a clean slate + a new year's sale

New Year's Eve has always been my favorite holiday. A party for the sake of partying - no pressure, no gifts to buy, just the celebration of a fresh start.

Larry and I have been ringing in the new year with the same group of friends since 2002 and tomorrow we are hosting a dinner party for this group at our house.

While shopping for wine for the party today, I saw this bottle. Clean Slate - what a perfect sentiment for a new year!

I'm looking forward to 2011 and can't wait to share my goals for the new year (along with a recap of 2010). Before I get to that, I will be focusing on getting things together for our party tonight. It is an international themed wine/cheese/dinner party and we've asked all our guests to choose a country and bring a bottle of wine, cheese, and a dish to share from that country. I chose Germany - a strange choice since I typically find German food to be disgusting - so my goal is to make something that is not disgusting. (Which is a pretty good goal for all cooking endeavors!) Larry chose New Zealand. Looking forward to seeing and eating what everyone else brings.


In celebration of the new year, I am having a sale in my shop. 15% off any purchase made on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Just enter coupon code CLEANSLATE at checkout. (Offer valid until 11:59 pm EST on January 1, 2011.)  *Sale is now over. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my shop!*

Best wishes to all in 2011!

P.S. Gravy made us some confetti for the party:

christmas 2010

Christmas morning was just me, Larry, and the pups at home. I set up the camera on the tripod with a remote to capture our present-opening. Please excuse the huge bags under our eyes. We were up late the night before wrapping them. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow...

I call this series We Are Dorks.

Testing, testing.

We had quite a bit of help with the opening of the presents...

Ooh! A meat thermometer!

A Weepies t-shirt! (If you're wondering what's on it, Larry says they are stoned whales.)

Monster trail mix! A Wiggle Worm!

A Matt & Kim CD!

Pajama pants!

Rolla Roaster marshmallow sticks!

A sweater! A headlamp!

Then my camera ran out of memory. But the hit gift of the day? A Beard Head!

Mrs. Beard Head.

Yukon Cornelius! 
Silver and gold, silver and gold!

The pups got spoiled, too. I got eight new dog toys FOR FREE by using a gift certificate I won in the 
Pampered Puppy May Photo Contest. (Check out 7th place.)

They love opening gifts.



My possum. Mine.



This was the first year since we bought our house that we didn't host Christmas dinner. While we didn't have 
the stress of preparing a big meal on our shoulders, we missed being able to hang out in our own house.

I cooked Creamed Haricot Vert & Corn Casserole and we headed out to my aunt and uncle's for a delicious 
Christmas dinner.



The Beard Head was once again the hit of the day. I gave one to my brother, too.


Bearded Ladies.

When we got home, arms loaded with loot, we found that the pups had laid their own loot out across the living room.

Hope you were all as spoiled as we were!

christmas eve

We had Christmas Eve dinner at my mother's house.

This is my beautiful mama.

And here she is giving me the finger for taking her photo while she is wearing a dishrag as an apron.

We opened gifts.


Lucy was the most enthusiastic about the presents.


She also hoards chew sticks. See the chew stick in the bottom right of her bed? That's actually a pen.

Mom baked me a birthday cake. She never lets a birthday go by without cake!

Then we headed back to our house bearing gifts for the pups. They snatched the gifts from my hands as soon as I got them out of the bag.

Gravy got a squirrel. Banjo got a skunk. They loved them.




Then Larry and I realized that neither of us had wrapped our presents to each other yet. All we wanted to do was sit by the fire and relax. So we sat on opposite sides of the couch and wrapped into the early hours of the morning.

Gravy helped.

I had the dog presents in a box sitting behind me on the couch. Guess who found them?

Presents! I want them!

I'll just stand here and rest my eyes until the presents are ready.

Larry finished wrapping and I busted Banjo snuggling him on the other side of the couch...

And whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!