Happy Holidays!

 

You won't hear from me for a while.  I have 2 more crazy days and then I'm going to be soaking in every moment of this holiday that I possibly can.  

"And the angel said unto them, fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2: 10-11

Happy Holidays!

XO. Tarah 

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. Candy Cane Blossoms!

Hi Friends!

We've almost made it to the weekend!  Hip hip hooray!

Today I'm linking up with Steph and Katie for Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.

I love baking cookies, especially around Christmas time.  So I thought that by this time, with only 5 days until Christmas, I would have baked millions of cookies.  Sadly I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to bake much.  But I did find time Tuesday night to bake these lovelies.

Original Source

Candy Cane Blossoms!  P.S. that link has 20 of the best Christmas cookie recipes in the world!

These cookies are so festive and adorable...oh and did I mention delicious!!!

Candy Cane Blossoms

recipe from Hershey's

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and Green colored sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approximately 35 cookies. 

 

I must have made mine too big because this recipe definitely only yielded about 24 cookies.  

 

 

I'm saving these for Christmas presents so Vinnie was quite sad when he came home from work and I told him not to touch these.  Lucky for him I flipped 3 of them on accident before they were cooled so the hershey kiss got all messed up and he got to eat them.  I highly recommend making these cookies if you need a cute, festive cookie to make for Christmas!

And since I haven't shared how Saturday went when my parents came to visit me, here's some pictures:

Shots?  Explains why I felt like I felt on Sunday!

Oh and here's what happens when someone *cough* Vinnie *cough* gets your dog too excited and he starts running around wagging his tail like the weapon that it is:
 

Another glass bites the dust.  Thanks crazy helicopter tail.  Oh well, who can be mad at this precious little face!?

 

 

 XO. Tarah

HA HA HA liday Humor

Hahaha I die every time I look at this damn picture.  Too funny.  Poor baby is going to have a fear of snowmen and ugly holiday sweaters for the rest of his life.  

Happy Hump Day ya'll!

XO. Tarah

Silence and Support for Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

My heart aches for those affected by the elementary school shooting in Newtown, CT.  20 innocent children's lives were abruptly taken from them.  The more I read about it and the more new coverage I see about it, the more grief I feel.  It sickens me.

How could someone do this?

This was not the only disturbing news I received on Friday.  I also found out that a friend's boyfriend was involved in a freak accident.  After climbing on top of the roof of a hotel in downtown Chicago to take pictures of the skyline, he slipped and fell 22 feet down a smokestack, where he became stuck for hours and was eventually pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.  

More sad news. 

I know that we do not live in a perfect world.  I know that horrific events happen everyday, whether we hear about them or not.  Tragedy is all around us, all the time.  It's times like these that remind us just how precious life is.  It's also a reminder that there are a lot of sick people in the world.  Everyone just asks the question "why?", why would someone go into an elementary school and take the lives of innocent children?  That is a question that can never be answered.  That man needed help.

Although I, as well as everyone else in the world who has a heart, have been filled with sadness and grief over the past few days, I am reminded that there are good people out there.  Here are 5 kind acts for Newtown that will restore your failth in humanity. At least there are still good people out there trying to do whatever they can to help.  Remembering this is what will help everyone get through this terrible tragedy.

We must not forget that life is a precious gift.  Don't waste it.  

XO. Tarah 

Winter Wonderfest turns into a rough morning

T-minus 3 hours until it is officially the weekend.  And T-minus 5 hours until I start my weekend off by working until 3 am.  Yay!!!  Haha but seriously, TGIF!

So I had a really rough morning, let me tell you about it.

I could NOT wake up this morning so I hit the snooze button at least 7 times.  Then I finally dragged myself out of bed and started getting ready for work.  When you wake up late, it throws everything off.  I didn't have time to shower, so dry shampooing my hair was going to have to work.  The outfit I picked out definitely didn't work.  This awkward sweater from 5 years ago...bad choice.  And the white long sleeve shirt I'm wearing under it...even worse choice.  As I was brushing my teeth and looking in the mirror I realized that it was not working out today but of course I didn't have time to go change.  As I grabbed my Northface off of the couch and put it on, I realized that Marley had apparently taken a nap on it last night.  That dog LOVES blankets and refuses to lay on the couch without cuddling up with one (which is why he is receiving his very own dog blanket for Christmas because I've had about enough of our blankets being filled with fur).  My black Northface was covered in fur, inside and out.  I just said fuck it and have been covered in dog hair all day.  People that I work with probably think I'm disgusting, or that I'm part human and the other part dog.  Whatever.  I grabbed my keys off of the hook by the door and ran downstairs only to realized that I grabbed Vinnie's keys so I had to run back upstairs and switch them out.  As I'm looking around trying to remember where I parked, that's when it hit me.  

Last night Vinnie picked me up from work because we were going to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier and I work about 2 miles away from it.  The Wonderfest was fun (more about that later) but we forgot one thing...my car.  When it was over we just drove straight home together without stopping by my work and picking up my car.  Neither of us realized it until this morning when I went searching for my car to drive to work.  I had to, for the 2nd time, run back upstairs and wake Vinnie up so that he could drive me to work.  He was not a happy camper.

Now since I've been at work my day has turned around.  I had Portillo's for lunch.  Portillos can turn anyone's day around!

So last night, Vinnie and I went to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier.  Apparently, it's a pretty popular attraction for families with little kids because there were mass amounts of little kids.  Had I known this beforehand my decision to go to the Fest might have been different, but we still had fun.  They had carnival rides, food, a couple of bands, ice skating, a cookie decorating station, and lots of cutesie Christmas decor.  After walking around for a little while, we decided to hit up the Ferris Wheel.

At the top of the Ferris Wheel!

View from the top.

Then we headed over to the food vendors and bought a pretzel and chicken strips, good ol' carnival food.  Luckily, we then found the bar.  Can't blame them for having a bar.  I know I would need a drink if I had brought my little devil kids to this place.  Kids go nuts for all things Christmas and it didn't help that Santa and his elves were there.  We debated going ice skating but decided to skip it.  Too many crazy children whizzing around and falling all over the place.  Kids have no fear.  They don't think about falling and having a finger taken off by an ice skate.  We went on the Tilt-A-Whirl and giggled like little kids.  And then hit up the main stage and jammed out to Wedding Banned, an 80's cover band.

Tilt-A-Whirl

Wedding Banned (yes the man on the left is wearing shorts and yes his legs are gigantic)

We finished off the night by decorating cookies, which I'm pretty sure was a children's activity but after Vinnie asked me if I was sure that I didn't want to decorate a cookie before we left for the 9th time, I realized that Vinnie was in deed a giant kid himself so I would give into this and decorate a cookie with him.

Mine is a Christmas Tree and his is a Snowman.

Then we headed out to Vinnie's car where we proceeded to forget to pick up my car and went straight home to watch a couple episodes of 'Catfish' on MTV (anyone else find themselves oddly obsessed with this show?) and have Vinnie's favorite drink, Bacardi Limon and Coke.

We definitely made the most out of what could have been a pretty lame night.  But then again, we always do :)

Beautiful Enormous Christmas Tree

More cute Christmas decorations

Just clownin around :)

My parents are coming to visit tomorrow and I am super excited to have 2 days off this weekend!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend as well!

XO. Tarah

The Nature of Giving Gifts...to yourself

Hola!  It's Thursday...I'm so glad that this week is going by so quickly.  I went to bake Christmas cookies last night and realized that I didn't have any butter, FAIL.  I had just gotten home from a trip to Target too (where I spent a fortune buying wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, Christmas tags, candy, and stocking stuffers for Vinnie and Erin's stockings), DOUBLE FAIL.  So not only was I disappointed but Vinnie was also extremely disappointed because I had hyped up the wonderful Christmas cookies that I was about to bake for him while he was at work.  Bummer!  I did at least get some present wrapping done though.  Vinnie is now extremely curious as to what the huge present sitting by the tree with his name on it is.  He's also extremely curious as to where I hid that bad boy (I am verrrrry sneaky)!

I have to work all day and all night tomorrow (suck it Friday) but my parents are coming into town on Saturday to visit for the day and I can't wait!  I love when they come to visit.  I haven't had time to clean up our apartment this week though so I'm not looking forward to waking up early on Saturday to clean before they get here.  I hate having people come visit a dirty apartment so I know I'm going to be on my hands and knees cleaning every corner of our place.  Vinnie and I are heading to Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier tonight.  I bought tickets on Groupon of course.  I'm gonna be like a little kid in a candy store.  I cannot contain my excitement!

Although I am having a pretty great day today, we all know I, like everyone else, tend to have pretty awful days every once in a while.  Today I found an awesome website that will surely make you feel better about yourself if you feel like you are having a bad day.  Seriously, I laughed so hard.  I am definitely keeping this for a rainy day.

19 People Who are Having a Way Worse Day than You (number 5 and number 12...I die)

Now, I have something serious to talk about.  I love buying Christmas presents.  It makes my heart happy.  I ponder ideas about what to get my family and friends for weeks before it is officially Christmas shopping season.  But, it never fails, that while I'm out at the mall shopping or searching the good ol' internet for presents, I find something that I really, really want, but I think "No, no I need to be shopping for everyone else and not for myself".  I know this is the season for giving and all, but is it ok to buy yourself Christmas presents too?  I mean it's not like I'm going to wrap them up and put them under the tree with the label - 'To: Tarah, From: Tarah...Merry Christmas!'  I've been doing really good this year, but yesterday I just couldn't help but go and look at the Express website.  It was probably the Express Text that I got, giving me a coupon code (they get me everytime).  There were sales and discount codes and I just couldn't help myself.  Before I knew it I clicked on the 'Add to Cart' button 4 different times and then I 'Proceeded to Checkout'.  Whoops!  Looks like I won't have to worry about getting presents I don't want this year.  Tarah always knows what Tarah wants for Christmas.  

Oh yes...it will be a Merry Christmas indeed.

XO. Tarah

Oh, How Pinteresting Christmas Edition

Happy 12-12-12!  If I were a Mayan I would have picked today to predict that the world was going to end.  I mean it just makes sense for the world to end on a cool date like 12-12-12.  Maybe it's just me.  Anyways, we still have 9 days left until the world bursts into flames or explodes or some shit like that.

The workday yesterday just would not end.  It just drug on and on and on.  When the clock finally struck 5:00, time magically started moving faster, waaaay faster.  I ran to the bank, got groceries, put groceries away, and did some dishes.  By the time I looked at the clock it was already 9:30 pm.  Yikes!  My night felt like it didn't even exist.  I made dinner at around 10 pm (whoops) and since I was tired and hungry, dinner consisted of chicken breasts and a bunch of random shit thrown on top of it to make it taste better.  Onions, green peppers, tomatoes, black beans, some m&ms.  Ok, just kidding about the m&ms but I might have to try that sometime.  I did buy all of the supplies for my Christmas cookies that I will hopefully bake tonight.  I might not get around to it if tonight flies by like last night did though.

Lately I've been pinning like crazy because of all of the awesome Christmas ideas so today I am linking up for 'Oh, How Pinteresting' Christmas Edition.

Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer

 

Holiday Cocktails

Gift Wrapping Station

Originally pinned by Jennifer Roe

Original Source

Original Source

Pretty wrapping ideas

LOVE this tree

Yummmm

Meowwy Christmas

Original Source

Cute Holiday Nails!

Merry Christmas Pinterest Style!

XO. Tarah

Things that boggle my mind

Hello Gorgeous.  

Do you wanna know why I love getting e-mails from Victoria's Secret?  It's not because of the coupons for free undies of the discount codes that are sometimes included.  It's because they always greet me with a 'Hello Gorgeous'.  I think everyone should be greeted this way everyday.  Makes ya feel good.

Anyways, my Monday was pretty typical.  I worked both jobs then came home, had a beer, and went to bed.  Then before you know it, my alarm's going off and here I am again, sitting at my desk, praying for it to be 5:00 so that I can go home and see my doggy.  It might sound pathetic but it is the highlight of my day.  And if you had a dog as sweet and loveable as mine, you would totally agree.

Alright so I usually don't complain about a whole lot.  Most of the time I keep my thoughts to myself and to Vinnie (because I share everything that is in my head with him, poor Vinnie) and truthfully, not a whole lot bothers me.  I'm, what the kids call, laid back.  But lately, I've been a little bit on edge about two things.  So today, I'm going to share these things with you.

Things that boggle my mind:

1. Bamboo scented candles - first of all, have you smelt a bamboo scented candle?  It's gross.  I mean after a long day of working not only one, but two jobs, who wants to come home to their entire place smelling like bamboo?  Not me.  If you haven't put it together yet, last night when I got home from work, my entire apartment smelled like (excuse my french) shit.  I realized that it was because my roommate decided to light a huge bamboo scented candle in our living room.  WTF?  I blew that candle out and hid it.  I would rather burn a Cheetos scented candle that a bamboo candle.  Also, who burns candles that aren't holiday scented in December?  Seriously?  We have a lovely Christmas candle sitting right in the middle of our living room that your truly bought a couple of weeks ago.  Why not burn that one?  I mean Christmas is in 2 weeks, spread the Christmas cheer roommate!

If I smell this crap again, I'm throwing it right out the window!

2.  The blonde woman who dresses too young for her age and power walks everywhere in my office.  Come on, I know you all work with at least one of these.  The woman is in her 50's, her hair is platinum blonde, her skin is orange and leathery, and she dresses like she's taken 7 shots of UV Blue and is ready to go hit up a club on a Saturday night and dance the night away up on a bar top with all of her girlfriends who also forgot to put on underwear.  What I'm trying to say is that she dresses like a skeeze, especially for the office.  What makes matters worse is that she power walks everywhere.  She's always in a rush, like she's late for a conference call or her AA meeting.  And her little high heels, or platform boots, are always clicking so you can hear her coming.  Seriously, I'll be strolling along minding my own business and I gaining speed down the hallway behind me.  I either duck into a room or throw myself up against a wall so she doesn't powerwalk right over me and leave me in her dust with a high heel sized contusion in my skull.  Oh, and her perfume, don't even get me started.  

So there you have it.  The 2 things that have been boggling my mind as of late.  And you what?  I bet the dresses too young for her age lady that I work with loves bamboo scented candles!  

In other news, I just found out that Jennifer Lawrence is rising on AskMen's list of top 99 most desirable women and Kim Kardashian has fallen from number 8 to number 98.  Even men are tiring of her reality star antics!  I bet it was her scary cry face.  Honestly, she has the ugliest cry face I have ever seen in my life.

No one wants to sleep with this face!

In other good news, you can buy an iPhone case with the image of Kim ugly crying on it. 

Happy Tuesday!

XO. Tarah  


 

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Last week flew by!  I can't believe it's already Monday!  My weekend was a whirlwind, starting with Friday.  I had been kind of sick all week but on Friday night I thought I was going to die.  I started feeling nauseous and dizzy around 5 pm.  I haven't been able to eat much lately because I've been feeling so sick that the thought of food makes my mouth water, and not in the good way, in the 'uh oh I think I'm about to puke' way.  I was trying to tough it out and go to work that night because I was supposed to close.  So I get to work at 7 and the feeling just keeps getting worse, not to mention all of the food and the smells that I had to be around that night.  Finally I decide that if I don't sit down soon I'm either going to faint or throw up, and nobody wants to see that while they're trying to enjoy their dinner.  I went to sit downstairs and my manager shuffled some things around and told me to go home and get better.  I was sooooo thankful!  I stopped by Walgreens and picked up all of my sick essentials (rice chex, gatorade, pepto bismol) and some slim fast shakes because I figured if I couldn't eat anything I could at least try to choke down some slim fast to get something in my system.  I laid on my couch the rest of the night until Vinnie forced me to go to bed.  

Saturday I woke up feeling a little bit better and I went to have lunch with my friend and her boyfriend at a pizza place called 'Roots'.  Pizza did not sound good and I started feeling sick again.  I forced down a little bit so that they didn't know something was wrong but when we were done eating I raced home and climbed into bed again.  Since Vinnie was working, Marley stayed by my side the rest of the night.  I started feeling better later that night, which was good because the friends I had just had lunch with got engaged and I went to meet up with them downtown to have a celebratory dinner.  Vinnie met up with us when he got off work.  It ended up being a pretty nice night.

Sunday I woke up late, watched the Bears lose pathetically, and went to work at 4.  It felt weird working on a Sunday because I normally have Sundays off, but I switched shifts with another girl I work with so that I could have Saturday off to celebrate with my newly engaged friend.  It's a good thing I got that day off because I would have felt miserable at work anyways.  After worked I stopped by another friend's surprise going away party then I rushed home to pass out in bed before I had to wake up early and start this week.  So no pictures, just lots of rushing around and one sick Tarah.  Luckily I am starting to feel better (knock on wood, I don't wanna jinx it!)

Alright, today is December 10 and this means that Christmas is a total of 15 days away!  I've pretty much got all of my Christmas shopping done, our Christmas tree is up and decorated (I watched my roomie decorate it while I laid on the couch yesterday), and the rest of our apartment is decorated with lights and other miscellaneous Christmas decor.  I am definitely in the Christmas spirit, which is why I'm dedicating today to the spirit of Christmas.  This is for all the grinchs out there!

How to get into the Christmas Spirit:

{Deck the Halls!}

Whether you're a DIYer or a Target-a-holic (like myself) it's easy to find lots of cute ways to decorate for Christmas.  If you get on Pinterest you are bound to find a million different arts and crafts projects that you can partake in for Christmas.  I'm not a big DIYer but I have seen a few cute ideas that I have thought about doing for my apartment.  I relied on Target to help me with my Christmas decor, and we all know that Target never fails.  I found lots of adorable, and not to mention cheap, things for my apartment.  Our tree is decked out in Target ornaments too. 

{Bake Christmas Cookies!}

I love baking sweets but especially around Christmas time because there are so many fun cookie recipes for Christmas.  Whether you go with the traditional sugar cookie cut out into Christmas shapes and topped with red and green frosting, or a more complex cookie for the ones with a more sophisticated taste, just baking cookies while listening to Christmas music will bring a smile to your face!

{Take Christmas themed photos}

My family and I have never taken festive photos and sent them out in Christmas cards, but I do love the idea and once I grow up and have a family of my own I might even part take in the yearly Christmas photo op.  Either way, I love looking at Christmas cards and Christmas pictures.

{Paint your nails}

It might sounds girly, but painting your nails all festivey will surely put you in the Christmas spirit.  I mean come on, you can't be sad when you have green and red nails!

{Watch Christmas Movies}

This is self explanatory.  You don't have to watch the sappy Christmas movies that are going to make you cry (Miracle on 34th Street) but there are tons of them that will surely make excite you for this time of year.  You can't get through a Christmas season without watching Elf, don't even try it!  But seriously, just turn to ABC Family.  They don't call it 25 days of Christmas for nothing.  Some of the Christmas movies they show are even worthwhile, but if Christina Milian is the star of the movie, take it from me and switch the channel to MTV and just watch Ridiculousness with Rob Dyrdek (is it just me or is that show always on?).  Sorry Christina, your career ended after 'Dip it Low'. 

{Make Christmas Drinks}

Again, just turn to Pinterest for this one.  There are tons and tons of awesome Christmas themed drink recipes that you can try out.  Alcoholic or not (but obviously alcoholic is what I prefer) I've found a few sweet drink ideas.  If you're not feeling very creative just whip out the old champagne and orange juice and make yourself a mimosa.  Just put the word Christmas in front of it and you have yourself a Christmas drinky drink.

{Go look at Christmas Lights}

Even if it's just around a fancy schmancy neighborhood (which is probably the best place to look at lights because apparently they pay people to hang theirs for them) just take a drive or a walk and look at all the pretty Christmas lights and decorations outside.  If you're driving, just pop in a little N'SYNC or Mariah Carey Christmas and you'll have a grand ol' time!  I'm lucky to live in Chicago where they have tons of lovely Christmas decorations in the city that I plan on checking out.

If all else fails, just find Winter Wonderland Christmas Festival, because we all know that you can find at least 19 of these Festive Festivals near by you around this time of year.  

And there you have it, Tarah's Guide to finding your inner Christmas Spirit!  Now stop being a Grinch and go decorate a tree already!

XO. Tarah