time to return presents? the answer is yes if you got any of these under your tree.

well, today will be another photo heavy post.  i hope everyone is fat & happy after the big day.  we've gorged ourselves & ripped open those carefully chosen gifts & now it is time to take inventory- right?  the hughes christmas was a kinder, gentler affair again this year.  the excesses of years past  have moved aside to make way for less conspicuous consumption.  highlights this year included gigi (as we call my mother) receiving a diamond from dad.  she never had an engagement ring- she said they didn't have a lot of money & it just wasn't "practical" (i am sadly not familiar with that word- at least not when i want something!).  as she said, it only took her 59 years (they were married 12.30.1950).  interestingly enough, when my father bought the ring for my mother, he also decided that after all this time, he wanted a wedding band, so he bought himself a wedding band.  which actually isn't a bad idea, if you are familiar the demographics of the over 85 crowd-  men are at a premium!  mom was quite taken aback by dad's romantic gift.

my big score this year was a gift certificate for a solo dive in west point.  it is called an accelerated free fall & includes a 6 hour course & then the skydive.  i am most excited as i think it should be pretty awesome to do the dive without being attached to someone else- no matter how much eye candy he is supplying.

we enjoyed a movie night last night & watched up- what a fun movie.  it was a crowd pleaser for all ages.  i do find myself seized with an uncontrollable desire to yell "squirrel" at sadiedog all day today, though!  & we're off to see "avatar" tonight with my nephew.  hope it's good.  i lunched with a friend today who said it lived up to all its hype- we'll see.

now let's get to the topic at hand.  i've searched far & wide to identify some of the worst christmas gifts ever- there had to be photographic evidence, so that eliminated a lot of entries.  you will definitely be beating a path to the store to return if you were the lucky recipient of any of these thoughtful little presents.

our first is the decapitated teddy bear lamp. this can be had for 119.  a bargain, don't you think? especially appropriate for a nursery. of course, you can get the shade in different colors. this treasure can be purchased at www.suck.uk.com.

got a man who has everything you needed to buy for?  undoubtedly, he is standing in line as i write to return the gift below.  this is a "willy" cover for those fantasy nights together.  kind of changes the meaning of holiday cheer, doesn't it?  this can be purchased at www.zavvi.com for $6.30.

next is an item we all should recognize & i don't think any more needs to be said.  i will add that when my sister had her first-born, her husband proudly presented her with one of these as a gift for bearing their child.  even my sister's male pediatrician got it & was like "he got you WHAT?".  repeat after me-  "i will never buy my wife one of these for christmas, unless she specifically asks for it & tells me the specific brand she wants."

                                    

our next entry is known to us all- the ubiquitous christmas sweater.  i understand that a new party theme (which means it has been going on for some years by the time i identify as a new trend) is the ugly christmas sweater party.  a friend called me the other day & left this message "let me start by saying asking you this favor in no way is intended to suggest that you have bad taste."  she was looking for a tacky christmas sweater for her daughter to wear to an ugly christmas sweater party & wondered if i had one.  for the record, i did not.  if these beauties below had been under my tree this year, we'd be standing in the return line right now.

   

& just in case you're planning ahead, here's that must have gift for that friend that has everything.  it's doubtful that they've received this from others.  this is available from www.amazon.com.uk for 5.51USD (at today's exchange rate).

a big old gift of nothing.  just a plastic bulb.  it is truly the best gift for them that has everything.

actually, i take that back.  are you looking for the gift for someone that has everything?  you want to give a memorable gift to the love of your life who just bore you a heir?  & you made the decision to forego the vacuum cleaner (good decision, by the way!).  you want to give a gift that there is no way the recipient will get a duplicate of?  well- here it is-  drum roll please......

have your child's umbilical bronzed & hang it on a necklace!  can i get a collective ewwwww?

i hope that some of you are taking notes for next christmas because you can start your shopping early.  DVDs were a big item at our house this year.  movies & tv shows were included in the pile.  as i mentioned earlier, we watched up last night- a crowd pleaser.  the younger set (meaning sans parents) watched the hangover - some great lines from that movie.  tonight we watched julie & julia.  my sister & my mother are definitely foodies- cute movie. my sister scored big bang theory- season one & the first season of glee.  what we didn't get though was this......

 definitely one of the worst xmas gifts ever. i don't think i actually know anyone who ever watched that show- it was definitely a pretty stupid premise.

okay - only  a couple more.  here is the perfectly awful yard ornament.

 

this is modern interpretation of a gnome & it glows in the dark.  this will assist in parting you from 340 of your dollars.  don't say it- i know, i know.  i want something like this in my yard- it reminds me of ......

when my sister's kids were little, i often had dinner with them.  my sister is a great cook & that was one of my pleasures when she lived in richmond.  i was, however; frequently admonished at the table because i would encourage the kids in their potty talk.  i am afflicted with arrested development when it comes to body parts & body humor.  i've never grown out of the latency age stage of laughing & finding every & any body function hilarious.  too bad this deck of cards wasn't around then.  think how well informed i would have been & how much i could have taught my niece & nephew.  these cards provide information about the elimination products of many different animals- both domestic & exotic.  these babies are available at www.firebox.com.

i've been into experience gifts for some time now.  we've given dad a hot air balloon ride, a day of fishing with us.  when the star trek exhibit came to the smithsonian, i took dad up for the day & he sat in captain kirk's chair.  i took my mother to fallingwater for her birthday one year.  my niece & i went to new york city when she was 16 years old.  i brought her into tiffany & company & up the 4th floor, where she was presented with the much coveted robin egg blue box, which held tiffany coins (their equivalent of a gift card) so that she could pick out her first elsa peretti piece (she chose the teardrop).  i love experience gifts!  they don't clutter your home, they last forever, they don't break & they are often so very special.  choosing to spend our time with someone is sharing our most precious resource.  so how could you go wrong with a gift of experience?  well, here is an example-  celeb for a day!  this comes complete with screaming reporters, paparazzi, bodyguards, limos-  you name it.  for the cool price ranging from $250 to 1500, this little package could be yours.  interested-  you can find it www.celeb4aday.com.

well i'll end on that note.  i had a couple more in mind, but i think i've pretty well covered it.  i'd love to hear about worst christmas presents from anyone (if anyone does) who's reading this.  & we all know what mine was....

TAMMMY!!!!! (that big-headed, big-hipped wreck of a doll when barbie had been the desired object).

merry everything & happy always!

6 (or so) days of christmas

well, just about a week away.  i've been busy scouring the web seeing what goodies i could find that might make shopping a bit easier.  the choices abound!  here are some ideas for the person who has everything (& i mean everything)!

what a fun game this could be!  are you a foodie or do you know someone who is?  this is a trivial pursuit-type game with trivia questions about food & chefs.  available at www.uncommongoods.com for 18.

in this day & age, more & more people are focused on practical gifts & gifts that are useful & not just clutter.  here are some band-aids-  who doesn't have a need for those from time to time?

you knew i'd work bacon into this post, didn't you?

here's a nice gift for the person who has everything- a special wine glass with a diamond or two- for a cool 3700.

i suspect it is not dishwasher-safe.

how about that crafty, creative friend of yours?  the one who loves to work with her/his hands & be creative.  here is a kit to make a lamp from those pesky beer bottles that are just hanging around the house.  you certainly will own a unique piece.  this can be purchased for 40. at www.homewetbar.com.  it just screams class!

know anyone who has a thing for clowns?  well they won't after a peek at this baby!  it's always intrigued me that my sister hates clowns-  they really bug her.  we had a friend who collected clown stuff & she got kind of creeped out when we went to his house- all those clowns, all those eyes.......  now that i think about it, this might be just the decoration for the front door of her traditional midwest home.  hope you're not reading this, kathy, & ruining the surprise.....

 here's another item that you won't have to worry about duplicates when you give this gift.  this hair clip (?) is clearly handcrafted.  this was found on www.regretsy.com.  if you haven't discovered regretsy yet, take a peek.  it's a really fun site.  the clown wreath was also unearthed from regretsy.

this is for that environmentally conscious recipient- a michelle tote bag for shopping.  this is by Blue Q-  they make great reusable totes for your grocery (& other) shopping.

how about those iphone users you know?  here is holster/sleeve for your iphone- just slip it in the wristlet sleeve & you have your phone on you at all times with little fuss.  this would be convenient for many folks who can't bear to be away from their mobile phones or feel compelled to answer their phone whenever it rings.  this is available from www.beltoutlet.com.

here is a large box of retro candy-  bit'o honey, clark bars, necco wafers to name a few. have a candy you miss & haven't seen for a while?  it may be in this assortment.  this is available from www.findagift.com for 28.  another great place to find stuff they don't seem to make any more is at the www.vermontcountrylstore.com.  the vermont general store holds a wealth of products that you thought you'd never see again.  some brands/products available include gee your hair smells terrific shampoo, black jack gum, fizzies (remember those?  they were the best when you put them on your tongue!) & the originial gumby & pokey figures.  lots of stocking stuffer ideas.....

                               

okay- just a few more......  have a need for multi-tasking?  think this would make it through the TSA at airport security?

i am in love with this jonathon adler butter dish.  kind of an unexpected piece on the table, don't you think?  this little pretty is available from www.fredflare.com.

                                                      

well that's the roundup for today.  i have a few more tucked away to be revealed in the next couple of days.

happy shopping!

decorating for christmas

well we got the tree up.

danny's done the lights.

of course i had to fix them.

then i decided why go to all that trouble?

meanwhile, i came across this advent calendar. now that's the true spirit of christmas!

finally, a reflection of our current troubled times.

12 (or so) days of christmas

well, let's take a look at some of the goodies i've come across that can help with that last minute shopping.  first we'll start with my favorite category- jewelry.  that's always very easy for me because i love jewelry.  i love looking at the design, how it's made, the use of dissimilar or unexpected materials & the architecture.  i like all kinds- silver, gold, rose gold, stainless steel.  i've seen some jewelry that integrates rubber & my friend cate turned me on to a guy that uses hardware items.

i sometimes imagine my jewelry has special energy & powers.  one of my favorite pieces is a bracelet that danny bought me at harrod's in london a good number of years ago.  he was over there with my brother-in-law (we call mr. armand sometimes- he has the best taste in clothing for women- he always knows what looks best on someone).  danny knew i would probably want something from harrod's.  he looked at alot of different things & found a bangle bracelet of interlocked bangles in yellow gold, white gold & rose gold.  first off, he did the exchange rate incorrectly & ended paying way more than he wanted, but was too embarrassed to say so after the sale was rung.  he agonized over it the next few days, bringing it back & then keeping it.  when he finally decided to return, he went to harrod's & they were closed.  so it was his as they left the next morning.  this bracelet was simple & elegant in its simplicity- at that time, this was not my taste.  what i loved, though, was the energy, though & care that went into the purchase- the fact that he kept wondering if it was right.  since it is a simple & elegant piece, it is also timeless.  i have never flown without it on my wrist.  i have worn when i ran my two marathons.  i wore it when i did my skydive.  whenever i feel that i need to be reminded of the love my husband has for me, i make sure i have that bracelet on my wrist.  i know he believes in me.  any time i have given a presentation, that puppy has been on my wrist. i wil probably leave it to my niece (who has simple & understated taste) upon my demise & i want her to know the story.  the fact that it is simple & unobtrusive means it has been easy to wear with all my different jewelry over the years.  i can't remember the exact year they went- i think it was 1988-  i still have the box the bracelet came in after all this time.  i don't keep it in the box because i wear it so much.  here is the bracelet.

so enough about that.  on to some pretty potential christmas trinkets.  here are some rings that caught my fancy.

i like the pearls-  very simple- they would look nice stacked.  i don't know the source of the two pearl rings (bad blogger) other than they were from etsy. i love the middle ring.  i've been seeing a lot of oxidized silver in my meanderings.  i loved the juxtaposition of the oxidized silver with the whiteness & purity of the pearl.  this ring came from www.etsy.com/shop/senayakin. finally, the last ring by carla coruso (sadly no longer available) is a raw diamond on a thin gold band.  i've had a thing for raw diamonds.  first of all, they are much more affordable & i think they are interesting.  the ring above sold for 180. at katy beh in new orleans (www.katybeh.com).  it's a great gallery with wonderful artists.

for those unfamiliar with etsy - www.etsy.com- & i have discovered there are still some who are uninitiated, i have found lots of wonderful trinkets at etsy, a virtual shopper's delight of all things handmade.  i have always liked the use of stones in jewelry & this bracelet appealed to me.

 this can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/stonz. it is selling for 55.  the stones move around the bracelet.  i also find that i like jewelry i can play with.

one of my favorite artists that works with river stones is terry logan.  her work can be found in galleries nationwide.  here is an example of her work.  she's quite a bit more than the etsy folks- that is one of the advantages of etsy.  you can find some great bargains.

terry logan does pretty incredible work. i've seen many artists work with river stones, but i think very few do it as well.

finally, for your consideration, one of my favorite artists, gabrielle gould.  garbrielle loves birds. i love her whimsical pins. i first encountered her work at the chicago museum of modern art (where i first came across terry logan, as well- they have a great shop).  she is fanciful & fun.  her pins & necklaces make me want to smile.  here are a couple of her pieces.  she's not easy to find.  you will have to buy her stuff off the internet unless you are somewhere where her stuff is sold, which is too bad, because the pictures don't do it justice. i'm not aware of any galleries nearby that sell her stuff.

she often uses real feathers in her work. pretty fun, don't you think?

so that's it for today.  i could go on & on & will restrain myself.  let me know if you have any very favorite artists/jewelers for me to check out.

on the twilight train

well, i went today to see the second movie of the twilight sage- new moon.  new moon was my least favorite book of the four.  i fell into the whole twilight thing by chance.  i was at barnes & noble one afternoon ordering a coffee & they had twilight displayed on the counter.  i picked it up & read it (because i couldn't just stand in line & wait without a distraction- i wonder sometimes where that ability went).  the twenty-something girl behind the counter asked if i had read it- she said it was pretty good. the third book of the series was being released soon & they were having a release party.  apparently i had missed some sort of cultural event here.  she told me the book was very popular with the young adult crowd.  i decided to give it a read.  i finished it in less than a day & was back to get the second book, which sadly was not yet released in paperback.  it would be released in a couple months.  i could not wait.  then it was the third book.  all finished within two weeks.  all i had to do was wait for the fourth & final book- i can't remember how long the wait was.  i remember going in to buy form my local bookseller- i jokingly asked him to put it in a brown paper bag.  it was such a guilty pleasure.  many of my clients are young women under thirty- they were all seriously into the series.

for those that are uninitiated, the series follows the highly dramatic & romantic relationship of a vampire & bella swan, a mere mortal.  to further complicate the drama, a long-time friend of bella's has been in love with her & it turns out he is a werewolf, the arch enemy of vampires.  it's all very passionate & overdone & i loved every minute of reading it.  although i did skim a lot.  i always say my junk reads are like junk food-  they are great going down, although when you're done, you can't remember what you ate & you're still hungry. there have been many breathless news reports following the romance of the two screen stars, in addition to the whole twilight hoopla. & there were a good number of middle-aged women at the movie this afternoon- this phenomenon is not limited to younger women. many of my friends have whipped through the series. interestingly, the only ones who haven't are the ones who have said "i don't like stories about vampires." so not only have us oldsters infiltrated & contaminated facebook, now we've jumped on the twilight train.  is nothing sacred? & i do so hate being part of a stereotypical trend- it's kind of embarrassing - i always like to imagine myself as being more original than that.

i must confess that the series does bring back for me the agony & the ecstasy of young love. it was so....  intense. actually, at that time, everything was intense, now that i think about it. although torturous at times (actually, quite a bit for me)- when it wasn't....  it was great! things were so immediate & rationality had no place in my world as a adolescent/young adult. i do miss those times a bit.

one of the things i loved about the twilight series was the creation of a whole world with its own rules & paradigms.  how wonderful it would be to be able to create something like that!  i loved t he harry potter series & was so sad when it ended.  this year was the first july in 6 years that the new book didn't arrive for me to savor.  i would so look forward to it. i always pre-ordered (after the first one) so that the arrival would be automatic. i missed my friends annual visit this year. i totally lost myself in the series & just loved the books. i've been reminded of them this weekend b/c they movies have been on all weekend this weekend. i'm captivated by the wizarding world & all the nuances in it. what a wonderful mind to weave for us such a tale.

as a youngster, i liked the narnia series.  i was never much of a fellowship of the ring girl- i liked the hobbit- had difficulty beyond the first book.  i did enjoy the movies though.  other than that, i'm not at all science fiction or fantasy oriented as far as genres go.  those series have always intrigued me because, although an avid reader, i've never really liked fantasy or science fiction.

& so now, here i find myself eagerly awaiting the third movie (release date june 2010). no matter what the age or what the form, it's hard to refuse romance.

the spirit(s) of the season

nothing says christmas like a unique christmas tree celebrating the christmas spirits (groan...)

it's a dog's life

sadiedog on vacation-  living like the dog goddess that she is.....

what i want for christmas

                                                enough said.                  

vacation

well, i was lucky enough to have been on vacation this thanksgiving week.  it is actually the continuation of a tradition & in these uncertain economic times, i feel very lucky to have been able to continue the tradition this year.

back in the mid-80's, a friend & colleague of mine purchased a home in kitty hawk, north carolina.  we used to call it nagshead- now we call it the outer banks, or OBX.  the cottage was formerly owned by the camp family, who owned union camp in franklin, va.  union camp was acquired by international paper in 1999 & just last week, it was announced that the plant was closing.  this was the primary employer for franklin.  the cottage was an old nagshead cottage, built in the 40's that jane said needed a "little laura ashley."  it was oceanfront & kitty hawk has been losing dune for years.  the house had already been moved once to protect it.  the tradition started when we would come down to jane's the friday after thanksgiving & stay until sunday.  back then, thanksgiving was an owner's weekend.  we did this for 5-6 years.

then my family started renting a cottage for the week of thanksgiving.  you could find some pretty nice houses for not a lot of money.  my family has been coming to the outer banks since i was 9 years old.  we stayed in kitty hawk.  there were two groceries- wee winks & anderson's market.  typically, we brought our groceries because the prices were quite high.  i used to hate this vacation.  i don't like going in the ocean- i can swim- i just don't like sharing my space with unseen creatures & have always been afraid of jellyfish.  i always thought nagshead would be a great place to recover from a heart attack because there was nothing to do.  i would just hang on the beach, sometimes sulking & pouting- mostly finding shells.  we started coming for one week & then two.  we stayed in those old nagshead cottages- no tv, no a/c, no dishwasher.  we had to go laundromats b/c no washer/dryer.  after a bit, dad started bringing a tv with him.  we would play games, tommy & kathy would gang up on me (as my sister said recently, "let's face it, mimi, you weren't exactly a joiner!").  as time went on, the beach became a bit more built up, with more restaurants.  i remember one year we were down for two weeks & it rained every day.  finally, in desperation, we drove to elizabeth city (the closest theater) where "gone with the wind" was showing- that was the first time i'd ever experienced an intermission in a movie.

eventually, however, as we got older there were more schedules to coordinate- both mom & dad worked & we worked too.  when i was about 14 years old, we stopped going to the beach for our vacation.  then, in 1978 or 79, we started again.  i was out of college & seeing danny, so he accompanied me to the beach.  we would bring down multiple friends of ours & mom & dad always had friends.  the cottage could get quite crowded.  by then, there were some bars to go to & always a cold one at the cottage.  i would lay in the sun like a lizard for hours with baby oil slathered all over me.  i remember that i would get sun poisoning on a regular basis (throwing up in the bushes by the tanarama motel on my way back to the cottage).

mom & dad liked to find a cottage & then just keep renting it.  our first cottage was a small 3 bedroom job.  then we graduated to a four bedroom.  one of those had vinyl furniture- we called it the plastic palace.  we moved from kitty hawk to kill devil hills- that cottage was by port'o call restaurant.  getting to the ocean was like crossing the sahara.  kathy had caitlin & all her baby paraphanalia to carry & danny had a broken ankle one year; after his accident,  bad ankles.  there was the week that danny & armand went down to shucker dave's- it turned out that it was shucker dave's last week in business.  shucker dave's was within walking distance from the house.  the boys came home- bobbing & weaving.  danny was on crutches with his broken ankle- he still doesn't know how he got down the street & up the stairs.  the boys slept on lawn chairs on the deck that night.

we then graduated to a larger cottage & mom & dad went to the beach for three weeks.  that was great.  i worked in norfolk then & would take two weeks off & go to the office one day in the second week & do a 12-hour day.  the summer before grad school, during grad school & after grad school, i went for three weeks. that was pretty heavenly.  eventually, we stopped the summer vacation at the beach as a family- i'm sure it was a scheduling thing again.

then we started the thanksgiving week as a family.  we did that for a number of years- tommy came out some years.  it got more complicated when kathy & armand moved to illinois.  so we stopped.  we spent one thanksgiving at a hotel with mom & dad &  a couple with them in williamsburg.

the year we got sadie, i decided i wanted to start going to the beach again & danny & i rented a house.  mom & dad came down, as did some other friends.  we have done the week at the outer banks since.  this year, the two couples that typically come, could not.  we rented a 2 bdrm, 2 bath cottage in southern shores that was just perfect & it was just the two of us with sadiedog.

everytime i cross the bridge over the sound, all those memories of so many years come flying back to me.  to say the outer banks has changed is a colossal understatement.  i remember when the mcdonald's arrived.  there is a sense of peace & a touch of home that exists here for me.

we like our thanksgiving tradition & plan to continue it for some time.  there are days we don't leave the cottage- we just pal around watching movies, reading books, messing around.  of course,  we take sadie for a walk- we just don't get in the car.

as much as i don't like routine in my life, i do seem to treasure rituals.  & i plan to be here next year- probably with our other friends to celebrate thanksgiving & sadie's 8th birthday!

the perfect tool for thanksgiving

don't go the thanksgiving table without this little baby. one of our old family traditions was sending pea missiles at the thanksgiving table, usually instigated by my brother, tommy aka "perfect" as mom refers to him. needless to say, mom nor dad was particularly impressed by this tradition, especially when grandma was in attendance. there was a certain skill to getting the proper arc & the aim just right. too much of a reaction from the intended target usually resulted in a rebuke by the parental units, while the true culprit grinned shamelessly. if we had these babies at the table, no telling how far we could have gotten those peas. & a tool like this would make it possible to utilize other objects that a spoon did not handle well because they needed more torque- cranberries, a whole slice of jellied cranberry, yams, dinner rolls- oh my- the possibilities.

i would love to say that we have grown up & matured & no longer engage in such shenanigans. i would like to... but the truth is it has been a while since we've had thanksgiving dinner together as a family- all of us together. i harbor no illusions that such behavior would be extinguished. we have not adequately matured & being in the presence of one another, all three of us (tommy, kathy & i) only results in us growing down rapidly. i hope we never grow up. there isn't a day that goes by that i don't feel very lucky to have the siblings that i do & to enjoy them so much. i always have fun with my brother & sister. & we have all married well & enjoy our partners as well. it doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

when i was younger, i would sometimes envy my friends who were only children because they seemed to get more of everything. they didn't have to bother with sharing rooms, or toys, or games, or being teased by siblings, or dodging flaming arrows, or having their toothbrushes dropped in the toilet... you get the idea. now i think i am lucky that i am not an only.

this is one of my favorite quotes about brothers & sisters-

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers & sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds & secrets, family griefs & joys. We live outside the touch of time."

- Claire Ortega

& for me, this is true. when i'm with tommy (aka perfect) & kathy, we are outside the touch of time. & we always will be.

let's dress up that bathroom

so i don't know how i came across this topic- maybe thinking of that gift for that someone who has everything. the bath is such an easy room to decorate & make a statement, given it's frequently diminutive size. for most of us, dressing up our bathrooms is not going to involve a lot furniture & complicated decorating. one way to dress to impress for our bathrooms is to use the toilet seat lid to full impact. below follow some examples to inspire.these are from pressalit. they are not actual toilet seats - just concepts.
these are also pressalit- i love the fluffy one.
another pressalit- how is this for a concept toilet?

the above beauties are from sellers on etsy. there are some real winners there- i love the mermaid, don't you?

& the poodles? very classic.

so if you have that decorating urge & don't feel like taking on a big project, here you go. let your imagination run wild.