Dear Santa, I'm Ready, Hurry Up!

My pine and cedar candles are lit, the presents are wrapped and enticing looking, my bags are packed, all I have is one last day at W and I'm trouncing into the holidays! I didn't realize until this year that this is my favorite time of the year. Christmas time in New York is truly magical. I love the smells, the anticipation, hunting around for the perfect gifts, and most of all giving them!

Even though the current state of my family is...well, shambles, I'm doing my best to put that aside and look forward to everything else. I think that having Chris' family to spend time with on top of my mothers side is really helping. What definitely isn't helping is that the only place I had to put my gifts is on the two chairs flanking my sideboard, staring back at me every day, begging to be presented to their respective recipients! (exhibit A below) It's pure torture! I don't even care about what I'm getting, I'm living for the looks on everyone's faces!

I've been bubbling with excitement since I first started getting gifts, and I'm boiling over now! The events are just waiting for me: Mr. Amato's Christmas party at the warehouse on Tuesday (jolly yet intimidating Italian men, loads of catering and I'm surrounded by the most impressive classic car collection anyone has ever witnessed? Yes please!), PJ's Birthday part deux on Wednesday, Christmas amuse bouche with Pj and Lexi on Thursday, Mum's family on Christmas day and Chris' Christmas night, then preparation for my New Years party! I just got shivers.

I can't wait to have the time to embrace my Mum's family, my friends, and Chris's fam, and I hope everyone reading is as excited as I am, and has just as much to look forward to if not more! Happy Holidays everyone!

Stuart Little? What are you doing here?

My NYC tribulations continue! Some introduction is needed to this story.

Chris has made me a bit of a neat freak. When we first got together, when I first saw his house and room, I thought "oh how sweet, he cleaned up for me!", but no, this was his normal routine, everything in its place. So, as we progressed, I saw it drove him up the wall when my things were their usual "organized mess". So, I started to be neater, and now I can't focus on anything unless everything is clean and put away. I wash dishes 4 times a week, vacuum twice a week, mop once a week, and take out the trash as soon as it's full.

That being said, I took my trash out last night. This morning, I went to put a new bag in the trash can and discovered Stuart Little , a little house mouse, stowed away and nibbling on a rogue cap'n crunch that somehow got down there! I proceeded to gasp in horror (an action I usually save for the movies Andrew and I watch), run out of the room and call my mother. The verdict: take the poor scared fellow outside and set him free, and then go get traps.

Not only am I ashamed that I was afraid of a teeny little mouse (after the initial shock I decided he was adorable), but I'm ashamed that one was intrigued by my apartment! Now my eyes are constantly scanning for scurriers and nibblers, and I'm googling "humane mouse traps" because I couldn't bare killing one. Living alone is tough!

Is there such a thing as an appropriate desperate measure?

I've found myself in what I assume is not a unique situation for the typical NYC dweller: my neighbors across the alley get in a screaming match every sunday evening, like clockwork. Now, for a moment, this was an interesting part of my New York life, but I've found that recently it's become nothing but depressing and irksome. The fights have flooded over into the weeknights, and I'm tired of hearing it!

So now, feeling quite bad for the lad involved, seeing as he always seems to be the one speaking a bit softer and more forlorn, I'm feeling an urge to interject. This may be difficult considering the decibel and pitch of the (from what I've gathered) wench he's living with, but for arguments' sake, if I could manage to interject...would that be appropriate? One would assume not, their relationship is, in fact, their relationship, but its effecting me now too! And one can only assume the rest of the people on my side of the building who enjoy the cross-breeze of an open window.

Do I say anything? Maybe the third party interruption would jolt them into realizing just how much they're arguing and cause them to either work on it or 86 it...Maybe the wench will just turn her frustrations towards me...? I'm desperate to stop feeling bad for the bloke and I'd love if the woman stopped being the stereotypical "psycho girlfriend", but is this too desperate of a measure? My firey gut says no.

Beetle Wings and Bumbum.

Everyone who knows me, knows I have a two major penchants: objects that no one else will have, and jewelry. My perfect store to continue the search in is catbird, a tiny little boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that faithfully stocks their antique china cabinets with charming, off-beat jewelry and old-fashioned homegoods. Hoping to finish up my Christmas shopping, I ventured out on the L-train to my old neighborhood to see if I could find anything.

Ever-impressive, I walked into the store to find my eyes immediately gravitating towards a glowing emerald hue. When I found out that this necklace was made entirely of beetle wings strung on a gold chain, it was all over, Merry Christmas to me.

Cloven Hoof harvests, treats and strings these wings and then sends them out to only 2 other stores in the world. I can't imagine a necklace more interesting and beautiful than this, but I'm sure catbird will find it if it exists, and my jewelry dresser (yep, it's that intense of a penchant, I needed a dresser) will get another new tenant.

AND, inspired by the silhouette art book I just bought at Archivia, my favorite local book store, I snagged this Peter Pan-esque piece, charmingly entitled "General Bumbum".