merry christmas (don't kill wolves!)

If you hang around these parts, you probably know I'm a huge animal lover. Well, awhile back I made the mistake of making a small donation to one of my favorite charities, Defenders of Wildlife.  They apparently sold my information to every NPO from here to Djibouti (thanks for that) and now my mailbox overflows with a plethora of junk from every conceivable organization.

Most of it goes straight into the fireplace while I consider the irony of all the resources these (mostly) environmental organizations waste in their solicitations. But the other night I held onto an offer for personalized Holiday cards featuring endangered wolves.

The Gray Wolf is like my kindred spirit.
(Don't laugh. I love them.)

So I was pretty pretty devastated when I learned that wolf hunting was legalized in Idaho and Montana in 2009.

It was a controversial topic of conversation during visits to Idaho with the boyfriend. His friends and family had mixed opinions, but I knew it would be bad... and it was. It decimated the wolf population and thankfully this year they are back on the protected list.

No more hunting wolves!!!

Anyway, I talked with the boyfriend and he was super excited about the prospect of sending Save the Wolves holiday cards out to all his friends and family in Idaho.

I kid... I kid. He thought it was not very *in the holiday spirit* and suggested I look for something else.

Well the Universe must be on his side, because the very next day I stumbled upon this post by Miss DSS. Apparently, Shutterfly is doing a fabulous promotion giving away 50 free holiday cards to bloggers! Seriously.

While I don't think Shutterfly has any sexy "Save the Wolves" cards, they have something maybe even better: Personalized Christmas Photo Cards!

So instead of showcasing Canis lupis, I think boyfriend and I are going to go with Canis bondi and Canis homie.

Shutterfly has an amazing selection of Christmas Cards to choose from. Two of my favorites:

Of course, photos of these cute little kiddos would be replaced with ones of my *cuter* little pups.

And no worries... if you're Jewish, Muslim, atheist, politically correct, etc. Shutterfly has a wonderful selection of Holiday Cards to choose from as well!

To get 50 free cards from Shutterfly with your own blog, go here.

GO NUTS!

It's been over three weeks since my mom's big 50th birthday party I planned... you know, the one I was going nuts over!

Like I said, I have a new found respect for all of you ladies who have planned your own weddings. Invites, guest list, caterer, tents, heaters, food prep, bar prep, balloons, band, bartenders, kegs, decorations, cake, entertainment... it was almost more than this girl can handle!
 
Just about now, I can finally relax and share the sparkle unicorn awesomeness of the celebration with y'all.

Well I have to say, it went off without a hitch... unless you count the creepy old neighbor who wouldn't stop talking about his "little pecker" and his ex-wife's "stinky pu$$y" in front of my 5th grade teacher (so embarrassing) and me. But I digress...

One of the very last things I arranged for the party was the birthday cake. I did not want it to be BORING, but I was struggling with ideas.

If I lived in New York I would've just called on Miss Summer to come up with something, since *super awesome* is like standard for her cakes. A girl can dream...

So I thought of the Erotic Bakery in Seattle... you know the type of place where bridesmaids and bachelors galore flock to procure tasty desserts flaunting boobies and penises (penii?). However, call me crazy but I didn't think their "big black cock" special would be appropriate for the fifty plus crowd.

When I ran the erotic bakery idea by my dad, he agreed. "Not kosher". But he thought maybe they could do something else funny. Of course he was mum when it came to actually helping in that department.

So I got to brainstorming... and I thought about my mom and her squirrels:

And then I remembered a funny picture I had seen awhile back online:

And then it came to me!!!! A squirrel with NUTS!

Not too tacky... not like a porn-star penis or an old lady vagina... but a cartoon squirrel with large testicles.

I have to say, the girls at the erotic bakery were amazing. They knew just want I wanted. Well pretty much. They didn't know if I wanted a penis on the squirrel... probably because I was unable to answer that question. I hemmed and hawed over this dilemma for a good three minutes.

Penis? No penis? Penis? No penis?

Finally settled on a little penis. Good compromise.

Feeling pretty confident about my decision, I called up my dad and reported to him on the details of the cake. He was not happy, so I had to call up the girls at the shop and instruct them to ix-nay the penis-ay on the squirrel.

She says, "Roger that. No penis. Just large balls."

Well, here is the lovechild of my brain nuggets:

Amazing, no?

Funny story... my mom definitely asked where the penis was. Go figure!

The rest of the party was pretty fabulous also... I mean, besides the cake. My good buddy Jesse was working magic behind a full open bar, and thanks to the fabulous finger foods by Lynn's Bistro, almost everyone was able to keep it together, dancing to the Beatniks and singing karaoke until the early morning hours.

I mean, for a bunch of old fogies, I think my folks and co know how to party!

Wishful Wednesday - Dream Room (i'm biased)

It's time for Wishful Wednesday, courtesy of my IRL lovely friend Miss Kelsey.

'I wish' I could come home to...

this bedroom each and every night!

I LOVE the bamboo construction and funky low profiles. Just my style :-) I would want it with different (maybe Bamboo?) floors and a shaggy white carpet...

I'd have to throw in this "Chiffonier" ... I just learned this word a few months ago and basically refers to really tall dressers like the one above. It would be PERFECT for all my little clothes.. not like pre-college weight, but you know.. socks in top drawer, then undies, then bras, then bikinis, etc. etc.

Okay, okay. Full disclosure: I'm a little biased.

I helped design this furniture!!! 

Yup, our family company makes this bedroom collection and we sell it on Costco.com here.

Plus, I helped develop the flash product demo for it... check it out, but just warning the music get's really annoying. I take responsibility for ensuring the inclusion of a MUTE button :-)

It's my most favorite bedroom collection we sell, and I would totally have it in our little house, if our bedroom was just a teensy bit bigger. Because of the low profile overhangs (which I love) the bed takes up quite a bit of space... maybe in our next house!

Of course, to complete the dream bedroom, the window in the picture would need to look out upon this view, and not the fake skyline we painted for our furniture showroom :-)

 image source.

To play along with Wishful Wednesday next week, head over to Miss Kelsey's blog The Seattle Smith's!

FYI - pink giveaway week..

Happy MLK Day!!

Just poppin in to let y'all know that Teresa at Blooming on Bainbridge is doing a giveaway this week.. in honor of the color pink, I think...?

Anyway, it looks fabulous so go check it out :-)

If her fabulous giveaway isn't a good enough reason to head over there right meow, well here are two more:

1. She's from Seattle. Well, Bainbridge... Very cool.
2. She has an adorable pup named Doogan. I think he and Bondi are long lost pals.

Just sayin'....

inStyler giveaway

Fabulous Giveaway by Juliana at "A blonde walks into a blog" ...

She's giving away the InStyler:

QUICK! Head over there now and check it out :-)

shocker.

Found this on Burlap Condoms, so go check it out there. According to this ridiculously spot-on two question Enneagram test, apparently her and I are both...

"8-the Asserter"

These results are amazingly accurate, particularly the points in blue... and so I thought I'd share with y'all... a lil about me, according to, umm, OkCupid.com :-)

Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

• Stand up for yourself... and me.

• Be confident, strong, and direct.

• Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.

• Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.

• Give me space to be alone.

• Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.

• I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.

• When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a EIGHT

• being independent and self-reliant

• being able to take charge and meet challenges head on

• being courageous, straightforward, and honest

• getting all the enjoyment I can out of life

• supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me

• upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a EIGHT

• overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to

• being restless and impatient with others' incompetence

• sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it

• never forgetting injuries or injustices

• putting too much pressure on myself

• getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

EIGHTs as Children Often

• are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit

• are sometimes loners

• seize control so they won't be controlled

• figure out others' weaknesses

• attack verbally or physically when provoked

• take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

EIGHTs as Parents

• are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted

• are sometimes overprotective

• can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

I'm not a parent yet, so can't comment on the accuracy of this last part. But I can't believe for a 2-question test how RIDICULOUSLY right-on this thing is. Just sayin'

Now, back to work. Errr... umm..

i *heart* secret santa

Prep In The Big Apple at Whale Flip Flops planned a Secret Santa Blogger gift exchange... which was quite fun! I *love* getting stuff in the mail, and since all my family lives in the area, it doesn't happen very often, except for stuff I order online for other people, and that's not quite as fun :-)

So I was super excited several days ago when I had two packages waiting for me with no return address on them! One included a gift card to LUSH which sells fresh handmade cosmetics. LUSH believes:

• Use Fresh Ingredients
• Protect the Planet
• Make Products By Hand
• Responsible Packaging
• Greener Living
• No Animal Testing
• Greener Catalogs

I've never shopped at LUSH before, so I headed to Westlake Center downtown to check out their stuff. They have the coolest handmade cosmetics and soaps, all so pretty!! I picked out a couple different handmade organic soaps, made from real fruits and vegetables. At LUSH, they cut the soap off the block for you according to how much you want, and charge by the quarter pound. It's quite something!!! So here's what I came home with:

Sexy Peel - delectable lemon and lime marmelade soap with just a touch of sex appeal.

I Should CoCo - the creme de la creme of coconut soaps with dried coconut to gently exfoliate.

Honey I Washed the Kids - Carmel and honey scented soap to clean up the whole family.

I'm so excited to try these delicious looking new soaps :-)

But WAIT... there's more!!!

My lovely Secret Santa also sent me 3 reusable eco-friendly bags from enVbags.com - yayy!!! OMG I totally collect these reusable bags and have about 87 of them and counting!!! The ones I got are oh-so-pretty and so cute!!!

 

Seriously, I am usually all over the place and rarely carry a purse, so these bags are perfect for me to throw all my stuff, or groceries, or Bondi's food in when I'm on the go.

Plus... since I'm a major procrastinator and didn't get my Secret Santa's gift out until after mine arrived, I was able to use one of the three lovely bags to package her gift in. It's not that I don't love mine... it's just that since I learned she is a huge fan of pink and green, I know she will appreciate one of these just as much as I will!!!! So Miss Sara, if you're reading this... yes, I re-gifted the bag your gifts came in with one from my Secret Santa. But... I hope you will like it just the same!!

Well, I'm off to drink twelve a couple Emergen-C beverages and try to get better in time for Christmas Eve with the folks. But to my Secret Santa if you are reading this... Thank you oh so much and Merry Christmas!!!!

wishful wednesday - bleh

Sorry. I'm incredbly annoyed and upset and possibly tipsy right now... and you know what??? It's not even Wendesday anymore. So here's my effing WISHFUL WEDESNEDAY *("WISHFUL"  looks wrong?? did I spell it right?? or is it just one of those words that looks wrong sometimes?)

anyway... ugggh. here it is.

Best holiday I can remember, besides the obvious that Kelsey already did, is Thanksgiving in Cabo. It was my mom and dad and my sis and my lil bro and I.

My sis and I are older and only 15 months apart. My lil' bro is only 13 now, and everyone always asks us if he was a mistake. The funny thing is me and my sister were apparenly both 'mistakes'... however; I distinctly remember my mom giving her IUD to my dad in a ring box about, umm... 14 years back or so. My dad wanted a boy. My mom was 36. She gave him her IUD for X-MAS.

So he was the only planned one. Anywayyy... back to Cabo Thanksgiving. No more words. Here's some pics:

We found a Christmas tree in our hotel.

My dad and my lil bro.

They made my sis and I take

walkie-talkies out cuz its MEXICO...

My lil bro and mi mama!

Our whole family, pre-Thanksgiving dinner.
Gbae is anti-sressing up :-)

Oh 12-year olds hehe

On the van ride ride to dinner!

In a golf cart. The whole fam!!

Kenzie introduce me to the BEST.BOOK.EVER.

Why Men Marry Bitches.

They have Corn Pops in Mexico :-)

Looks like CHRISTMAS!!!

Apparently I'm not happy.

It was cold.

It's a teepee.
Thanksgiving theme?

where the boys at??

Just wondering, are their any boy bloggers out there?? Not that I don't love all you girls!!! I do :-) Just sayin, there most be some boys out there with blogs.. and if so I'd be real curious to see what kinda stuff they say.

So umm... if any of yall females follow any males... drop me some blog love (a link) in my comments, cause I'd love to go check those boys out... mwahaha!!!!!

image source.

more blog bling!!

MCW at Saving Best For Last just nominated me for this fun new Happy 101 Blog Award (aka more "Blog Bling").

For real, peeps, we gotta work on these Blog Award names. I suppose it's better than "Sugar Doll" but seriously.... That said, MCW is one of my most favorite bloggers, and so I'm gonna go with it :-)

Here is how it works:

*1*  List 10 things that make you happy.

*2*  Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

Here goes!!!

Tom Yum Soup

image source.

 

Kisses from this Boy...

Yup, our softball team name is "Smack My Pitch Up" :-)

and this Boy...

Fresh Powder

 image source.

Mimosas

image source.

My Uggs

Daily footwear each October through April...

Finishing a Crossword Puzzle

image source. 

Finding Money in a Coat Pocket

image source.

Scuba Diving

image source.

...and Christmas Music!

specifically, Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas" 

image source.

Now, 10 Bloggers who brighten my day.... Trying not to double-tag anyone here, but I apologize if it happens!

• Abby at Keeping Up With The Krecks
• Ashley at Ramirez Family
• Caroline at Simply Smithwick
• Cee at Curiosity
• Jax at The Roaring Twenties
• Kelsey at The Seattle Smith's
• Paisana at Burlap Condoms
• SaneAndSingle at So Why Are You Single?
• Summer at B is for Brown
• Sunshine Meg at Float On...

blog bling!!!

Soooo yay!!! My first "blog bling" - at least, that is what I will be calling Blogger Awards from now on.

I received two blog awards in the week or so, but I feel like I've been soooo slammed so here goes (and I'm going to do a little combining action, since they're pretty similar.. oh and I don't have enough "blog buddies" to link to yet!)

First up, thank you Abby!!! Abby over at Keeping Up With The Krecks gave me the Kreativ Blog Award :-) This is my first award ever, and apparently all I had to do it was follow Miss Abby - such. a. hardship. to. follow. someone. so. ridiculously. awesome! But seriously, go check her out. She rocks!!

 

So here are the rules for the Kreativ Blogger award:

*1*  Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
*2*  Grab the button and place it on your blog.
*3*  Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
*4*  Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
*5*  Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
*6*  Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
*7*  Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

Next up, thank you Ashley!!! Ashley over at Kiwis and Cocktails gave me the Sugar Doll Blogger Award :-) Ashley, her Kiwi husband, and adorable pup Piri have quite the life - so go check it out... You're sure to be entertained!!!

The rules for the Sugar Doll Blogger Award are the exact same except you name 10 things (or "tid-bits") about yourself... so that's what I'm gonna do now.

And as a side note: I'm not gonna lie I think these blog award names are pretty silly... maybe I'll make one like the "Most ridiculous story" award, but I'll play along!! I love.Love the idea of them anyway :-)

OK, moving on...

*1*  I did competitive gymnastics for many years as a girl. I saw the Goodwill games in 1990 when I was 7 years old and decided I wanted to be one of those girls. Never really looked back. I was never the best or anything like that, but I busted my butt. And it sure did keep me out of trouble!! When other girls were at the mall, I was in the gym. In Middle School training was about 4-5 hours a day 4-5 days a week with meets on most weekends. I miss those days, and when I'm drunk tipsy I like to do handstands, back hand-springs, etc.

*2*  I have had lots of surgeries... the first after I snapped (audibly) three ligaments in my ankle tumbling during my freshman year. It.hurt.like.hell. Then again about a year later when I broke too many bones to count in the same ankle vaulting. That was officially the end of my gymnastics "career". Then again I had ACL reconstruction from a basketball injury my senior year of highschool. Then again (same knee) I had ACL reconstruction from a wakeboarding injury the summer before my sophomore year of college. I think over those 5 years I may have spent about 1/3 of my life on crutches. Fun times.

*3*  Purple is my favorite color. I know, I know... "When I'm old I shall wear purple." But whatevs. I like it.

*4*  I volunteer as often as I can at Sarvey Wildlife - it's a wildlife rehabilitation center in Arlington, WA. They operate soley on donations and take in all injured or orphaned wildlife... everything from bears and cougars to raccoons and starlings. I've learned sooo much working there over the last 8 or so years. It's not glamorous work, but I've had some incredible experiences there. Like... bathing baby river otters; stitching a fawns head; tube feeding a bald eagle; "pottying" baby raccoons (that's a post in and of itself); and much, much more! Here's two pics of my lil' bro Gabe first with a Bald Eagle (look closely!) and second with with a baby river otter after bath time. This past summer I finally brought him up and he LOVED IT!!! Yay :-)

*5*  I love Christmas and everything about it. I have purple stockings hanging from my fireplace right now (see #3). I  love cheesy Christmas music. I love finding the *perfect* present(s) for my close friends and family.

*6*  I never almost never splurge on full price "brand name" items (I do, however *heart* Nordstrom Rack) but I have an unhealthy obsession with Marc Jacobs. I feel like everything Marc Jacobs is so adorable, even if it totally.is.not. Anywayyy, one day I will have a really expensive Marc Jacobs purse. And I will never lose it. I swear.

*7*  Speaking of purses, I almost NEVER carry a purse. When I go to work, I pack all my shit in one of those reusable plastic bags... my current ones I got from Word Wildlife Fund and they have adorable pics of endangered animals on them. Why do I not carry a purse? I find them annoying... I can never find what I need. Oh, and the one time I bring a "nice" purse out... like the nice little white Marc Jacobs clutch my mom got me for xmas 2 years ago, it gets fucking.stolen.  (Or lost, I've done that once a few times too...) So usually I go out with my ID and debit card in my back pocket and stash my phone, etc. in my coat pocket or with a friend. That way, if I lose something, I can generally minimize the damage. HA.

*8*  TV Obsessions: Almost everything Animal Planet (except those shows where the animals turn on you, don't like those ones); Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice; Law & Order SVU; Daily Show & Colbert Report; South Park; Entourage & Dog Whisperer (even though I no longer get HBO); and occasionally AI/SYTYCD.

*9*  Bondi. My almost 4 year old half-papered Doberman / half- whatever dog knocked his mama up dog is my LOVE. I would do anything for him. Oh, and he's tested me on this!!! Remember the whole 'almost dying' thing here? Well, if know me, or heck, even if you follow my blog, you've probably gathered that by now. NUFF said.

*10*  I am in love with my boyfriend Joe. Like, totally in love. Even when I'm more.than.annoyed with him... like right meow!! But we won't discuss.. because that would be, what do you call it????.. airing dirty laundry.. and I'm not gonna go there. So I'm sitting here doing this "Blogger Award" thingy I've been procrastinating, with a bottle of [yellow tail] SHIRAZ, and I'm starting to feel a little better.

OK, and now for nominations (in no particular order)... Please just disregard if you've already done this shiznit:

* B is for Brown

* burlap condoms
* CURIOSITY
* Everyday Delights
* Float On...
* Oh Lord!!
* Saving the Best for Last...(fingers crossed)
* Simply Smithwick
* The Bobby Pin
* the future mrs. smith

 Much love peeps!! On to better days, like Tuesday:-)