openers out there?

Achievement earned!

shirt, skirt: thrifted
boots: Target
necklace: gifted
Yes, I just pretty much compared my life to a video game. And I'll explain. But first, a few things about these photos:
- They are crazy old. Hence the bare legs. And the reddish, not-yet-re-dyed hair.
- My friend Chasity shot these, only we used my camera instead of hers. So while the pics are still better than my self-shot images, my camera can't compare to the awesomeness that is hers. See for yourself, here and here.
- I apparently can't resist getting "the butt shot" in pencil skirts. Proof.

But as for this achievement. Yesterday, as you may or may not know, was Cyber Monday. Basically a more humane version of Black Friday, in which we can get all the deals from the comfort of our couches, without waiting for hours in line, freezing our butts off, missing Thanksgiving or, you know,getting trampled half to death. Anyway, I decided to do all of my Christmas shopping last night. I already had my entire list ready to go, thanks to Pinterest-secret-board method, so I grabbed my credit card and my laptop and got to it. Two hours, $300 and 15 transactions later, I entered my card number for my second-to-last purchase. And it didn't work. I retyped it and tried it on a different site. Still no dice. That's right, I used my credit card to death. Had to put the rest on my debit. ULTIMATE SHOPPING WIN!

For any of you who follow my Fiscal Fridays and the whole path-to-being-debt-free thing I'm doing (hi Dad!), don't worry. I only charged the gifts out of convenience; I'm paying the whole thing off (every cent of every purchase!) when I get paid on Friday. Savvy shopper right here! Except for the whole credit-card-being-declined-from-overuse thing. That's not so savvy.

Fiscal Fridays: Christmas edition

First off, i would like to officially admit that I am off the Financial Diet wagon this month. It seemed rather inevitable...after all, December has a comparatively high number of holiday obligations. And with all that Christmas shopping, one can hardly help but eat out more, or picking up an item or two for oneself. (Though I'm pleased to say that I kept the personal shopping to an absolute minimum. I just dined out a lot more, and went to a number of BYOB-style parties, so that's where all my money went.)

Anyway, I'm giving myself a pass for the month. I have months of successful Financial Dieting under my belt. I see this month as a kind of "reward." And since the money I've been spending is money I actually have (i.e., I haven't been using my credit card! at all!), I feel much less guilty about bending the rules. But this isn't a post about overspending in December. It's a post about getting your budget ready for next Christmas.


(Illustration by yours truly)

If you're anything like me, you start saving for your Christmas fund in roughly October or November. And I'm willing to bet that it puts a heck of a strain on your budget. So this year, I'll be doing the Dave Ramsay approach: an "envelope" fund. I'll be saving X amount (haven't decided yet...probably around $25) a month, starting in January. And I'm keeping it in a regular envelope, with a tracker on the front (like a checkbook register) to help me visualize what's in there. The best part? If I see something in June that would make a perfect gift for, say, my mom, I can go ahead and buy it then. Without stretching my budget that month, or charging it, or hoping that it's still available in November. Bam!

Here's the tracker I made. You can use the memo line to keep track of the envelope's balance, or to make notes when you use some of the money inside (say, "$30 spent on ___ for ___"). Here's an example of the version I'll be using. You can copy it, tape/glue it to the front of an envelope, and get saving! Just make sure you hide the envelope where a burglar can't steal it, or where you won't "accidentally" dip into the money for non-Christmassy things! (Oh, and if you want the full-size or editable version of this image, email me and I'll send it to you. Blogger doesn't host files for download, and I couldn't find a site I liked well enough to link to, so I couldn't make this a downloadable file for you guys. Sorry!)



Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone! I'm off this weekend for a whirlwind of relatives. Thank God some of them live here in Columbus...I quite enjoy sleeping in my own bed :)

More Christmas music!

Okay, so maybe I'm milking the holiday for all it's worth. Or maybe I just don't have any outfit photos ready. Or maybe it's both. EIther way, I thought I'd continue yesterday's holiday music theme with an actual playlist of the songs mentioned! (Thanks, Jeff, for giving me the embed code.)



And I'm not saying the list is incomplete, but my good bloggy friend Loren had a suggestion to add:



And while we're add it, I'm throwing this one into the mix:



What are your favorite modern Christmas tunes? Link to the YouTube video in the comments!

Guest post: Top ten modern holiday songs

Oh man, the holidays are kicking my butt around here! There simply aren't enough hours in the day. Fortunately, my good friend Jeff has some holiday cheer to share with you all. Enjoy :)

Source: landeeseelandeedo.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I start my annual holiday music sweep of local radio stations at about 5PM on Thanksgiving Day. I’ve become a connoisseur of carols, and a savant of the sacred and secular chants. I’ve heard “Christmas Shoes” 146 times and if that doesn’t qualify me for an Honorary Doctorate of Christmas Music, I’m not sure what will. It gives me great holiday joy (and apparently, equivalent college credit) to bring you my Top Ten Modern Holiday songs of 2011!

10. Weezer – Christmas Song: Weezer has had a long career and my love for them started with the release of Weezer(Green). The best part about that album, you ask? Well, it’s the hidden Christmas track found as a B-Side on the Japanese release, of course! Ok, that’s not the best part of the album, but it gives it a little extra re-playability. Basically, this song is what “O Holy Night” and “Rainbow Connection” would sound like with a little bit post-grunge flavor added. Enjoy!

9. The Decemberists – January Hymn: Moving away from the 90s and into this year, I present you with a track off The Decemberists’ newest album, The King Is Dead. Now, this one isn’t exactly what I would call a Christmas tune, but it captures the winter season in such a bittersweet sense. It’s a beautiful acoustic track that will make you want to get warm by the fire with a nice fair trade cup of coffee.

8. Feist – Please Be Patient: Stephen Colbert is a lucky man to have Feist so enamored with him. It came as no surprise that she opted to be on A Colbert Christmas and was fantastic on it. This is a funny one (no shocker there) that will have you both enjoying the “Angels We Have Heard On High” backing track and Feist’s modified, customer service-based lyrics. Best to listen to it while you’re in line at JCPenney’s buying that extra batch of Snuggies… you know, just in case…

7. Local Natives – We Come Back: Before you start to leave an annoyed comment about how hard it was to find this song, don’t worry, I know. Regional B-Side doesn’t begin to describe how hard it was to find this song after I first heard it. The song itself is catchy (find a Local Natives song that isn’t) and honestly, the only thing that really distinguishes it as a Christmas song is the bells. Fine, you caught me. I was just trying to get Local Natives on the list. Don’t look at me like that; you know you liked it anyway.

6. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal: This song will forever bring me back to winter regardless of the time of year. That’s the kind of power I demand of seasonal songs. Again, we’re full-on secular with this one, but no one can deny how expertly crafted those harmonies are. You can find this on the Fleet Foxes self-titled from 2008. Maybe after the holiday season, take a listen to the rest of the album. It might just get you through those mid-winter blues.

Intermission: It’s that time to get up, stretch, maybe do a Sudoku, or possibly start with the pre-verdict comment. Go ahead. I’m not watching…..
….you missed that 8 in the bottom left. Also, you already have a 4 in that row. …what?

5. She & Him – Christmas Day: We have to have a She & Him song this year! Matt and Zooey are a great combination of Indie royalty. They just put out a new Christmas album this year and it just goes to show that indie doesn’t have to be sad to be good. (It certainly helps, though, right?) Christmas Day is one of the lesser knowns on the album, but it’s not the typical cliché cover which is what I’m trying to avoid at all costs…

4. Sufjan Stevens – Come Thou Fount: How did this typical cliché get in here? Because it’s amazing, that’s how. I know I said I would try to avoid these, but this is such a wonderful rendition that I couldn’t help it. If you’re familiar with Sufjan, all you need to know is Sufjan + Banjo = the key to living a happy life. This is leaning heavy into the sacred category of holiday songs, but again, the sheer amazingness of this song earns it a religious overtones pass. This time…

3. The Raveonettes – Christmas Song: What’s up with everyone trying to redefine “Christmas Song?”
Step 1: Use your signature sound.
Step 2: Add jingle bells
Step 3: Call it “Christmas Song”
Step 4: ????
Step 5: Prophet. (See what I did there?)
The problem for me has always been I love The Raveonettes ‘ signature sound and adding jingle bells just makes me want to start cutting down pine trees to bring to underprivileged, abused, orphaned puppies…with antlers. Do you appreciate that kind of scenery? Good, you’ve proven that you’re part of this demographic. Stay with me for this next one.

2. Matteo Scumaci – Branch In The Spokes: Fair warning, this is a sad holiday song, but what would the classics be without “I’ll Be Home For Christmas?” Besides that, this is a fantastic song on its own. Matteo has a great voice and the arrangement sounds eerily like Ozzy’s “Mama I’m Coming Home” which I’m alright with. Best to listen to as you’re drifting off to sleep after your fourth spiced eggnog. I call them Nogquils.

1. Pomplamoose – Always In The Season: This is a song that came out in 2009 from the YouTube band made up of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn. It’s been a staple on every holiday playlist I’ve made since then. The old time, Miracle-on-34th-Street-esque feel and sound really propels this to the top. How do you make great holiday music? You ask these guys.

Bam! What a list. Now go download legally purchase yourself some hot holiday tracks!

Christmas week begins

First things first. I'm pretty excited-slash-flattered, because the blog Be In Style recently featured me on their best of the web! Click here to go check it out. There are some other really great blogs featured there as well, so make sure you give them a peek too!

Now. On to the real topic for today. Christmas is this weekend!! I am pretty adamantly against people who try to start the Christmas season the second they're done eating turkey and pie on Thanksgiving, but when it comes down to it, I do still really enjoy this holiday. Matt and I (okay, I) decorated the house last weekend. It's not much...we wanted to keep it simple to see how the cat would react. (Her name's not Spazcat McGillicutty for no reason), but it's turned out pretty well and I think I've convinced Matt we should get a real tree next year!









(These photos also gave me the chance to try out some new Photoshop actions I downloaded. I think I like this vintage-y one!)

We also opened our Christmas presents this weekend, since Matt will be travelling all week, and we'll be doing various family celebrations all weekend. He absolutely loved his grill, and I'm smitten with the awesome food processor he got me. It has slicing and grating discs, plus a dough-making one. We're going to be eating some delicious meals in the new year, that's for sure!

In other news? We refinished our bedroom floor this weekend. Well, Matt did. I helped scrape up a little of the old polyurethane that was peeling really badly, then I left to get groceries and make some delicious chili for dinner. I like having a handyman boyfriend :) And I think he's pretty fond of having a cook girlfriend, haha. Anyway, we had to move our bed into the living room. On the floor. And most of my closet is currently in the kitchen, so my clothes won't smell like varnish. But sleeping in the living room kind of felt like we were having a sleepover. We watched a movie and made popcorn. Kinda cute :) ...But I'll still be glad when we can move back into our bedroom.