A White Christmas in NY

Paul's NY office: gotta love the view!

Here's the view out my parents' front window. You can sort of see Santa keeling over in the kayak. We've had plenty of critters to look at - ducks, squirrels, gulls, and even an eagle on Christmas morning.

Pop and Ryan made an excellent snowman! Genuine coal eyes.

Kimmy, Me, and Kristen. It's been a while since we've all had similar haircuts. I think it makes them look more identical. And I'm not that short, Kimmy had some very cool boots on that gave her a couple more inches :)

Car vs. Garbage Disposal

So this is what happens when a 5 yr old puts a toy car down the sink and neglects to tell a parent about it. Scratched the paint job pretty good, shattered the windshield, and jacked up the tires :)

Attention anti-K-Mart Shoppers

Kate Spade is having a sample sale! And thanks to Lindsey, we can all know about it and shop (either pretend or real) to our heart's delight. It's over on the 16th so get going. Or at least email the link to significant others as a not-so-subtle Christmas hint.

Coolest Pen Evah!

So I bought 3 of these and now have officially become a pen snob. This is the Pilot Hi-Tec C pen. It's .25mm and sooooooo great to write with. It's from Japan and is hugely popular throughout Asia. They're tough to find in stores here but easy to get shipped from jpens.com.

glam meets zen

So Red Envelope always has the coolest gifts; and thoughtful. I can name several family members and friends (virtually every woman I know) who could use this. Pop the rectangular bag in the microwave and bam! relaxation.

I figure the eye mask will help keep the room dark - which is oh so important to those of us who suffer from migraines.

Small Paul

I love Paul Frank designs. Such fun stuff. The kid stuff is way cute - check out these jammies sandbox couture...

Never fear, Super Dog is here!

So Ryan really enjoyed Halloween this year. He's always loved the trick or treating part but last year at preschool they tried to put on a little show. He freaked when he saw everyone looking at him and went and hid in the corner, crying. Thankfully, his kindergarten year has been great and there were no tears. He even marched in the parade and wore his costume at school. His favorite part of the day: trick or treating with Dad and scoring 43 pieces of candy.

title nine jacket

Love this jacket. Title Nine has the coolest stuff! Just gotta decide on a color :)

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

So if you have ever been to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse you must have tried their sweet potato casserole as a side. If you haven't, I highly recommend it. Until I had this side dish, I did not like sweet potatoes and I did not like pecans. This is so yummy it's like a dessert. I will most definitely be making it for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Ryan has even declared it his favorite food, beating out mac&cheese even. Now I don't quite believe that one but he meant it at the time. When I made this, I used the casserole dish that is one size smaller than a 9x13 so that it wasn't too thin.

Crust Mixture

1 c. brown sugar1/3 c. flour1 c. chopped pecans1/6 c. (1/3 stick) butter, melted

Sweet Potato Mixture

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes1 c. sugar½ t. salt1 t. vanilla2 eggs, well beaten½ c. (1 stick) butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.To make crust mixture: Combine the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.To make potato mixture: Thoroughly combine the ingredients, in order. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Michele, of the big red foot

So here's a shot of the lovely red cast I'm sporting. Friends and family have been super supportive. Paul has been my own personal Toby, carrying me when I need it and fetching my every whim and desire :) Can't wait for 6 weeks to be up and the other foot to be operated on. I promised my niece Madison that I would get a pink cast next time.

The Office

Video clips from the greatest comedy on TV.

Macheesmo

For a chuckle...

You can be my cowboy