it's okay!

It's Thursday, so it's time for another It's Okay Thursday link-up with Amber and Neely!

It's okay...

...to be dreading New Year's Eve just a tiny bit. 1. The pressure to make sure NYE is always a big blasty blast can be a bit of a let-down when the night doesn't end up meeting expectations. 2. Let's be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready to greet 2012 just yet! I've barely processed 2011. 

(and OMG I DIE to this picture Laura found)

...to sometimes let the little things go.

...to tell someone what they need to hear, even if you might disagree.

...to do a little retail therapy once in a while!

...to party into the wee hours of the morning. On a Tuesday. In The Middle of Nowhere, Texas. 

...to eat dinner at Central Market because no one feels like cooking.

...to be looking forward to writing your 2011 recap post. 

What is everyone doing for NYE? We're doing the house party thing, though I'm going to go to Uptown before to spend a little time with the girls.

Happy Thursday, friends.

some ramblings, just in time for christmas.

...hi! I'm alive. Work has been hectic, I've been stressed by all the things, and I found myself away from the Internet a lot. But I've missed you guys!

...SANTA! OMG SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM. I KNOW HIM!

Christmas is SO right around the corner! I already had Christmas at my grandparent's house yesterday, and it was a blast. My grandma, as I'm sure I've told you guys before, is a straight up gangsta. I mean, the woman is CRAFTY and she makes some of the most amazing things. Don't believe me? Here's, ya know, a STAINED GLASS MOSAIC she made me. No big deal. (And this is one of five that I, personally, have. There are many more.)

Yeah, I know. Baller status. I wish I could get a better pic of it in the sunlight in its real glory.

This year she has been making a lot of crosses, so I figured I'd get a new cross, but she really surprised me!

She made me a mosaic picture frame and put a pic of me and Drew in it! I LOVE IT. And could y'all do me a favor and please disregard that I have Twilight stacked on top of a collection of my favorite Dickens novels? Charles Dickens is rolling in his grave...

AND this K initial! I can hang or stand both the frame and the K. I wish y'all could see it in person because each glass piece has glitter in it.

She also made my mom and I about a million different infinity scarves because I told her I wanted one. Like, one scarf. So she made fifty. She's always doing things like that and I just love her for it. My grandparents have bought me all kinds of things over the years from Kindles to iPods, but it's the handmade treasures such as her scarves, mosaics, paintings, etc. that I am most proud of.

Oh yeah, and I'm also super in love with my grandparents today because my grandpa basically surprised the bajeezus out of granny. They don't usually get each other gifts. After fifty years, I guess they decided to just get things when they want them and forgo the whole gift-giving ritual. Well, after all the presents to me, my mom, and my dad (and the ones from us to them) were opened, my grandpa goes to the tree saying "I think I forgot something," coming back with a small box for my grandmother. It was an iPad, and I swear to you she cried for almost thirty minutes. She wouldn't even OPEN it for ten because she was too shaken and happy; I was almost worried that grandpa broke her. She stayed up until midnight playing games on it. She's worse than I am! :)

...In an effort to be an even worse 24-going-on-10 year old, I've started collecting a lot more Hello Kitty Christmas decor. I was SO surprised and giddy when I got the cutest HK ornament in the mail from Jodi for our swap!

She got me the ornament on the left. Isn't it perfect! And the other two are from McDonald's Happy Meals. Yeah, I go to McDonald's for Hello Kitty, what of it?!

...sometimes, I get into this mood where I download new music for like, four hours. And I PANIC. I feel like if I don't download everything new that I haven't heard or want in my library RIGHT THEN I'll never hear it again. I mean, what is that? (I may or may not have done this again today...)

...I'm ready to get a new job so I can stop having to cancel on people because of my terrible schedule. I feel like a horrible friend, because I have to do it to EVERYONE. I won't lie, it's probably been the biggest factor in my stress levels as of late.

...MY ERIN CONDREN PLANNER IS HERE!

Definitely copied, like, everyone, but I love how this cover feels most personal. Makes me happy to look at all the things that make me smile at this point in my life!

...my cat is both psycho and adorable. She is a hellcat, but I wouldn't have her any other way.

Okay, that's sort of a lie. I would like her to get over her fetish with water. She jumps in the shower as soon as I'm done, won't leave the toilet alone, and I can't have a glass of water all to myself to save my life. But yeah, real adorable.

I hope you and all of your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday! May Dominick the Donkey bring you many goodies. :) Love y'all!

xo.

resolutions.

1. Why is it that when a guy gets sick, the world stops spinning on its axis (haha, thanks Aly!), fire rains from the sky, and the zombie apocalypse comes?

Drew's sick, poor thing. Though seriously, guys get sick - anywhere from the sniffles to the flu - and you'd think they had the plague. 

2. I don't know where my new followers came from this week, but HI! Welcome to my blog, and thanks so much for following. I'm glad to have you here. :)

Anyway! I'm here to link up again with Neely and Amber for the Fabulous Holiday Challenge! 

Today's topic: RESOLUTIONS.

Last year, my resolutions went a little something like this:

• lose weight.
• lose a little more weight.
• tone up.

And I actually DID accomplish those things! Until I hit a funk - partly from dropping out of law school, partly from being the girlfriend of a guy whose four main food groups are McDonald's, pizza, beer, and chips - and gained most of it back. 

But I'm no longer discouraged because this past year brought a major attitude adjustment my way, on MANY levels. I've really gotten a sense of what works for me and what doesn't diet/exercise-wise. Pure Barre certainly helped in that area. :) I've already lost a few pounds again, and I'm ready to keep the cycle goin'!

So, my list of resolutions for 2012!

• keep taking exercise classes because they work best for me!
• keep learning how to cook with Drew, and make many more meals at home.
• get my teaching certificate and masters quickly, so I can begin my new career. :) 
• do something I've always wanted to do, and take some photoshop/graphic design classes. 
• finally get rid of the bags of clothes that have been piling up in one of my closets (stuff I need to sell).
• become the best CoD girl gamer out there because I'm telling you - there's nothing more fun than talking crap to a bunch of guys online when they find out you're a girl! (yeah, I have weird priorities...)
• get better at planning date nights for my guy and I.
• find a volunteer organization to get on board with in Dallas.
• scrapbook WAY more than I did this year. The photos are just piling up!

I think that's a pretty do-able list! Next year, it's all about having FUN. I want to stop stressing over the past mistakes and regrets and just start living life like it's a party - because really, that's what it should be! 

Can't wait to read some of your resolutions! 

Unicorns and pomeranians,

Kiley

wish list.

Hey y'all, remember that one time when we were all complaining how hot it was and how we wanted to die?

Well, it's too cold. 

None of my coats seem to be cutting it right now, so instead of venturing outside on my day off I'm sitting here making Christmas wish lists online. I certainly don't need a darn thing, but it's always fun to look at the most ridiculous things and put them on my list. Honestly, my dad helped me BIG TIME with fixing my car and helping with bills so my parents are pretty set in the whole what-to-get-Kiley-for-Christmas thing.

Linking up today with Amber and Neely for the Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge!

Today's topic: WISH LISTS. 

What do I want? Oh, not much...JUST A TON.

I want this more than anything I've ever wanted ever. 

These are my absolute favorite color brown and I want themmmm.

This would be my coffee table book for real.

This is simply beautiful. 

Blu ray player. For real, yo. 

Honestly, I'm pretty easy to shop for. You could get me a random vintage-y print off Etsy, movie tickets, or make me some puppy chow and I'd be more than happy. 

Now, Drew on the other hand?! I seriously don't know what to get that boy this year. HELP!

winter whimsy.

The holiday season is that time of year that, if your family is anything like mine, means hearing the same ol' stories, eating the same ol' holiday feast, seeing the same ol' faces, but loving every minute of it like it was the first time.

It wouldn't be the holidays without making the three-hour drive to grandma's house on Thanksgiving, WHICH might I add is three hours of listening to AM talk radio (Dad's orders). I mean, have you guys ever actually listened to talk radio? In the middle of nowhere? Where it's mostly just static? My dad is practically deaf in one ear but somehow he can understand the garbled mess that is Oklahoma talk radio. It's basically that walkie-talkie scene from "Signs" in my family's car every holiday.

It wouldn't be the holidays without watching "Elf" a million times, listening to my grandpa tell the story of when he and his friends drove over "Gobbler's Knob" (LEGIT NAME OF A HILL IN OKLAHOMA. I MEAN...I CAN'T EVEN.) and saw a herd of chickens crossing the road so they decided it would be hilarious to drive full-speed into the flock (Thank god PETA wasn't around then...), and eating my body-weight in puppy chow.

Also, if you've never made puppy chow before, it's time to correct that ridiculousness. It's the perfect holiday treat. Here's the recipe!

PUPPY CHOW! 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vanilla9 cups Crispix cereal (any flavor)

3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir well.

3. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl.

4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering.

5. Place the powdered sugar in a large zip-lock type plastic bag.

6. Add the peanut butter-chocolate cereal mixture to the bag, leaving enough room for the puppy chow to be shaken (you may have to divide the mixture into smaller batches, coating one batch at a time).

7. Shake the bag to coat each piece of the puppy chow with powdered sugar.

8. Once the mixture is fully coated, place in a large serving bowl sugar to the bag as needed until all the mixture is coated and DONE! :D

So easy!

What's not easy? Holiday shopping. For me, anyway. I'm just so darn indecisive and buying gifts for people kind of gives me panic attacks. Also, I'm never doing more than one blog swap at the same time again. EVER. What good is a planner when you write down the wrong dates and send one swap item too early and one item too late? 

Happy Monday, folks. xo.