...and everyone who is going to see these has (hopefully) received them in the mail, I'll share with you my very epic Christmas cards from this year and last.
Last year was the first year I decided to utilize my Photoshop skills and order some custom cards. I drew some inspiration from JibJab and some other holiday sites to create these folded cards:
Outside
Inside
And for this year, obviously, the bar was set pretty high. I debated doing some sort of Ozzie-in-a-manger-a-la-baby-Jesus type concept, but quickly realized our (few) devout friends may be offended by an oh-so-casual poke at the religion responsible for the holiday that spawned Santa Claus and Black Friday. But, since we're on the topic, here were the first drafts at those cards that never made it to immaculate conception fruition:
...but as I said, these may be offensive. I don't really understand offending anyone, so I tried to err on the side of caution, and poked fun at the jolly old fat man instead. By depicting him as Matty. A drunk Matty. Pretty awesome.
Outside
Inside
So, I guess the moral of the story is, if you're looking for really obnoxious/self-indulgent Christmas cards, perhaps hit me up next fall. I seem to have my work cut out for me to top these.
...So this is what I got from Santa Matty on Christmas. Looks like he has discovered that anything that comes in a blue box and has a couple diamonds in it is guaranteed to be a hit with me. My folks also continued their 27-year-strong tradition of spoiling and feeding me rotten.
Except now the holidays include a lot of gin and tonics with my dad.
This was the first year Matty couldn't make it home to Chicago due to work fucking sucking circumstances. His mom was a touch devastated by this, but she took comfort in knowing he was with me and my family and opening gifts on Christmas morning. And with nice new Uggs on his feet and warm cup of coffee in his hand, he looked like he felt home. Between Matty, myself, my brother and his wife all under one roof, seeing my cousins and their Sig O's on Christmas eve, and having not one, not two, but three dogs running around dressed in Christmas sweaters...it sure felt like home to me, this year more than ever.
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday as much as I did.
While we're on the subject of weddings, I may as well share the exploits of my crafty Sunday spent with a (few) bottle(s) of wine and my dearest friend/college roommate Court.
Court is marrying my buddy Andy at the Boston Public Library (swooooooon) come January. Like me, Courtney has great taste (ha) and a firm believer in DIY-ing it whenever you can. I'd say our labor paid off:
A while back I shared the magnet Save the Dates that I made for my brother's wedding. Now I have managed to pimp myself out for friends and am creating more of these. Check out this great Postcard concept I made for my friend Amanda:
So, sometimes I'll write up a little review on a restaurant I go to. And often times, should I feel the need to Yelp about it, it'll be negative. Because life is short, time is money, and other people deserve to be warned when it comes to bad service, over priced menus, or generally bad experiences.
But the places I frequent? I all-too-often wish to keep these to myself. I also have a varied view of a good experience, and can often have one at a dive bar or swanky spot. Because of this nuance, why try to explain myself to the Yelping public?
But here,
For few in-the-know Bostonians smart enough to read it,
My BFF/college roommate, well-versed in Boston dining and living, first brought me to Savin Bar and Kitchen the day after their soft opening last march. In addition to the fact that it is about 5 minutes from my house, I was in love instantly with the warm interior and beautiful bar. Apparently a dive by the name of Donovan's used to be here, but I never checked it out. This place pretty much had me at first glance, then first cocktail, then first bite of skillet mac and cheese.
I already recapped some stellar Christmas tchotchkes for the dudes for you, so now I'm presenting some ideas for the ladies. With any luck--I'll throw up a post on pet holiday swag, Yankee Swap doozies, and perhaps even family gift ideas (though I seem fresh out of them for my own) before the 25th is here. In the meantime, here's a handful of fun stuff for a girl or two in your life.
Left->right, top->bottom:
Tocky jumping alarm clock from Nanda Home will jump off your nightstand and run from you if you hit snooze one more time. You can also record any sound you'd like for your alarm clock. ("5 more minutes, mom!!! God!")
*I've actually made one of these catchall bowls from a record (the Monkees to be precise. Yes, I am awesome. I know) and will have to share the instructions--super easy and looks awesome on a coffee table!
Of course. these are all well and good. But if she's the girl in your life, maybe spring for something a little more...exciting.
Heart lock ring in sterling with rose gold via Tiffany & Co.
Someone please suggest to my boyfriend that he start reading my blog?
As you will continue to notice, I make soup a lot. Especially when the temperatures drop, but just in general - I quite enjoy throwing some of my favorite things in a pot, waiting a few hours, eating a gravy-boat's worth, and then having lunch for a week (or often less, once Matty discovers the contents of the tupperware.)
This I had the idea for, then Googled, then got confused by so many variations (use chicken sausage! with orzo! add tomato! and some flour and cream! carrots!) that I decided to just wing it based on ingredients I enjoyed and knew would taste good together.
It's also worth noting that I used dried beans for the first time ever with this.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Not when you're cooking that day and don't have time to soak the beans over night, that is. I tried the "quick-soak" method for these, which is bring to a boil then soak for an hour, and they were not nearly tender enough.
So. Either stick to canned beans, or soak overnight, or take out entirely and add more red potato. Any of those suggestions would make this good soup pretty great. But regardless, this is pretty healthy and very filling. Enjoy!
I'll spare you a long diatribe about why you should make these. You already know you should. And, a week after I made them, they are just as moist and delicious as the day they came out of the oven. Cream cheese frosting optional. They were pretty tasty all by themselves.
Yes. I know. Your initial reaction was probably "ew" (as was mine when the boyfriend first introduced me to this portion of bird) but please-- read on with an open mind. I wouldn't steer you wrong when it comes to fat kid delicacies. I assure you.
So, this week for "Slow Cooker Sunday" I made a favorite of Matty - the elusive turkey neck. This time of year they are cheap-as-can-be and available in a multiple pack at the grocery store. 5 turkey necks ran me a whole $2.97 at Stop and Shop. While there is not a ton of meat on a turkey neck, what's there is rather dark and pretty delicious. And, when cooked in a slow cooker for six or so hours, very tender. Give it a go next time you're feeling frugal and adventurous. You may be pleasantly surprised.
