Life in Wonderland: Midnight Kisses.

In the five or is it 6? years that we've been together Allan and I have always had our New Year's kiss. Even if he was playing on stage, he'd make sure at midnight he could kiss me. :)

Last year I was really down on New Year's. I was so depressed I skipped the party we were going to that night. Allan went because half the party was for his birthday and he knew when I get that down I just need time and space.

I couldn't sleep so I put in Princess Bride and cuddled up with Viva and Merlot on the couch. I started to feel really bad about not going. My friends were expecting me and what kind of terrible girlfriend doesn't spend New Year's Eve with her boyfriend, especially when it's his birthday?! So all of those thoughts just made me feel worse.

As I dug my self deeper in self loathing it suddenly was minutes until midnight. Then I heard him through the door. He was playing Auld Lang Syne on the harmonica his parents got him for Christmas. He came home just in time. I had told him a few days before that it was one of my favorite holiday songs. He learned it that night on his way to the party! I started the New Year free of gloom and filled with love. Sometimes knowing someone loves you sooo much can help you love yourself.

This morning I cleaned the car, did some laundry and brought his birthday presents over from my parent's house, where I had hid them. I'm going to wake him up with garlic shrimp fried rice and tons of love. :)

Hope you all will be starting the year off with the ones you love. If you're spending it alone please remember a new year brings new opportunities and new hope.

Celebrate in Wonderland: Happy Birthday Allan!

Happy birthday to my love!

Community in Wonderland: What would you do?

Imagine being asked by the military if they could survey your family's land and perform EPA studies on it.

What would you do if the military was preparing to aquire land that has been in your family for almost a hundred years?

This is pristine land. This is the land that your ancestors farmed on. This is the land that holds memories in every blade of grass, every pebble, every grain of sand.

Find out what Lourdes Sgambelluri did, in this article.

Crafting in Wonderland: This one was a Christmas hit

Allan got the hang of bottle cutting just in time for Christmas! We gave out some Corona and Guinness glasses as gifts. Allan even made one out of a wine bottle for my mom.

We're hoping to perfect this and get into etching and painting so we can produce a bunch. I need to get rid of my glass bottle collection. I'm running out of space, but feel guilty throwing them away.

Celebrate in Wonderland: Xmas '09 - part 2

Recessions presents = gifts from the Japanese $1.50 stores. :D

We also encouraged creative recycled wrapping.

Thats a rolling pin. :P

perfect for a single egg

Clara is a teacher. Nel got her chalk and red pens.

The pink thing in his hand is a giant pen. lol

Shauna handed out mini christmas trees, sugar scrub, and candy!

Sharon is an animal lover. :)

Marchell loves strawberries.

It's not in this pic, but I got Mark a flat tire kit and head lamp for his bike!

some of the other $1.50 gifts included:

resin key chains w/ bugs! chopsticks! reusable grocery bags! origami paper! Japanese flash cards! nail polish! notebooks! Pot holders! and so many more awesome things.

All night people were saying, "You got THAT at the $1.50 store." You'd be surprised at the many neat things you miss when browsing those places.

Celebrate in Wonderland: Xmas '09 - part 1

Retro Recession Christmas Cocktail Party!!!

We invited our friends over for drinks and appetizers to celebrate the holidays. Allan and Quincy served up takoyaki, sashimi, veggie spring rolls, meat balls and gravy, hummus w/ toasted pitas, and spinach rolls. Sharon brought cookies. Nella made a punch bowl of Sangria and everyone else brought beer. The food, drinks, and the company was absolutely festive and perfect.

He doesn't hate me. He just refuses to smile for pictures. :P

Viva was so excited!

I have awesome friends, the gifts that keep on giving.

Nella and Michele. I love them!

No party is complete without some hooping.

So exhausted!!!

Celebrating in Wonderland: Oh, Christmas tree . . .

Our tree!!!

Complete with an Archie comic chain and Betty Boop ornaments.

Life in Wonderland: Oh Christmas Tree

I keep having to remind myself, this holiday season, to relax and not expect so much. If I could just slow down maybe I could actually enjoy the holidays rather than spending it worrying about budgeting for presents, fitting a stupid skirt, and the big one . . . the perfect tree.

I'm not sure why I'm so caught up in this tree thing. I struggle with it every once in a while though. I'm not really interested in buying a real tree. Christmas trees don't grow here so any tree I would buy would've had to have been shipped thousands of miles and could possibly be harboring a stowaway species. I don't judge people who do buy real Christmas trees though. They smell so good and a lot of the time the profits from the trees go to a good cause.

So why not just purchase a fake tree, that can be used year after year? I'm not really in to those either. I want something completely funky! I want something different. We own a wicker tree that I spray painted black. That one is in our bedroom this year. I need a new tree for the living room. I thought that making a tree out of plastic bag garland would be fun and funky. So in early October I started working on it. Then early November I realized that would take forever and was no longer fun. So early December we tried making a tree with aluminum cans. Then we ran out of cans and realized that wasn't the best idea ever. So last week we bought a bunch of green balloons and I attempted to make a balloon tree. I got frustrated after a couple hours so Allan took over. But by then I had already decided, out of disappointment in myself, that I didn't want a silly balloon tree.

I'm pretty sure we will just end up getting an artificial tree. Maybe I'll spray paint it some funky color. I'm not sure yet. I'll be sure to post pics once we finally get a tree up in the living room. In the mean time I'll continue cursing the contents of my closet and kitchen cabinets, for not getting along. Hopefully I'll find some time between to just breath and soak up the spirit of the holidays.