brownie batter dinner and phase 10! happy friday

we are family

so cute! from yesterday when we hung out with mike's family

day after christmas fun

every kid needs a toy on christmas, and this kid got a new nerf gun!

there's only one more sleep 'til christmas

merry christmas eve!

we have officially began our christmas extravaganza! this morning we went to mike's parents' house and did presents with them, laura, and bill. now we are wrapping some last minute presents, i made some arrangements for our families, and am packing up to leave! 

also, here is the progression of the christmas tree at our house from when we first put it up, to now with 4 roommates' worth of presents underneath it!

roxy is ready too!

and finally, i swear this time, a clip from one of my favorite christmas movies. 

pre-christmas adventure!

mike and i decided to go on a spur-of-the-moment afternoon trip to nyc. we went to the brooklyn bridge, the world trade center site, chinatown, times square, and rockefeller center. so fun and so much christmas spirit!

now we are home drinking some yummy christmas wine and watching aladdin! such a great day :)

the joy of giving

another installment of my gift giving this year! here is what my parents and mike's parents are receiving.

for my parents

my mom 

my dad

mike's mom

mike's dad

mike's sister, laura

laura's boyfriend, bill

i'll be home for christmas

now back to my present giving... here is what i am getting each one of my roommates this year (minus one.. nope, michael, you may not see your presents yet!)

this year i decided to make everyone stockings and fill them from santa! 

davey's stocking... plus a good bottle of gin from mike and me

jeff's... plus a nice golf polo

coppola's... plus some, well, regifted "world's greatest dad" apparel

amanda's... plus a dvd

jeff's girlfriend kate... even though she doesn't live with us, we couldn't forget her!

yes, some of these things do seem silly, but we know everyone in the house will appreciate/ use them!

run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, i'm the gingerbread man

last night jeff's girlfriend, kate, and i made a gingerbread house. so fun!

dave lounging

finished product!

surprises!

i have the best boyfriend in the world! he came home with these beautiful roses to congratulate me on the raise i got today. it has been a great day. i love you, michael!

ringing of the bells

i already posted once today, but here is a fun video i rediscovered today

tag!

baby meg-meg as i was called as child

this summer, with mike, on one of our many adventures

I was tagged by Adria! 

Rules:

1. You must post these rules.

2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.

5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.

6. No tag backs.

7. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 things about me:

1. I want a tattoo more than anything, but I feel like it has to be meaningful, and I can’t think of anything in my life that carries enough meaning.  I fear I will be too old to get one when I finally decide what I want.

2. I wish I was a better golfer (like scratch) but I really don’t have the drive to do that.  I get frustrated too easily and when I go out like once every couple of weeks I just expect I will magically improve.

3. Christmas is my favorite holiday ever.  I started shopping this year around Halloween.  I love having a real job this year for the first time and getting to buy people real presents; I absolutely love shopping for other people. 

4. I wish my hair could grow super fast. Some days I want super short cute hair like Olivia on SVU (season 11) and other days I want ridiculously long hair like any of the girls in PLL.

5. I live in a frat house… and love it. But I guess that isn’t a huge surprise because I went to a nanny from ages 1-5 with 4 boys, was on an all boys golf team in high school, and had all male friends in high school.

6. I think if I wasn’t forced to decide on a major at the end of my sophomore year I would still be in college without a major.

7. I like going to bed early. I know this doesn’t make sense with regards to the statement two above this, but I can literally sleep through ANYTHING. One time I fell asleep in the middle of our kitchen, lying on the floor.

8. I am very short, 5 feet to be exact, but I have never really minded it. I guess in some ways it sets me apart from other people.  I am always the shortest golfer in any event, but can hit it almost as far as any competition, and my parents used to joke when I swam that they could always find me on the starting block because I was so short.

9. I have studied abroad twice. Two summers: one to Luxembourg and the other to Paris.  I wouldn’t give up those opportunities for the world and would love to go back to Europe someday (hopefully sooner rather than later).

10. I would love to take a photography class and spend more money on my camera.  I love taking photos and would enjoy doing more with photography.  I love the great artwork, presents, and memories photographs make and create. 

11. I am running in my first half marathon in two and a half weeks in Disney World and am sooo nervous.  It’s a bit hard to train when I get home every night in 35 degree weather and darkness. 

Questions from Adria:

1. What is your favorite Christmas song and why?

Snoopy’s Christmas – just reminds me of being little and my dad loves it.

2. Who do you know in person that you look up to the most?

Anyone who truly knows what they want to do with their life and have the passion to do it; sometimes I just feel like I am in job limbo.

3. If you have kids, did you plan for them? If you don't, do you want kids?

I do not have kids, but probably by the time I’m like 30.

4. What is the weirdest dream you've ever had?

I don’t remember a lot of my dreams, but when I was in college I always used to wake up with those falling off a cliff/ out of bed dreams… stress much?

5. If a movie was written about your life, who would you want as the director?

Ron Howard? I don’t know I just think he is a cool guy.

6. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian… then I saw blood.

7. What is your favorite store?

Dollar Tree! (guilty pleasure) But really Target or Forever 21.  Oh, and IKEA! I want my entire next house to be from IKEA!

8. If you could tell your 16 year old self one thing, what would it be?

Nothing, because I wouldn’t want anything to end up differently than it is now. But if everything would stay the same I would tell myself to not be afraid to travel far away for college.

9. What are your long term goals - say, five years from now?

I would like to be living (or have tried living) somewhere warm (South Carolina, Florida, Arizona), be married, and still working in the golf industry.

10. Is there any movie or song that makes you cry?

Oh my gosh where to start: almost every Disney movie ever – Bambi, The Lion King, The Fox and The Hound, UP!, the worst though was Toy Story 3. 

11. Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

To go to a job I enjoy and also anticipate coming home to a loving boyfriend and friends who make me laugh on a nightly basis.

My questions:

1. What is your favorite Christmas/holiday tradition?

2. What is your favorite food to cook/ bake?

3. What is one thing about your life that you wish you could change?

4. If you could do any job, what would it be? Why?

5. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

6. Who is one person you wish you could meet?

7. Where is one place you would like to travel?

8. Who is one person from your past that you wish you were still friends with? Why?

9. What was the most influential event in your life? Why?

10. Why do you blog/ spend time on the computer?

11. Where are you from?

So I do not really know who to tag, but if you read this, go ahead and reply! I just looked at my traffic and it seems like there are a few people from Russia, Germany, and Canada, among others, so that is why I put the last question.  

we can hardly stand the wait, please christmas don't be late

so i decided to put a "disney christmas" station on pandora at work today, and somehow that turned into 7.5 hours and counting of the chipmunks. oh boy. 

lately i have seen a few blogs where people are posting what they are giving for christmas, and i think it's a fun idea. many of you might not care what i am giving for christmas, but i have gotten a few ideas for christmas gifts from blogs i have seen!

today's gifts are going to some of my friends as well as mike's and my younger family members... i love shopping for the little ones! 

welcome to my version of santa's workshop...
bought this door cover for 25 cents the day after christmas last year lol

and it has looked like this since before thanksgiving when i started my christmas shopping

disclaimer: if you are my friend and i am not aware that you read my blog, you might be getting one of these presents for christmas (one of the reasons there are no names attached). for those of you who i know read my blog, i might put the pictures of your gifts up after christmas :)

fa la la la la, la la la la

so i guess i didn't adequately describe my photos from last night. yes, that is one house. my roommate's parents' house to be exact. we went there for a party last night, and it is a BEAUTIFUL house! amazing interior also, and there is even a dance studio inside. just wow. 

here are a few pictures of some of the figures i took this morning. 

let's just say that "singing loud for all to hear" isn't the only way to spread christmas cheer after seeing this house.

and went to the uconn/ holy cross bball game and saw some friends of mine from college - so fun!