all things merry and bright.

Listening To: Us Against the World by Coldplay

Happy Monday, Party Animals! I thought I'd wield some photojournalism savvy and send some fun pictures your way, along with the usual holiday love and cheer. (I'd also send you some Chattz if I could, because I've been hitting the stuff pretty hard, because it is so delicious, but alas. That could get pricey. Do try it though, if you're ever in the area!) I have a Christmas Tale of Terror involving a duck attack, but I'll save it for next week. Let the anticipation build, etc.

So here goes: 

First, let's discuss my family's Christmas tree. It's a fine and fluffy tree, circled with starry-white lights and perfect for picture taking. Fake trees know how to strike a pretty pose: 

Note the lovely gifts underneath the tree: 

Also note this gift, which was not so lovely, which I affectionately call, "Best Wrapping Job EVER."

Last week, after we talked about ornaments we loved, my brother texted and told me that I needed to remind you of the "best" ornament on our family's tree, the one he purchased and put on the tree himself. The one my mother tries to "accidentally" drop and break or hide in the back of the tree proudly displays each year: 

That would be a Santa Claus holding a shamrock and a pipe. My brother is all class. 

Speaking of The Rogue Accountant: 

Here he is hanging out with my dog. They look to be conspiring in this photo: 

And here we are with Chase's dog, Kramer. I love that the camera flash always catches Kramer's eyes. Makes him look like an adorably fuzzy little psycho:

Doesn't he look like a little Ewok?! (Kramer. Not my brother.) Too adorable. 

Biscuit was mostly thrilled and snuggly and tail-waggy about Christmas: 

But. She's kinda territorial and she doesn't like anybody else playing with her toys ... or sharing her family ... or trying to eat leftover snacks out of her beard (what girl does?). Kramer's love language is licking. So Kramer loves chew on Biscuit's beard and Biscuit isn't down with that. So they don't get along. At all. Biscuit mostly eyes Kramer like she wants to brawl so we kept them apart except for a few, very short, well-chaperoned visits. We had to takes pics with them separately, due to ongoing shenanigans. I wish I knew how to convince the dogs to like each other ... but I don't. Any tips? 

Let's talk gifts. Nothing says "merry and bright" like this gift, which my nephew asked for: 

Which appears to be a large, scary Lego man holding a flaming robot-head. Tis the season! 

I didn't get a flaming lego head for Christmas (not yet, at least). But my family makes me promise to buy absolutely no books after November 1. Books are what I hope for and books are usually what I get. Behold this year's stash: 

So much squealing went down. (I was the one squealing. My peeps don't squeal so much.) I've pretty much declared the next week BookFest 2011 so I can devour some of them. Or all of them. Whichever comes first. (I also got Beth Moore's new study, "James" ... but that one isn't pictured because I had already opened it and started working on it.) Have you read any of these? (I can't wait to email my friend Ruth and talk about Dyan Cannon's Dear Cary ... because I have a feeling she'll squeal with me over that one.)

Now. Do you see the Mindy Kaling book? That's the only book that I'd dropped a hint about. And by "dropped a hint", I mean: my brother called and said, "What do you want me to get you for Christmas?", and I said, "Mindy Kaling's book!" and he was all, "Cool." So I thought I might get it. 

But then, this week, The Rogue Accountant got all cocky started saying stuff like, "Not to brag, or anything, but the thing I got you for Christmas this year? Is the best thing I've ever given you. EVER." 

And then he smiled in this quasi-evil way that made me wonder if he was giving me a slug farm or a sculpture made of spam cans. If you have a brother, you know this feeling of impending dread. 

Before I tell you exactly what my brother's gift entailed, you need to know these things: 

1.) This was an off year for me. Usually, I have this savvy about gift giving. Most years, I know the perfect gifts to give. Other than my ability to start kitchen fires with nothing but chopsticks and a sweet potato, I'm kind of known for my gift-giving-prowess. But this year? NADA. Everything about this year was off for me. My world got a little bit crazy (in a good way) and I didn't give this area the time and attention I usually do. I didn't put the creative time and energy into my gifts, not like the masses have come to expect. I warned the fam early on that this year was an off year. The gifts I gave were cool, just not up to par with what I usually do. Even Santa has off years, I've tried to convince myself. But alas. I have lots of Christmas guilt this year. 

So. 

2.) I gave my brother the following: I took one of my favorite pictures from our summer trip to Oregon, and I sent it off to the picture elves, and the photo came back as a big print. And I framed it. The pic is really cool: a beautiful shot of Multnomah Falls surrounded in fog. I also gave him a pack of Tully's Coffee and, and this is the especially funny part, I gave him a block of Tillamook Cheddar Cheese. It was like a Pacific Northwest prize pack and I was pretty proud of myself. Plus I thought it'd be funny to give him a block of smoked cheddar with a bow on top. And it was.  

And then I opened my brother's gift to me, which was Mindy Kaling's book.

I freaked out, because Mindy Kaling is funny and smart and awesome. And I'd wanted her book so bad for so long. 

And then my brother said, "There's a bookmark in there." 

And he flashed that quasi-evil grin again, the one that made me wonder if he'd scattered dead bug confetti between the pages or something.  

I was surprised to discover that my brother had tucked a receipt into the Mindy Kaling book. 

A receipt for the purchase of two tickets to see, oh, just some little indie band ... 

For Christmas? I gave my brother a block of smoked cheddar. 

And he got us tickets to see Coldplay!!!!!!!

*headDESK*

After lots of screaming, this slight juxtaposition became apparent to me. And I got very quiet and looked at the tickets. Then looked at my brother. Then looked at the tickets. Then I buried my head in my hands and said, "I gave you smoked cheddar." 

To reiterate. My brother gave me this: 

And I gave him this: 

*sigh* 

I've been a Coldplay fan since high school which has been, gah, over 10 years. (I know many of you were *gulp* born in the 90's ... but if you were in high school in the 90's, you might remember the first NOW CD? That's when I first heard Coldplay! Heh. :) And I've always wanted to see them live but tickets have been a little too pricey every time they've been close. And they sell out quick and all that jazz. So I'd kind of assumed Coldplay Live wasn't in my future. 

Would you think me especially dorky if I told you I cried, just a little bitty bit when I realized what my "bookmark" was? 

I have the sweetest bro ever. Seriously. 

'

But it's not just the Coldplay *dances a happy jig* part that makes me happy. I'm most excited that I get to see them with my brother. Like most sibs, we have a bunch in common. We can talk in movie quotes. We have the same weird sense of humor. We're both ambitious and we love dogs and we have that shared language all families have; the kind made up of the funny, inside jokes nobody else will ever get. But Chase also gets the music-part of my heart. He gets the visceral reaction I have to music, because he has it too. He knows what it's like to tuck a memory into a song. He knows why I listen to certain songs during certain seasons, why I write lyrics on index cards and on my mirror and sometimes, randomly, on the back of my hand so I can keep them close. I'm forever spellbound by the stories songs tell. Music makes me feel wild and safe. But the best part is that music makes me feel. Whether my heart is pounding in fear or anticipation, I've got a song that I can steady against it. That all probably sounds goofy, but I'm sure you get it too. Music is a gift that I'm endlessly grateful for. 

And that's a roundabout way of saying that I can't wait to see Coldplay live. I've set so many of my memories to their songs that I wonder if the concert's going to feel like reading an old diary.

Is it July yet?! ;-) 

One last gift. And this is so very girly, so please scroll if you don't like to discuss clothes.  My parents gave me too much sweet stuff, even though I told them not to get me anything. (Because, not to be corny etc., but I feel like the fact that I get to be around them so much is pretty much the best gift ever.)  One of the gifts they gave me was this jacket: 

Pardon the dressing room pic. That's the pic I sent to my mom and sister a dozen times and said, "... Maybe?" (To which they both replied, YES!!!) I kept going back to the store, and trying it on, but I never bought it because 1.) I'm cheap and 2.) because it's a weirdly wonderful blend of trends: military style + ruffles + a bold, brassy zipper and I think ... is this too much trend for me to work?

Even when I opened the present, and flipped out and said, "... but are you sure I can wear this ..." My mom was like, "YES. Duh. Yes. Of course you can wear it." And, truly, if I had no qualms about wearing snakeskin jeggings (more on those later), you'd think a well-structured jacket would kind of be a no brainer. I dig it.

I hope you had the sweetest weekend ever. I hope you were surrounded by people you love. I hope you laughed until your face hurt. I hope you ate loads of Oreos. Or bacon. Or both. 


Merry (... day after ...) Christmas, friends! I would love to hear how your weekend went. Did you get any new books? Start some new traditions? Travel somewhere amazing?