Christmas Decorating & Holiday Lights

Well, my lil' fake Christmas tree is up! I've actually had it up since just after Thanksgiving, but finally have a camera to take pictures of it now. :) Ain't it cute and festive?

Yep, presents already under the tree! There's a lot more under there now... I think I'm FINALLY done with my Christmas shopping! WOOHOO!

This little penguin guy is my most favorite ornament on my tree. It's really heavy, and totally made out of glass. I don't know why, but it cracks me up every time. I think it's the googly eyes, and the fact that he's wearing a life preserver. Love it!

This one is my 2nd favorite! My mom got it for me one year. I love Looney Tunes cartoons, and there's nothing more hilarious than Bugs Bunny in drag.

My set-up! It's quaint, but it's home.

Earlier this week, John (the dude I've been dating since this post) and I went to see the Christmas Lights at the Botanic Gardens in Denver. I had never been, and it was super pretty. Not sure if it was worth $9.50 per person pretty, but it was a nice evening. After that John watched "Elf" from my couch while I finished writing my Christmas cards and wrapped gifts. He's such a nice fella. ;)

It was really dark, so difficult to get a clear picture of the lights with such a slow shutter speed. I decided to run with it though, and "paint" with the light! (aka wiggling my camera around to make streaky-lights). It was fun.



This is John. He's a goofball, but I like him that way. :)


That's the moon up there! Pretty neato!







That's me! I do love Christmas lights.... so pretty!




He's so cute...
... me too!
I think this photo is my favorite from the night - I love how simple it is, and I love the colors.

And what would a visit to the Botanic Gardens be without some flowers?

Ho Ho Hoes VS The Grinches Bout!

A couple of weekends ago we had another friends & family bout featuring all Kill Scout level and Newbie skaters (that haven't passed their skills test yet).

It was the Ho Ho Hoes (My team) VS the Grinches, and boy was it a heck of a bout! We were down about 30 points most of the game, but tore it UP during the 2nd period lessening the gap by 20 points - final score 102 Grinches, 92 Hos. I couldn't have been happier though, and it was a super fun game.

My name for the bout was Mistle Ho #K155. But the biggest deal is that I chose my official derby name now! In the derby world, I'll now be called Sweet Dee Termination #3710 (symbolic of the first day I put on skates since I was a kid). ;)

I'm pretty darn happy - even in a mouthguard. ;)

Cat A Combs (center) and Sunny D were such good blockers - they were on me the whole time! They did a great job though - I love those girls!


That's my derby wife - Quentin Tarintoya. She can one-on-one block the crap outta anybody. That was pretty much my goal the entire bout - trying to get by her!

Well howdy, everybody!!

One of my favorite photos of the day! I guess that's why they call me Dee Termination, huh? ;)

Who knew the holidays could look so mean? Haha!

I'm still trucking, but BOY am I tired!

All black & white photos courtesy of Dave Wood Photography.
All color photos courtesy of Jay Vollmar.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!

Crazy Crazy Christmastime (yep, again this year!)

Last year I made a little post here about Christmastime, and all it's craziness!

Pretty much the same thing goes for this year, of course. I haven't had time to post any new updates lately due to all of the holiday party scheduling that I've been doing at work, the spending time with friends, the derby, the Christmas shopping & gift-creating.... it's been nuts.

Part of me wishes that there was some snow falling in Denver, because as of now its 60 and sunny! It's gorgeous and all, but it doesn't quite feel like the holidays without it. I've been blasting holiday music on my iPod all day trying to counteract those feelings (mostly Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You").

Anyway, back to work for me! I will certainly get another post (with fun pictures) in before the holiday is in full swing - if I can find time, that is. Hope you're all having a WONDERFUL holiday season so far! :)

Rough Day, but Awesome News

Today has kinda been sucky.

Found out my car needs more repairs (AGAIN), and I'm trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to keep living off the money I'm (barely) making. It's frustrating, and a huge bummer.

On a very VERY happy note, that is balancing out the shitty rough day...

I AM OFFICIALLY A FULL LEAGUE MEMBER OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROLLERGIRLS!!!

Yes, you heard that right! And I couldn't be happier. I still have to pass my skills test (which should hopefully be coming up soon) in order to bout, but the girls felt that my attendance, volunteering efforts, and all-around good attitude made me worthy of being a full-fledged part of the team.

So that means I get to pick my derby name and number!! Still not sure what those are going to be yet, so ideas are more than welcome. I'm so excited about that, it's hard to be upset about the cruddy day today!

Thanksgiving is almost here!!

I think it goes without saying (even though I've said it 900 times) that I LOVE THANKSGIVING! The cooking, the eating, the family, the friends, the wine, the games - everything!!

I had my menu almost entirely planned out before Halloween, so I'm pretty darn excited. Here is my Thanksgiving menu 2010!

Breakfast
Date & Goat Cheese Muffins

Appetizers / snacks
Brie with jelly & caramelized pears + crackers
“Prosciutto” filled with happiness (I'm making these with smoked salmon instead of prosciutto)
Cinnamon roasted pecans (I get this request every year! They're great for munching on beforehand, and they aren't too filling)

Side dishes
Salad (our friend Deb is bringing this)
Roasted Beets
Spinach & Chard Gruyere casserole (I'm adding the chard from the beets to this, just for fun!)
Smashed red potatoes, topped with crunchy kale chips
Cranberry Sauce (my little sister is in charge of this - she's a pro at the homemade kind!)
Vegan Gravy
Pumpkin stuffed with everything good
Stuffed Mushrooms (vegan)
Sweet potatoes (mom is in charge of this dish)
Biscuits with fancy butters (dad is making the butters)

Main dishes
Seitan with mushrooms & port (I'm the only vegetarian this year - what the heck? This is a super delicious recipe though - I've made it 3 years in a row. Huge hit for non-veggies too!)
Turkey & Stuffing (mom is in charge of this too - meat is yucky)

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ice Cream
(my mom is in charge of all of these)

Drinks
Wine (duh)
Mulled Cider (another thing my little sis is a pro at making!)
Port (personal favorite)

And again, with camera(s) still broken (yes, I even broke my mom's), all images courtesy of we heart it dot com.



One of my most favoritest Friends episodes!!! I dunno, something about Monica doing a shimmy with a Turkey on her head cracks me up something awful! :)




How adorable are these little guys?? I'm going to have to make them next year. Well, maybe. they look like they might take a little bit of time. ;)

OH, and if you've never seen the movie "Home for the Holidays" with Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey, Jr, etc - you absolutely must!! It's one of those utterly hilarious family comedies that everyone can relate to in one way or another. If you think your family is crazy.... you know what I'm saying. ;)

HAPPY TOFURKEY DAY, EVERYONE!!

Oh my oh my.... SHOES!!!

Uh-oh.... just came across an amazing shoe website!!!
Uhm, anybody want to get me any (or ALL) of these for Christmas??

Aren't they AWESOME!?!?

Here's the website - I'm totally in love: http://www.sinistersoles.com/