The Christmas Hangover.

Once the last present is open you feel it. You dread it. You know it's going to come the minute you hear your first Christmas carol of the season. As I've said it before, I'll say it again... All good things come to an end, including Christmas. 

The most built up day of the year is December 25th. No other holiday has such a great rise and fall. The holiday season is constantly building and building.
For me, it starts around Thanksgiving. I see holiday sales before the Turkey even hits the table and it pisses me off. Next, decorations come out. Then it's time for shopping and Christmas music is finally acceptable. Before you know it it's the week of Christmas and it has come too fast. With a flash it's all over, wrapping paper a strew everywhere.


I think December 26th is a hard day for a lot of people. They wait all year for the magic of Christmas and poof it's over. That's not to say it's gone in a blink of an eye and the flashest of flashes, but it does sometimes feel that way.

As soon as I start to open presents I get uneasy about the whole thing being over. It's like when I use to do Molly and I would think about my roll ending and have a panic attack. It's terrifying.

My Christmas this year was... well... pretty daaamn awesome. I got everything I wanted/needed and more. From wool socks to a TV and ROKU... YABBA MADE OUT GOOD.
Maybe this is my karma finally coming around.

However, this Christmas felt a little different for me. After I had opened everything and was totally astounded with my turn out, I couldn't help thinking about the students I work with everyday and how their Christmas' were.
It just makes me feel a little helpless, like theres nothing I can do. There's so many of them and I am only one person in one classroom. I can't give them everything they want or need and it makes me feel so small.

But I can be grateful. 

Although this holiday was a little... meh... emotional for me... I wasn't totally on cloud nine the whole time... From my period, to an antibiotic for a cold, and still that broken heart thing, I just wasn't 100%. But I have been more reflective and just feeling so #blessed.

I got to see more family then I usually do and had real quality time with them. I saw every side of my large dysfunctional family over this break. My brother was home from college, I saw my little cousins from my moms side, my uncle was in from LA, and everyone was so pleasant. Being in a holiday funk was luckily treated well by good people.

I also got to see my Reetz, in from Washington state, and spent a lot of time with my Carlita.

And now for New Years.... 

I don't know if you know this, my dear readers, but I do New Years Eve right. Some people think NYE is a stupid holiday, not me. I think it's just amazing.... maybe it's because of all of the Captial G L I TT ER. But I think it's great to celebrate the new year. If you know me, you know I'm all for something new. So bring on 2015. 2014 is over. It's time to celebrate the opportunity for prosperity and growth. To start new.
This New Year's I'm gonna be the sparkliest and kiss boys I don't know and it's gonna be fabulous (fur coat and all).

So order me a bloody, make it a virgin, and let's kick this hangover to the curb, because there's a new year on the way and ya better look sharp.
It's a good thing I don't drink because who has time for hangovers anyway?

*cue broadway musical overture about Gab in New York City*

Merry Wishlist

Deck the halls with lots of present Fa lA lAa La LAA la La lA LA

The count down has begun.


Yab's wishlist for 2012: 
all the pictures are links fyi

Pink Accessories has an amazing selection of jewelry:

 And my new favorite place to shop is Etsy, so many unique and great finds, all of the following are from Etsy:

This I want super bad, if I don't see it under the tree I'm using my christmas money to gift it to myself. 

Nastygal.com has awesome stuff, including these two bags I need:

This Beach Babe texturizing spray is an easy stocking stuffer found right at CVS,

These I just think are too cute, 

AND FINALLY I want to shit glitter.

@bertatas told me about this new pill that makes you literally poop glitter.

and for a measly $425 who wouldn't want to purchase? Glitter please. 

Let the Countdown Begin

So the holidays are here and I am blessed with so much cheer~
I have the bestest friends near and far and now that the holidays are here some of them will be closer to me for playtime! Including my best panda friend @megmcd

And one of my favorite friends has been sending me letters because she is a regular misses clause:

She even made me an advent calendar. Everyday is a picture of one of my best friends and memories. 

Just a little holiday cheer from last years festivies,

Holiday Hit List

It's that time of year again, THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR.

And I will be writing many a christmas specials into the new years, so stay tuned.

But I want to start off with this:

MACKLEMORE

My latest obsession. I'm a little late getting on the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis train, but I also know there are plenty of people out there who haven't heard of them.
Macklemore, or Ben Haggerty, is a rapper hailing from Seattle and Ryan makes his beats.
There an amazzzing duo and I can't stop listening to their album The Heist.

You may have heard this ditty,

Also there videos are pretty hilarious.

Tip: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis pandora station is killer. It's an amazing variation including Swedish House Mafia, Atmosphere, M83 just to name a few.


Also Ke$ha's new album, Warrior, is pretty dope. It has a song featuring Iggy Pop... so how could it really be bad?

And finally for my pop loving ladys, and fellas,  I have this song that I'm obsessed with that I heard while watching the credits for the movie What's Your Number?

Ps. This movie, What's Your Number? was absolutely hysterical. 

It's about a girl, Anna Farris, who thinks shes slept with too many many guys, so she goes back to everyone of them basically trying to marry one of them.

Her number is 20. I think this may make some of my readers a little nervous about there own numbers... 

If you don't take Anna Farris seriously as an actress you can go fuck yourself because she's a hoot. And you've obviously never seen Smiley Face. 

And Chris Evans is hot, hot, HOT. 

But obviously it's an adorable, funny, girly CHICK FLICK. 

and the ending is obvious and sweet. 

Hope you like it ;)

xoxo Happy Holidays 

Hope your staying #groundedbyglitter <3 nbsp="nbsp">

Holiday Special

Because clearly I haven't  done enough already...
But Christmas is a DAY AWAY SO WHY NOT JUST ONE MORE ??


Ya'll know at this point how much Yab loves film, so how about some Christmas movies?!
Yay!

Ok here 10 of my favorites, not in any particular order:

1. Love Actually
If you know me... you know how completely obsessed I am with this movie.

2. Christmas Story
Although Love Actually is one of my most raved about Christmas films, A Christmas Story definitely is my favorite. I've spending Christmas with Ralphie for as long as I can remember.

3. Prep and Landing 
So this one's not really a movie, it's better. It's only about half an hour and it's totally punny. It's a cartoon and it's absolutely adorable! Mary is the one that introduced me to this- obviously- and it's tradition we quoted it as much as possible come the holiday season.

AND this year they came out with a second one! Prep and Landing: Naughty Vs. Nice

4. A Wonderful Life

My mother and I are currently watching this film. Mary Beth thinks this is not the best of Christmas films... "Wonderful life? Who likes this movie? THIS IS NOT A WONDERFUL LIFE!" Thanks MB. But now that Clarence, the guardian angel, is on the screen she's smiling and really enjoying it.
It's a total staple and it teaches us a lesson too, like all good holiday films should.
Don't forget to listen for the bells this holiday.

5. Home Alone 2
This ones not only one of my favorite Christmas movies but just one of my favorites! So the fact that it takes place in New York during the holidays is just awesome!

6. The Santa Clause 

Every family has their Christmas movie. For me and my brothers, this is ours. This is the very first Christmas movie I watched this year and every year.

7. Polar Express 

This is my tear jerker for the holidays. Ugh it's just too cute to die for. And who didn't read this book as a kid? Super well done and super cute. Sold.

I still hear the bells.

8. Elf
Will Ferrel as a giant Elf from the North Pole... Who couldn't love that? Throw in some family dramas and finding the meaning of Christmas and BAM that as instant a win as instant Hot Coco.

9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Classic. Not much else to say but that.

10. Bad Santa
Bad Santa is just Bad. It's the one naughty film were allowed to enjoy! Because it's about christmas! #veryfunny #verynaughty

Honorable Mention: Black Christmas

It's Christmases only [successful] horror film... Not that Christmas ever needed one to begin with...

Never seen it, too scared, but if your into that kinda thing check it out. (the original)

freaky... 

SorrythatI'mnotsorry if I didn't include your favorite. These are some of mine. 

The Gift of Giving.

S0oO0o
there's been some controversy over what the different ways of gifting over the holidays are 'called'. I'm here to clarify.
For all you people not from the Philadelphia area aka fuckin weirdos.

1.)

So, first off you have your basic gift giving on Christmas. 'Presents under the tree' we'll call this, as there really is no official name. This usually includes immediate family and each gift has the name of the giver as well as the receiver.

2.) 'Secret Santa'

"The basic concept of the Secret Santa game is simple. All of the participants’ names are placed into a hat, box, etc. and mixed up. Each person then chooses one name from the box, but doesn't tell anyone which name was picked. He/she is now responsible for buying a gift for the person selected."
This is from SecretSanta.com
So that's clarified.






3.) 'Yankee Swap'

"In Yankee Swap each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist. The person who receives the number 1 will pick a gift (that is not their own) from the pile and open it for all to see (or models it, reads it, or demos it). During the selection of a wrapped gift, the participant may visually inspect the gifts, pick them up and/or gently shake them. The person who receives number 2 then chooses a gift and opens it, and then must decide whether to keep it or swap it for the first player’s gift. Each person in order then gets to select a present, open it and decide whether to keep it or swap it for any other gift someone has already opened. Opening of gifts and swapping takes place until all the presents have been chosen. Finally, the person who picked first gets to choose from all the gifts or keep what he/she has already received. In the end, the gift you are holding is the gift you take home."
Again this is from SecretSanta.com
SOO
Basically the Yankee Swap is MY version of a pollyanna.

3.) 'White Elephant'

Ok so the White Elephant game is very similar to the Yankee Swap. Except there is more emphasis on the steal. Everyone brings a wrapped gift. All the gifts get put into a pile. Names are drawn. The first person inspects all of the gifts and then chooses one. After the first person the second person can either steal or choose a new gift to unwrap. This continues until everyone has a gift. If throughout the game your gift is stolen you get to choose a new gift.

Another difference in this swap, is the gifts themselves. The presents brought in this game are suppose to be gag gifts, or items you have lying around that you, yourself, have no use for.

The White Elephant, is also sometimes referred to as a Chinese gift exchange.

4.) 'Pollyanna...'
Soo here is where the controversy lies. In the dictionary the word pollyanna means:
An excessively cheerful or optimistic person.
...
Not in Philadelphia. Here we do a gift exchange (similar to the Yankee Swap) that we call a Pollyanna. 
See I'm not crazy. 

In Philly and the surrounding areas we make up our own words for gift exchanges. Like Pollyanna and Chinese Pollyanna.
WHATEVER. Sucks to sucks.
We're still cooler and use a better vocabulary then the rest of you.
There is a big difference between the Yankee Swap and the Pollyanna, basically a Pollyanna's more fun. SO HA!

Any I forgot? Let's hope not.

Christmas Special.

Here's something for all you scrooges out there:

Sad about the snow rain?

GO TO GOOGLE

TYPE IN "LET IT SNOW"

PRESS ENTER. 

Happy Hoe-li-daze.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Despite the lack of snow, it's two days away from christmas... WHAT!?


So ~Besides cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels~ these are a few of my favorite things, right now/ my 2011 christmas list:

Numreo Uno
The iphone, obviously. The fact that I don't have it yet is killing me on a regular basis and needs to change asap. White, black, 3g, 4s, I don't give a fuck, just gimme NOW.
But white please, thanks.

2) hard drive because if my itunes library ever goes, LIKE IT DID LAST WEEK, I'm going to literally murder someone.

This popsicle one is freakin adorable. I want. 

C- CHELSEA HANDLERS BOOKS. All of them.

Number FOUR is also books 

LAUREN CONRAD'S BOOKS.

To follow up on that photo...

5 ombre hair. 

o wait I got that!

Thanks to my darling sorority Big Sister @alishadurgin

I have found a new hair style. No good picsies yet but stay tuned

Honestly there's not much else I want this holiday!

Really, I got everything that I had wanted, already. 

I'm home chillin with my family, relaxing from work for a few days. Soon I will be off back to Burlington to continue work and celebrate the new year. 

What I really wanted for Christmas was to come home and see my family. And I got too!

The only other thing I could possibly think of is this:

If you think I hate you, fuck off for the holidays. Thanks!

Merry Christmas to all and to all: have a drink for me this season!

Check out this Egg Nog martini recipe from CakeStyle!

Combine 2 ½ ounces of eggnog with 1 ounce of Van Gogh vanilla vodka and ¾ ounces of Amaretto in a shaker and shake over ice.
Strain this into a chilled martini glass and dust with freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon.