Going On An Adventure

Hey bloggers! My Guy and I have decided to go on an adventure!

We are packing up today and setting out on a weekend/New Years adventure! Unplanned adventures are always the best kind. So I will be out of blogging commission from today until Tuesday, Jan 4, 2011.

Have a great New Years bloggers and I'll talk to you all next year!

Happy 2011!!

Kid's Got Chutzpah!

So it's a slow blogging week, everybody laying off the keyboards and hitting up the dessert table, I think. I can't say that I blame them.

My brain is fried and I'm enjoying some time off too, so I dedcided to make you laugh today. I know you've all seen this at one time or another, so enjoy it again.

My favorite part is when she giggles at her mom giggling at her. I love her! I wouldn't mess with her...

The Queen Of Quandary

I am the Queen of Quandary. Somehow, someway, I usually find myself backed into a difficult situation that I have no idea how to get out of. How did I get myself there? I usually try to make every one happy, which by now I should know, never works and usually ends up in a shi* storm.

I entered into that shi* storm today and here I am trying my best to climb out of it. What do you do when you try to fit a square peg into a round hole?? The quandary here, is that I offered a job to someone, who out of loyalty, squeezed me into their busy schedule. Then, just before the job was about to begin, I found someone who had no schedule constraints. Now what do I do???

I know that the original person was actually squeezing me in out of loyalty, and that the other person is perfect for the job and has no schedule conflicts. Here's where I FAIL as a person and an employer. I don't want to rumple any feathers, yet I don't need both people. Somebody has to go, and I feel terrible.

Long story short, I left it up to both players to figure it out, like a coward would do, and now I have a bigger shi* storm than when I started, and too many people to do a one man job. What the HELL is wrong with me? I've now got to fix this problem I created.

SO bloggers, you think you got the answer? What would you do?

Oh,The Weather Outside Is Frightful

But the fire is truly delightful.....

It was a smashing Christmas over here at The Dandy, and now we are being bombarded with snow. Already over a foot here in MA and more expected all day. I hope all my blogger buddies had a wonderful and fulfilling holiday. These are my post Christmas observations for the snowy Monday after Christmas.

• My son and I were talking early last week about how much the day after Christmas sucks and how it is the worst day of the year! We both agreed that Dec 26th is depressing and anti-climatic after all the hub bub of the holiday, but I'm thinking that with the holiday falling on a Saturday, the day after being a Sunday, and with the huge snow storm, we are really enjoying this whole time together. We likey. I'm still listening to Christmas music.

• The Pats wrapped up home field advantage through the playoffs with their 13th win yesterday over Buffalo. I'm pumped! Yup. I bought a FAB bright orange Mad Bomber hat to wear to the games so you can all find me in the stands....And My Tommy too.

• No obligatory sucky gifts this year! Both Frick and Frack have almost no returns and I have a mere few. Really just for size, cuz I need a SIZE SMALLER. Whoo hoo!!! But everybody gave great stuff and got great stuff. My favorite: my very own iPad. Yes! And I got Dragon Software. I can't wait to use it.

• I bought my Thespian (not Lesbian) daughter 3 of my favorite musicals on DVD. Funny Girl, with the one and only Ms. Striesand, Take Me Out To The Ball Game, with the wonderful Gene Kelly, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We watched Funny Girl last night and Frick fell in love with Babs. Today is great day for another classic.

• I ate some sugar. Then I ate some more sugar, and did I tell you I ate some sugar? I know, I suck. It's kinda not worth it because I feel like shit afterwards. I think I'm all done with the sugar. I ate a whole bunch of Christmas cheer too. My traditional, hand made by me, ravioli, and some turkey and all the fixings and dessert and did I mention the sugar? Ooooh, I'm feeling a little Pepto pink.

• Bundle up and keep warm today bloggers. We can all use that fab new scarf and fingerless gloves we got from Aunt Susie and Uncle Hank.

• It's back to business as usual.
  

A Dandy Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through The Dandy, every creature was stirring, but most of all Candy.

The Children weren't fighting, a tiny Christmas treat. For they sat together happily, on their cell phones, sending tweets. And Candy in Missoni and her Guy dressed in Boss, were counting their blessings; into a new era they had crossed. The world, in the eyes of the newlyweds, glowed, like the brightest of Northern stars and the happiness flowed. The celebration was merry; the hostess, just Dandy aided by the warmth of stiff Eggnog and brandy.

When out on the lawn the dogs caused a huge clatter. No one jumped, as they knew exactly what was the matter. It was Buddy, who appeared with a wee Christmas mouse, for his extended family had taken up residence in the house. "Evicted on Christmas?" the wee mouse exclaimed. And we watched as he shouted and called out mouse names.

"Out Fivel and Rattitoui and Lenny and Hank. For the rest of you, GET OUT, this is no Christmas prank. "We have been found and we need to move out in a flash. Let's go quietly, before we go out in the trash."

With that problem solved, the celebration went on, and the guests lent their voices as Frick sang a song. She captivated the moment and filled every heart with joy. Like a small child at Christmas, just opening a toy. Frack wrote a speech, and he was articulate and swift, and Candy thought to herself, "these are the most priceless Christmas gifts."

The entire year, for her, was from out of a dream. She got her Prince Charming and she became Queen. Lucky she is to have been blessed with so much, and she vowed to give back, with a personal touch.

So she pinched herself slightly as she retired for the night, while her heart was filled up with such love and such light. As she turned out the last of the twinkling Christmas lights, she tried to conceal tears of joy with all of her might.

And Candy exclaimed, to all that would listen;

"Merry Christmas to all! May your holiday's Glisten!"

Charity Begins At Home

Tis the season for giving. I try to teach my children that there is more joy in giving than receiving. Today will be a great lesson in giving.

My Guy grew up without much. He still remembers how hard it was for his mother, a single mother of 5, to make ends meet, especially at Christmas. Now, a grown man, enjoying the spoils of success, he made a commitment to himself to give back and to make Christmas special for children in need. 15 years ago he created a charity that takes care of two bridge homes for kids at Christmas and we have been fortunate enough to help and watch as his small Christmas miracle happens every year.

Heartbreaking are the Christmas lists the children make out every year that read, "I want my mom to come back" or "I want my family together for Christmas" along with the requests for warm winter jackets and gloves. This year the kids asked for the same things along with a few requests for North Face jackets and Ugg boots. These requests fill my heart with sorrow. Not because they are for the "name brand" material things that kids so desire, because they tell me they wish to be like every other kid in more ways than one. "They are getting EVERYTHING," My Guy declared, knowing that even if temporarily, he can ease some of their Christmas angst.

So his team shopped for North Face jackets and Ugg boots in various styles and colors and XBox 360's for the group homes and the latest games. My Guy and the rich corporations he works with and people who fund them take pride in making sure these kids get what they desire. Then they are lovingly wrapped and packaged up, ready for delivery. Today is delivery day, but the final piece of the puzzle I am fortunate enough to be in charge of. I will take my daughter this morning to the local supermarket and fill two shopping carts, one for each home, for the Christmas day feast.

Breakfast and dinner are on the menu so I will fill the cart with eggs, bacon, bread, milk, ham and turkeys, so that these kid will know that there really is a Santa Claus who cares. Then we will deliver them to the bridge homes, along with the bags of gifts, each one marked with each child's name, so that their Christmas is complete. I even get to see the excitement on the faces of the older ones who think they know what is inside those big green bags. That feeling is worth more than any gift I could receive on Christmas.

My Guy isn't one who loves Christmas like I do, "too many bad memories", he says, but I know the truth. The truth is, he is filled with more joy knowing that these kids will have a good day and that he had a small part in making sure. Last year, while he was making the delivery, a young boy stopped him at the door and said, "Are you Santa Claus?" My Guy, lump in his throat, responded. "No, I'm not Santa, but I work for him." That just about filled him for the whole year. At our own Christmas feast, when we join hands for the blessing, we think about the kids at those homes, enjoying their feast, and give thanks to all who made it possible. And the lump in My Guy's throat and the tear in his eye that he tries so hard to hide, tell me that he is a very rich man indeed.

In more ways than one.

Sucker For A Cute Face

This one was just too cute not to share.

Flatulence Is Funny

Just so you think I am not a complete crackpot, I'm going to explain my entire thought process this morning. I was originally going to blog about this commercial that I saw last night that made me chuckle. The commercial was about some giant in a supermarket, so I go to YouTube and search with the key words: Funny commercial, giant, supermarket.

Somehow, this commercial came up under the heading, "Funniest Commercial Ever". Of course I clicked on it.

I actually had to watch it a few times because I was laughing so hard I missed some of the best dialogue.

I apologize for my sophomoric mentality, but this one really made me laugh. I love it when that happens....

The Breakfast Club

What is it about Sunday mornings that screams, "HUGE, FATTY, ARTERY CLOGGING, BREAKFAST"? And if there is a day to pig out on breakfast, Sunday is the one. That photo above is an actual shot of my breakfast yesterday.


And I ate the whole thing.


And now I hate myself. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.

It all started innocently enough. I met my brother-in-law and the kids for breakfast at a great diner/restaurant called The Breakfast Club. The long line snaked outside the door should have been a tip that I was in for a culinary treat. My BIL got there first so we already had a table, and we got right in. No waiting. In my mind, I was going to go with my standard Sunday morning breakfast indulgence: One egg, cheese omelet, a slice or two of bacon and some fruit, but once I looked around I knew this was no standard breakfast joint.

The delightful scent of cooked breakfast meats, mixed with fresh ground coffee was enough to tempt even the strictest of dieters. I looked at the menu, and saw that just about anything your breakfast-loving heart desired could be whipped up. My nephews enthusiastically recommended the steak tips with eggs and home fries, or pancakes, or French Toast....or whatever you so desired. It was then that I knew I was not getting out of there being calorie conscious.

I thought about breakfast sausage...I though about actually eating toast....I though about drinking freshly squeezed orange juice...and I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for broke. Nothing has tasted so good in a long time. You see, normally I splurge at dinner time. I reserve my two splurge meals a week for fantastic dinners out with My Guy, so having a splurge at breakfast was a new and exciting change. I enthusiastically plowed through half of my meal, when my brain informed me that was just about all I could handle, so I put down my fork. As we sat there talking, laughing and enjoying the morning, I would occasionally take another bite. The next thing I know, I'm squirting ketchup on my plate and salting up the home fries like no body's business. Who had I become???

Like the name says, for that brief moment I had become a Breakfast Clubber and I left there feeling happy and satisfied for the entire day. I am surely paying for it today, as my shocked system is on an overload of saturated fats, but it was worth it. And all day today I have a chorus of Simple Minds background music playing in my head..."Don't you forget about me".....

I won't. I promise.

Wally World Christmas Edition

It's 8 days and counting, which means it's time for a Christmas edition of those WalMart Crazees.

The freaks sure do come out in their holiday finest!

Nothing freaky about this. I LOVE the holiday spirit. I hope a few kiddos got a load of this guy in the parking lot. I'm not even sure that this isn't Santa, himself because I BELIEVE.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....10 yellow thongs!

What? You don't think Santa has his own Christmas list? They don't make everything in the workshop.

For the discriminating Redneck on your Christmas list.

If this guy thinks he is slipping down my chimney, I'm covering up my fireplace flue and dead bolting my doors.

I don't think we are in Kansas anymore because I though I saw those shoes curled up under a country farm house once...

"Please Santa, I've been really good. Make me sexy this year."

At first glance I thought there was nothing wrong with this shot...or should I say SHART! Ewww. Sorry, I just had to.

Have a Merry weekend bloggers!

Everybody Needs A Thneed

So there's a little debate going on here in my neighborhood. One of the neighbors has decided to take on a huge project at his home. He has cleared about a million trees from the front of his house, which has revealed the beautiful facade of said house and a beautiful piece of property. This house is enormous, with what seems like hundreds of windows. It's one of those homes that through the years has been added on to, and then added onto, and then added onto again. This neighbor bought the house about 3 years ago and he got it for a song.

I look out onto this house and I have to say, I think the clearing of the trees looks amazing. For one, it's a beautiful home. But now the property is not tree-covered and I have seen some of the most amazing pink sunsets behind that house. I look forward to seeing many more, especially now that I will be able to view them, unobstructed. So I meet one of my other neighbors at a party a few weeks ago, and I say, "Hey, doesn't 'said house' look amazing?" The reply was, "I'm not a fan, nor am I a tree killer."

Immediately my curiosity was peaked. I continued the conversation and found that there was no real reason for this neighbor to not like the result of the tree clearing, except for the fact that innocent trees were killed and that said house was now much more of a presence on the street. Herein lies the problem, I opined, they are JEALOUS. I could not come up with any other reasonable explanation. Funny, I thought, there still is that "mine is better than yours" sophomoric mentality going on.

I continued to poll the neighbors. My mom, who is one of the neighbors, agreed with me, and after her I found almost no one who could agree. While they all agree that it looks good, each one thought the neighbor was a little over zealous in his tree clearing. I soon dismissed the entire thing and chalked it up to good old-fashioned jealousy and went on about my life. Then, somewhere in the weeks that followed, The Once-ler, from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, moved into 'said house'. The killing of innocent trees hasn't stopped and continues as I write this; this very minute. The humming of the chain saw can be heard throughout the neighborhood as early as 7am and the drumming of the large back hoe, pulling up tree stumps, accompanies just about most days, lately.

The Once-ler has moved on to the woods beside his property and even I have to say, he's out of control. His property looked great, but now he is clearing the woods with a vengance and I can't quite figure out why. Is he going to build another home there? Is he trying to make his yard bigger? And what about the clearing of the woods? It made me wonder. What about the Barbaloot bears in their Barbaloot suits, who live off the Truffula trees Truffula fruits? And where is the Lorax who speaks for the trees? For not every one is in need of a thneed.

This is what it has become on my street, a children's tale. But fear not, because Karma can be quite a fickle bit*h. As I was leaving for work the other day, I noticed a strange car in my driveway. As I looked out to investigate, I noticed a woman walking on the street holding a camera, snapping pics of The Once-ler's home. She snapped a few pics and hurriedly got back into her car and drove away. I have no idea who that woman was, but something tells me The Lorax was not too far behind her.

My Grown Up Christmas List

It sure is the most wonderful time of the year. I keep reminding myself everyday.

Things for the holiday season:

1. Buy gift wrap. No kidding, I was all set to get some wrapping done, I went down to the basement to find my extra cache of Christmas wrap, but it was to no avail. "Where could it be?" I wondered aloud. "It was right here on the floor last year." Then it dawned on me. Remember the flood?? Christmas gift wrap: Casualty #6,792 of the flood.
2. Make lists. I could not live without Post-it's. Thank you so much 3M for simplifying my life. Also thank you for making them in such pretty, neon colors.
3. Drop huge hints that The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons, is a GREAT gift for any sports fan on your list.
4. Go see "Little Fockers" when it opens on Dec 22. Also set my DVR for tonite on ABC's Primetime. Robin Roberts has an in depth interview with Babara Streisand. I forgot how much I love Babs. Watching the five minute tease of their interview this morning made it easy to see why Barbara is so beloved. There's just something magical about her.
5. Make my list. Check it twice. Then be a little naughty :)
6. And speaking of naughty, buy the dogs a Christmas gift. They are the true "Little Fockers"..And even if I don't fill their stockings, (which I will) they will squeeze me for it anyway. My little treat-lovin mafia.
7. Stop. Drop and breathe.
8. Remember that in three weeks from now we will be missing the hustle and bustle with purpose that our lives have right now. Well, maybe not.
9. Water the Christmas tree.
10. Make my list. Check it twice. Then be a little nice :)

It's not so hard, really.

Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Kill 'Em

So, my sister sent me this and it made me chuckle... It's title was:

"Men Who Lack Female Supervision"

Of course, I started to think; what would the world be like if there were no women to make sure things go smoothly? These photos serve to show what boys will do if left to their own devices.

In this case, you might say that beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder. "Honey, my parents are coming to dinner on Sunday."


Who knew Santa stalked and killed Rudolf and Vixen and the boys? He just removes them from the wall every year.

I cannot tell a lie. I love the ingenuity here, Plus, it's very green. Recycle, reuse, redo.

I have no words for this one.....

Ummmm, I think there is an easier way.

Hilarious, but I can't help but wonder if after a few brews how many of them got used.

I must say, it gets the job done. "I think I'll pass on dessert."

Redneck waterskiing.

Redneck relaxation. "Hey Paw, the neighbors been complainin' again."

sNOw Problem

Dang this is getting exciting.

I'm not at all sorry to say that I'm loving every minute of this. I can't help but look ahead. And there's a whole lotta football left to be played, I know, but last night I checked hotels in Arlington, Texas.

What?

I've never been to Texas....;)

Todays Special: Give Good Gift

Today I'm playing Santa. So listen up fellas! Even if you never listen to a thing that I tell you and you think I'm a complete crack-pot, at least listen to this one thing that's sure to get you a holiday hug and a pat on the back for a job well done. This precious little pot of heaven just arrived at The Candy Bar, and it's flying off the shelves. Sarah Happ's Limited Edition Red Velvet Lip Scrub is just about the greatest thing to come along for the holiday season.

Packed with a red, vanilla scented sugar scrub for your lips, this delightful cult classic now comes in Red Velvet-ty goodness. Especially good for the cold weather season, Sarah Happ's formula is applied directly on the lips with your finger and spread in a circular motion to slough off dead skin cells then wiped away with a tissue. It leaves a slight oil which intensely moisturizes the pucker. Then "wonder how you could have ever lived without it", and I didn't write that. It's on every tiny, bow adorned box. I couldn't have written a better line, because it's true. At $24.00, this is the one stocking stuffer she will show her girlfriends on a night out. I've been selling Sarah Happ Lip Scrub for years, and now at my own store, but there's something extra special, holiday heaven, about this one.

The only thing that's maybe better than Sarah Happ's Red Velvet Lip Scrub is Sara Happ's Lip Slip, also $24.00.

"One Luxe Balm" is how the box describes this sexy, soft lip balm. Worn alone or over lipstick the neutral tone shimmers with sexy luminosity for your lips. Your lipstick loving woman will squeal with delight when this little gem is stuffed in her stocking with love. Trust me on this one. (Heff, this is a Donna must have) If you are a big-$pender, for $48.00, you can pair the Red Velvet Lip Scrub with the Lip Slip and solve your lady's lip dilemma's for good.

Give good gift here, people. I consider this my holiday public service. Both items are available at The Candy Bar, where gift wrapping and shipping is free. Go to my website and email or call to get yours today, or go onto www.sarahapp.com and buy it today. Your holiday is sure to be sweet and merry!

Time Is On My Side...Sometimes

Lately, I have been feeling like time is NOT on my side, ever. Seems I am constantly rushing. Now I know that any human being in the world with a few school aged kids, a job, dogs and a household to run rushes around too, but for some reason lately, I can't seem to get the timing thing down. I'm always trying to jam in one more thing. Can you relate? "If I just do this one more thing, my life will be complete," and the next thing you know, that one more thing has set you back a good 15 minutes and you realize that your life is not complete. Then there is the stress that accompanies the rushing. Stress is Rushing Around's younger sister and they never go anywhere without each other, wreaking havoc on innocent slow pokes.

Today I decided that I need to take back some of my own time, get my head straight and enjoy a bit of solitude. The mall can wait, the supermarket can go to hell and the Christmas tree will get decorated, eventually. I decided to take three hours for myself today and do whatever makes my psyche happy. Time, if only for a brief three hours, will be on my terms today. So if that means wrapping some Christmas presents, taking a hot tub or reading a book, I'm going to do it for me. Call it a mini re-charge before the big push in the coming few weeks.

The end result will be a better me, a better mom, a better wife and a better sales person, all from just shutting down for a few and taking care of myself. This may just be my New Year's resolution; unplug for however long the need be, to recharge my energy. Tell Stress and Rushing to hit the road, and don't come back. This time it's a mere three hours, just imagine what a trip to Italy will do for my psyche.

Maybe during today's three hour respite, I'll grab a Frommer's travel guide to Italy and start planning.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I must admit that I bought Glee the Christmas album on Friday, whilst decorating my holiday hearth and enjoyed MCKinnley Highs versions of the classics. After viewing last night's episode, I decided that the music warmed my heart all over again, but in a different way. Last night's episode also dealt with ice cold heartbreak against the backdrop of the most cheerful time of the year.

Brittany, Santa, gifts, magic, innocence and reality were woven into a touching/cheesy story line for Artie and Brittany. Brittany still believes in Santa. Could this be possible? I know a woman who told me once her high school-aged daughter still believed in Santa, so it's plausible in my world. What's even more plausible is the romance blossoming between Artie and Brittany right before our eyes. Cheese aside with the entire Glee club conspiring to keep Brittany in dream land, Brittany asks Santa, who can do anything, to make Artie walk again. Artie, determined to save Brittany from disappointment, enlists Coach Bieste to don a Santa suit and go to Brittany's house and tell her sometimes miracles don't happen. Bieste does a great job giving Brittany her spoon full of sugar with her dose of reality, but Brittany is devastated. I know I had a lump in my throat when the sight of Artie standing and almost walking with the help of modern medical advances. I gotta wonder what kind of insurance Bieste has to afford the latest in medicine.

Rachel and Finn, estranged since Rachel's indiscretion with Puck, awkwardly dance around each other until Rachel decides to ask Finn to meet her in the auditorium. In the backdrop of lighted blue (the color of Hanukkah) Christmas trees, Rachel tries to apologize in the best way she knows how, with a song. Finn confused and torn tells her he's not interested and leaves. She then sings a lovely cover of the Karen Carpenter, "Merry Christmas Darling". She somehow convinces him to accompany her to buy a new tree for the choir room, but ends up stealing a kiss. Finn, disgusted by betrayal by both of his recent girlfriends officially breaks up with her and leaves her alone. Did he leave her there or did he drive her home? That's what this mother was thinking, but I have to say I have been where Finn is and I can't blame him.

Shue, alone for the holidays and wrestling with Emma's new marital status, pulls Sue's name in the company Secret Santa. A hilarious and classic story line plays out as Sue and her sidekick Becky, pull of the Grinch-iest caper. Sue rigged the Secret Santa to have only her names in the hat. Furious, Shue takes the presents back from Sue with the intention to donate them to a local children's charity. He is unable after Sue and Becky give the Glee's/Who's down in the choir room/Whooville the Grinch treatment. Right down to the green face, gloves and song, (accompanied by artist K. D. Lang). I predict this will become a classic and will be funnier and more relevant after viewing it again. I loved it. I have to say that I like this humble Shue. Especially when he's not pining after Emma. Sue breaking into Shue's apartment after the sound of the Glee club singing causes her heart to grow two sizes that day, was a fitting ending to "A Very Glee Christmas". Sue Sylvester just may be the most lovable villain in recent times.

Finally, we can't forget Kurt, who seems to be right where he belongs at Dalton Academy. "Baby It's Cold Outside" sung with Warbler, Blane, is my Down Load Pick of the Week, but that's probably got more to do with the fact that "Baby It's Cold Outside" is my favorite Christmas carol. Blaine and Kurt did a fine job with the duet in the fabulous Dalton study, and I even sense a bit of chemistry brewing between the two. This should get interesting.

In the end, this week, it was all about the music. The music that accompanies our holiday spirit and fills the soul with memories of Christmas' past, present and future. And at this time of the year, I couldn't think of a better gift.

Monday Night Showdown

PLEASE HIT THE BUTTON TO PLAY.



This is the one we have been waiting for......

This is one for the ages......

Two teams, in a race with destiny.....

Who will come out on top?

All the films have been watched, all the plays have been set.

From Foxboro, MA to God's ears, this is what game day is all about and only He knows who tonight's victor will be.

Godspeed Tommy. Take us home.

A Dandy Anthem

Music tends to speak to my soul. I have always danced to the beat of my own drummer, so when I heard a little ditty recent it seemed to speak directly to me, and that doesn't happen very often. I quickly decided that this was my new "anthem", a song I could be proud to call my own.

After all, "you're not the boss of me" would probably run through the movie trailer track of my life, as it is one of my favorite responses to any inquiry I'm not particularly fond of. So if there is a sound track to accompany the movie of one's life, this song would most certainly run through the opening credits.

Happy weekend bloggers! Don't let anyone be the boss of you this weekend.

Go Shorty, It's Your Birthday!

Yup, today is my birthday and I am feeling like I am just about the luckiest girl in the world!

I am fortunate for so many reasons, but mostly because today serves as a reminder that I am also loved. I am loved, not only by my wonderful family, but by someone who hardly knows me, which serves as a reminder that there really are good people in the world who care about the happiness of other people. But let me back up and tell you the story so you can feel the love too.

Remember I told you about my FABULOUS honeymoon at the Las Ventanas resort in Cabo San Lucas Mexico? And remember that I told you about the beautiful Mexican dishes we bought while on our honeymoon? Those same dishes that arrived here in the United States in a million pieces? Which also left my heart broken into a million pieces? Well, this birthday story has a happy ending because of some VERY special people.

While we were in Mexico at the stunning Las Ventanas Resort, we were fortunate enough to have our own butler. Her name is Isabel, and she was there to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Every morning her smiling and beautiful face would appear with our morning coffee which she would serve to us on our back terrace, overlooking the magnificent, crashing ocean. Isabel was always a just phone call away, eager to cater to our every whim. She would appear at different times during our trip; to escort us to our various booked activities, to answer any questions we had or to make sure we were enjoying our stay. We got a chance to talk to her and we found out that she is the mother of two wonderful children. She told us that she has been able to enjoy the perks of working for a hotel/resort group by traveling with her family to New York and staying at one of her employer's fabulous properties. Isabel certainly helped to make our experience at Las Ventanas a memorable one.

When we got home, and our dishes arrived shattered into a million pieces, My Guy got on the phone and contacted Isabel immediately. He asked her if she remembered him and if there was anything that we could do, to which HE TOLD ME, that she had answered there was nothing they could do because we bought the dishes at a warehouse in Mexico. There was no history of what we purchased. It's not like there was a "gift registry" or even a cash register to track purchases. No one spoke English and it was cash only. Deep in Mexico, remember? So I gave up all hope and made My Guy promise he would take me back there soon, if only for a long weekend to replace the dishes.

Well color me surprised, because this morning, wrapped up in beautiful packages with bows, are the gorgeous, stunning, dishes from Mexico you see on my kitchen counter in the picture above! Nothing could have made me happier, and it's possibly the best story behind a gift EVER. Isabel searched, on her days off, for dishes for a woman she hardly knew. She wanted to make sure the set was matching and she even fronted her own money on the hope that this American guy she was helping was an honest man. I cannot express my gratitude to Isabel for her diligence and kindness, except to say that, indeed, I cried when I realized that the birthday package I opened this morning contained my dishes. People show love in different ways, and My Guy and Isabel today showed me that anything is possible where there is love.

So for you Isabel, to express my love and gratitude for your gesture, I will post this HORRID picture of me, taken this morning at 6:30 am EST when I opened my gift. I think it truly captures the essence of the moment, beautifully.

Oh, and Honey? (My Guy) Does this mean we can't go back to Las Ventanas again soon???

Today's Special: Tacky Dandy Host

So no Glee recap today, as I work for a living and I was tinkering away until 11 pm last night. So tacky.

But I do have a mini holiday treat for you today, on this, the first day of December. When I was a little girl, I loved to drive around the neighborhood with my parents and marvel in the Christmas lights. I would ASSume that in the home that had no light in the windows, lived a "Jewish" family, as that's how my little girl brain seemed to wrap around that concept. So tacky.

Well for all us tacky Christmas light lovers, I found a fun website that shows you where you can find all that tackiness to show your kids out on a family drive. (what ever happened to the family drive?) There are interactive maps that will guide you in your state to go out and behold all the wonder. Hee hee...so tacky.

Some people are so ingenious..

www.tackylighttour.com

Tracers By The Trans-Siberian Orchestra from Don Krasley on Vimeo.