Only part of my Valentines

Hydrangeas hand-delivered to my work Friday, a chocolate heart, and a ticket stub from Valentine's Day, the movie, which was perfect for the date and entertaining and star-studded.

The other part was a Starbucks gift card and dinner at Tastebuds.

New Years was dark

My camera is so crappy and only takes acid-camera or dark/blurry shots. Attended a lovely party, were light sabers involved. Also, salsa dancing which I just don't do enough. As I type this, suddenly, there is a cat in my lap.



I did have a rockin outfit though, with my grandmother jewels.




This photo ended up looking like something from a scary movie. It was foggy on NYE, and these people are standing at the edge of an overlook over the city. I couldn't walk outside without breaking into the song The Fog. I sang it in 6th grade chorus. It's a canon, in minor key, and the lyrics are from a Carl Sandburg poem. I'm sure everyone else thought I was just strange. Disappointingly, I just looked all over the Internet and can't find an audio or video of it.

Fog
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbour and city.
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

I've been off since before Christmas, and a lot of my holiday has been spent lazily, starting with mornings that look like this.

Thanksgiving

I'm not going to list all the obvious, boring things I'm thankful for. Those are all the same for most people. Be more original.

Instead, here are some fun and unusual things:

Blogs

Bloglines-to allow me to read them better

Farmville

Sparkly things

Christmas lights

Random acts of kindess

New friends that stay friends

People who aren't flaky

An apartment all my own, drafts and all

Sour candy

Hosting parties

Organic milk (because it lasts 4x as long)

The smell of coffee

VA going non smoking in bars/restaurants
Bejeweled
Unseasonably warm days

Reality TV

A reliable car

Hair straighteners

The fall smell

Snow

Fantasy Party

Inspired by The Clothes Horse, an interview about my dream party. Though this is not so far from what one of my parties looks like IRL.

What type of party is it?
Since the holidays are coming up, it’d be a fancy party, complete with party dresses, hot shoes, good hair, men in dapper suits, and sequins.

Who is invited?
All the usual suspects, as this will be my 6^th annual holiday party. I always try to invite some new friends as well.

Where does it take place?
A penthouse condo overlooking the city, so we could see the downtown buildings lit up for the holidays and peer over all of the lights of nighttime. There’d be an outdoor deck with candles and paper lanterns since it will undoubtedly be an unseasonably warm evening.

What are we eating/drinking?
Gruyere and other assorted cheeses. Gourmet pizza. The fantastic veggie thing my friend always makes. All kinds of chocolate and holiday goodies. Holiday-themed cocktails, like a poinsettia cocktail or peppermint schnapps martini. Wassail.

Who gets to sit next to you? And why?
Whoever the newest invitee is. I like to make everyone feel welcome and give them tidbits about my other friends so they have an in and can feel comfortable.

What is the theme or what is everyone wearing?
Holiday-inspired clothing. Jewel tones, sparkles, crisp lines. Tall-tall shoes.

Are there party favors?
Fancy wine glasses with holiday colors, a mix of Christmas music made by me. Homemade desserts and ornaments.

What are the hot topics of the evening?
The Virginia elections. Where everyone is traveling and spending the holidays. Inside jokes. How fantastic my party is. How lovely everyone looks. Flirting and storytelling and laughing and drinking.

Who is most likely to get drunk and dance on the table?

Me or Daniel.

Who is the last to leave?
Everyone. An ideal party is when everyone stays up til the wee hours talking and laughing.

Oh yeah, and all this brainstorming makes me super-excited for the holidays. I'm totally listening to Christmas music right now. Actually, listening to the Christmas CD I made all my holiday party goers from last year. Can't wait for this one!