Holiday Spirit, I Missed You So...

This weekend was THE definition of the holiday season, if ever there was one. It couldn't have come at a better time, considering I haven't been getting into the Christiemas spirit as much as would be typical for any given year. I'm not sure why... I mean, I'm following the standard protocol... you know, listening to Christiemas music, watching Christiemas movies, talking up Christiemas for all the world to hear...

Anyway! All better now! This weekend was just what I needed to kick my butt into holiday gear. First up? A holiday party. But not just any holiday party, folks... this holiday party was hosted by the one, the only...

PURVI MODY!!! (Weeeeee!!!! First blog post shout-out, by name!!!!! Congratulations!!! This is exactly what the holiday season is ABOUT!!!)

Purvi is one of those people that is simply MADE to host parties. She has a gorgeous apartment (complete with gorgeous views) and, quite frankly, her love for the holidays is actually quite comparable to mine. When she'd described her apartment's holiday decorations (complete with a tree and a Christiemas VILLAGE?!?!?), I KNEW I was not going to be disappointed by her holiday party. I'd been counting down the days since I got the invite (yes, it's been a full two weeks. But whatever.).

As soon as I arrived, I was in heaven. Any party that holds a Christiemas tree filled with cupcakes galore is MY KINDA PARTAY!


Clearly, the cupcake tree was quite the hot commodity of this holiday party. Of course, there were plenty of other delicious treats to be had throughout the night...


But of course, believe it or not, there was more to the party than the delectable treats (so I tend to lose focus pretty easily- sue me). I think the BEST thing about this holiday party was the widely varying groups of people that Purvi brought together... despite everyone's completely different personalities and backgrounds, the party was a huge hit! New friends were being made right and LEFT!



Sure, the open bar might've had something to do with it, but you know what? Whatever gets people in that holiday SPIRIT. In short, the evening totally emblemized what the holiday season was all about, in my opinion.

So, you would think Saturday night would have been plenty to satiate my holiday palate. But no, no, no. That was just the start. Sunday turned into a full day of holiday festivities as WELL!

First up, brunch. My favorite meal of the day... sigh. A few of us decided to try this new place in the South Loop called "Waffles". As soon as I entered this place, I was sold.


Please note the ginormous Christiemas tree hovering in the left corner of the shot... strategic, if you will. :) Waffles is a fairly new restaurant in the South Loop... while I always get super excited about new brunch spots, I have to say Waffles was just... okay. I mean, I'd go there again if needed, but it's definitely not a place that I would be seeking out on a regular basis.

Oh well. Brunch is brunch and you can't go wrong when you have good friends all around, right? Right.

After brunch, Urmi, Joyce and I ended up walking all the way up Michigan Avenue, with a slight pit stop filled with holiday merriment...


Gah!!! Sooooo cozyyyyy!!! I love, love, LOVE people watching at an ice rink! So many different kinds of people, so many different skating styles... good times.

After the brief pit stop, we kept on heading north up Michigan, and finally just ended up holing up at Grand Lux Cafe to warm up with some cozy beverages because, quite frankly, we were COLD.


Heaven. Pure heaven.

After loitering in Grand Lux for a solid couple of hours (it's amazing how some good old-fashioned gossiping can make the time magically FLY BY!), Urmi ended up meeting another friend to go shopping while Joyce and I headed to another friend's place for, of all things, a tree trimming party!!!!!

It was the first one I'd ever been to, so I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, I figured it was just going to be a couple of hours, where people just hung around a tree, stuck a couple of ornaments on, and moved along their merry way.

Umm... I was so very wrong. This party was LE-GIT. First off, the tree that Vidhya had gotten was HUGE...


No wonder she needed a whole party to decorate this thing! But first things first...


Check out that SPREAD! If you think that holiday spread was going to go very long without being dug into, you are sadly mistaken. That dish that's totally front and center? No photographic mistake, my friends. Who knew beet dip could be so tasty and delicious? I swear, this stuff is like CRACK... and now totally one of my new favorite foods. Ever.

Anyway! After a fair amount of time just standing around chit-chatting and eating, we got right to work...



The final product?


Voila!! Holiday magic!!!!! lakdsjflkasjdflkajsdflkj! Come on, you have to admit- just LOOKING at that tree is enough to put any ol' Scrooge in the holiday spirit, RIGHT?! Right.

Sigh. As I was cabbing back to my place, mentally preparing for the work week ahead of me, I couldn't help but think about how HAPPY this weekend just made me. This is what the holiday season is all ABOUT!!! It is, after all, the most wonderful time of year...

Alright! Now that my spirit is back, I'm totally off to start writing this year's rendition of 'Twere the Weeks Before Christiemas...

Welcome back, holiday spirit, welcome BACK!

NAPERVILLE!!: The Dream (Finally!) Becomes Reality...

Sigh. Let this post be evidence that dreams really do come true. After all the buildup surrounding my very first trip to my dream suburb, I was banking on some degree of disappointment. I mean, a dream is a dream and all that but... well, you've seen one suburb, you've seen 'em all right?

Wrong.

Let me start at the beginning. Saturday actually started out not looking so hot. With Friday being our company's fancy schmancy holiday party (complete with all the finer glories we call open bar), Saturday morning started off with... well, one of the worst headaches I've had in quite some time. The gloomy overcast skies and the incessant drizzling did NOT help matters in the least.

I was actually a tad concerned about how this Naperville trip was going to go. Things started looking up when I finally ventured out of my apartment for a celebration brunch at Wicker Park's Hot Chocolate with Alma and Cheryl- two of my old coworkers who are simply two of the best things ever.


Please take careful note of Alma's left hand, strategically planted smack dab in the middle of the picture. Then you will fully understand the reason this brunch was of the celebratory manner. lkjdfaslkdjf! (Congratulations, Alma and Doug!!!)

Thankfully, I started feeling a little more alive after brunch. There's just something to be said about reuniting with old friends and chatting and laughing away... I think the food absorbing any of the remaining alcohol in my system also helped matters, but that's just a side note. Next up?


lkfasjdlfkjdslkfjds!!!! Just seeing the street sign sent my heart all pitter pattering. My friend, Joyce (another fine product of Naperville society, if you will), had agreed to drive me out to Naperville and help out with the tour of her hometown . The tour started off with a 45-minute session at this salt cave... the website described the services offered as a therapeutic, relaxing experience amidst the healing powers of salt crystals imported from the faraway Himalayan mountains. The inside of this salt cave was actually pretty intriguing (and quite pretty!):



However, upon the introductory "rules" to the 10ish participants of this salt cave session, I already knew we were going to be in trouble. The lady running this salt cave session explicitly pointed out that there was to be no talking for the next forty-five minutes, to ensure that all individuals who were part of the session fully enjoyed their experience. When the lady was finished running through the rules, of course, Joyce had a question (or rather, a point of clarification). As soon as Joyce said "Soo... when you say "no talking"... you mean literally no talking for the FULL session?"

Hahaha. Considering Joyce and I are two of the chattiest people alive, a full forty-five minutes of silence is... well, pretty much torture. I couldn't even fall asleep in the salt cave (even though I have been perpetually exhausted for the whole week), so I basically just started getting all stir-crazy instead. So much for a relaxing, therapeutic experience. It certainly didn't help that my phone went off in the middle of the session (oops!).

Sooo... overall, the salt cave? A big fat thumbs down. Oh well... at least Naperville offers diverse experiences... or something like that.

Moving on! Next stop on the Naperville tour? Joyce's house! Because she grew up in Naperville, Joyce goes home on a fairly regular basis to drop off/pick up stuff at her parents' house. This girl has this down to a SCIENCE.


I mean, what the heck?? Who lugs a cooler to and from their parents' homes?! Although, I must admit, the ORGANIZATION involved with this process was quite commendable. I couldn't believe how efficient she was in dropping off and picking up whatever stuff she had on the agenda.

Within 20 minutes, we were off again! Our first stop was...


Oh my lord. I knew I was going to love the Naperville school system to begin with (it is, after all, a VERY strong education system), but I couldn't believe how well-kept and HUGE their schools were! I mean, how many PEOPLE go to this school?? It was like a mini-college campus, if you will. Because I wanted to keep the creeper factor to a minimum, I refrained from just walking through the doors of the high school and making myself at home at whatever school event was going on that evening (the parking lot was PACKED on a Saturday night! Sigh. School pride)...

Once I'd fully enveloped the wonders and glories of just ONE of Naperville's schools, we hit up...


That's right, folks. The city of Naperville values its history so much that it actually has its own little historical complex. Of course, the buildings in this complex were only like the quaintest, most adorable things EVER, but it was closed by the time we got there, so I only got a glimpse of what I know is likely one of the best historical establishments. Ever. I can't wait till my next trip out here to visit and read all the finer details of the history of Naperville... in. its. entirety.

Alright, after that quick drive-by, we FINALLY ended up in...


Downtown NapervillelakdfjlksdjlkJ!LKJ!LKjlkjdsf As soon as I caught a glimpse of the downtown area, my heart's pitter pattering went slightly outta control. I mean, GOD DOES THIS CITY KNOW HOW TO DO CHRISTIEMAS OR WHAT?!?!?!?



They had a Santa House and EVERYTHING?!?!?!?


Trust me, these pictures do NOT do this adorable town JUSTICE. (My darn phone's camera was NOT behaving itself yesterday.)

Anyway! After I regained control of my excitement at the sea of Christiemas lights, we headed to the next stop on the agenda...



That's right! My dream come TRUE!!! The Naperville public library system has been the #1 public library system in the U.S. for the past decade. Key to my heart, if you will. Again, unfortunately, the library was closed by the time we ventured over to it, but still. All I needed to see was that #1 Public Library banner to fully grasp that my dream really HAD become my reality. Sigh. A moment, please.

Okay. Once I got the squealing outta my system, we finally parked in one of downtown Naperville's easily accessible parking garages and started wandering around. Our first stop?

A cupcake shop. Naturally. We actually just stumbled upon Sugar Monkey Cupcakes (it wasn't on my seemingly neverending itinerary), but we obviously HAD to go in! And of course, the local Naperville cupcakery did NOT disappoint.

Splurging on a holiday eggnog cupcake was totally the right move. It. Was. Divine. The cake was so MOIST and such a perfect consistency; the icing a perfect degree of sugary deliciousness (maybe a little too sweet, but hey, who am I to complain?). A DEFINITE RECOMMEND for future Naperville visits to come!!

Next up? Well, of course. Barnes and Noble. It had been a WHILE since I'd been to a Barnes and Noble and, well, I don't know. Bookstores and libraries just make me SO HAPPY. I guess that would explain that... after the library AND Barnes and Noble, we hit up Anderson's Bookshop... hmm. Maybe I could start like a Naperville Literature Tour or something... ah, for another time.


But what?! This bookshop was so adorable and had QUITE a selection for a local, neighborhood-esque type of store. And of course... of course, it was the recipient of all KINDS of awards.

Obvi. By this point, it was quite clear to me that Naperville has nothing but the best, so the local bookshop's multitude of awards did not faze me in the least. Rather, it just made me sit back and smile. With pride and joy. My dream suburb was doing nothing but impressing me with each and every stop.

By this point, Joyce and I were ready for a chance to sit down and eat some dinner. I mean, we obviously had so much to catch up on (it's been like a full week since we last saw each other!). Taking the recommendation of another friend, we headed to Bangkok Village.


Did you know that this was Naperville's very first Thai restaurant, opened way back in... 1989?

Ah, the history lessons of this trip, if you will. Although I found the food to be fairly standard for Thai food, the place was PACKED and our service was AWE-SOME! I was totally won over by the friendly (and super attentive!) staff, so, although I wasn't overly impressed with my food, I would obviously visit again JUST to interact with the super adorable staff that was on hand. Sigh. Good times.

To round out the trip in standard Joyce-and-Christie form, we ended up at... well, one of the local bars of Naperville. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting ALL that much from a suburban bar. I mean, when my frame of reference is Chicago bars, what else would you expect?

But MAN! Of COURSE, Naperville can do no WRONG! I forget the name of the bar we ended up going to, but it was so SPACIOUS and there was actually room to walk around (unlike QUITE a few of the bars on Hubbard Street in Chicago, mind you)... this was MY KINDA PLACE!!! (Please note that strategically placed... Christiemas tree!!Lkjfalkdsjf!)


Our drinks came out like right away and, of course, were so tasty and delicious. And HUGE...

Man oh man. Oh well! I'm not complaining- I pretty much just guzzled mine down because it tasted just like pomegranate juice, rather than a pomegranate martini. De-LISH!

After another couple of hours of chit-chatting (yes, welcome to a standard night with Joyce and I), I was pretty much tuckered out. I mean, it was such an emotional, jam-packed day... the wonders and glories of Naperville certainly takes a lot out of a girl!

Sigh. I'm so delighted. So satisfied. So pleased. I can now say that my love for my Dream Suburb is fully and completely justified. Big. Fat. SIGH.

**Special thanks to Joyce for driving me all over the place and giving me her own insight into the various offerings of this fine utopia some would call "home" but that I call... Napervillelskjafldkjlk!Ljlkjdslkfj!

It's Official!! Starbucks Has Brought Back Their Christiemas Cups!!!!

OMG!!! Today just keeps getting better and better!!! I started off the morning all ready and excited to head over to my local Crumbs bakery to pick up some cupcakes for some new members joining my work team (you know, the usual corporate America welcome, welcome, welcome!!... Christie-style, at least).

However, my plans took a slight detour. I hopped off my bus this morning, and was wandering to the corner of the block when... I literally stopped dead in my tracks. You would think that I had just witnessed a car accident or a murder or something. Because not only did I stop short, but my jaw pretty much dropped to the ground.

What in heaven's name would spark such a reaction? Welllll... it's November 1st. How could I forget? Now that Halloween is over, we are in FULL-BLOWN holiday MODE!!!!! And no holiday would be complete without... the return of the Starbucks Christiemas cups!!!!!!! To me, it really does kind of symbolize the start to the grandest season of alllll (aside from Falllll!).

So, that's right. I totally saw someone standing at the corner of that block... HOLDING A CHRISTIEMAS CUP!!!!!!

Well, SCREW getting coffee from Crumbs Bakery, itself! I HAD to pay tribute and honor where such tribute and honor is very well DUE!! Starbucks, here I COME!!! You know it!!!!!

OMG, I was literally BEAMING in excitement as I waited on the third street corner block and could just see my little Starbucks, ready and waiting for me!!!! The closer I got to the Starbucks, the more and more people I could see with their Christiemas cups!!! I wanted to seriously just go up and hug them. Each and every one.

No worries. I have social boundaries. So I just kept the merriment to myself (minus the beam, but WHATEVER) as I headed in and... TOTALLY SCORED MY FIRST CHRISTIEMAS CUP OF THE SEASONlkfdjasldkfjoIJ! Let's take a moment, please.

Don't worry! After all the internal chaos of those ten minutes, I didn't forget about the cupcakes! Duh. I have my priorities aligned. You better believe I just headed right into Crumbs after the magical Starbucks Christiemas cup experience and bought... well, $40 worth of cupcakes. So I get a little carried away- so sue me.


Sigh. Christiemas cups and cupcakes... can this day GET any BETTER?!?!?!?

Free Alcohol for All and for All a Good Night!

so in honor of this grandest time of year, you KNOW there's christiemas parties all in full swing. and of course, what better way to celebrate christiemas than with family, friends... and your coworkers? nice segue, right? i just patted myself on the back for that one. anyway, so in honor of the merriest time of year, a wonderful christiemas party was organized for our team that included only like one of my favorite things in all the land... secret santa!! woohooooo! please note that this is only one of my favorite things in all the land if and when i know who has whom. i mean, im pretty darn fantastic at playing santa's little helper and investigating what people want... just a friendly fyi.

well, this year, one of my favorite people in all the world had me (i was de-lighted, to say the LEAST!) and only got me like the greatest christiemas present ever... a basket full of all things christiemas. i can itemize the contents of the basket (let's just say, there are a LOT of things required to make that gift basket reach "all things christiemas" status) but the signature item of the basket was a can of whipped cream... not just any whipped cream, my friends. alcohol-infused whipped cream. have you ever HEARD of this stuff? i certainly had not. but apparently it's all the rage with high schoolers, college kids, young adults, regular adults, the elderly... well, whatever. you get the idea, right?

anyway, what a FANTASTIC present! sugar+alcohol? how can you go wrong? after all, my favorite alcoholic beverage is a mudslide, because of all the sugary deliciousness that masks out the gag-me flavor that alcohol typically has... anyway, so of COURSE i had to tote it along with me in my little laptop backpack (im the coolest person alive) as we move from the office holiday party to a night out on the town. and by out on the town, i mean to a bar called kerryman's. i'd heard about this place but had never actually been, so i was quite pleased where we ended up (after a couple of wrong turns, but whatever.)... anyway, this place was PACKED (and rightly so, it is SO GRAND!) so as soon as our group of like fifteen enters, of course we're going to just be crammed in like sardines, standing uncomfortably amongst strangers (remember? i need my personal space...). it was at this point that one of the random girls i was crammed in next to sees my whipped cream can (yet to be opened) and totally raves about its wonders and glories to me. i was shocked! i mean, how POPULAR is this thing?? so of course, when someone raves about something, how can i NOT be tempted to try it like right then and there? (immediate gratification and all that) anyway, so about two minutes later, i whip it on open (no pun intended...) because, i mean, CLEARLY it was going to be taking some time to get some drinks at the bar, given how packed it was. might as well have alcohol in some form or another. anyway, so i spray a little dollop into my mouth and... oh. my. heavens. this stuff is STRONG. it like BURNED going down. whew! anyway, all in the name of christiemas, right? gotta take it for the team and all that.

so anyway, generosity is my middle name and only what the season of christiemas is all about, right? right. so of course, i offer little dollops to some of my coworkers who were standing around me, because i mean, come ON, who DOESN'T want to try alcohol-infused whipped cream? anyway, so it was quite successful- some of my coworkers were quite receptive to the concept/taste of it. and then, in my completely logical/rational/questionably sober state of mind, i HAD to offer some to my newfound pal who had raved about this stuff in the first place. so i find her and share a little dollop with her. and then of COURSE i didnt want to be exclusive, because she had some friends with her so i offered it all around. and man, people were so receptive. i was actually kind of surprised. i mean, if a random stranger is passing around some whipped cream in a bar, you gotta wonder what is actually IN that can, right? but whatever. golden sunshiney innocence is my middle name so how can you NOT trust me, of all people? anyway, so after her group of friends had their little dollops, i guess some other random strangers saw this little exchange and were curious themselves. and then it just made me so HAPPY! i mean, this is what christiemas is all ABOUT! bringing the world together and all that. in my jubilee, i got a little overexcited and started waving the can of whipped cream around, proclaiming "free alcohol for all! free alcohol for all and for all a good night!"... to be perfectly honest, i wasn't really proclaiming it all too loudly. in my defense. regardless, i think that was the beginning of the end.

well, WHAT? i was just trying to spread the joy and educate people about this newfound fad. how was i supposed to know that the kerryman bartenders/bouncers/whatever they were would come around and CONFISCATE my christiemas whipped cream? i mean... i dont know what their "official" title was (bouncer... bartender... security...?)... but their totally unofficial title? GRINCHES. that's right. you don't mess with the spread of christiemas cheer.

sigh. so that's sadly the end of this story. i mean, first these grinches were like "you're going to have to put that away"... which i totally DID. but then they came by AGAIN and were like "yeah, we're going to have to take that from you. you can pick it up when you leave..." good thing i scare easily and am a rule-follower when it comes down to it, so i just gave it to them. no need to stir up unnecessary trouble... that's not christiemasy goodness, right? but THEN, they were like, "yeah, we're going to have to check your purse also.." i mean, come on kerryman grinches, who are we kidding here? it's not like i go out for a night on the town with cans and cans of whipped cream in my purse. but sigh, whatever. rule-follower that i am, i just handed over my purse for them to peruse.

in retrospect, it was all rather exciting. i mean, the unknown (of what this whipped cream would be like), the highs (of spreading it to all the land), and the lows (The Confiscation). thank goodness kerryman played mariah carey's all i want for christiemas later that night... that TOTALLY restored any scrooge-like sentiments i'd harbored earlier in the night due to The Confiscation. doesnt take much, really...

ahhh. all in a day's work, yet again, my friends. all in a day's work.

*special thanks to jill for the christiemas whipped cream

*special thanks to emily for the christiemas work party extravaganzadanzaranzapalooza

*special thanks to all those random strangers to whom i could spread the christiemas spirit in the form of alcohol-infused whipped cream prior to The Confiscation

How Christie Got Her Glow Back...

okay. so i understand things have been a little busy in my life lately, and i know im an emotional person and i wear my emotions on my sleeve (one of my very few flaws, let's be honest... juuust kiddinggg. geez.) but i didnt think it was all that noticeable until you talked to me and i verbal vomited everything going on in my life to you within the first five minutes of conversation (remember? i talk quickly. faster than i type, if you can believe that). basically, i had fooled myself into thinking that im good at hiding my feelings despite already KNOWING that i wear my emotions on my sleeve. sigh. talk about one confused mess, that i am. haha.

anyway, thank goodness i was brought back to reality last week when one of my coworkers returned after a month-long vacation and ever so tactfully mentioned that id seemed to have lost, of all things, my glow.

my GLOW. my christie GLOW. my maliyacular GLOW. omg... my christiemas GLOW.

i know, i know. i had the same reaction. i mean, my glow is like one of my sole contributing components to the betterment of society. without the christie glow, what does christie really add to the world?? (i dont normally ever speak of myself in the third person. it's actually a pet peeve of mine. but whatever. remember that whole thing about how 'fickle' is my middle name? case in point, if you will.) so, needless to say, i kind of flipped out. and by "kind of" flipped out, i mean i only inquired about my glow status with a few other individuals (read: basically my workplace's 26th floor in its entirety as they paraded on by my desk)... and EACH individual i politely questioned (okay, kind of accosted/interrogated) couldn't even LIE about my glow status. it was all a very sad day in christieland.

it was from that point on that i have decided that i simply cannot be having this. i HAVE to get my glow back. i just have to. i mean, how else am i going to reach world domination (ruling by spirit fingers in lieu of the iron fist, and all that... oh you know what? i dont think ive written a blog entry about that topic just yet. oops. ah, for another time) if the essence of me is simply... well, slowly but surely... dimming?

ive put a lot of time and effort into brainstorming ways by which to restore my glow. after such introspective analysis (remember, my friends, the maliyacular is very deep)...ive come up with the following list:

1. LAUGH (or giggle)!! (this is easy- i laugh all the time. im very grateful for this trait- i mean, people are FUNNY. and by funny, i mean absolutely ridiculous.)

2. LISTEN TO CHRISTIEMAS MUSIC!!!! - seriously, i have been SO HAPPY the past few days at work just because i plug right on into my christiemas itunes playlist. seriously, it's A-MAZING how much of a happy place my christiemas music takes me to. and i only have three christiemas cds on my itunes!! (mariah carey... the original. love actuallyafksdljaskdlfjaosij!!!! glee!! and last year's starbucks christiemas cd). in fact, after this whole lack of glow business from last week, i made sure that my christiemas music was playing allllll weekend long (including as i slept... okay, so i woke up at like 4 AM because im a light sleeper and still get super excited each and every f'ing time i hear mariah carey's all i want for christiemas but whatever.)

2a. i know this goes without saying, but if you happen to feel this need to just get up and dance to your christiemas music, i really dont think anyone's going to judge you. if anything, i will solely judge you if you ARE listening to christiemas music and NOT dancing. um hello have you HEARD mariah carey's all i want for christiemas? as a very wise person (me) once said... HELLO.

3. eat, eat, eat! - you realize that the obvious disclaimer to this point is that, when eat, eat, eating, it's only in reference to sugary deliciousness. please note how this is not specific to chocolate, primarily because im not a chocolate kinda gal (i know, i know, blasphemy). sure, i love me the occasional peanut butter nutella cupcake or the occasional snickers/reeses/twix treat, but i am a firm believer that there is more to the land of sweets than chocolate. dont even GET me started on this dark chocolate revolution... but again, for another time.

4. gab, gab, gab! - always have your go-to people with which to take time out and, well, gab, gab, gab! therapeutic, really. it's amazing how easily you can laugh, laugh, laugh when you make it a priority to gab, gab, gab. and it ALL comes full CIRCLE (please reference #1 above!). i LOVE it when this happens!!!

okay. so the list isnt the most comprehensive thing ever (im sorry, but creating a restoring my glow checklist takes a lot of TIME here, people!). but it's covered the ESSENTIALS, right? i mean, you see what's in red above, right? duh.

so, my friends, milk and hot chocolate is the lesson for today (haha get it... it's like the whole idea of "lemons and lemonade" with a holiday twist... hahaha im actually quite proud of it). i mean, i could have completely freaked out with this whole lack of glow revelation... and sure, i did for a little... so maybe i dwelled on this for a couple of minutes (or days). but whatever. the POINT is that i have taken the liberty of re-prioritizing my mindset in order to restore my glow and, thus, maintain a healthier lifestyle (after all, well-rounded is my middle name... HA. hahahaha i just laughed ALOUD at the thought)...

and if i just HAPPEN to achieve world domination along the way well... what's a girl to do, right? im JUST SAYING...

the 2010 christiemas season list

GOD DID YOU SEE OPRAH'S FAVORITE THINGS?! times TWO?! wtf what does it TAKE to get on this SHOW. please note that oprah typically has one "favorite things" episode per season, during which she shares pretty much every delightful (not to mention expensive, extravagant) treat with her audience. it's really like winning the lottery. anyway, this year, since it's her last year and she is completely and utterly spoiling her audience to its fullest (hey, im not complaining... im only complaining that im not IN her audience...), she decided to up the ante and host not one, but TWO favorite things episodes for two audiences. therefore, episode one aired on friday and episode two aired today. i mean, friday's was spectac enough (i mean, the WAY people are flipping OUT... you can't make this stuff up people!) but today's episode was even better... apparently, today's audience was waiting in line for their turn to get into the studio when the show that had been taping just prior ended and all these people from THAT audience scurried on out with their presents galore. anyway, my personal favorite was how oprah innocently asks today's audience how they felt about seeing all those other people floating out with their presents and one woman in the audience was like "we were PISSED!" i mean, come on lady, have a little class... oh who am i KIDDING. you really think i would have kept MY mouth shut if oprah had asked MY opinion about that situation? please. PLEASE.

anyway. a cruise trip and a yet-to-be-released 2012 VW beetle later (um. that's what im SAYING)... let's just say oprah's audience was nice and satisfied. ugh. gag me. A CRUISE?! A CAR?! oprah, you're killing me here... anyway! haha merriment and sunshine! i keep forgetting. believe it or not, this blog post was not devoted to the wonders and glories of oprah's favorite things. rather, it actually got me thinking of my OWN christiemas list o' favorite things (i mean, who WOULDN'T start thinking of their own list, right? ... no? eh, oh well.) because i dont live nearly as extravagant a lifestyle as the oprah herself (nor do i remotely care to, to be perfectly honest), this list was certainly not as jaw-dropping as the presents that were handed out on the oprah's show... but i guess that's good because, who are we kidding? it's not like im going to be BUYING all these things for all you blog readers out there. i mean, im grateful to you guys (believe you ME!) but let's be honest here... i do have my limits! but then i was thinking about how i really dont WANT all that much stuff (im telling you. i lead a VERY simple lifestyle!)... so instead... im going to present to you a list of the things i think no christiemas season should do without...

sooo... without further adoooo... i present to youuuu...

the 2010 christiemas season list

1. mariah carey's christiemas cd - now, don't get confused. i know she just released a new cd recently. which im sure is absolutely fantast, but i cant attest to it since im waiting to buy it this weekend. no no. IM referring to the oldie but GOODY... mariah carey's christiemas cd from like 20 years ago is something that will make any grinch start singing and dancing for all the world to see. if you cant get happy by listening to that cd, well, im just plain sorry. so, dont hold back! sing! dance! joy to the WORLD!

2. the starbucks christiemas cd (from last year, at least) - okay. maybe you dont need the entire cd (although it IS quite delicious). all you REALLY need is to hear "baby, it's cold outside" by norah jones/willie nelson and you will be SET. i remember sitting at my desk at work listening to that song on repeat for days at a time last year. let's just say not much work was getting done as i sang to myself (and kind of out loud. and by kind of, i mean TOTALLY out loud) and just stared out the window thinking about cozy fireplaces, snowflakes, and cozy white hot chocolate (i dont like normal hot chocolate. just a friendly fyi!)

3. love ACTUALLY and elf - these are without a doubt my two favorite christiemas movies of all TIME. granted, they're not what one would ever consider classics (and you KNOW im a classic kind of gal) but still. these two will beCOME classics in just a few years/decades. they are timeless and a-mazing. one of my favorite questions to ask people is what their favorite love actually couple is. for me, im always torn because i love them ALL but i would HAVE to say it is between the little boy's tumultuous crush on the american girl (i personally want to adopt that boy as my own) and his fantastic stepfather. or maybe it's the prime minister and the monica lewinsky lookalike (i mean, such pure and INNOCENCE. well. kind of. but you get the idea.)... ugh i just cant decide. talk about warm and fuzzy. i already watched it once to kickstart the holiday season. im eagerly anticipating the next viewing.

4. salted caramel hot chocolate - okay, okay. i know i said i dont like hot chocolate (except for white hot chocolate, since i dont mind white chocolate) but this is the only exception to that rule. i dont know what it IS but something about that salted caramel flavor atop the fluffy pillows of whipped cream topping the piping hot chocolate... ummmm i could SCREAM IT IS SO GOOD. go to starbucks and please grace yourself with this fantasmic delight. please. tell them christie sent you. i mean... i dont really know what they'll do if you DO say that i sent you but whatever. any possible way to self-advertise, really. hahaha.

5. peppermint ice cream!!! - okay again. i know im not the biggest fan of ice cream but there is something about eating peppermint ice cream in the wintertime that screams holiday perfection to me. my personal favorite is this peppermint ice cream from graeters or UDF in the nati. man, does the nati know how to do ice cream. matter of fact, im going to have some as soon as i get home tomorrow, thank you very much.

6. ornament from the kris kringle marketplace - i was TOTES going to start this tradition last year, since i had just moved to chicago, but... well, i kind of forgot. anyway, no time like the present and all that right? SO, starting this year... im planning on going to the kris kringle market in daley plaza (in downtown chicago) and buying a christiemas ornament. have you SEEN some of the ornaments they have there? they are abs-o-lutely a-mazing. from this year forward, one new ornament a year! let christiemas in chicago reign!

7. a rendition of "Twere the Weeks Before Christiemas" - last year, this poetic genius was on a slight hiatus since i was still relatively new at my company and i had some degree of shame and/or a filter... well, 1.5 years later... all that is OUT the window and i cant WAIT to get started on crafting this fine work of poetic genius/christiemas spirit fingers at its finest, if i do say so myself...

so there you have it... for now...

joy to the WORLD!

bringing the world's holidays together, one funfetti cupcake at a time...

so i was debating whether christiemas festivities should begin this week or next week, but i think this week is quickly winning out. let's be honest here, i held out long enough as compared to in years past when you KNOW christiemas began in july. this was moreso a conscientious effort because i am just darn DETERMINED not to suffer from christiemas burnout before the grand december 25th itself. please. i've waited long enough. heck, starbucks has brought back their christiemas cups. it's TIME to start the season in full FORCE, thank you very much.

and dude. what a wonderful time to coincide one of the grandest seasons in the united states (christiemas. just to clarify) with one of the grandest holidays in the motherland (india. just to clarify)... diwali! woohooo! granted, i never celebrated this holiday growing up but it sounds so delightful and sunshiney and happy and merry... basically, it's totes spotlight material for the maliyacular... a blog devoted to flowers and springtime, sunshine and summertime, foliage and falltime, Mariah Carey and Christiemastime... but i digress.

okay. so it seems like everyone in india has been celebrating diwali the entire week (i may be slightly exaggerating. all i know is that they get the day off on friday. im just SAYING.) and MAN, do they celebrate in style. sigh. i want to go to india. haha i know PLENTY of you are reading this and being like... what. fair enough, i know i know. to which ill respond... well, WHAT?! i think it sounds so merry and joyous and just plain festive! just like christiemas if you will. i mean, think about it. there are all kinds of similarities. they're both religious holidays. they both involve the... festival of lights. they both involve happiness and spirit and sunshiney warm and fuzzies. well, you get the idea, right?

and the FESTIVITIES that take PLACE?!?! today was such an educational day at work. i learned about what the holiday actually celebrates but also HOW it gets celebrated over there. crafts and sweets? um hello, this is SO my kind of holiday. apparently, diwali also involves some sort of fireworks display (i mean, understandably, right? festival of lights... fireworks...at least, i think that's the connection. im still LEARNING, give me a break here!). anyway, putting all that information together (man, today was such an educational experience at work, let me tell you. im exhausted! haha), i decided it is about time WE celebrate some cultural roots and our counterparts half a world away by having our own little diwali celebration at work tomorrow.

i was super excited. i mean, arts and crafts? sweets? singing and dancing? general merriment? hooray hooray hooray!

well, so much for THAT idea. after my coworker voiced his concerns about my general sanity/craziness levels, i decided to just tone it down with... of course... baked goods. i mean, obvi. it's not like some coworkers and i gorged on chocolate last week in honor of halloween. but whatever. a mere side note, really. and how fab is THIS?? FUNFETTI cupcakes.... in honor of the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS!!! GET IT??? funfetti is just about the most colorful kind of cupcake if ever there was one... i mean, with the frosting and sprinkles, it TOTES resemble fireworks, right?? right. well, whatever, we're going to go with that for now. and i think the decision to bake those funfetti cupcakes was simply fate. because as i was walking down my grocery store's baked goods aisle, what did i stumble across but... CHRISTIEMAS FROSTING!!!!!!!!!! eeee!!!!! it's like all the grandest things in the world just came together in one simple grocery aisle. lakfjojer!lkJlkjaals!

hoorayy!!! so get ready, world! let the christiemas festivities BEGIN!!!!! and what better way to begin the christiemas festivities than by saying... well, happy diwali!!

ps apologies for the lack of blog posts for the past MONTH. wtf, i know right? ill try to keep up. hell, i KNOW ill keep up. i gotta keep the world merry for the next two months at least! it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it...

christiemas (eve) with the maliyacks...

given how overfestified i can get about the holidays (mild exaggeration, i know), many individuals are always quite surprised to hear how low key is, in fact, the actual family celebration of christiemas when i go home for the holidays. i chalk it up to coming from a small family (just my sister and me, and of course, the ever-devoted parents)... i mean, come ON! half the fun of the holidays is the hustle and bustle of utter holiday chaos... one of my favorite memories involves going over to my best friend's house at some point during the holiday season a few years ago and literally tripping over her sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews... the works! some might consider it stressful, i consider it glorious. GLORIOUS!


this year was no exception. but there's also something to be said for low key... i guess. leave it to us. let's begin with christiemas eve. as has become standard in our household, the fridge was nicely stocked with cans of Coke for marian and me. our parents really like to not spoil us and really watch out for our health, apparently. as we were getting ready to leave for church that night (after the debacle that can only be reserved for soon-to-be-enlarged family photos), my sister started complaining about being thirsty. to which my dear, sweet scientist of a father responds with "well, we do have some coke..." which makes perfect sense. when dehydrated, drink some coke. new family motto.


so we decide after christiemas eve mass (it was about 10 pm in loveland ohio on christiemas eve, keep in mind), to head to meijer (for some... raspberry lemonade. marian is not picky at all). no better way to spend a cozy christiemas eve, right? sigh. well, this would've been fine and good (i mean, just a slight detour, really) if we hadn't pulled into the ginormous parking lot to find it barren and empty... and the lights of meijer completely off. i mean, we knew it would be closed christiemas day, but who would've thought that it would shut down before midnight christiemas eve? not us. but raspberry lemonade, we (and by we, i mean marian) were determined to have. so we cruise by the walgreens which, of course, was also closed. that was no question, even for us maliyacks. but then, my dad has the brilliant (not to mention classy) idea of driving down to this corner speedway which, quite frankly, ive been to only once in my life for gasoline- never... well, groceries. gag.


so we get to speedway and... quite frankly, are slightly astounded. it's... f'ing... PACKED. and let's be honest, there was no one filling up at the pumps. all cars were readily parked in the miniature parking lot... and let me tell you, id never SEEN such well-dressed speedway customers: the cutest little grandfatherly man in a sweater vest venturing out with a gallon of milk... this other man bedecked in a suit also perusing the dairy aisle... this woman in stiletto heels venturing in to buy who knows what... who ever would've thought? speedway is the place to see and be seen come christiemas eve night apparently.


see? we maliyacks feign ignorance, but really, we just know how to do things RIGHT come christiemas eve. discovering the low-down hot spots of loveland, ohio on christiemas eve, thank you very much.


oh, and marian finally got her darn raspberry lemonade.

one word: COZY!!!!

ahhh!! cozy time!!!

with the holiday season in full swing, i find no better opportunity to maximize the use of my favorite word in the English language... COZY. that's right. i mean, just look at the word. all the simply delightful ideas that are conjured up with just the THOUGHT... fireplaces (preferably with a book and blanket), hot chocolate (with homemade marshmallows), couches (REMEMBER HOCKING HILLS?!! oh a** heaven... oh sigh. okay i need a moment), napping and, quite frankly, spooning (quite possibly the greatest definition of cozy if ever there was one...), baking extravaganzas, mindless television marathons (preferably with the sister... oh how she knows how to pick 'em... keeping up with the kardashians being the latest... journey shall we say...)... oh i could go on and on.

last week, however, i was greeted with something that i always associated with the epitome of coziness but hadnt experienced in a solid two and a half years... SNOW!!! oh gosh, just the thought...

well. actually. it was slightly disappointing. here i was, hearing right and left about the impending blizzard upon us... i couldn't keep myself from grinning from ear to ear (while, im not going to lie, most others around me were quite wary and kind of annoyed with the thought of an impending blizzard! i mean, i just didnt understand). so, you know me. im already a morning person. this morning, however, i gleefully arise with the eager anticipation of a traipse through the blankets of white (in my brand spanking new snow boots, no less!) to get to my bus stop... after all, the mere day before we'd received the wonderful preview of a slight dusting... no better way to welcome the holiday season in full gear! but what did i awaken to that fine morning after the prediction of blizzard amounts of snow and arctic chills?

rain. cold. dreary. rain. heck, the snow dusting from the day before had actually MELTED.

um. i KNOW, RIGHT?? crestfallen didnt even begin to describe the downward spiral of the emotional rollercoaster that morning.

oh chicago. what. a. tease.

needless to say, i am NOT holding out much hope for the wintry chills and snowy mounds predicted this week. heck, im bringing the flip flops back. taking a stand if ever there was one, thank you very much.

no worries. ive just decided to take matters into my own hands and just create the semblance of coziness (hey. if mother nature's not going to step up to the plate, SOMEone's gotta!)... ive got my two cozy songs for the season nice and lined up on my itunes (for reference: all i want for christiemas is you by miss mariah herself and baby it's cold outside by willie and norah), my cozy holiday activities lined out (this daley plaza christiemas marketplace better be darn impressive...), my cozy chai stocked, my cozy baking extravaganzaranzadanzas lined up, my cozy love actually viewings already in full swing (was it sad that i was all set to just rewind and watch it again after my viewing yesterday?... and that wasnt the first time i watched it this season...sigh. at least im shameless about advertising it), my cozy snow boots ready and waiting (for something other than rain...)... well, you get the idea.

ahh!! cozy time!!! how would YOU actively embrace such a concept?

all about the christiemas spirit... or lack thereof

(just an FYI- this post is de-flipping-pressing. dont say i didnt warn you...)

so i really dont understand. WHY cant i just flipping get into the christiemas spirit already? im getting impatient, here! (stamp of foot)

i mean, ive taken all the necessary preparatory steps: the passage of that minor hump that some people like to call thanksgiving... complete and total immersion with the starbucks christiemas cups- filled with holiday flavors (holy mother... that caramel brulee latte? divinity in a christiemas cup, if you will)... holiday music a'playing on the itunes (when i have earphones, that is)... the conversion of some new friends here to the somewhat sacrilegious but still oh so delightful term "christiemas"... the ksjafls!-ly imminent prospect of SNOW (first time in a couple of YEARS!!! yessss!)... the (earlier than expected) hibernation of the flipflops (i mean. chicago's weather and i are going to exchange a few words soon)... the perfection of the lights on michigan avenue (literal. perfection.)... the introduction to the polo store gone so christiemas it's not even funny (trust me, a new holiday tradition has since been enacted)... my apartment's mini-christiemas tree (complete with ornaments, mind you!) and holiday wine (yum! yes!) c/o the one and only laurenh... the prospect of christiemas movies aplenty (LOVE FLIPPING ACTUALLY!!! it's a wonderful life. home alone. among others.)... the introduction to the starbucks christiemas cd (norah jones/willie nelson: baby please come home.. i instantaneously. just. melt. every. single. time.)... sigh.

i. just. dont. KNOW. to be perfectly honest, ive actually kind of slightly stressed myself out over this (sad, but true). but HELLO. usually, festivities are in full SWING pre-halloween. i mean, by this point, i should already be starting to feel the christiemas burnout! i can only hope that anthonyc's christiemas spirit is double what it normally is in order to make up for my pathetic showing this year. i apologize for the additional pressure, man.

maybe it's being in a new place. a new apartment, a new city, new friends, new workplace... but still. it really doesnt make sense. i mean, i love it here! (apparently, i glow when i talk about living here...? haha nice, i guess? but please. michelle obama glows. i merely have a too-large-for-my-darn-face smile.) i love the apartment, the city, the new friends, the workplace... hmm maybe that's what it is. god, at triage, i could just have christiemas throw up right and left and merriment would simply reign! i cant do that here- (establishment of the professional persona and all that). no christiemas tree lighting ceremony in a random office conference room... no liberties taken with miss mariah just blasting away for all surrounding tables to hear (okay. so maybe that was just early morning christiemas fridays but whatever)... no creepy christie's-face-on-mariah's-santa-claus'ed-body christiemas snowglobes... no itunes sharing for the mariah holiday playlist to reach maximum capacity (hahah laurenw, remember? maybe not, but i certainly do!)... no 'twere the weeks before christiemas mass emailed poetry (and what fine poetry it was... probably one of the things i will certainly miss most, actually)...

oh god, im really working myself into a sad, sad state just thinking of all the "no"s this holiday season.. well, now this is just plain pathetic.

sigh. my blog was supposed to be filled with happiness and sunshine. i guess even sunshine personified gets the blues from time to time. and oh, what a blue christiemas season it's been so far.

(i know, right? i bet you were expecting this to end with an upside. oops. maybe next time.)

starbucks and the return of the christiemas cups...

faksjdflkasjfkl!! it's that time of year, my friends!! some mark the start of the holidays with black friday (a travesty to the holiday season in my personal opinion. hate the commercialism, heart the spirit), others mark the start of the holidays with december 1st. me? i like to mark the start of the holidays with the revival of the starbucks christiemas cup.

that's right. to each his own.

after easily crediting myself with singlehandedly financially upholding the SF starbucks on fremont and main (hey, those grande chai tea lattes really start to add up... every. single. day. times two... oops. so i got slightly carried away! whatever, those baristas were so friendly! i heart the 'bucks!), i pulled a complete 180 here in chicago just a couple of weeks ago when i basically denounced all things good and starbucks. apparently, it was a moment of weakness and confusion. i blame sleep deprivation, actually. with my abominable sleeping habits as of late (ie: 3-5 hours of fully interrupted sleep per night. trust me. im annoyed enough, myself.), i decided to venture into this whole new world of actually drinking coffee to wake me on up in the morning. gag. just the thought. (i know, right? the strongest promoter of coffee shop coziness doesnt like coffee?? well HELLO. who needs coffee when you have the limitless world of specialty beverages at. your. FINGERTIPS?!) anyway, after hearing from multiple coffee aficionados that starbucks has one of the worser coffees in life, i decided to venture to a whole new world... corner bakery. i know, i know. i felt like i was cheating on the 'bucks as well. but whatever. sacrifices to be made and all that.

but HOLY MOTHER!! not only was i able to choke down corner bakery's coffee (which is saying a LOT, let me tell you!), i was ALSO able to help myself to a delightful bagel- all for significantly less than what i would pay for my grande chai at starbucks! a full breakfast for less than my darn chai... it's really quite amazing how quickly i can denounce something to which i was so faithful for so many years. HOWEVER, after discovering this breakfast special at corner bakery, i was telling people right and LEFT about how i was SO over the 'bucks because it was just. not. worth. it.

but then. well. let's be honest. i saw a coworker traipse on by with her starbucks cup. her red. flipping. holiday. cup. and literally, my mouth fell agape. jealousy doesnt even remotely begin to describe the emotional onslaught overwhelming my poor little professional persona at that very moment. starbucks had reintroduced their christiemas cups! starbucks had reintroduced their christiemas cups!

well. forget about the denunciation and boycott of the 'bucks. as soon as i saw that girl merrily flinging around her starbucks christiemas cup for all the world to see (show off), i waited a solid hour before making my first afternoon run (in chicago) to starbucks to get myself nice and re-acquainted with the christiemas cup as well.

god, nothing felt more right. nothing.

well, if it feels so right, why not overindulge? a fine motto, in my opinion. therefore, over the past week, i quickly and a little too easily proceeded to take the liberty of venturing to my holiday haven every. single. flipping. day (after working so hard to wean myself to a mere once a week treat).

sigh. i would feel guilty but, quite frankly, i dont. i just plain dont.