Merry Christmas!

I am sore ashamed.

For the first year ever, I didn't send out Christmas cards. I mean, I bought the cards. I have four boxes that almost coordinate with my wrapping paper du jour (thank you, Target). I even lugged them home in my suitcase with the intention of getting them sent out during all the free time I imagined having once my puddlejumper touched down in San Angelo. All that free time has been taken up with gatos and dachshunds and shopping (gross) and wrapping presents and nice, long chats with my daddy in the kitchen.

Instead, the boxes of cards will be boxed up with my presents and shipped back to Los Angeles. Better luck next year. Instead, I'm doing a blog Christmas card:

(Click me! I get big!)

It's been a good year. Thanks for being a part of it.
Here's to 2010!

12 of 12 - December 2009

Yesterday was the 12th. You know the drill. If you don't, check Chad Darnell's blog for details.

Yesterday was also the Casa Descanso holiday party, so the vast majority of these pictures are party or party preparation related. Enjoy!

10:34 a.m. - LJ in Bed.

Checking in on all of my buddies from the comfort and warmth of my covers.


12:11 p.m. - Time to get up and make the cookies.
Rolling out homemade sugar cookies on my Texas towel. If you look closely, you might be able to see my hometown underneath all the flour snow.


1:11 p.m. - Migas!

Since we weren't going to be eating anything substantial until the party, I decided to make some brunch. I went with migas, but this time actually followed a recipe. I'm so glad I did. I mean, my haphazard version is pretty darn good, but holy moly... Thanks to The Pioneer Woman, I had some of the best breakfast I've ever made. (I modified mine to include bacon because, I mean, come on...)


3:14 p.m. - Cookies are not a sometimes food.

It's on to chocolate chip cookies with little red and green M&Ms.


4:59 p.m. - Red Matter.

The red food coloring blends into the cake batter. This is about the time panic started to set in. Then I realized that it wasn't as late as I thought it was and calmed down for 45 minutes. This getting-dark-early thing is still messing with my brain.


8:31 p.m. - Queso Fundido.

Allison finishes up the delicious cheese dish.


9:46 p.m. - Feuerzangenbowle!!

Or auf Englisch... A sugar-spice wine drink in which a giant cone of sugar (called a Zuckerhut) is lit on fire over said drink. That releases more sugar into the punch. It's delicious and very festive. Also, kind of badass... I love that you can see the lights of Silver Lake through the window. I freaking love this neighborhood.


9:51 p.m. - The Spread.

We made a lot of food yesterday. A lot. Spinach dip. My brother's guacamole recipe. Tortilla roll-ups. Frosted sugar cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. Mini red velvet cupcakes. Queso fundido (not pictured). And that's not including the brie, camembert, pretzels, and chips and salsa.


10:16 p.m. - Party People!

I love this picture. My friend Jan looks so happy. This is actually one of two different pictures I took of people at the party. I like the other one, too, so I posted it here. Look! It's Chad!


11:44 p.m. - Christmas Trivia.

Yeah, so this is where I started to realize that I was three pictures short of a dozen with only fifteen minutes left in the day.


11:45 p.m. - Who burned the cheese?

Queso Fundido carnage. This is not going to be fundido to clean up.


11:50 p.m. - "Christmas in Connecticut"

The very poorly-Photoshopped poster for this movie was featured prominently in our party invitation. It played in the background while we played games. (This was after Holiday Switch had wrapped up.)