Even Stevens

I hate odd numbers. Completely random fact about me; They just freak me out. So I needed an extra post for this month. I can't believe tomorrow it's December. Holidays in full swing! We put up more lights around the house and I will post pictures pronto. It would just require me to actually get up and grab the memory card, and I'm oh so comfy on the sofabed in the office right now.

We had a little housewarming shindig with our families at the house today. It was nice to spend time with both sides simultaneously. What we learned was that although we feel our house is big for us, it feels a lot smaller with 10 people in the living room. And I definitely need more plates. I guarantee you someone in my family will feel compelled to gift me with a set of dessert plates for Christmas.

We've been spending a lot of time jamming on Rock Band 2 lately. Not loving it as much as the first one, probably since I'm not as familiar with the songs on this one. Adam says the drums are way better... something about there not being any lag or something or other. I'm lead vocals :-)

Black Saturday?

We braved the crowds again today. Not so bad. This time we went to Old Town Pasadena and I snagged some cute dishtowels on clearance at Crate and Barrel, not to mention some other fab sale items from Pottery Barn. Leather napkin rings for 97 cents!!!!

We ate at Melting Pot, a fondue fantasy. We got a fondue maker/cooker machine thing for our wedding and I have only gotten a chance to use it once. After tonight I am definitely inspired to try again. Must use lager this time instead of Bud Lite. As if that should make a difference. Melted cheese = you can't go wrong.

Right now I'm regretting letting crazy lady from Big Lots! freak me out of getting a heated blanket. I'm c-c-c-old. Winter?

Channel 4 and Black Friday

So after the Thanksgiving hoopla Adam and I returned home and - oh I just got a great idea! I should refer to him as Mr. Lexi so as not to give away his name, AND it's clever! - anyhow, where was I?

Ah yes! Mr. Lexi and I were home and we decided to open up the box that held the perfect fake tree we bought from Kmart last week. And we open it... and it had multicolored lights, when I specifically required white lights! The box had a picture of a tree with white lights on it! As luck would have it, we, having nothing better to do at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and me, in a heated panic over a Christmas tragedy, headed to Kmart to return the sucker. Did you know they're always open on Thanksgiving?

They took the tree back and refunded us which is great since we're dopes who don't keep receipts. And they didn't have any trees with white lights that I liked in stock. So as we turned to leave, Channel 4 news showed up asking Mr. Lexi for an interview. He agrees, and they ask him if the economic downturn has affected his holiday spending habits. Mr. Lexi, in all seriousness answers that it absolutely has and solemnly says that changes have to be made and times are tough, etc. etc. Meanwhile, I'm behind him shaking my head and mouthing no, absolutely not, we're still shopping... you know, hamming it up. On our way home, he's so pleased with himself about his interview and his impending fame, when I tell him about my antics behind him. He gets very distraught and says I stole his thunder!

We made it on the 11 o'clock news and managed to TiVo it for all to see at our housewarming party this weekend. Mr. Lexi now wants to get into acting. He enjoys his fame.


Every year I swear off going into the massive crowds that plague Black Friday. And somehow, every year I find a reason to go to at least one store on this day. We went to a nearby shopping megacenter and it was packed to the brim- no sign of economic hardships here. We nixed the idea and went to lunch instead. Later, in my boredom I headed back out to Lowe's where I snagged a divine tree. It was the last one. It had clear lights. Someone in the distance was eyeing it. It was 25% off, today only. So I spent an obscene amount of money on the most beautiful dream Christmas Faux tree ever. And I'm pleased as pie that I did! :-)

And my cashmere sweater came in today. In the wrong color! How hard is this people?!

To juxtapose the previous post, I'd like to focus on what I am thankful for this year. I've been through a lot. There were hard times, sure, but I did also get married, got to see and feel love and support from many friends and family that I was brought much closer to throughout it all, and in the end I now have my health. Back in March, when it all began, I would think about the holidays this year, and how by the time they came everything would and should be over with. They're here and it is!

We spent Turkey Day at my parents' house, and I feasted on my usual fare: all the sides. I made some righteous mac and cheese and brought along with me a Martha cake I made the day before. Carmelized Apple Spice Cake with a Brown Sugar Meringue Frosting. I capitalize because I love. And my excuse for the gloriously sloppy frost job is that Adam helped :-PIt was a great day. And I found a penny from 1915! It's a long story, we were going to play poker, since we're that kind of a family and then we couldn't find the chips...

The Dark Side

I typically try to go about my days with a bit of levity, and thoughts of the future, not the past. But sometimes I do go to that dark place; Thinking about cancer and the what ifs that still linger in my mind. What if it comes back? What if I can't have children? What if a giant anvil falls on my head (one of my greatest fears, but I presume that if this happens I will just pop out, folded up like an accordion and walk it off).

Adam is great about helping me shake these ugly thoughts, but they do come and go. I guess it's all part of the beast, it always somewhat stays with you. I start to think that I should be doing everything I can to avoid having this happen to me again... maybe eat more veggies, wear more sunblock? I was looking at the package of a light fixture the other day and it warned that handling the base excessively could lead to cancer (or so I deduced, in so many words). Can I never handle light bulbs again? And what if I wanted to put it in my mouth? Now I can't! (I may have wanted to exercise that option, you never know).

My hair now looks like a short pixie cut, one that some people complement me on, thinking that I'm just a spunky, brave gal who experiments with her 'do. But it feels like I've waited so long for it to get to at least this length. Every time family or friends see me they comment that it's growing so fast, but to me it's painfully slow. It's a minute detail to fixate on, but I can't help it. I completed the photo wall in our house, which is full of pictures of my old self, with my old hair. Blonde, long. I wish I could just get used to how I look now with my short, dark hair, even perhaps learn to love it. Too many demons to battle sometimes.

I love the Obamas. What an adorable couple they make. You just know they really love and enjoy each other. Can't wait to watch Barbara Walters' Special tonight.

Project Bed

About a year or so ago Adam and I took the biggest plunge of all (besides marriage of course) and purchased a Fancy mattress set. We were tired of the old Queen we had and we yearned to sleep without knowing the other was near. Apparently I have a kicking problem. So we invested. We got one of those incredible $6000 Cal King mattresses for a fraction of the price (2/5ths to be exact). And when they delivered the beauty to our tiny one bedroom apartment, we realized that it was like 5 feet thick. This is one serious bed. On the bed frame, with the box spring and the mattress, I had trouble getting in and out of bed. I got vertigo looking over the edge. So we took it off the frame (apparently a no no). But it was ok since there was carpeting and I never sensed much of a difference (other than the altitude change). Now we have hardwood flooring throughout. The bed sits directly on the floor and it feels so much harder. I'm achy.

I planned on making my own headboard, since I am crafty and all, but I think the solution is a good-ol fashioned bed. One that doesn't require a box spring and can house our monster mattress and give me the slumber I deserve (and paid for!) (( and am still paying for until next April!!)).

Now I'm on the hunt for a righteous platform bed. Adam is sort of ambivalent about the whole thing so I guess this is going to have to be my Christmas present. Or would I rather have shoes?
I want the day to come when I will have a MASSIVE master suite with 14 foot ceilings and room for a little step stool on each side so I can enjoy the bed in its entirety. *sigh*

oh the horror...

I changed my name. Only about 7 and a half months after the wedding, but I thought it best to drag out the process. I'm a real Mrs. now. And real Mrs.'s have to go to the DMV as part of their name-changing process. I went there today. And they made me retake my picture!!! I had JUST gone like 3 months ago and had my picture taken since my license expired. I primped and posed and had the greatest license picture. And today, completely unbeknown to me, they spring this on me! Heinous. I was not ready for this. Now I look like a frumpy Mrs. With really short hair.

Today was such a typical BAD day for me. At the DMV a vile, disgusting woman just had to sit next to me, even though there were like 395 other chairs available. And then she proceeded to hack near my airspace. Then she asked me for money for the bus. At the DMV. ??
I came home to a UPS package. Hooray! Except I am missing one item out of the seven that I ordered. Boo! And it was my favorite of all, a winter white cashmere goody that I will NOT be wearing on Thanksgiving now.

Then, I get a bill from a medical office from two years ago that I KNOW I paid. And the stupid lady is so condescending on the phone, calling me sweetie. I said don't you call me sweetie. Then she called me Miss Alexandra. I said, excuse me, it's MRS. Alexandra to you. Really, I did.
Then I bumped my head. And stepped in poo.

It's just been one of those days. But my lovey brought me home flowers and made it all better :-)

What happened to Pic N Save?

Remember Pic N Save? It became Big Lots! a few years ago. I have memories of finding random bargains here, be it paper plates or crayons or Christmas lights. I decided tonight to venture to an uncharted part of town, since it's the nearest location of Big Lots! to me (Sorry, I have to use the exclamation point.) Well the first closest one was so shady looking, I was afraid to park my car there. That bad. And at the second nearest location (there are two in NoHo), after bravely parking my car and entering, I was accosted by a crazy lady who wanted me to buy an electric blanket. True, I needed one, but crazy lady freaked me out so much I lost my will to peruse the store. The store gave me the heebie jeebies anyway. When did it become so gross? Or was I blind to this as a little girl when my mom would take me here? I'll have to stick to Target from now on (which I love).

Busted Tees

As I was perusing ebates, I came across this website with quite amusing T-shirts. Check it out.

Some of my faves:

Faux v. Real?

Random.
All my life I enjoyed a real Christmas tree. My fondest memories are of being bundled up, pacing the tree lot with my mom and dad, rummaging through the trees to pick out the perfect noble fir. Each year I look forward to that scent- the crisp cool air with the pine aroma dancing into my nostrils (ew). The tree is never perfect. One year it was way too tall, another it was entirely too fat. Once it was missing a very large portion and we paid an obscene amount (I think it was $80 and this was back in the late '80s). But year after year I recall examining the calendar and setting the date to get the tree. And anxiously waiting for it to come.

But the tree always dies. If you buy it early in the month, it will surely be dried up and saggy by Christmas. If you wait, you miss out on the enjoyment of seeing the tree in your home until close to Christmas, and then the depression sets in after the big day when you're looking at it after it's been stripped of all the delightful presents underneath (I swear a tree without gifts underneath looks NAKED!).

And we have a dog. I simply don't know what he'd do to a tree. Would he try to eat it? Pee on it? Both?

Last year was our first X-mas with Benny. We decided on a small fake in order to a) save money and b) not worry about aforementioned dog issues. We were in the small apartment and really didn't have the room for the classic monster tree.

Now we have more space. Do I get my real tree? Do I go out and get a perfect faux tree? I could put it up whenever I please and take it down anytime as well. It will always look as good as the day it came out of the box. And though it's an initial investment (they're easily 200 bucks) after a couple years, it pays for itself. And cleanup is practically a non-issue compared with needles strewn throughout by a real tree.

But it just won't have that scent (though I could get a freshener).

What would you do? What do you do?

I'm a pig.

To add to my lust for all things edible (well, not all), I would like to mention the Granville Cafe. Adam and I had lunch there today and it, too, was divine. I didn't think I would like sweet potato fries but hot damn they're good. Reminds me of the deliciousness we feasted on in San Francisco.

And if you're ever in Arizona, or Phoenix to be precise, you MUST go to Pappadeaux. I die.
I swear I must have been raised in the south in a past life, for I adore cajun goodness. The etouffe sauce is incredible. I'm all about the sauce. We visited Adam's dad about a month ago (forgot to blog about that, whoops) and every time we're out there we must go to this place. I wish they'd open one out this way. Please?

As you can imagine, I'm doing GREAT with my diet :-P

Wokcano

Tonight we feasted at Wokcano, an Asian cuisine delight located in the heart of Burbank. We went with our good friends Kristin and Justin and decided to finally try out a new place. I am so glad we did. As I lay here in my cozy bed completely stuffed, I have to discuss the amazingness of the food. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so there are no photos.

The vibe is quite lovely, dark, candlelit- a date place for sure. We ordered a smattering of items - pan fried chicken dumplings, spicy garlic chicken, orange crispy chicken, black pepper beef mignon, chicken lo mein, rice and shrimp with sugar peas (i stay away from the seafood. the boys also had sushi). The sauces were divine, flavorful, succulent... drool. The orange chicken was wonderfully crispy, the beef incredibly tender and not fatty. I already cannot wait to go back. I usually don't like sharing food, but in this case it was fantastic because I cannot imagine not having had the chance to sink my paws into one of the dishes of goodness we devoured.

Love the company of great friends, great food, great laughs. A wonderful evening.

yum!

marc jacobs, you cutie you!

The Photo Wall

Photo Walls, Photo Walls... I've been seeing them everywhere. Pottery Barn, design books, and after missjordypants displayed her creation, and us having new walls to adorn, I decided I was up for the task. Here is my not quite finished product, which needs a few more pictures and some tweaking. I definitely love.
Of course I'll be straightening the frames, since I can't bear to look at anything crooked, ever. My next little diy task will be making my own upholstered headboard. Tufted, natch.

Is this the end of the UGG craze? I thought I'd seen the end of this trend long ago, but I guess they're still making money (and in this economy, no less). I mean who wouldn't want to shell out a buck fifty for these metallic bad boys? Perfect for your fancy evening garb. So silly.

I'm sick of it. True, they are immensely comfortastic. And they keep the feet unbelievably warm. And cozy. OK now I want them. Ha, I just pictured what would happen if you put them in the microwave.

Obaminable...

Hooray that Obama is our next president. Boo to the narrow minded, hateful people who voted yes on 8. Shame, shame.

Home Sweet Home

We arrived. It feels GREAT. Everything that could possibly go wrong with the move did: we waited 8 hours for the fridge to arrive last Thursday and when it finally did it was scratched. Now we won't have one til Thursday. The DirecTV had some problem setting up so we have to wait until Wednesday for television. Horrifying. It rained. And then it poured. But alas, we are in! And it really feels like home. We're happy.