Have an Etsy Etsy Christmas (my first ever Exceptional Etsy Gift Review) (plus a little 80′s nostalgia thrown in for good measure)
Get it? Etsy Etsy? Funky Funky? New Kids on the Block? No? K. Just to prove that I’m not completely insane (and to solidify the fact that I’m a major nerd – this is some rather awful NKOTB tune-age, but… I kinda like it) here’s the Funky Funky Christmas Youtube proof, c/o Arsenio Hall (yep! We’re going waaay back in time here!)
Admittedly, there are some really bad dance moves going on in this video (I can almost hear the choreographer: “Oooh! Running man! Yes – we most definitely need more running man!”) And I have no idea why Jon is missing from this performance. Maybe he was having a bad hair day? I wouldn’t show up for Arsenio Hall on a bad hair day either. You think they’d mention it though, no?
Strange.
Then again, Jon was never really my favourite. If Joe had been missing? Chaos and woe. Jon? Meh. He never really did that much for me, truth be told. And Jon eventually left the group anyway, right? I think? I might be a little bit behind (by, like, 20 years perhaps) in my NKOTB gossip.
All that aside (although I could ramble on about New Kids for quite a while if you’d like) (Joe? Now HE had good hair) (so dreamy… swoon!), this post is obviously a little late (since we’re now two weeks post-the-big-red-and-green holiday) but I wanted to show off a couple of my favourite Etsy Christmas purchases (which then became my favourite Etsy Christmas gifts!)
Awesome Etsy Christmas gift #1: Kitty Candles from Kitty Baby Love
I fell in love (at first sight, in fact) with these little chubby cat-shaped crayons. So cute! So friendly looking! And when they arrived, smiling at me happily from their little egg carton container, I seriously wanted to break out my colouring book.
(The little yellow one in the bottom right is my fave. “Pick me! Pick me!” he says.) (And yes, I just assigned a personality to a crayon… Weird? Probably.)
I think my niece liked them too. Well, rather, she liked the wrapping paper I wrapped them in. (She’s only one, so she hasn’t quite gotten the hang of that whole the-gift-is-the-thing-that’s-wrapped-IN-the paper-not-the-paper/packaging-itself concept.) And while she’s not yet actually at the colouring stage, she will be soon! So excited to see what lovely scribbles these happy little balls of kitty-shaped awesomeness will produce. :)
Awesome Etsy Christmas gift #2: T-shirts for Sweetie from Quasi Science Apparel
I have only three words to describe my transaction with the folk over at Quasi Science Apparel: fastest shipping ever. Ev-ver. Seriously. I purchased three t-shirts on a Monday, and by Wednesday (as in, two – TWO! – days later) they arrived. I was flabbergasted! (And thrilled!) Albeit, Quasi Science Apparel is based out of Canada (like me!), so there were no customs-hoops to jump through or anything like that. But still? Two days? That’s pretty darn amazing if you ask me.
And the t-shirts are fantastic too! For Sweetie, I bought…
…the Tesla t-shirt (since, well, he is an electrician afterall):
…the “Geek” written in binary t (since, um, he’s also kind of a geek) (which is precisely why I love him):
…and, my absolute favourite (and Sweetie’s too, I think): the SCLF (Schrodinger’s Cat Liberation Front) t-shirt:
The best part? The back…
Totally makes me smile. :)
For the record, and in case you were also wondering, I’m not really sure who Tesla is either. I know he did something important, probably involving electricity? And he was in an 80′s hair band too, I think. Does anyone else out there remember (nervously/sweatily) dancing with some (equally nervous/sweaty) boy at some random school dance to Love Song?
Sigh. Oh, 1980′s… you were tacky, but you kinda rocked.
So there you go! My post-Christmas (and rather tardy) Exceptional Etsy Gift Review. Plus a lot of 80′s nostalgia. Because there’s nothing like a well-choreographed boy band, and a little power ballad-ness too, to perk up even the gloomiest January day. :)
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Reflecting just a little on 2012 (and hoping for an amazing 2013)
Exactly one year ago today, I (albeit somewhat timidly) hit the big scary PUBLISH button to send my first post out into the rather intimidating internet-world, thus officially starting this tiny little blog (woo! Happy bloggiversary to me!) I started this blog to keep family updated on our various goings-ons (my dad and my father-in-law are my biggest fans) (hi Dad! Hi Ron!) and to put picture-proof to the multitude of renos that I’m constantly rambling on about to friends (hi friends!)
Now that 2012 is leaving us (can I say good riddance?) (yup – it’s official: I’m saying good riddance) (I’m more than just a little perturbed at the year 2012 has been) and making way for the fine and outstanding year that 2013 is going to be (I have reallllly high hopes for you, 2013!) I thought that now might be a good time to give thanks for another year. 2012 really hasn’t been the best year (it’s kinda sucked – a lot – at times), but I’m still here and I still have my Sweetie and my family and my cats and my friends, so, in the grander scheme of things, 2012 was ok. I didn’t win the lottery (I was expecting a massive lottery win in 2012) and I didn’t take that cross-European trip I really wanted (so disappointed that that one didn’t pan out as planned) but all in all, I suppose 2012 wasn’t entirely bad.
So, to 2012, as you leave us (and as I dance my little bon voyage happy dance) I would like to extend my thanks for the following…
I’m thankful for friends. Both new and old. Friends who made me laugh. Ones who kept me going this year with encouragement. Ones who let me cry. Ones who let me vent. Friends who reminded me that eventually everything works out, with a little patience and lots (and lots and lots) (and lots) of perseverance (when the time is right.)
I’m thankful for our snazzy new vacuum, the fabulous Mr D (aka the Dyson DC37) (fur? What fur?) And for our new washer and dryer too (dear LG: Love you!)
I’m thankful for two new furbabies who joined our family in May. I think Jacob is thankful for them too (but he’ll likely never admit to that) (he’s a rather stoic and serious orange cat, you know.)
I’m thankful for our cozy little 1940s house. It’s tiny, but it’s more than enough space for Sweetie and me and our three little furry roommates. I’m pretty sure my house, on the other hand, is thankful for Benjamin Moore.
I’m thankful for family. My family, Sweetie’s family, extended non-related-but-just-as-loving-and-amazing family. I’m thankful for long phone chats and Christmas baking with my mom. For coffee runs and Diners Drive-Ins & Dives marathons with my dad. I’m thankful for my niece, the sweetest little one year old ever. I’m thankful for laughter-filled dinners with my in-laws, and long emails from family-like friends. I’m pretty darn lucky to have so many awesome people in my life.
I’m thankful for wine (the super girly pink stuff, of course) and dill pickle cream cheese and pumpernickel bread and pizza. And brownies. But I think we’re all thankful for brownies.
I’m thankful for good health and a creative mind.
And so many other things.
So, as we wish 2012 adieu, I’d like to present the following wish to all my friends and family (found during a random Pinterest patrol via the lovely blog Beige Infection):
…and I think that says it all. :)
Happy New Year! May 2013 bring you everything you want and much much much more. Wishing you good health, great friends, and love.
And lots of brownies. One can never have too many brownies. :)
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Merry Christmas! (and some very important reminders about sheep and stuff)
It’s Christmas Eve today (yay!), which means today is the day that Sweetie and I head home to spend Christmas with my family. Can’t wait! My family is a family full of traditions, especially Christmas traditions, and our annual Christmas Eve arrival (followed by Christmas Eve pizza – of course! – and, most importantly, my dad’s reading of a very special story) is something I look forward to every year.
The cats will be alone on Christmas Day, but they’re not overly concerned – we had our own pre-Christmas celebration here at the house this morning and over the weekend. There were tiny little reindeer antlers. There were gifts to unwrap and catnip mice. And they even snuggled up with us for a bit to watch White Christmas (my absolute favourite Christmas movie ever.)
And, on that note, and in case you’ve never seen White Christmas, I wanted to sign off for the holidays with the lyrics from one of the songs from that movie. In all honesty, 2012 has been a bit of a bear. While there have been some really amazing and wonderful moments this year, it’s also been a really hard year for a few of my friends (and, well, for us too at times.) I think this song is really good advice for us all…
Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)
When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep
Counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep
Counting my blessings
I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep
Counting your blessings
That Irving Berlin guy was pretty amazing eh?
Sending so much love out to my friends and family over the holidays. I hope the next couple of days are filled with good food, the lively and familiar company of family and friends, and lots of lovely surprises.
Merry Christmas all! :)
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Lessons learned (the truth about cats)
Cats don’t understand decorative objects.
Cats don’t understand that wicker balls are pretty, not playthings. And that these pretty wicker balls belong in the lovely white bowl on the dining room table, not on the floor.
Cats also apparently think that it’s ok to get up on the dining room table when mom isn’t watching.
Yep. Lessons learned.
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Dusting off my paintbrush (hello, bedroom… prepare to be painted…)
I’m going through a little bit of painting withdrawal, I think. It’s been almost TWO WHOLE MONTHS since I’ve painted anything around here. Shocked? Me too. I’m pretty sure that’s a new record. (For me at least.) (For everyone else, that’s called “being normal.”)
During our weekly marathon phone date the other day, my friend Jess (who blogs over at Little Townhome Love) asked me what on earth could possibly still need painting in this house (since it does indeed seem like I’ve been painting since the day we moved in, like, two+ years ago.) Let’s just say I’m a methodical painter. I take my time.
In fact, my typical painting process looks a bit like this…
Day 1: Patch the walls and caulk every seam in the room. Time consuming? Yes. Annoying and messy? Omg, yes. But totally worth it? Yes.
Day 2: Prime. You know, since there’s nothing like watching mystery stains left by the previous home owners seep through your lovely new paint job. Yep. Love that.
Day 3: Paint ceiling. (Have I ever mentioned how much I hate painting ceilings? I do. I really really do.) Try to keep paint from flying everywhere and damaging hardwood.
Day 4: Paint ceiling again to cover up thin spots from previous day’s painting. Swear just a bit.
Day 5: Paint walls. Do an awkward little happy dance in celebration that wall-painting day has finally arrived!
Day 6: Paint walls again (since that whole one-coat-coverage concept never seems to work for me.)
Day 7: Admire how awesome walls look, then begin painting trim. Tape everything off first (since despite about a gazillion hours spent painting over the past few years, painting in a straight line is still very very hard.) Sigh and grumble about how much I hate painting trim.
Day 8: Slap a second coat of paint on trim. Grumble some more. But! Then remove all painters tape and squeal a happy little squeal of joy at the results. Jump up and down a bit. Have a celebratory glass of wine. Or two.
Day 9: Spend far too much time standing in the centre of newly painted room staring and admiring. Bring cats in and make them admire too. Find Sweetie and ask him multiple times if he thinks it looks nice. Pout just a little when he gets tired of exclaiming, for the gazillion-th time, that it looks awesome.
So yep, there – painting a room is about an eight day process for me. Which is probably longer than most people, but I’m a tad nit-picky and obsessive over things like caulking baseboards and trim seams to the wall and priming and those sorts of things. And, well, I can only paint on weekends (and only on those weekends on which we don’t already have other plans) so I work in little bursts. A weekend here… a weekend there… an entire room probably takes me about a month-ish (maybe a little more) to fully finish up (from ceiling to walls to trim – when I paint a room, I paint EVERYTHING.) (Woo! Go big or go home!) So while I may not be the fastest painter on the block, the job gets done. More or less correctly. Eventually.
This weekend I will pick up my beloved paint brush once again, and (FINALLY!) begin working on my bedroom (which I chatted a bit about HERE a while back.) I finished up Step 1 a long time ago (like, months ago) and my walls have been pleading with me for paint ever since (since now they’re all patchy and rather ugly. Which is pretty darn embarrassing if you’re a wall.)
Yep. By the end of the weekend all this will be covered up…
…in lovely Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter-ness. I can’t wait. :)
Jacob is pretty crazy excited too.
Irwin and Erik? Not so much.
Happy Friday!
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