It's That Time Of Year..

Well, it's January 2011, so I should probably update you all on my holidays.

First came Christmas: I could take this time to talk about seeing family and friends and going to Christmas Eve mass instead of midnight mass (because I'm getting old and frankly didn't feel like staying up that late), but I'm not going to.

Instead, I'm going to tell you about the prank we pulled on my sister. You know the movie, A Christmas Story? Well, this year, the most awesome product came out in stores: the leg lamp. Now, it's not quite as great as the lamp in the movie, because it's only 20 inches tall, but it's still pretty dang cool.

I saw it in the ads a few weeks before Christmas and immediately thought it'd be the perfect prank for my sister. On Christmas day, my dad, brother, and I snuck over to my sister's house. It was quite easy because she was feeling sick and stayed at our house with Mom when we went over to Grandma's for lunch. We turned off her tree (which was located in front of the window) and put the lamp on the window ledge. In the picture below, you can see her lovely new house with the lamp in the window.

Now the prank didn't go exactly as planned. We were supposed to go over to Kate's house for dinner that night, and would have seen her reaction. Unfortunately, time got away from everyone and we ended up eating at my house. So she went home that night (without us) and then texted me: "thanks, but it's not my style." The next day, she told me that she almost drove by the house, not recognizing it as hers. 

So the prank didn't go as planned, but hey, I got a holiday leg lamp out of it :)

(Forgive me, but all of the photos in this blog were taken with my point and shoot. The point and shoot fits better in my purse and I didn't want to bring my good camera to Chicago for New Year's.)

 Isn't it great? It's in my room right now and I plan to put it up every year for the holidays.

Ok, time for New Year's Eve. Quitting my job allowed me to go to Chicago for New Year's :) (Don't worry, I start my new job on Monday). On Wednesday, December 29, Emily, Matt and I took the Megabus to Chicago. Emily and Matt stayed the first two nights with a friend of Emily's and I stayed with Carlie. On New Year's Eve, we all met up and got dolled up and went out to dinner. Then we went back to Carlie's apartment and partied like only we know how...a little wine, cartwheels in the hallway, a little dance party, roof-top party poppers, oh and don't forget the drunken pre-maid of honor wedding speech Carlie gave to Emily and Matt. I caught it on video, but unfortunately it was on Carlie's video camera so I doubt any of us will ever see it.

Anyway, here is a picture of the four of us before we went out.

The past two years now, we've gone to this coffee shop in Lincoln Park on New Year's Day. I believe it's called the Noble Tree. Both years it was incredibly cold outside and the walk to the coffee place which in good weather would seem like nothing, felt incredibly long. It was worth it though. The cozy three-level coffee shop has amazing coffee and comfy couches and sitting areas.

Here is my caramel laté. It was delicious.

Then we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see their lights. It was nice, but very very cold. We kept ducking into the buildings to get warm. Here we are greeting some penguins:

I don't know what I'm doing with my face in this picture...I think I'm trying to look smug? Or maybe I'm about to laugh...

And here is a picture of Matt and Emily kissing in what looks like a Cinderella carriage of sorts. I did a style thing in Photoshop, poster edges. I think it looks neat.

Matt, Emily, and I came back to St. Louis on the Megabus on the 2nd. Another good start to the new year.  I am definitely looking forward to 2011.