New Years Homebodies

The phenomenon of New Year's Eve is a bit over-rated, at least that's my feeling about it.  I recently watched a news story on how "kissing at midnight betters your good fortune in the new year"..."New Years Eve is the 007 lisence to kiss anybody."

WHIMSICAL BULLSHIT.

What did I do to celebrate?

-drink my favourite beer (at home)

-organize my apartment

-(watched Brendan) make apple porkchops

-"Paranormal State" marathon...

Hells yes.  That's how we roll.

Here's some photos: 

**This beer is amazing.  I don't drink much, but when I do I pop one of these open.  I quite enjoy the cherry and raspberry variations. **

**Christmas sales=More "twinkle lights" for the apartment. **

(That light in the above photo is actually a Chinese Food take-out box turned light I found at a second hand store, along with my beloved Maneki Neko.)

**I drew on Brendan's arm for funsies.**

Hopefully 2011 will kick ass.  If not, I want a refund.

~E

Turn it up!

I've fallen in love with this cover by Ellie Goulding.  Lovely voice, and cute video too.

~E

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day 16

Ahhh....will this thing ever end?  Oh well.  I said I'd do the challenge, so I might as well stick to my guns.

{A picture of someone who inspires you}

No, not Tarantino, but I am a big fan of his.  I'm talking about Sally Menke.  Who is she, you ask?  She was Tarantino's go-to editor before she died unexpectedly this past summer.  She's cut Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds...and yeah, she inspires me.  I'm an editor as well, and I would've loved to apparentice under someone like her and learn her editing skills.  It's still a dream of mine to be able to attach the letters A.C.E after my name in credits. But alas, I'm guessing that's only open to American editors, and not news editors up in Edmonton, Canada.  {I can still dream though!} 

~E 

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Days 11-15

I can't believe how far behind I've gotten on this challenge.  Eeek.  I'll do a few days worth in this post, just to catch up.

#11

{A picture of something you hate}

Oh Joy.

 

I FUCKING HATE SPIDERS.

That's all I can handle with that. 

 

*  *  *  *  *  *

#12

{A picture of something you love}

 I love sushi so, so, so much.  And this kawaii sushi is pretty, well, kawaii. <3

The first time I tried Japanese food I didn't like it, believe it or not.  Crazy.  Now I'm addicted to the stuff.  I'd go to Japan in a heart beat.  My mom is probably going in August for business (again), lucky her.

*  *  *  *  *  *

  

#13

{A picture of your favorite band or artist}

 

That's easy.  I love Turbonegro.

I was going to write the Beatles, but these guys are a very close 2nd, and they need some exposure too.

Who, or WTF is Turbonegro?  They're a self-proclaimed "death punk" band from Norway.  I first heard them years ago when my lovely penpal Hanna (who I've written to for around 10 years now) sent me a mix CD with their music on it.  The song in particular was "Fuck the World" and I fell in love with it instantly.  I love this band so damn much, and I was sad to learn earlier this year that they've disbanded as Hank Von Helvete, the lead singer, left.  Dammit.

 

*  *  *  *  *  *

 #14

{A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without}

 My son, most definitely. I couldn't imagine him not being in my life.  I was always told I could never "naturally" have kids, then low and behold Ben comes around.  He's the sweetest little boy in the world.  I hope he'll stay as happy as he is now when he's older.  Being a mother has taught me patience and how easily my heart can be melted just by a smile. 

*  *  *  *  *  *

 #15

{A picture of something you want to do before you die}

I have to go to the Faroe Islands, no questions about it.  I fell in love with these islands some time ago and I still feel a strong connection to them.  Don't ask me why, but something about this little northern country really appeal to me.  I'd love to learn Faroese one day, although I'm not sure when I'll ever get the opportunity to.  Sigh.  Still, I can't help but dream of going there.  

That's it for today, I'll try and keep on top of these.

~E

Delightful Boxing Day Find

Boxing Day.  Chaos.  Crowds.  WHY???

I actually did go out for a bit on Boxing Day with my mom.  While on our little outing I came across this awesome Christmas ornament. I've never seen a retro TV-turned Christmas wonderland before.  Apparently it plays Christmas carols as well.  There was only 1 left, no box, no bar code, and somewhat damaged.  I instantly fell in love with it and had to buy it.  At 60% off, it was hard not to nab it up.  Brendan is an engineer & brilliant at fixing things, so I thought it'd be a fun little project for him to work on.

{I heart retro}

 

I'm crossing my fingers that we can get it going again.

~E

Chrimbus 2010 Awesome Show

Christmas was pretty damn fun this year.  It was the first time in a few years I actually enjoyed it (my previous boyfriend/Ben's father was a real kill joy around Christmas)...being with Brendan makes everything so much funner.  I'd love to get all mushy and vomit rainbows of delight over my boyfriend, but I'll be nice and spare you. (For now.)

I made a cake Christmas Eve-Eve (the 23rd) to bring to my family's haus in the country.  It was my first time actually baking something from scratch for them so I kinda wanted to prove to them, "YES! Erin can be domestic!"  I made Chocolate Layer Cake (the "Fuck  Yeah" cake from a previous blog post) that my kiddo Ben kept hovering over.  He was in love with the frosting.  Take a look for yourself. 

(As for the costume...he didn't want to wear it at Halloween.  Now he wants me to put the costume on him all the time.  What a kid.)

Christmas Eve was spent visiting family and sleeping over in the country.  I need to get out there more often.  I miss the stillness and peace out there.  I think I'll probably forever be a country girl.  SIGH.

Christmas came waaaay too early.  I'm probably the only person in the universe complaining about that...Ben decided it would be a good idea to get up at 4:30 am to play and I wasn't too keen on that prospect.  Thankfully my mom agreed to take him for a few hours while we tried to get some more shut eye. 

Our morning (once we weren't so zombified) involved the ripping and tearing of gifts and the pulling of Benji on his sleigh.

I tend to like making an ass out of myself in photos.  I honestly can never take myself seriously.  See for yourself.

 

Hovering around beloved mother. Don't ask what I was doing.

 

(Psst!  I kinda have to mention this jacket.  I'm sorta in love with it.  I found it at a thrift store and at first wasn't even going to buy it.  That would've been a bad move.  Viva la thrift-olution!) 

The rest of the day was a typical Christmas day...it involved wonderous, copious amounts of presents for Ben and a little too much turkey.  Did I mention I had a damn good time?  Hope you did too.

Prepare yourself for a photo dump.  And check out Ben's awesome little suit. 

I'm not a morning person at all.  Yikes.

Brendan bought me this awesome vintage shell cameo necklace.  *love love*

 Second hand toddler clothes are the way to go.  This is proof.

We drew this photo of cranky Ben from the condensation on the window.  As you can see, it's an accurate portrayal.

My little man was so tired by noon.  I guess when you think about it, Christmas is really overwhelming for a toddler...too many presents to open and too many people to meet and greet.  Needless to say he slept like a baby that night.

And that, ladies and gents, was a sneak peek into my Christmas festivities.  Hope you had a magical day.

~E

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day #10

{A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with}

That would have to be my best friend Vanessa.

We've been friends since 7th grade and we've remained close through the years.  We both discovered Kids in the Hall, our twisted sense of humor and our knack for comedic timing in high school.  We've shared countless adventures, including being kicked out of a major concert and just being jackasses in general.  We're weirdos, we're different, we're kinda jerks, and we're not your average duo.

I remember one Halloween back in high school where we pretended to be the new German exchange students handing out potatoes instead of candy.  We played '80s rock and/or roll on our guitars for the kids trick or treating and claimed it was brought into Germany "just last week."  It was pretty hilarious.

Another time, while on a band trip, we convinced this group of girls we found annoying that some boys from another high school band were interested in them.  We wrote a note with a phone number written on the bottom and put it on their hotel room door.  The phone number was for a Chinese restaurant.  I recall sitting on the bus with Vanessa on the way home and overhearing the girls talking about trying to call the number and always getting some woman speaking a weird language on the other end.  HA!

~E

Ghostly Christmas Tree

I have to steer away from my "Photo Challenge" blog posts to write about our super awesome/cute Christmas tree.  I decided this year I wanted a ghost-themed Christmas tree.  

Why you ask?  

Well, I saw that this year there was ghost garland available to buy around Halloween (not sure if that's a regular thing or not), and also I had some old ghost lights that hadn't been in use for quite some time, so I thought the combination would be perfect for a unique Christmas tree.  Plus, I love me some cute ghost knick knacks.

Another thing I like about the tree is that it lacks ornaments...Benji is at the stage in his toddlerhood where nothing is off limits and it's fun to throw and hide mommy's things.  I would rather skip the ornaments this year and just keep it simple -- lights and garland.  He's still intrigued by the tree, but it seems less appealing to his curious little hands this way.

Take a peek!

~E

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day #9

{A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most}

That's obvious.  My mom.

She's been there for me through thick and thin.  When I was in an abusive relationship with Ben's father, she was the one I called sobbing on the phone, and she was the one who consoled me, even though she was an hour away and couldn't physical be there.  She helped me take care of Ben the first night I brought him home from the hospital when his father refused to assist me (I had a brutal labor and was in the hospital for 4 days...I can explain later.)  She's an amazing grandma and I'm grateful that I have a mom like her.

~E

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day #8

{A picture that makes you laugh}

Ok, before you say "Wait a minute, wtf?", I have to tell you the back story on this photo...

Many, many moons ago, my best friend Vanessa and I were in the high school band (laugh if you must, but I was awesome at trumpet!)...on a trip to the city we had some down time and went shopping.  Among the many stores we went into we somehow came across a gift shop that sold gift bags with this photo on it.  I have no idea why, but we thought this was the funniest thing ever and bought it.  Keep in mind we were probably 14 or so.

On the bus ride home, we sat in the back seat.  This gave us an idea...hold the bag against the back window for drivers behind to revel in its glory.  It was hilarious.  We had people giving odd looks and honking horns. 

When I see this photo, I think back to being a carefree, odd teenager.  Good times.

~E 

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day #7

{A picture of your most treasured item}

This one is kinda tough.  I don't really have any treasured items.  I mean, I love my cameras and books and letters and such...but as for really "treasured", I guess I would have to say my car.

It's a Mustang Convertible and I love love love it!  I swear we were meant to be.  In August of 2008 I was in search of a new vehicle as I was driving a beater van that wasn't reliable.  My mom and I went car shopping, and I tend to rely on my mom for car advice, as she has bought and sold many of her own.  (She owns a Mustang as well.)  I'm not sure if you've gone car shopping, but the salesmen are fucking vultures...even going so far as hitting on my muddah.  Icky.  

The salesmen tried to sell me on a Ford Fusion I had no interest in when suddenly it appeared...a rig pig had just traded in his Mustang for some gas guzzler jerk truck (FYI-Alberta is full of oilsands workers who seem to love nothing but buying big useless toys.  Trucks are all over Deadmonton, among other crap...)  I saw the Mustang and instantly wanted it.

I admit, it wasn't the wisest purchase of my life.  I recall driving my car home the first night and thinking, "Geez, what if I get pregnant?  How could I still keep the car?"  Low and behold 10 months later I would have my little man.  And yes, car seats fit nicely into Mustangs.  I've driven my car through the worst winter conditions, and she has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.

I have so many stories revolving the adventures my car and I have had, but I'll save that for later posts.

So, that ladies and gents, is my treasured item.  In closing, I'm including an obligatory mirror shot.  Please forgive me for the crappy looking mirror.  :/

~E

 

The 30 Day Photo Challenge...Day #6

{A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day}

Eeek, I'm getting behind on these!

I would choose Zooey Deschanel.  

I adored her in 500 Days of Summer and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  She has amazing style, a great band, and she's just too cute.

~E