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?!?!?!?

christie's venture with philanthropy... and lack of shallowness

so i've been thinking more and more about my life's prioritizations and have come to the conclusion that i want to be a bit more philanthropic. now that i am done paying off my student loans (huzzah!), i feel like i can have a lot more flexibility in terms of my spending patterns and behaviors. don't get me wrong, who are we kidding? it's not like i lead this high maintenance kinda lifestyle who'll be dropping cash like... well, i don't know like what, but you know what i mean, right? i mean, im just not one of those people that needs a lot to be happy!

as such, ive been so pleasantly surprised to see how my bank account has been steadily increasing over the past few months. please, it's not like it's this exponential rise to richness and glory. at the same time, it IS noticed enough that i feel like i want to just DO something with it. and trust me, the idea of a shopping spree is so not along the lines of what i had in mind... can i help it that i find shopping to be one of the more boring tasks ever invented in life? sigh. what kind of girl am i? i know, i know... but oh well.

anyway, so a couple of weeks ago, i was really thinking long and hard about what i should do with the money that would otherwise be going to my student loans. okay, by long and hard, i mean i was thinking about it while i was waiting for my bus... but whatever, you get the idea. anyway, i had an inkling that i wanted to start taking a more active role in philanthropy, primarily by just starting to donate money to charitable organizations which totally have a tug at my heartstrings type of feel, you know? hahaha. (if you know me, just picture me clutching my heart like i do when describing everyone that i "adore"... which is, quite frankly, the majority of people i encounter. but whatever.)

anyway, i started mentally narrowing down the list of organizations of which i am aware that would spark my interest in warranting some significant monetary contributions. but then, i walked into my neighborhood grocery store and came across one of my favorite homeless people... this man is ALWAYS at the same street corner in my neighborhood. but he never really asks for money- he just is always so polite and friendly. sigh. tug at heart strings type of moment, if you will. it was while i was in that grocery store that i was just kind of like, you know what? why NOT just give some money to my homeless man friend on the street corner? i typically wouldn't do this, because i'm all about just getting homeless people some food, since you never really know what they could be using this money for, but whatever. i was having a moment. so, in a grand act of charity, when i walked out of the grocery store, i (slightly awkwardly, since i dont really know how to approach a homeless man who isnt blatantly asking you for money) handed him ten dollars. sigh. his smile and simple "thanks so much, lady" was TOTALLY enough to melt my heart right then and there.

so that's how i decided to start my philanthropic journey, folks... by just giving money to INDIVIDUALS who simply seem to be down on their luck. it's that whole personable factor that makes me feel so much warmer and fuzzier than i otherwise would if i were just donating it to a large organization.

well, that's all well and good but practicality started getting the better of me and i started second guessing just how well i can "read" people. i mean, this methodology worked fine with this particular homeless man, because i see him basically everyday and he is just the most consistently polite, discreet individual EVER. however, i mentally told myself that i can't just keep on randomly handing out cash to every homeless person i see. i mean, that's not the most effective way to begin my philanthropic sojourn, if you really think about it. this is the renewed lightbulber of a moment that i came to this weekend.

but then... well... okay, so i was in a different neighborhood this morning so of course, of COURSE, i had to hit up the local starbucks. i mean, when in rome and all that, right? anyway, so there was this homeless man standing on the street corner, and he totally held the door open for a slew of starbucks customers that were simultaneously entering and exiting the place. and it was that simple gesture that already warmed my heart, right? but then i walk by him to slide on into the 'Bucks when he greets me with a simple "hi, young lady"... and since i had already developed warm and fuzzies for him by seeing his kind gesture earlier, i gave him a small smile (normally, i dont really make eye contact with people i dont know) and said "good morning"... to which he responded with... "thanks for the beautiful smile, young lady".

UMM!!!! so much for aiming to not really give money to random homeless people anymore. you KNOW that as soon as i left starbucks this morning, i nestled a nice little Andrew Jacksoner into his hand. lksadjflksjdflkjsadlkfjsdlkj!

okay, so i got a little carried away. but... well, who are we KIDDING here?! he complimented my SMILE! HELLO!! you KNOW if i carried a benjamin around, he would have TOTES gotten it as well...

yup. that's pretty much the end of this story. no lessons learned, no words of wisdom to pass along to you... just... another instance of winning me over by complimenting my smile...

on a side note, just to clarify... i'm not shallow!! hahaha. sigh.

the corner bakery guy and i, a love story

ah. corner bakery. have you guys ever been here before? id never heard of it until i moved to chicago, but i quickly fell in love with it. it's so COZY (and, weird as this may be, i LOVE the font that they use for their restaurant title. have i shared my love/natural attraction to fonts? anyway. this would be a standard case in point). the food isnt like the most amazing thing EVER, but it's certainly delicious enough for a regular day's lunch out. i never tire of it, at least.

my initial discovery of this place was because of the lunches i would eat here. however, after a couple of months, i realized that, if im going to be drinking coffee in the morning, i might as well come HERE instead of starbucks since it is just that much darn cheaper (and tastier!). i highly recommend their hazelnut coffee. delicious, even to me, and i am not a huge fan of the actual taste of coffee (which is exactly why starbucks coffee makes me want to gag each and everytime i choke that stuff down). granted, who knows if it's the actual taste of the corner bakery hazelnut coffee that i am advertising here... or the two packets of splenda that are drowning out the taste of everything with the deliciousness that can only be fake sugar... or the heaping mounds of cinnamon that i dump on top of the coffee to, well, drown out the taste of everything else in that cup. but i digress.

i began frequenting corner bakery even MORE regularly after i discovered the beauty of their "buy six cups of coffee, get the seventh free" cards. it's amazing how quickly you accumulate free coffees if you go here every morning before work and are religious about getting your cards stamped and all. talk about the deal of all deals, really.

of course, becoming a "regular" at this place was only inevitable. i mean, this place is like right across the street from my work. and the DEALS to be had (especially compared to starbucks...)... im a sucker what can i say. who knew that it would only get BETTER from here. i mean, dont get me wrong, i was totally content enough with my "buy six, get the seventh free" deals. what can be better than that?

try... free coffee... every. single. day.

see, this is the beauty of being an openly friendly person, i guess. so there's this one corner bakery guy that is always working the counter when i come in (because i obvi come in around the same time every morning since i have a regular daily routine). anyway, when i first started coming in, he would charge me for the coffee and then stamp stamp stamp my glorified card with gusto (sigh. he's so adorable and friendly and. well. pitter patter goes the heart for adorable, friendly people. you know. the usual. haha).

but then one morning (no different than any other morning), i come in and he's just like "medium coffee, right?" because, duh, im a regular and my order is NOT difficult. so i confirm this and he hands me my cup for coffee and i have my wallet all out ready to pay away, and he's just like "nah, dont worry about it." sigh. i was a little affronted because, if you know me, im all about fairness and paying my way through life and all that. but whatever. i was just like "aww! thank you SO MUCH!" (because who DOESN'T love a friendly thank you, really). so i was all about ready to traipse off with my totally free cup of coffee when i realized... this was the corner bakery guy's lucky DAY. today was the day that i had just happened to have baked cupcakes for my coworkers. so what do i do? i'm just like, "oh wait a second! here, because you gave ME coffee, im going to give YOU some cupcakes. do you have a plate?" hahaha. and that's right. i totally gave this guy cupcakes in exchange for coffee. talk about the BARTER SYSTEM COMING RIGHT BACK INTO CAPITALIST AMERICA!

well. i thought it would end there. i mean, i may drink coffee like it's water, but at the end of the day, it's NOT water and does cost money. but no. ever since that fine day... i have NEVER had to pay for a cup of coffee! GOD, i feel special. hahaha. i mean, it was a gradual progression, let's be honest. it started out with me being genuinely surprised when corner bakery guy would say i didnt have to pay for my coffee the first few times... then, this progressed to me taking my wallet out, but definitely just more for formality's sake because i mean, who are we kidding here (but i didnt want to seem GREEDY hello)... to, well, the point im at now, where he just hands me a cup as im walking in and i dont even bother taking my wallet out. in fact, i would be slightly offended if i DID have to take my wallet out, thank you very much.

hmm. is that weird? illegal, maybe? who knows.

even just last week, i went to corner bakery for the first time this new year to buy a coffee cake for my friend and tacked on a coffee to the order. i knew he was going to charge me for the coffee cake (i mean, HELLO, even I'M not that special), so i figured he'd just tack on the coffee on top of it, since a bill was already being generated (and since i hadnt been there in SO LONG). but no... free coffee it was AGAIN! okay. maybe it had something to do with the fact that i greeted him with, "WOW, i havent been here in so LONG, how ARE YOU?" hahahah but whatever. midwestern charm and all that.

sigh. how i love going to corner bakery now. it's all very scientific, really. because if i walk into corner bakery and DON'T see him working, i immediately start reevaluating my order. i mean, should i splurge and get a specialty beverage that morning (since i already KNOW i will have to be paying for coffee since this whole under-the-table is limited to him working the counter) or just stick with paying for a cup of coffee and actually USING those buy six, get the seventh free cards that are still sitting in my purse (since, OBVI, i haven't been using them as of late since i cant have HIM stamp these cards if he's ALREADY straight up GIVING me coffee. )? anyway. at least it gets my mind churning that early in the morning.

man, i hope he's working tomorrow morning. i dont want him to think im taking him for GRANTED, heaven forbid. and since im toting some baked goods to the office ANYWAY, im totally going to barter it up with him (just like in that initial free offering of the coffee) so that he realizes that i truly do appreciate his totally illegal shenanigans and am certainly NOT taking it for granted (well, kind of).

anyway, dont think i dont give credit where it's totally due. i was TOTALLY going to take a picture of corner bakery guy and post it in my blog to actively advertise him to my blog audience and subsequently, give him the link to my blog (it's not my fault if i HAPPEN to grab another blog follower in this whole love story of a process), but i figured that he may not actually WANT to be advertised for totally doing something illegal on a regular basis. hence the discreetness of this entry (note how i dont mention his name NOR the corner bakery location which i frequent... ahhh always a THINKER, that i am. haha).

sigh. the corner bakery guy and i. a love story if ever i heard one. HA.

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!

happy first cozy coffee shop day of the SEASON!

i wish i could've written this entry this weekend when i was actually celebrating my first.... cozy coffee shop day of the season!!! woooohooooooooo! im not alone in this regard, im sure. right?? the grandest season of allllll, falllllll, is upon us, ladies and gents! i hope you're ready!!! i certainly am. after like the millionth day of 90+ degree heat, not to mention some pretty disgusting humidity, i have been MORE than happy to welcome the merriment and delights that only fall can bring (what can i say? im a wimp in the heat... im also kind of a wimp in the cold... i just kind of suck at temperature extremities, let's face it).

granted, i celebrated my first cozy coffee shop day by... working on some stuff on my laptop at a starbucks... glamorous, i know. but whatever. starbucks has their salted caramel hot chocolate again, so we're back on good terms. man, you just never KNOW what days you'll find me loving the 'bucks and what days you'll find me hating the 'bucks but whatever. it's all part of the adventure, right? sure, why not. haha. fickle may be a better word for it.

here's the thing though. my local starbucks is only about the coziest place ever. it's got those comfy chairs (which i didnt sit in because i had to whip out my darn laptop) that are PERF for a cozy afternoon of reading while sipping some warm beverage of choice... salted caramel hot chocolate... nonfat, extra, no foam, sugar free vanilla chai tea lattes... coconut steamers... caramel macchiatos... oh i could go on and on. granted, i could make my own chai with real tea bags and grinded cardamom (have you ever HAD this kind of chai? i love my parents for introducing me to only the most delightful, cozy drink the world over) and curl up on my ever-cozy plush couch at home but... well, i dont KNOW. there's just something about the idea of a coffee shop that is just so darn delightful to me. so, cozy starbucks it was, in honor of my first cozy coffee shop day of the season.

ahh can you not WAIT for the rest of this darn SEASON?! as i sit here typing this, im staring gleefully at my cozy pumpkin/cinnamon/vanilla candle that still remains to be lit at some point in time (note that this candle is only about three years old. but whatever. i need matches!) and mentally reviewing the list of fall treats i want to start baking asap (among other things, pumpkin cookies (preferably iced), chai cookies (MEG! YUM! thanks for the idea last year!!!), pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cheesecake bars, pumpkin chai (i used to get this during my whole addicted-to-starbucks phase of life, but now i think im ready to seize the bull by the horns (is that even an EXPRESSION?? or did i totally just f it up?) and make up this sugary deliciousness of a beverage mySELF))))... (i lost track of how many parenthetical comments within parenthetical comments i just made there...) well, you get the idea. haha. do you like how i threw in those chai cookies just to break up the monotony of the pumpkin flavored items on the menu? sigh oh well. when you've found a winner, you've found a winner. and the winner here is clearly pumpkin. and chai. hence... the pumpkin chai. hahaha. i tickle myself. but seriously, it's actually quite the tasty of beverages despite the onslaught of a whole bunch of random spices... but whatever.

i cant WAIT to make my homemade pumpkin chai one saturday morning and sip it cozily while munching on a freshly baked pumpkin cookie while taking in the lovely scent of my pumpkin/cinnamon/vanilla candle as i read my latest book on my cozy, plush couch on a crisp fall morning, with the sun beaming through my windows as i watch the leaves fall gracefully to the ground, perhaps changing ever so subtlely from green to orange to red...

soooo, in other words... i will more than likely be going to my local starbucks this saturday morning, order their sugar-ridden chai tea latte, and sit at one of their wooden tables (complete with wooden chair) while i pop open my laptop (because im obvi NEVER looking at this thing) while staring out at... the sidewalk... for inpiration since, hello, there are no trees (with falling leaves, no less) dotting my ever-beloved Clark Street...

im just SAYING!

in gratitude of,

the first (of MANY!) cozy coffee shop day of the grandest season of allllll, falllllll!!! :)

FALL!!!!!! - a completely unbiased review

as you all know, im only like the most impartial/unbiased person alive. as you also may know, im only slightly obsessed with the season of fall. as we are more than quickly segue'ing into this fine season, ive taken the liberty of detailing exactly WHY i like (and by like, i mean love/adore/worship) this season, in addition to why i dislike this season. i mean, fairness is pretty much my middle name here, people. enjoyyyyy!

PROS

1. it's not too hot and not too cold. and after the hot and humid summer, who doesn't love the return to comfortable temperatures PLUS sunshine? the best part about the weather has GOT to be the perfectly crisp chill that is in the air, allowing for just the perfect flushing of the cheeks during a brisk morning walk. im not narcissistic- im just SAYING.

2. the leaves - i mean, duh. this just goes without saying. my ultimate dream trip, within the continental united states, that is, is to do a road trip through the new england states in the fall. i mean, the leaves, the maple syrup, the cozy bed and breakfasts? what else would epitomize this glorious season that is so upon us?

3. um. the FLAVORS of fall - i mean, of course, there's a few "characteristic" flavors of fall, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. but the predominant flavor of the season has GOT to be only the best flavor ever invented in life... PUMPKIN. omg, okay, so im a little obsessed but i would like to deem it a HEALTHY obsession, thank you very much. i mean, at least pumpkin's a vegetable (or something, right?)... i mean, it's not like im condoning gorging on like steak all day everyday. it's just pumpkin. really, how bad can it be if you happen to dump a bunch of sugar with said pumpkin to come up with, among other things, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, pum-... well, you get the idea. omg you SO MUST get the idea!!!

4. halloween! - okay, the only reason i would enjoy this holiday is because, hello, free candy? how can you NOT like it? aside from that, im not the biggest fan of halloween- ugh. the streets turn into skank central when you become an adult. please. i cant wait. i hope i get to dress up as "ghetto" this year again. it was oh so successful last year. (please reference http://maliyacular.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-choose-your-own-adventure.html if you would like further details to what this references)

5. we all know what's going to follow the grand season of fall... CHRISTIEMASTIME!!! hello!!! what better precursor to only the grandest holidaytime of the YEAR?!?!?!?! alkdsfjalksjdflksadj!!!! get ready, world! i've held out past july to get the holiday festivities STARTED... but now... full SWING. school is in SESSION, people!!

6. ugh okay so im so off and on with starbucks. but it's such an engaging talking point that i can't NOT put it in here. the 'bucks only gets that much more wonderful during this wonderful time of year... case in point, please note that starbucks has proudly returned it's ever-famous pumpkin spice latte. im not the biggest fan of lattes, but i certainly did get one tall pumpkin spice latte this morning, to celebrate the glorious autumn chill that i encountered upon leaving my apartment this morning. and $4.05 later, i was quite satisfied. if it's a treat (and not a morning habit, as it has been in the past!), i think $4.05 is reasonable for this drink... okay, so it's totally NOT reasonable but whatever. that issue has already been addressed and will likely be addressed in the future. BUT in addition to the PSL (we're on a nickname basis), please note that the 'bucks has introduced yet another signature drink... the toffee mocha latte or frappuccino. omg, it's like liquid candy. small doses, really. but MAN- hope you're ready for a sugar high. and of course, i can't discount the standard starbucks caramel apple cider. again, another form of diabetes in a cup but really, what starbucks specialty beverage isnt?

CONS

1. please. there are none.

in gratitude of-

the most glorious season of all... FALLLLLL!!!! (im a poet and so know it... hahahahaha i kill myself sometimes!)

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.