Dirty Thirty

Not sure why they call it that...but I did receive some scrumptious chocolate-covered strawberries from my parents at the office!

And had a lovely light show my last night at TCH.

Mike bought me a fantastic new camera with which I am already in love.  While I don't have a photo of it, it is very busy taking photos.  Good photos!

Pup Pup

Kai Man.

R Squared

Due to limited space in Sunny (a Taurus), this year I decided to do all of my Wetterling and Firethorn Christmas Gift Exchange shopping online on Amazon.  Not to sound like too much of a commercial: Amazon Prime is one of the best purchases we've ever made.  Free shipping, the option to gift wrap, easy organization.  And I don't have to do anything but click "Purchase".

And, you know...pay for it.

Anyway, I did end up spending quite a bit of money on gift wrapping due to not completing the task myself.  So by the time I started thinking of wrapping the presents under the Clayton Tree, my brain (and wallet) were starting to hurt.

So I gathered some items from the basement: an old dictionary and essays book, glue sticks, some butterfly stickers and paper that I'd purchased last year at Hobby Lobby for a project that never transpired, random blank tags, some cut up fabric from my crochet rug I'd hoarded because I loved it so much, and (this part is my favorite) some butterfly decorations that I'd randomly saved from Step Child's wedding because I have a thing for butterflies.

The road to hoarding is paved with "I could use this some day".

But in this case I was correct.

I then took the plethora paper bags I've had under my sink since birth...or at least since I moved here...including one from a 2007 meeting at the AmericInn in SLC, several TJ's, and some Christmas Bath & Body bags...

 And turned them into this:

 Yes.  That is a bow made of out plastic King Soopers bags.  Go on...appreciate.

The tags say "Meke" and initials for "Love of my Life" because that's how we answer the phone when the other calls.  I had the stamps from this project.

Book page wrapping.  More crochet rug fabric ribbon and yet another KS bow.  And a Mason Jar.  Because really, why the hell not.

Best part: the tissue I already had on hand (or grabbed out of Amazon boxes in some cases) thanks to learning to save every piece of tissue paper from every gift ever given maniacally (love you, Mom!).

So that brings the Total Cost to: zero dollars.

I also emptied out a plastic tub (because really who needs 27 pillows) so I can put all of the wrapping (besides the small square packages wrapped in book pages) accoutrement away and re-use it all next year.

Recycling FTW.

How you know you might have a problem

Me:  NAR!  Has Toms sent you a bracelet with a thank-you note?!?!?!

Nar: Yeah...

Me:  HOW DID THIS NOT COME UP?!

Nar: I dunno!  

Me:  It is sad how much this marketing ploy makes me want to buy more!

Nar:  Why do you think I bought the aqua ones?

SVFC

Mike's new office.  My favorite part was the welcome mat.  And the window, of course.

You Are Here

I found this awesome little ornament in Hawaii, and vowed that I would get one in both Colorado and Texas when we went.  Mike and I had an all day shopping excursion that included Kohls (where we purchase him some epic Levis) and H&M (where we purchased me some epic dresses), and - no joke - five different Starbucks stops in hopes of finding one for Denver and/or Colorado.

Starbucks gave me the finger and said "You no get."

Glow

Kona loves to lay under the Christmas Tree/

Don't Mind Me

Sometimes, Keebler is my back pillow on my desk chair.  Difficult angle...in more ways than one.

PBN

Tried purchasing a new Paint by Number from Amazon.  The thing showed up on a loose canvas, complete with frame and lovely paints!

I'm so in, China.  Thanks.

The Feels

Our tree is full of them.

I Always Go Overboard

I texted Nar a photo of my Toms score from Hawaii (thanks to Meke) on Black Friday.

"OMG. I just had a Tomsgasm," she responded.

That pretty much sums it up.

Rough Go

We almost didn't have a tree-topper this year...

Star Chaos.

Foof

Because this is exactly what you want to see on a bus finally heading home after 12 hours in planes and airports.

This Never Gets Old

Puka Dog

Because nothing says "Happy Thanksgiving" like an overpriced hot dog with coconut relish and 80% humidity.

 Ok, but in all seriousness, it was one of the best Polish links I'd ever had.

 Once again at Poipu Village.  We pretty much live there.  Which was actually an amazing thing...come Black Friday we got 50% off just about everything we wanted.  I would try to convey the awesomeness of our take-home finds...but it's just not possible.  Even with 1001 words.

Grand Hyatt

Yet another Clayton Adventure.

 One in which we wished we'd been staying at the hotel!

You Beach!

Save the Sea Lions

It's sad how happy I was that there was a volunteer that roped off this sleeping sea lion (objects are as close as they appear), ensuring idiot tourists wouldn't encroach on its nap.

We are a First World Problem.

But what really made my day was when this little bugger decided to go for a swim, and when a gooftard tourist decided it'd be cool to snorkel after him, we heard the volunteer Seal Patrol mutter as they were walking towards the scene, "That's the best way to get a limb bitten off."

I'll admit; I hoped it'd happen.

This is how we roll

Mexican't

We went out for a date night to the island's only fancy Mexican food restaurant: Tortilla Republic.

Let me just say this: Texas has ruined me to any other states' Mexican food.

But it was worth the two mile walk back to the house in the dark (and when I say "dark" I mean "this island doesn't do street lights and it was a new moon so we had to use Mike's iPhone flashlight app" dark), laughing and talking and reminiscing.  Best night of of the trip.

Peace, Snow

We woke up at 3:30am for the bus ti DIA...

 This is what we were leaving.

Complete with carry-on packs!  Yes.  We carried on.  For 8 days in Hawaii.  So impressed with ourselves.

 Welcome to Kaua'i!!!

"I know you're leaving soon."

Shadow

Sometimes I feel as though my life is being measured through this window.

Pups were Lonely

Keebs was without his mom for three nights?!  How did he manage...

Gator

Guess what I found when I finally unpacked:

Gross

I freaked out one of my co-workers by telling him never to put anything in the seatback pockets nor touch anything already in them because it is one of the best breeding grounds for all sorts of nasties.

So I took a photo on my flight back to send him as a reminder.  What completely sends that point home is the staining that showed up with the picture flash.  Disgusting.

In the Bleachers

We watched Du play in the Fire vs. Police football game...aaaaaand the hot dogs in concessions.  It was a great afternoon!