"What Did You Get?!?"

Back in elementary school, I remember friends phoning me at 9 am Christmas morning asking, "What did you get?!?"
We'd compare our Christmas hauls, and then hang up, eager to break in our new toys.

Without breaking tradition; this is what jolly old St. Nick braught me this year:

A Coach purse from Ryan =) I wanted a nice classic leather purse that would go with lots of different outfits. My current Coach bag that I take to work every day is getting a little worn out. I Love this new one, it's just what I wanted =)New Perfume =) I decided on what new perfume I wanted back in October, I think. I love love love the scent of this Chloe perfume. It's really sweet and just amazing =) I was a little dissapointed when I opened this present that I thought was going to be Chloe, and found that Ryan had gotten be D&G The One, instead :(. I figured with the amount he had spent on it, it may as well be the one I REALLY wanted, so we took it back to The Bay and exchanged it for this set =)

My sister gave me and Ryan these funny bride and groom survival guides. I haven't started reading them yet but I'm sure they'll be great.This is one my fave gifs this year =) It's a book all about cats that I haven't been able to put down. Everything you could ever want to know, from old folklore to modern day care is covered. The pictures are so adorable.

Me and Ryan at his parents house on Christmas day.

Hope you had a great Christmas and an even better New Year!!

Kim Harrison 2009

Merry Christmas Eve!

WOW it's been awhile since I've posted, so SORRY for that.

I've had this whole week off and have been running around Christmas shopping, and getting all of my gifts ready for people =)

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Day! Are you excited?! I get to open one of my gifts from Ryan today, because we'll be at our parents' different houses tonight. Tomorrow we'll meet back up again.
We ended up not getting a tree this year. We were going to, but only really had time to get it the week before Christmas; so we wondered what the point would be. We won't be here on Christmas eve or day anyways.... These are some of our presents to eachother.

We tried getting BB into the Christmas spirit with a santa hat, but mostly she just walked around like this ..Speaking of CATS, we are getting another KITTEN!! I decided to get that for Ryan as a Christmas gift. We won't get to take him home until the New Year as he's only about 8 weeks old, but we drove out to see them last night and decided on one!! I'm so excited to finally have a friend for BB =)

I've also been busy the last couple days painting this bird house as a gift for Ryan's parents. Here it is almost done, I just need to paint the perch and prime it so they can keep it outside. What do you think?

Well, I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Christmas. Thanks to my couple new followers, I'll be sure to check out your blogs as soon as I can!!

Memoirs of a Geisha

First I borrowed the book from my sister ...

Then I saw the movie one cold November night ...

Then I fell in love ...

You've probably noticed by the pictures on my side bar that I have a thing for geishas. The secrets and mystery that surrounded them, or at least said elements portrayed in the Memoirs book and movie, intrigue me. Don't ask me what it is, because I couldn't tell you, but they've always fascinated me....

Ryan Axani 2009

...Imagine my delight then at receiving this beautiful painting my fiance did. I love it, and it hangs on a wall in my condo for all to see.

You Know What I Like .... BLOGGAWARDS!!

The lovely Emily at Emily Loves was kind enough to tag me with another sweet sweet award =)" I frequently read your blog"

Thanks Doll, because I do the exact same.=)

I tag ALL of my followers, because I frequently keep up with all of their posts =) See the lovely ladies' (and couple men's) links to the side to see what I mean. And if you want this award yourself then follow your girl and display it on your sidebar=)

Christmas Parties and Treats.

Why, Hello =)

Here's what I've been up to the last few days ...

On Friday after work I went to Pet Smart and baught a little Santa Hat for my kitty. It was only five bucks so I couldn't really argue. When I got home and put it on her, it fell off immediately. :( It was too big for her little head. I think it was made just for a dog. Oh well, it was worth a try...

Saturday was Ryan's (my fiancee) work Christmas party in Banff

Had to take a pic while driving up there =)Such a pretty town.At the party

On Sunday we headed back to Calgary and celebrated my sister's birthday at my parent's house. The big 3-0.

Monday was a very good day for me, present-wise=)

Ryan gave me these beautiful flowers at work. I also got some really nice Christmas cards from co-workers, some Purdy's chocolates, and some really nice body shop soaps from my boss.

So far today (Tuesday) I've gotten another box of chocolates from Bernard Callibout. I love the weeks leading up to Christmas =)

Now it's time for me to catch up on my blog reading list, and see the new COOL people who decided to follow me =)

A Princess, A Frog, and Weekend Wishes

Is anyone as excited as I am to see Disney's The Princess and the Frog? I am so thrilled at their reversion back to pencil drawings in bringing this beloved fairy tale to life. The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Aladdin - these were happy-childhood staples that I see huge similarities to in the previews for Princess. Classic sketches, almond-shaped-eyed heroines, and catchy soundtracks are what I loved the most about vintage Disney, and they're all here again! Cinderella is still my favorite; I baught the special edition dvd, and even have the sequels! Hopefully sometime over my Christmas break I will get to catch these new pages of the old book. Let me know how it is if you've already seen it!

In Other News ...

I saw Brothers last night, starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhal, and Natalie Portman. What can I say? It was different than I had expected, but I still felt rewarded by the time the credits rolled. I'm a sucker for intense performances, and I wasn't dissapointed in that respect. I feel the storyline and plot could have been streamlined to create a more coherent theme, but the acting was second to none. I will take solid performances with weakness in plot over shoddy acting and a tight line anyday. I'm enchanted with thespians who don't act, but become. This is the reason I adore such movies as Revolutionary Road and Memoirs of a Geisha; while the plots are shaky, the acting and camera shots are elements I could view repeatedly. The intense fight between Winslet and Dicapprio in Road was nothing short of remarkable, and I could contentedly set that scene on repeat. I love feeling a sense of passion while watching actors on screen; seeing them completely and believabley lash out before me is strangely therapeutic. Maguire's performance braught just such remedy, and was revolutionary for the cookie cutter super- hero. He shone without the promise of special effect to overshadow potential performance weakness.

The overall theme of this movie is the perril of War; the way it rips families apart for generations. The kinship of the two brothers was merely touched upon. I would recomend it if you can appreciate strong acting, and enjoyabley depart from a blatent theme. Think Rachel Getting Married, Love Happens, and Revolutionary Road.

With That Said ..

Have a great weekend!!!

Kitty Wigs!

I didn't know these adorable little heads-of-hair even existed for kitties!! Aren't they cute?

A wee lil' clownie kitty =)



My fave! She's totally Wiggin' Out!

This one's a little sinister looking imo ..


Giant Mop Top!


***


Apparently there is a legitimate company that crafts and sells these glamorous kitty adornments!

www.kittywigs.com



***
Inspiration for this post came from a blog I recently discovered...

Martinis or Diaper Genies?

It's a gooder!




Which Kitty Wig is YOUR fave?

Girls, Love, & The Bachelor!

Here's a little vid of me and my girls leaving town for our roadtrip on Friday. There was a major snow storm that day, and we just caught the cusp of it. Luckily we made it to Banff before too much havoc was reaked.

{hideous laugh compliments of ME}

I was excited!

...I had a lot of fun, BUT I missed my lovie so much...

I was so happy to be back =)

{took this pic a couple weeks ago}

I hope this week goes by FAST ..It's freezing cold here and I just want to be at home, reading, eating and watching lots of crappy daytime tv!! Maury Povich anyone?! hehe, I'm only half kidding.. One show I am SUPER excited for is the new Bachelor!!

{Jakey}

Do you think he's dreamy?? I do! ..

I think it's the squinty smile .. I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile! It's what drew me to my fiancee so much .. That, and a kind, innocent state of being ... bad boys are way overrated! Who wants to be treated like crap? I'll take a gentlemen anyday!!

It starts Jan. 4!

Sweet Award From Blonde Episodes!

Yay!!

Another award, & this one's so pretty!

Blondie was kind enough to tag me in this wonderful award she created; she loves my blog<3

Thanks, Doll, because I love yours just as much!

I tag all of my followers, because all of your blogs really do make me smile!

If you are a follower, then go ahead and take this award!

...& if you aren't already, follow me so that you can have this pretty picture on your side bar too =)

In Other News ...

I had a great weekend! Me and all of my ladies went on a road trip to Banff.

It was so nice to get away! BUT I was super tired when I got back on Sunday, and spent most of the day sleeping!

Today I've just been catching up on my book, and I only have two chapters of Twilight left! I had to read it, just to see what all the commotion was about. I already have New Moon also .. my fiancee baught me it in hard cover! Overall I am really enjoying Twilight. I honestly wouldn't say that the saga warrents this world wide phenomenon, BUT then again, I'm only on the first volume, and I've heard it gets better! There is definitely something comforting about the story. Reading it seems to soothe me somehow....

Hope you have a great week!

Take Time To Appreciate Beauty

Guys just didn't come like this back when I was 17 :( ....

DISCLAIMER: I'm not Team Edward or Team Jacob. I'm Team Good Looking Guys in General.

.... Actually, I LOVE my fiancee =)=)

Have a Great Weekend!!

Would You Like Some Hot Chocolate?

"The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least."

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Lily Cole - the doll incarnate