Holiday Card Art

My former roommate Lica's yearly holiday card is a work of art and this year was no different.


This year's is based on the Frank Gehry designed Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus.

Micky's First Christmas

All he wanted for Christmas was to:

Swim and explore with his cousins.

Play fetch.





Have a sleepover.

Relax at home with his new toy.

Christmas Gifts!

Here's a handful of our Christmas gifts. Can you match the gift to the person in our family?



Gap boucle jacket, Beatles Rockband, J Jill sundown sweater jacket, Cuisinart multiclad sauce pans, Olive Kitteridge (Jan. book club pick), Kong air squeaker ring and Under the Dome.

Happy, Happy, Merry, Merry

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours.

Back in a few days!

Holiday Gift Idea #22

In no particular order, these gifts are free or minimal $$. Just figure out how they apply to the recipient.

Joy
Love
Hugs, Hugs and Kisses
Grace
Say I love you

A Sven and Ole Joke
A knock knock joke
A mix CD
Cookies

Shovel your neighbors walk
Vacuum the floor before your mom gets home from work
Take your dog for a walk

That's it, no more gift ideas. You best have a good idea if you need to purchase something!

Holiday Gift Idea #21

Electronics aren't a bad gift, but if the recipient is a woman who did not specifically ask for something that plugs into the wall, then think very carefully about your decision. It isn't to say they won't use and appreciate it...eventually. Just beware.

Cuisinart 12 Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker. Yes, it is worth it. I love ours.

Electric Pepper Mill. These are so, so great, especially when you are adding pepper to a dish while cooking.

Brookstone 4-in-1 Charger for Cell Phones, Smartphones and iPod

Brookstone Wine Opener. I know they have been around and were a big gift a few years ago, but I think they are the perfect type of gift. Who wants to spend the money for one themselves?

Brookstone 80-Hour Rechargeable Battery


One of my favorite Christmas gifts from Anthony was a camera. He'd done all the research and picked out the best camera for my needs. But, here's the thing: it was what I wanted.

Holiday Gift Idea #20

Okay, this is not original, but I couldn't resist the picture. Not too late for a magazine subscription as a gift.



Photo from here.

Holiday Gift Idea #19

Well, the time for procrastination has passed. No more online shopping. Now you have to go to the mall. So, you hop over to your nearest department store and head right for the glass ornaments.

One of my favorite ornaments is a Christopher Radko one of the state of Minnesota. Some friends gave it to me as a going away present when I moved. You have to go to a store to really see what is available, but here are some from Mistletoe 'N Holly.

Chicago

California

Cowboy boot

Holiday Gift Idea #18

Okay. Now we are getting to crunch time. Gifts you need to have for the last minute invite or good deed needing rewarding. I say skip the champagne and go for sparkling wine. I love Sofia Blanc de Blanc. We received it as a gift once and have been hooked since.

A bottle is great:

Cans are even more fun:

Or you could give a nice prosecco or cava. They can be so much subtler than champagne that people who think they don't like sparkling wine often do. Plus, its an easy and festive gift.

Holiday Gift Idea #17

Apples to Apples! Need I say more? Its a great family and friend game. It is on sale at Target for $17 right now.

Holiday Gift Idea #16

Calef Brown's books are like a fantastically illustrated little brother to Shel Silverstein's. Easy to read, funny and far out, they are a fun gift for kids of various ages.

Flamingos on the Roof

Soup for Breakfast

Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers

Polka Bats and Octopus Slacks

Here's his blog and a great interview.

Holiday Gift Idea #15

Some women protest, as do most men, but a massage is a wonderful, wonderful gift. Especially if you scheduled it in January or February. You don't realize just how stressful the holidays/end of year are until someone rubs out all of the stress of the day. The best spa experience I ever had was when someone made a facial appointment for me and I didn't know until about 15 minutes before. The element of surprise upped the ante and adding to the joy of the experience.

In Des Moines, I like East Village Spa. Right before we got married, I had an amazing massage at Twin Image in Iowa City. When I lived in Minneapolis, I had some great massages and facials at New Reflections.

Image from naute.com

This Week in Yaays and Boooos

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

Stephanie Nielson: Plane crash survivor regains hope

If you read other blogs or happened to catch Stephanie Nielson's story on the Today show, Oprah or any other number of media outlets, then you know the tale of tragedy and triumph she and her family have gone through after a plane crash in August 2008. Even if you don't know the story, you won't want to miss this 10 part series done by the Arizona Republic. Eye opening, truthful and inspiring. Photo from Arizona Republic.

Fun Christmas tree alternatives from Apartment Therapy



Fun grocery store stocking ideas from Marta Writes. Photo from Sharpie.com


Dunton Hot Springs, a ghost town turned into a resort. Stay there yourself, or you and your 41 closest friends can rent the whole town! Found via Cup of Jo.


New ski gear! Picked up some Under Armour ColdGear Base Layer 2.o leggings for skiing. So warm! But my personal favorite are my new North Face Montana mitts--kid size. My hands are small enough to fit youth sizing, which are $20 cheaper of course!



Awesome, awesome clothing deals from 6 p.m., found on their twitter page. Awesome.

Boooooooo

Sinclair Broadcasting Group vs. Mediacom Communications dispute may keep Iowans from seeing the Hawks play Georgia Tech in Orange Bowl.

Holiday Gift Idea #13

For Labrador retriever owners who are ever so slightly obsessed with their pooch. See: all Labrador retriever owners.
Labra doorstop from Sundance

Sit and stay pillows from Sundance

Stephen Huneck prints




And rug

Also see:

• Art for Pet Peeps
• New Vintage Animal Prints
• The Art of Racing in the Rain
• UP!
• Sculptural Labrador

Holiday Gift Idea #12

So everyone has their standard everyday drinking glasses, wineglasses, etc. There are so many fun and interesting sets out there and I think they are the perfect gift for those who like to entertain and change things up every once in awhile.

Sundance ruby red tumblers

Pottery Barn Baja recycled glasses

Anthropologie fleur de lys glasses

Crate and Barrel Zoe tumbler

Sundance wine tumblers


Uncommon Goods has some super cool ones too, but I couldn't download the images.

• Hula glasses
• Mona tumblers
• Recycled windshield glasses