Prezzies

M Shanahan hooked me up with some exciting gifts that I am very grateful for and can't wait to share. He was in turn gifted with a massage pillow (to deal with the withdrawals after leaving my dad's chair behind), an Alabama jersey for dogs from Duncan, some clothing and Dark Knight- which was a great flick. 

(Ok, this is actually for Duncan. We all know he's a beast when he hears other dogs in the courtyard, and Joel the Trainer said we ought to think about a collar that doesn't require tags so they don't hear him jingle and in turn bark. It breaks all the cycles. Brilliant. This beauty was created by JLStephenscouture.com  I love it!)

The Browns sent some Moose Crunch (or as Mike prefers to call it, Moose Droppings). Granted it was intended for some couple in Del Mar, but we are guessing they are enjoying ours.

I got this fantabulous touk in my stocking. I will happily rock it with my snow suit when skiing.

This is Duncan trying to eat it. He apparently has a fetish for the yellow poof on top. I can't say I blame him as it's pretty darn sweet.

And lastly, Mike remembered how I fell in love with these beautiful earrings at Shebang Boutique when we visited Chicago earlier this year so he surprised me with them. I was very touched. It was so thoughtful and I truly appreciate them. Thank you M!!!

Ho ho... hoooo

So Mike and I flew back from Colorado on Christmas to rain (woohoo!) and since we didn't have decorations set up, I improvised for the need of a festive feeling in the house. A fireplace is easily re-created with smelly candles, a tree with a wreath (thank you Grandma Mary Sunshine!) and a ham or turkey with Boboli pizza. This is how we roll in the Shannyhizzle house anyway. 

It was a bit sad without the pup, but he was being showered with presents like a new rolling ball that dispenses treats. I was unfairly brought into this world as a human.

My favorite part was opening up the stockings- who says they can't have dog bones and paw prints? On this special Christmas, they can. My presents post to follow.

(**Please note I did manage to find the Christmas story during our photo op, AND we even hit up the Chinese Buffet on Christmas Eve.. fa ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra. If that isn't authentic Christmas fun, I don't know what is.)

Who has the double five?

One of my favorite Bowden past times is playing Mexican Dominos. It's very easy to play, and while I'm sure you could attack it with strategy, I prefer to use Sarah as my go-to domino guru. 

Basically, everyone draws seven tiles. You start at snake eyes (double one) and so forth for each round until you've played double twelves. Once you've started your train, you can add to it or the Community train depending on where you've got the opportunity to play. First one to match up all their tiles on the trains, wins. 

I prefer the sparkly orange train as my playing piece. ;)

FYI: Expect to see a set of dominos for a future present from me to you at some point.

Oops

I almost forgot to post the best picture from the Cane Wedding Weekend. That's right my friends, Brian singing an ode to Janine (who incidentally had already wandered off to bed)... Please observe how much the main act loved him. He knew every word, so naturally it made sense to single him out of the crowd.

He's a one-man-Janine-loving-band. The "new" Neil Diamond.

Wedding Bells

That's right... we felt pretty special seated at Table 2 (right next to the bride and groom. Holla!)
J looked drop dead gorgeous. Not many women can pull this off after pictures in mist. She's naturally beautiful, but I'm pretty sure every jaw was dropped in the room. 

I should have posted this sooner, but alas I dropped my camera and broke the darn thing. We would like to pass on HUGE congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Brian Cane... they had a beautiful winter wedding. And, it rained in the morning (good luck!) to boot. 

All the details were perfect, from the chair sash matching the bridesmaid sash, deep royal purples for flower and decor... you can tell a lot of love went into planning. But most importantly, you can tell a lot of love went into such a wonderful union. Brian and Janine are two peas in a pod, and they bring the perfect match of so many values to the table for each other. Their vows were so heartfelt- it was impossible to turn off my waterworks. Thank God I chose not to use a flash during the ceremony or Mike might have caught some serious mascara-stained cheeks.  

I couldn't be happier for these two, although it does seem like they've been married for some time (in the best possible way). We love you Brian and Janine Cane!

Renaissance Woman

Hello World,

Remember me? The long lost blogger. I didn't die- ok, I nearly froze to death after stepping off the plane in Colorado, but frostbite is the closest I got. Its been a busy couple of weeks with a lot going on... but I digress. The only thing we need to talk about today is the fact that I've learned so many things since stepping back into the Bowden household for my winter vacation. Like how to get my booty kicked in Yahtzee for example...

How to play some serious Guitar Hero (I can now kill it on the drums. I take after my little sister clearly.)

How to experiment with every setting on my MacBook Photo Booth...

Seeing Ben and Sarah again makes me feel older, and so very loved. I honestly have the best kids in the world for a brother and sister. They have grown ten feet since May, and Ben is now less than a head shorter than me. Not that this is saying too much since I'm a midge. Can I still shrink them in the dryer? Its not illegal, right?

I learned how to use power tools to help my dad and Mike build a shed for the backyard...

And Deb helped me make some mean hot cocoa when my fingers begged for warmth after said shed help...

 All in all, its been a fantastic trip so far. :)

It's all in the stars!

Disclaimer: No one is saying this is the truth or any indication that actual events will occur. Holla!

I love reading my horoscope. It's sort of a daily routine, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I have already found my iPod app for it. My favorite source, however, is MSN Astrocenter. I find that they provide the most thorough and interesting readings. Take it for what you will, but here's the low down for all my fellow Geminis today:

Daily Planetary Overview
With Mars sextile Chiron, you will have opportunities to grow today. Be open to new experiences, and get rid of preconceived notions. This is a time when you can learn a lot and implement new initiatives with the guidance of an advisor.

Your Horoscope - Today, December 9, 2008
A phone call from a distant state or foreign country could bring some rather astounding information your way today, Britt. This could awaken you to events and ideas that you'd never considered before, and you might find yourself in a bit of a daze for a while. You could want to run this by friends or neighbors to see what they think, and some interesting discussions could result. By day's end, you won't be thinking the same as when it started!

Mike- maybe they are calling to say that my distant uncle twenty times removed has left me a fortune in the sum of $1,285,982. We should send them all of our banking info ASAP!!

Zzzzz

I probably shouldn't even post this morning since everything is so hazy... a single tear is running down my cheek, as I just realized I left my coffee mug sitting on the counter, 18 miles away. And frankly, no one does coffee like Mr. Shanahan. He kills it. I look forward to my coffee every morning (a bad habit that I picked up from those pesky South Americans who push it on you like used car salesmen).

But alas, I owe this little blog some love. A little weekend recap:

We had date night last Friday at a charming restaurant named Alexander's. I am borderline obsessed now thanks to the minimal, yet cozy decor...the garlic brie and freshly toasted bread... the mouthwatering pasta alla vodka... It was perfect. A much appreciate respite from the week.

Saturday sort of left us in shambles thanks to a football game too horrific to mention further. We had to pick up the destruction it left in its wake (aka Mike) and put on a happy face to host Cat and Eric for some Basic pizza and a rousing game of Apples to Apples. Every player is dealt 7 red apple cards with various people/places/things, and then you trade off clockwise as the Judge. The Judge passes on throwing a card on their turn and instead picks a green card to read to the group. You quickly assess your hand and throw a red card that best describes the Judge's pick. The beauty of the game of course, is that you can easily play after a glass or two of wine and it's more than ok to heckle or pick whatever card floats your boat. There's not a whole lot of strategy (in my opinion).

So imagine how excited I was with this hand:

Pigeons I tell you! Yucky, vile disgusting pigeons. Best. Card. Ever.

I couldn't wait to throw that puppy down and claim my glorious green card as soon the Judge called out "Filthy"... and then Mike Shanahan swooped in (pun intended) and tossed in three all at once and won the game. I didn't even get to throw it. Siiiiigh. I figure this levels the playing field. He also dominated Cranium as Eric's partner:

(Yes, that's a Model Airplane... isn't it obvious?)

So all in all, we've put the competitive streak to rest for another day and it's back to a busy work week. Hooray!

Love At First App...

Ok. I admit... all you Apple iPhone lovahs really knew what you were doing and I was blinded by own frugality until recently when my iPod went kaput.  And then I fell head over heals for this beauty. The iPod Touch. You've really changed my life little Tulip. Yes, Tulip Touch. M Shanahan- I bet you didn't know I named it, but I'm sure you saw it coming considering I've had it glued to my hand for a week now.

I love Stanza, the application that lets you download classics like Emily Dickinson collections, for free. I love the Genius Bar because it magically guesses what songs I didn't even know I wanted to hear. I love that I can jump on the Internet (although the type pad is weak)... and most of all I love that I can track my workouts with the Nike sensor in my shoes. It warms my heart. I've suddenly found a new reason to go to the gym and heightened motivation to stay fit. Wahoo! (I more or less went on a six month hiatus after the wedding.) It's nothing short of a miracle. Thank you sweet brilliant Tulip Touch!

Are you on team Cougah or team Sexy Pants?

We love to watch House Hunters on HGTV. Mike finds Suzanne Whang fascinating.  That's a lie. Mostly it's just fun to see what kind of whacked out hair-do she is rocking. That and she has this awesome website where she describes herself as Little. Yellow. Different. Better. 

But back to the show... over the weekend we watched an International episode that took place in Amsterdam. The buyer was British- a Spice Girl wannabe. I was instantly sucked in. And then they dropped this bomb: Squatters have rights (by Dutch law) that can actually be violated if they are asked to leave a property they have decided to take up residence in, if said property is unoccupied and there is no immediate plan for use. I don't claim this to be fact, but it is said that all they need to establish residency is a chair, table and bed. They can even legally break a lock to get in! Properties owned by the Royal family are excluded. 

Tell me that isn't just the nuttiest thing you've ever heard. Ok, maybe not the nuttiest, but its strange.