happiness and cheer

Dear Santa Claus,

How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want. Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?

All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

This is my first Christmas as a real Grown Up. I've spent the last few weeks making lists of people I needed/wanted to buy gifts for, and then actually getting and making them, and then addressing Christmas cards, and thinking about in-laws and extended family, and signing everything "Love, Emily & Ames". That's my favorite part about this Grown Up Christmas-- the "Emily & Ames" part. But also, in being Grown Up, I don't even really have a Christmas Wish List.

I'll pause while you gasp.











I know, right? I have a theory about this-- I think I have been overwhelmed by gifts this year, with the getting married and all. And we even continue to receive wedding gifts. We got one today in fact, no lie. Also there was that time when we went a little crazy with my summer bonus a few months ago, so I mean, there's not much that I really want. I like pretty things. Easy.

Actually I lied. I wish for my orders from Amazon and Barnes & Noble to get here on time like whoa.

In the meantime, look what we have, where we can put any of those items from my non-existent wish list!
I have my very own Christmas tree in our very own house which we bought together, in the spirt of Charlie Brown! Look at how darling and sparse and skinny it is! All it needed was a little love, and a $10 gold star from Target that I'm actually obsessed with, and now it's the Perfect Tree. Also I made this tree skirt:
Weren't we cute when we were eight years old?I don't start my new job till January 4, so I fully plan on sitting in this living room watching LOST on Netflix for two full weeks, in view of this Christmas tree.

ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas.

head pretties

I was speaking with one of the owners of the theater the other day about how I love headbands. To be honest, that's a bit of an understatement. I mentioned how I have approximately 40 headbands-- I mean, give or take. She said to me, "That sounds like an obsession!" but I insisted that many of them have been gifts, especially in the last year or so. Then she said, "Oh, well then it's a collection." She did that face she does when she's sounding teasing, but insistent. But my point:

I have a collection of 40+ headbands
(give or take but mostly give)

You know how people sometimes have their "thing"? Like, Julie has belts, and my sister has cool/weird necklaces, and my mom has bracelets. Headbands are kind of My Thing, to say the least, along with cardigans (which will be a different blog post entirely). Sometimes I walk into stores and my thought process is literally, "HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS" and then I go try them all on every single one. I am a Headband Connoisseur.

I received seven headbands for my birthday this year (three with feathers, two with bows, one with both). If you think I'm hard to buy for, you're wrong. I told Ames I wasn't going to buy any more for myself ever again, but have bought four more since then. I have a bin in my linen closet to hold them all. Ames teased me, but it's better than having them scattered around the house, wouldn't you say?

I think the fondness began early, owing to my mom's self-proclaimed inability to "do hair." Thus, as a two year old:

I'm the stylin' one on the left

Ta da! An easy and adorable (if I do say so) quick-fix. And the thing for bows on headbands certainly continues (16 in my collection) :

The Greatest Bow Headband to Exist while drinking a Diet Coke (surprise!) in Paris, France

(Eiffel Tower to my left, not pictured)

One of the greatest things about headbands is the grand variety-- a headband for any occasion!

Intense Christmas Carol party headband
(curls not included)

9th grade competitive Irish dancer headband

Honeymoon in Disneyland wedding Minnie Mouse ears with a veil headband

Waiting on the plane for four hours to leave New York City awesome head wrapping headband
(featuring Anna Mortimer)

Look how cute Ames Bell is headband

Happy New Year/We threw a party and people came headband
(featuring Julie Garbutt)

Allow me to introduce a few of my recent favorites from my expanding collection:

Feathers are rarely a bad idea headband

Bejeweled headband

My middle name is Rosie the Riveter headband

I feel like a Who in Whoville would wear this oversized bow headband

THE BEST PART IS: I have never spent more than $7 on a headband in my life.

GOOD FOR: Dressing up/down an outfit, cuteifying dirty/gross hair, making a ponytail more interesting, pushing bangs off your face, accenting how cute your bangs are, conversation starters, making yourself look younger in headshots (truth), collecting something inexpensive but awesome.

HEADBANDS TO AVOID: Anything more than $10 because why are you spending that much?, anything over-the-top that makes you look like a poser, anything that looks like it should be drawn onto a Peanuts character.

black friday

We ventured out yesterday afternoon on Black Friday, not so much to participate in any kind of deals, but to get a Christmas tree stand (with a Home Depot gift card that we got as a wedding gift, so we were actually spending someone else's money!). Kind of boring, unless you're a newlywed girl who is preparing for Christmas for the first time, in which case you get real jazzed about things like Christmas tree stands and strings of lights and darling ceramic bird ornaments for $0.99 at Target.

Anyway, there is something to be said about the gross consumerism of Black Friday-- being around the crazies grappling at everything they can get their thrifty hands on, shoving past people to see exactly which DVDs are on sale for $3.99 (even if you're not interested in actually buying them), and reveling in the spirit of a Capitalist Christmas (we'll wait to acknowledge the religious aspect-- you know, the important part-- for December 1st).

Here are some materialistic highlights of the day:

1. 50% - 70% off EVERYTHING at Aeropostale
This is not an exaggeration. Everything in the store was literally 50% - 70% off. Usually I have a hard time finding clothes for myself in Aeropostale these days (in spite of my 7th grade allegiance, since I basically limited myself to Aero and Old Navy for a whole year), but Ames is nice and tall and slim, which is just about right for the cut of Aero clothes. Also they have cute jewelry and bags and smells and my friend Tanner works there, so we bounced in on a whim.

Result:

actual images unavailable due to a network connection failure at aeropostale.com
corduroy pants for Ames / grey & silver striped leggings for me = 50% off

I can't speak for Ames's pants, but these striped leggings are not only adorable and affordable, but they look fantastic with cranberry colored knit boots and a dark gray striped boyfriend cardigan.

2. Lunchtime
Five Guys wasn't having any kind of deal, but it didn't keep the lines from going out the door! Can you imagine what it must have been like at In-N-Out? I don't even want to know. There wasn't a table to be hand, particularly when other customers heartlessly vultured tables from under us as we stood there awkwardly, food in hand, looking pathetic and helpless. Since Black Friday is all about dog-eat-dog, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Maybe those same customers will be a little less cut-throat come December 1st, when Christmas starts to focus on The True Meaning of Christmas a little more.

Result:
bacon cheeseburgers, soda and cajun-flavored fries

Just as delicious and fresh as any other burger I might have had yesterday from any other establishment to ensure fresh and delicious flavor. No free refills for us, however, since we finally just took our bag of food to the mall food court where we were immediately able to find a table. Thanks for nothing, other Five Guys patrons!


3. Forever 21 never fails
I know I promised that I wouldn't provide myself with any more headbands for my collection, and I already have a large selection of cardigans to wear on a daily basis, but what could I do when faced with unbearable cuteness? Anyone else would have done the same, I defy you to tell me they wouldn't have, regardless of sales not applicable to these specific items (though I applaud my friend Julie for her efforts to advertise Black Friday promos on her first full day of work).

Result:
photos to come later, due to lack of time at work to post

I've looked at this cardigan a few times and have talked myself out of it in the past, but there comes a time when I just have to give in after a while. And are you KIDDING ME about that headband?!?!!? RIGHT??!!


4. Adam Lambert is for MY entertainment
For curiosity's sake, we wound up at Target, mostly in search of a Christmas tree topper (found one, didn't get it, going back for it eventually). We already have a pretty TV, and I already have three pairs of boots from Target (don't worry about it) and aside from The Dark Knight, I didn't care to spend money on DVDs for the sake of a good deal. We couldn't pass up some music, however, regardless of a recently controversial performance.

Result:

I don't care what you say, this man has a voice that is not to be believed. And the album cover looks like freakin' Xanadu. XANADU, you guys. $10 for more eyeliner than you've ever seen on a man and that screaming voice is more than a deal, if you ask me (which you did, since you're reading my blog).


Conclusion: A successful Black Friday. Saw some friends, ate some food, spent some dollars. And I'm looking forward to listening to Adam Lambert while we set up our Christmas tree while wearing striped leggings and corduroys and cardigans and a headband (for me, not for Ames).