Real women don't hug trees....they hug cacti!

My cozy Christmas at home

                   My mom and I out on the patio for our morning coffee. 

                                            Me and James opening gifts.

Me and the pops. (see my shiny new measuring spoons...everyone needs a "pinch", "dash" or a "smidgen" of something....too cute!)
             NYC, Cincinnati, and Denver....or just me and the big bros.

There's no place like home for the holidays...

There really is no place like home and after a few minor glitches, including and icy rain storm, delays, and barely making flights, I have finally arrived to my home sweet home, ARIZONA!!!!! Oh how I have missed the desert, the cactus, all the old familiars of home, and of course my family. My flight landed just in time to make it to our family Christmas Eve gathering at my Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was so great to be in a house that was completely filled to the max with family and love! I know my trip will zoom by all too fast, but for the moment I am drowning myself in the love of family. 

Lesson of the day

                                     One hot cup of coffee
              Plus one shiny, semi-new macbook                    not currently being backed up

  

                                  Equals

 

                                                   

$1600 and one gigantic headache later, need I say more....

Gobble-Gobble!

 Anyone who knows me knows I'm not much of a chef. I'm the kind of girl (as my brothers like to remind me) who makes biscuits taste like dry pretzels. However, at certain times of the year domesticity seems to takes over and I convince myself, I too can be a regular Martha Stewart. Well, holidays seem to do that to me for some reason. Although, it has already come and gone, (I'm a little behind thanks to a not-so-small computer glitch, but that's an entirely different Thanksgiving Day post) my BFF, Tampatravelodge, and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving together this year. Although we talked about just dining out, our inner domestic divas decided we could make an easy dinner for two. It actually turned out to be quite nice, despite my usual tendencies to make good food taste bad. I even made homemade pumpkin pie, which for me, is quite a feat. Nobody left with food poisoning and it tasted pretty darn good. I'd say it was a successful dinner party with a friend for who I am truly thankful for.