Happy 4th of July Weekend!

How can it be the 4th of July already? I feel like the summer has just started, and now I realize that I've been here/work for almost a MONTH now and this weekend marks the (kindof) halfway point of summer. After work tomorrow I'm headed down to see friends and have an amazing time this weekend. I'll be back on Monday with a recap! What are all of your plans this weekend? Since I won't be blogging this weekend have a very very happy 4th of July everyone!

xoxo

KAC

Happy New Year!

Happy New Years everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous, fun, and safe New Years Eve...what were your plans? Mine was absolutely fabulous (I'm kinda lazy right now so I'll give a longer recap when I get back!) and today I'm looking forward to laying out by the pool and watching Northwestern (my dad got his MBA there and since Michigan isn't in ANYTHING today we're def watching them!) kick some booty today...although I just checked the score and it doesn't look good. Have a very relaxing day everyone!
xoxo
KAC

Christmas Recap

Happy 2 days after Christmas everyone, I hope you all had a great holiday! Santa was VERY good to me this year and left me lots of goodies including a ton of books and dvds (one of them was the 5th season of Lost which I can't WAIT to watch), a North Face coat, and snow boots! We had a very relaxing Christmas day and then went over to my neighbor's for cocktails which was interesting to say the least. I love my neighbors but they don't always have an edit button on what they say especially when they've been drinking for a couple hours so I definitely heard more about they're...um...love life (they're also in their mid-60s) than I wanted to know!! After the party we came back home, ordered Chinese and watched The Holiday and I'll Be home for Christmas which made a very nice Christmas night!

Everyone has posted pictures of their Christmas decorations, and I guess that I'm a little late to the party considering it's after Christmas haha but my mom goes all out around the holidays so here they are.




(most of our ornaments lean towards the handmade/folksy kind and I love this one which we got in Vermont one year)


(The Christmas Barbar which I think I told you all about in my christmas traditions post)




(all of our stockings....and yes my dog does have his own!)


(my grandmother who is VERY proud of her Norwegian/Viking heritage gave this nutcracker to us)





Today, I'm off to Boston to exchange a gift for my dad, and use a couple gift certificates before coming home to pack for CA tomorrow! I hope you all had a great holiday....what did Santa leave for you?
xoxo
KAC

Merry Christmas!

xoxo
KAC

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Can you all believe that it's Christmas Eve already?? Wow I am SO excited that Christmas is (almost) here!! Today my dad and I have a big day ahead of us in that it's been our Christmas tradition (since I was about 6 and my dad ACTUALLY forgot to buy my mom presents that year) to go shopping for my mom together on Christmas Eve day at Copley Plaza/ the Pru Center in Boston. I absolutely love this tradition with my dad, and the Copley is always so pretty at Christmas.

My aunt and uncle aren't coming out this year (we're just going to meet them in CA for new years) so it's just going to be our (very small) family for Christmas which I'm actually so excited for! Tonight my family and I are going to dinner in Boston (another tradition) before going to midnight mass which is seriously something that I look forward to all year. It is absolutely beautiful, and my favorite part is when everyone sings Silent Night (one of my favorite Christmas songs) by candle light. Tomorrow we're going to my neighbors for their annual Christmas party, and then have a very relaxing night, and either go to a movie, or just get take out and watch holiday movies. I hope you all have a FANTASTIC holiday, and that Santa is good to you all this year!
xoxo
KAC

A fun Christmas Meme

I've seen this on a bunch of blogs, but most recently, Belle on Heels, and thought that I would do this too!

Q: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A: The Holiday, and I'll Be Home for Christmas (Love JTT haha)

Q: What is your least favorite Christmas movie?
A: Some of the ones on Lifetime are kinda rough (not The 12 Men of Christmas though, I loved it!)

Q: What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?
A: Christmas Shoes

Q: What is your favorite Christmas song(s)?
A: Breath of Heaven by Jessica Simpson, Dominick the Donkey, At Christmas-Hanson

Q: What is your favorite Christmas drink?
A: Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks

Q: What is your favorite Christmas memory?
A: I always love going to midnight mass with my family especially when the congregation sings Silent Night by candlelight

Q: What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: My first saddle that I got when I was 10...I DIED haha.

Q: What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: This UGLY nightgown that my aunt gave me one year...it was horrible!

Q: What do you LOVE about the holidays?
A: Um absolutely EVERYTHING! The music, tv/movies, decorations, shopping, baking, holiday parties... I could go on forever haha

Q: What annoys you about the holidays?
A: The fact that many people get angry/annoyed when shopping...kinda makes you loose the holiday spirit!

Q: Do you prefer a star or an angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?
A: Angel

Q: What is your favorite family recipe at Christmas?
A: A cranberry cookie pie that my mom makes every year...so yummy!

Q: Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmas?
A: A Who!

Q: Christmas light displays - Love them or hate them?
A: Love lights and think they're so pretty...although some people can go a bit overboard sometimes.

Q: Santas at the mall - fun times or creepy?
A: A little creepy but I still like them

Q: Christmas cards...do you send them?
A: My family always does, and this year my housemates and I sent some out too!

Q: What is the best thing about Christmas in your opinion?
A: The music

Q: What is the worst thing about Christmas?
A: The day after!

Q; When do you put the tree up and take it down?
A: Usually the first week in December and the first week in January

Q: Out of the 12 Days of Christmas, which item would you want your truelove to give to you?
A: Anything but the swans...I hate swans and they're kinda mean!

Q: Why do you think grandma got run over by a reindeer?
A: Drank too much eggnog haha

Q: Who is your favorite reindeer?
A: Rudolph!

Q: Do you believe in Santa Claus?
A: Of Course!

Q; What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?
A: Fresh Christmas Trees

Q: What would make you happy at Christmas this year?
A: Just being with my family/friends and enjoying the holiday!

Show Us Your Life-Christmas Traditions

I always LOVE the weekly Show Us Your Life over at Kelly's Korner and thought that I would participate myself this week! My family has a TON of traditions (I'm warning you now...some are kinda weird haha) so here are a few of them:

• When I was little I used to be OBSESSED with Babar the Elephant so my mom bought a cardboard cutout of him for my Babar birthday party. Now I have no idea how this started but my mom would always put out the cutout on Christmas Eve and when "Santa" would come "he" would put a bell on Babar's trunk. Kinda weird but we still have kept it up!
• We always open a Christmas present each on Christmas Eve.
  
• When decorating the tree my mom always hides a pickle ornament and whoever finds it gets to open their presents first.
• Before Christmas my mom and I always make Holiday Cookies together, and for Christmas my mom always buys her and matching PJs for us to wear on Christmas morning.

So there are just a few of my family's Christmas traditions...what are your family's traditions?
xoxo
KAC

Giving Thanks

I can't believe I wrote my Thanksgiving post yesterday and forgot to name all of the things that I am thankful for this year. I am thankful for so many things including:

• my amazing family and friends
• my health (and the health of my family and friends)
• my dog
• my education and the wonderful opportunities I've been given
• The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
  
• Starbucks Holiday Cups
• Christmas Music
• TV marathons
  
• Holiday episodes of Friends and Will and Grace (haha I'm a dork)
• The bloggy universe
• Updates on the new season of LOST over at Entertainment Weekly (seriously I can't wait)
  

And for your holiday enjoyment... a little Adam Sandler (sorry there's no video with this just the song!)



xoxo
KAC

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow! For me the family fun (both good and bad haha) has already started...my mom has already made some,um, interesting comments towards me, and my aunt and uncle have only been here for less than an hour and are kinda driving me insane already. Oh well, I am SO happy that I'm home and spending Thanksgiving with my amazing family (as crazy as they may be) and I can't wait to watch the parade, dog show, top chef on bravo (I love their Thanksgiving marathons!) and eat all of the yummy food! Have a great holiday everyone!!
xoxo
KAC