Being carded

Confession: I love Christmas cards. Love creating them (here's a parade of past years),  writing them, love finding them in mailbox, reading them and, yes, love mocking them at times when they get out of hand in the braggery or too-much-information department.

I loved this Apron Stage post yesterday about Christmas cards (and the comments)--so funny and true.

I love this article in Smithsonian magazine feature, exhibiting artists' Christmas cards over the years. Lots of great ideas and creativity there.:

The ideal holiday card for me: a little funny, a little original, something that captures the family's spirit and gives a little news.  Pictures, please, preferably of the whole family.  (Come to think of it, it's what I like in a blog as well.)

What are your holiday card guidelines/pet peeves/preferences?

p.s How do you display your holiday cards?

We gathered together (again)

 Thanksgiving for us stretched from the Tuesday before, when G's parents arrived, until yesterday when they flew back home.  We had a wonderful, tasty week.  We had 12 for dinner (G's parents, my sister Nancy, G's cousin Brent and his family, and us) which was just right.  Placecards/favors from here. 

Thanks to your fantastic meal suggestions, we also ate very well the rest of the week, including Robin's award winning chili, her crockpot chicken (thanks again Robin), Ina Garten's Five Cheese Penne, my mom's Taco Soup, a baked potato bar, and, I have to admit, lots of Rhodes rolls (bread making still makes me too nervous when it's high stakes).  All big hits! It was so fun and satisfying to host loved ones and have a happy chaos in our house.

And also nice this morning to recover.  Admittedly, there were some casualties:

Lauren's glasses (RIP), crunched by Louie

our clothes dryer, which died on the first day

and...Sam's lungs

(This weekend Sam was diagnosed with pneumonia and asthma, most likely related to his flu a few weeks ago. The poor boy needs to complain a little more...we had no idea he wasn't doing well until he complained it hurt to breathe on Sunday morning. He's feeling much better today and, on the bright side, imagine how amazing he'll feel when he's back to full lung capacity.)

I've been in denial about the calendar.  December? Already? Okay, bring it on.

OooOoo...This was Halloween

Sam wanted to be something cool--this year he was going to his first school Halloween dance.  He considered going as a color (blue--inspired by Matt's Blue Man Group last year?) but never really settled on anything despite long brainstorm sessions.  Then on Thursday night when I went in to say good night he had his whole costume assembled and lying on his floor, including the FBI i.d. and earpiece.  With no help whatsoever! Awesome. 

Lauren's friend Lucy is a ballerina so she brought over her tutus and they put together a good/evil ballerina duo for consecutive dances last weekend.  (This weekend Lauren went with her old queen costume from a couple of years ago for party-going on Halloween.)

Maddy and friends wanted to dress up in a theme together and decided on Snap, Crackle, and Pop of Rice Krispy fame (Maddy's coat and hat are from Target and will be well used long after Halloween).

We just squeaked in a pumpkin carving session on Halloween at 4 p.m. before everyone dispersed for trick-or-treating & celebrating with their own groups of friends.

We did a row of orange illuminarias leading up to our house but it was so windy that they were blown out and knocked over by 6 (plus it was freakily warm: 69 degrees). Some of my favorite trick-or-treater costumes this year: the Empire State Building (stacked boxes...so clever), a neon sign, the Constitution, and two little witches in a cardboard car.  Failing grade to the teenage "golfer" (wearing a golf shirt and glove).

Finally, a note:

Dear Teen Girl Trick-or-treaters, In my opinion, you must choose between sk@nky and candy.  If you are old enough to wear a sk@nky costume, you are too old to trick-or-treat with the little kids.  If you want candy, please cover up and be a sweet witch, not a sexy one.

Thank you,

The reluctant candy-givers at no. 22.

Month of witchery

...and so the countdown begins.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Any great ideas for kids and costumes?

Do share, my witchy (& I mean that in the best sense) friends {insert wicked witch laugh here}.

p.s. Welcome, October. I love you in a happy, melancholy way.

My Funny Valentines

Just a little clip of G and me, doing a little Valentine's Day dance in the rain...

Okay, actually it's Neve Campbell and Domingo Rubio in a beautiful dance scene from the movie The Company. I love this cello & piano arrangement of My Funny Valentine (it's a great soundtrack all around, actually) and it's one of my favorite dance scenes ever. So romantic and the rain makes it even more dreamy. {If I've posted this here before, just pretend I haven't.}

In reality, our Valentine's Day will be spent chaperoning a youth dance. Sigh. Maybe we'll try a few of the ballet moves to show those kids what's what. Now that would be a funny valentine (pa-dum-pum). Our anniversary is on Monday, though, so we'll just celebrate Valeversary then.

* * *

photo via Ali Edwards

Other My Funny Valentine favorites:

Chet Baker

Miles Davis

Elvis Costello

Kronos Quartet (couldn't find links for the last two)

What songs would be on your Valentine's mix?