Everyday is a Daydream

Just sitting here, eating broccoli, contemplating where the year of 2010 has gone.

I'm older, fatter and maybe wiser?

Still working some identity issues, but I'm enjoying the process. No resolutions this year; just a focus on becoming who I want to be-- someone that I love.

I wish you all the best this New Year's Eve-- party safely and drink a lot of sparkling stuff--and cheers to what 2011 shall bring!
Listening: "Waving Flag (World Cup Version)" by K'naan

Much mistletoeing, Hearts will be glowing

This year's Christmas tree is comparatively smaller to what we've had in previous years. I mean, it's quite a lovely tree, very full-- but I burst out laughing when I first saw it! And yes, that is my bichon frisé Razzle wearing a canine snuggie she recieved for Christmas :D.

Huzzah for the holidays! These affairs are always held at our house because my mom makes unwieldly amounts of food, and this year I helped with the brunch preparation. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter-- always a family brunch, instead of dinner. But it's funny because my brothers and sisters will be over in the mid-morning, then gone within three hours! Haha so I spent the rest of the afternoon fiddling with my gifts! Did you have a good Christmas haul? :)

Biggest surprise/sickest gift for Christmas '10: A Kona acoustic guitar!!!
Apparently my parents have listened to my constant groveling about wishing that I could play the violin again, or learn the guitar. Haha, in my earnest effort to tune, I accidentally snapped the B string after playing for two hours. Nevertheless, this morning it was fixed and I bought a full set of strings at a music shop for $10.
I am overwhelmingly stoked to learn how to play! The biggest obstacle I'm finding so far is shifting chords without looking, so I'll just have to continue practicing. It's going to be a thrill bringing it back to school with me because I know several people with guitars, and now I can join the jam sessions!

I am finally becoming the pseudo-hippie free spirit that I've always admired :)).

Sunday we went on an entirely unecessary shopping spree anddd I went absolutely nuts. I mean, I had a mall giftcard from my brother and sister-in-law and I purchased that paisley tunic I'm wearing in the picture above from H&M, along with a black knit headband and a fringe black camisole from Charoltte Russe, but everything else... haha I dropped a lot of money.

At Teavana the teacups were clearanced, so I bought that floral porcelain one for $2.10-- a total steal! But I bought 2 oz. of 'Precious White Peach' white tea that was $16 o_O. Call me crazy, but I brewed a few cups today, and it was delicious! Oh, the things I do for tea (and food in general).
Then at Michael's Arts & Crafts, there were dozens of clearanced Christmas tins and I horded those to use as tea canisters. I also decided that I needed to pick up painting again because I'm taking studio art semester, and I figured it would be beneficial to engage in activities not so technology-related. Thus, I spent another $15 on new acrylic paints, paint brushes, palatte knives and a spray bottle. It was like Christmas, two days in a row.

Needless to say, I have temporarily confiscated my debit card from myself :B.

Hope you're all having a lovely week!

Listening: "Erase Me" - Kid Kudi, featuring Kanye West

Haul Out the Holly

Put up the tree before my, spirit falls again! :)
(classic Christmas music from the 40's - 60's is my absolute favorite)

Merry Christmas Eve to you all!
I spent the morning prepping with my mother for our tremendous, annual Christmas morning brunch. It's just unnecessary the amounts of food that is prepared! I never realized how many recipes used sour cream and mayo as well, but what can you do, it's the holidays... Do you have any family Christmas traditions?
We always wait for the morning to exchange gifts, and the tree has been raised and decorated since the beginning of December! Though after attending our once-a-year holiday church service (we used to be regulars, until we moved out of range of 'our' church), we will put all the gifts underneath the tree.

I would like to announce my new mission: cultural enlightenment.

I'm home for beyond a month and I may shrivel of boredom if I don't have actual plans, therefore I might as well make productive splendor of the available time! When I went to the Geva Theatre with my parents Tuesday, seeing everyone so dressed up and knowing how much money was spent for the sake of the arts, that rendered me thinking. My aim is to be able to bring more to the table in terms of conversation and general intelligence when I return to college. I want to become a more sophisticated being and create a presence-- silly, doesn't it seem?! Bear in mind this is a living list, therefore I am very open to suggestions for what I can do to heighten my cultural awareness! Currently:

• Investigate on-the-verge and ethnic restaurants in Rochester, in lieu of chains and regulars; ex. The Owl House
• Finish Three Cups of Tea then proceed to read at least 2 more novels (setting the bar a bit low for that one, but if I meet this goal that would be an immense amount of reading compared to what I've done these last two years..!)
• Pore through the works of Walt Whitman; he's the one poet I am will to spend time considering.
• Cook something daring (courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)!
• Blog twice a week about something.. meaningful
• Discover some kickin' jazz and swing music
• Learn a new vocabulary word everyday using the Dictionary.com iPod app; chaffer: to bargain or haggle
• Catch up on indie films
• Study up on global geography and learn countries and capitals (if I can manage)
• Drown in tea, brewing the perfect cup every time (that was assumed); I hope to reach connoisseur status one day, if such titles exist for tea-lovers :P

Alright, so I may be totally missing the mark in terms of 'enlightenment', but I just want to inrease my general knowledge on the world, you know?

One of my good friends has the first season of Glee on DVD now, and I watched it for the first time at her house last night! Anddd I like it, a bit too much, so the last 12 hours I have watched as many free episodes as possible on Hulu. Haha, the show is so over the top, I simply can't help but enjoy it.

I may be around the blogosophere tomorrow, but nevertheless I wish you all a positively Merry Christmas! I can't wait to read how they went-- 'tis the season!!!