I'm calling myself out

Remember that one time I said "hey I have a desk now so obviously I'm going to sit at it and write super awesome posts again." Then I didn't. I have no excuses why I didn't I just didn't. Probably because I had nothing super awesome to write about. Apparently I thought my desk would make my life exciting and so cool I would be bursting with awesome posts to write. Anyways, my last couple of posts have been all wedding related and I REFUSE to let this become a wedding blog. 

So! Maybe some of you have noticed but it is now December which means that it is BIRTHMAS TIME!!! The most wonderful time of the year! Which means I can go back to posting pictures of things I want and hoping that someone (Drew) gets a hint. Or two. My birthday is Christmas day after all. First up:

(Kate Spade Carlisle Street Stacy)

I need a new wallet yo. I already got myself a new Kate Spade bag for my birthday ( I needed it stop with the side eye.) so I desperately need a replacement wallet for Ole Green thats been around for like 5 years. Yeesh. 

Next:

(Osprey Aura 65 Pack)

Our honeymoon (if we're able to take one right after the wedding) will be backpacking in Glacier National Park for a week. This is really just a necessity. 

(Red Valentino Glitter & Patent Mary Jane)

If I have to tell you why I need want these then clearly we aren't friends.

There you go folks, Birthmas wish list 2013. What would you add?

Cheers,

Marisa

Birthmas 2011

Okay finally. Here it is in all it's anti-climatic glory....because someone (me) left their memory card in their laptop and therefore could not take pictures with their camera. EPIC FAIL. However I managed to document a few things with the old Blackberry. And here they are.

Friday night we went out with Drew's brother and his wife to The Melting Pot. I have never experienced fondu before, but as Drew said "it's fonnnn to du it!" so I knew all would be well. It was so delicious I ate so much bread and broccoli covered in cheese. Then there was dessert. Ohhhh the glorious pot of chocolate and all the amazing things you could dip in it. I need a fondu set. Going on the Birthmas list for next year.

Christmas eve day was spent at Target because I forgot how to pack and left some necessities at home, and at Cub Foods to buy groceries for the weekend. We made black bean soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and listened to Christmas music to get in the festive mood before heading to family Christmas. Drew even wanted to wear this sweater.

While I appreciated his holiday spirit...I just could be seen with him like that.

 Now, I've been used to pretty small Christmas gatherings since 2005. Maybe 8 people tops. Prior to that my Christmases consisted of family gatherings at my grandparents house where there were maybe 25 people 30 at most. Drew has 21 first cousins. TWENTY ONE. Add him and his brothers that makes 25 grandchildren. It was overwhelming at first but after the second drink I was a-ok. 

Now on to the gifts!

First up, something I've been pining over at REI for I don't even know how long. And now, they're mine!

No, I have never gone snowshoeing before. However, I love hiking and snow hiking seems like fun. Now we just need some GD snow so I can use these and also use my other gift....

Patagonia snowpants! Despite it being 40 something degrees Christmas Day, I wore these home to Minneapolis. I cant wait to actually use them. 

I also got a Columbia fleece jacket, a North Face half zip fleece, annnndddd....

A flying lesson! Thats right in spring I will get a crash course in flying and actually get to sit in the cockpit and wear my aviators and bomber jacket and only answer to Maverick. 

Christmas evening Drew took me out to dinner to our favorite Indian restaurant (and I do mean favorite) Gandhi Mahal. I ate so much palak paneer I actually thought I was going to puke on the sidewalk. No joke. It really was touch and go there for a while. 

So there you have it. Birthmas 2011! I could not have planned it better myself. Full of food, family and friends and love :)

Cheers!

Marisa

25 Days Of Birthmas Day 23: Running on Diet Coke and Hope

I am a wreck. As in I haven't slept well this week AT ALL, have already worked 44.5 hours in 4 days and haven't had a decent well balanced meal in who knows how long. But! Things are looking up, as today is a half day and I get to head up north to spend my Birthmas with my favorite boy. I'm just so ready for this all to be over so I can get back to my regularly scheduled program. You know the one where I actually work out, eat something other than black beans and Ramen and sleep through the night. And don't fall back into old habits. I'm looking at you Diet Coke. Oh well could be worse, could have gone back to cigarettes right? 

Sorry I'm being a Grinch right now. What is my problem? It's Festivus, I'm heading to Minneapolis, and Birthmas is only TWO DAYS AWAY! Enough woe is me, bring on the festivities and the food. (And the presents too!) I think I said I was taking a hiatus like two posts ago. This time I mean it. I'm out Des Moines. See you when I'm 27!!!!!!!

Cheers!

Marisa

25 Days of Birthmas Day 13: Remembering Dad

By now you've guessed that I love the holidays and my birthday, but there are always a few times when my Christmas spirit completely tanks and I find myself in tears listening to The Christmas Shoes driving home from work. It's at these times when I'm listening to these sad sappy songs that I start thinking about Christmas 2006, and how it was the last Christmas I would have with my Dad.

My parents tried to tell me I didn't need to come home since weather was always iffy and they didn't want me getting stuck and not able to get back to school. But my Dad was finally out of the hospital and I was determined to go home. I can't even tell you what I got that year, I didn't care. All that I cared about was that my Dad was home, and that meant things were on the up and up. I slept with one eye open the entire time I was home waiting for something bad to happen but it never did. Feeling hopeful and confident that all would be well, I headed back to school to start my very last semester of college and begin preparing for Miss Johnson and Jackson County.

Unfortunately I never got to compete in Miss Jackson County. February 8th my Mom called early in the morning to tell me that Daddy had passed away. I remember the shock, but I didn't cry. At first I was angry that I wasn't there. I should have taken a leave of absence from school for a while to be back home. I knew though that Dad would have been angry at me for neglecting school and making a fuss over him. I was then so happy that I had gone home for Christmas and got to spend one more Birthday with my Dad. He made sure that I had everything I could ever need growing up and always supported me no matter how ridiculous my plans. 

So while sometimes the holidays can get me down with a sad song or two, I just remember all the happy holidays we had together and how he didn't judge me and just laughed when  came stumbling home after Christmas at the bars on my 21st Birthday :)

Cheers,

Marisa

25 Days of Birthmas Day 12: Holy Holiday Busy!

Well it has been a busy weekend, and the business is just continuing! In true Marisa fashion I've procrastinated until the  last minute, and now have to go go go. I've got my blogger Secret Santa all taken care of and I'm so excited for it! I can't wait to get my present :) I've gotten Drew's present all done. ( It's a half fail. He just told me what he wanted and I bought it....it counts right???) So I'm crossing things off my list and it feels sooo good. How is everyone else fairing in the Holiday Madness? Hopefully everyone's gifts are coming together nicely! Here are a few scenes from the weekend. 

Drew and I enjoying PechaKucha night at the Jasper Winery. It was so much fun as always and Drew really enjoyed his first PK experience.

The next night was our company holiday party that was held at West End Salvage which Drew also absolutely loved. We had a great night full of food, fun and friends. Oh yeah, and I was named employee of the year. Woo!

Keep spreading the holiday cheer guys! Remember it's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

Cheers,

Marisa

p.s. Don't forget there is still time to enter my giveaway! 

25 Days of Birthmas: Day 1

WTF is Birthmas you ask? Well friends first off, you're welcome for getting the day off on my birthday. I had to pull a few strings and collaborate with Jesus and Santa, but it's now a holiday so enjoy it. If you haven't figured it out by now my birthday is December 25th. CHRISTMAS DAY. Hence, Birthmas. I am also okay with calling it Marismas too. I have some excited things planned, including telling you all about my Secret Santa once I recieve my present, a very special Christmas guest post, and ......a Birthmas Giveaway! To kick things off I thought I'd do a list of 10 things you might not know about me. So we can all be better friends and you won't feel so guilty having my birthday off without really knowing me.

1.) I used to save the juice from my Freeze Pops and dump it in a hole in my drive way, throw in some weeds (aka vegetables) and call it Kashi Soup with my cousin. Yeah those A-hole's stole our name.

2.) I did not fly in an airplane until I was 20 years old.

3.) I drive like a grandma, and I don't care. I have never been pulled over for speeding in 11 years of driving.

4.) Tea (hot or cold) makes me want to vom. Yes I've probably tried your special/favorite kind. It also tastes like butt.

5.) I don't wish to own a home. I know it's the American dream, but I detest anything involving home improvements. You can ask D about this one.

6.) I want rollerblading to become cool again like it was in the 90's. Don't act like you don't too.

7.) In the first grade I didn't realize you had to wait for the entire class to go to recess and when I realized I'd be in trouble for leaving early, I hid in the toy bin so I could act like I arrived with everyone.

8.) I've watched Miss America every year since I was 5

9.) My favorite "treat" meal (meaning out of a box and not homemade) was Rice a Roni. We only had it maybe once a month and my brother and I would compete to see who could eat the most.

10.) I miss holidays at my Grandparents because all I want for Thansgiving is my grandmas homemade tortillas and rice and beans.

There, I feel like we're all better friends now. Stay tuned for the rest of the Birthmas Festivities!

Cheers!

Marisa

It's Almost Time....

For my birthday! Oh yeah and Christmas. We had a fun yet brief Christmas dinner and gift opening at D's parents house today. The weather is turning terrible and tomorrow travel will be impossible so we headed up to the ole college town today. It was fun watching our niece "open" her gifts. (She's almost 9 months old, it was her first Christmas :) ) Tonight maybe we shall be getting our holiday "spirits" on with the besties in a Christmas/Birthday celebration. Hope everyone is having a fun and fabulous holiday, those in the midwest be safe and make smart travel choices!

Merry Christmas!

Badass of the week

I kinda maybe sorta forgot to do this last week...so it's just a few days late. Anyway, there is something that I have been obsessed with for quite sometime. Everytime I head into work at BBW I walk past them and die.

(Santa my B-day is Christmas Day....what do you say????)

I want these shoes soooooooooooo bad. So bad. The lovely workers at Aldo are going to get a restraining order against me since I've become the creeper staring in the window. But seriously how badass are these? New Years? Done and done. If I owned these I would wear them to work, to the store, to lunch with a fox in a box, whatevs ol' Dr. Suess could throw at me. DO WANT!!!!! You here that Santa. I ain't messing around. Since my b-day happens to be on your special day I think that means you owe me. Or something.

HOLY SNOW!

Well winter has officially arrived in Des Moines in the form of a blizzard and over a foot of snow.

(Guess who isn't going to work today????)

Don't know why that picture turned out all weird. I'm blaming it on the hurricane like winds and swirling snow that feels like a million little snowflakes are punching you in the face....and laughing. But at least we get a quality day at home staying warm and playing video games and what not. Poor little Dexty isn't digging the snow so much. It's deeper than he is tall. Poor guy. I wish I had an art project or something crafty to do today. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate. Oh and here is a picture of our Christmas decorations:

(I just realized that mirror is not centered with the table...booo)

On the subject of Christmas, I watched my favorite Christmas movie of all time last night and this morning.... (I didn't cry though this morning) MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL! I love that movie so much. I sing the songs from it when I need to feel the spirit of Christmas throughout the year. Not gonna lie I may watch it again tonight. Well on that note before I start watching it now I better get to being productive. Still need to shovel.....booooooooooo. Stay warm!