Christmas pt 2: The Par-tay

sorry for how late (and long) this is! I had a stupid petition to finish, and then the photos were being difficult, but I am still trying to keep up!

I had two Christmas parties to attend this year. The first one was my own. I invited a bunch of friends to come over and we made accessories for our hair and nibbled on way too many sweets. I only managed to take two pictures from before the party (and stupidly deleted them), so I have nothing to show you! I guess I was having too much fun to think about taking pictures! But it was so much fun!!

Bow- Lulu Letty, Earrings- Tower of London Jewel Shop,

Necklace- F21, Bag, Target, Tights- Hue,

Dress and Cami- H&M, Coat and shoes- Vintage

Party number two was alot of fun too! Every year my dear friends and I get together and exchange gifts right before Christmas. It doesn't always happen on the same day, or in the same way, but we always make it an event of sorts. So this year we all got dressed up and went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe (where we went to breakfast after Thanksgiving), then drove to my house for a gift exchange and to play some games.

Dinner was very yummy (Chicken Cordon Bleu!), and we talked loudly and laughed and told embarrassing stories and had a who-can-have-a-packet-of-sugar-stick-to-their-forehead-the-longest contest (it's me btw, though I think Charissa wants a re-match where my nose is not an advantage). It was a ton of fun! everyone was goofy and happy and it was just a plain old good time.
Then we went back to my house and exchanged gifts after which we played a riotous round of Apples to Apples and Taboo. Charissa beat me by one card on Apples to Apples. I see another re-match in our future.

And our gift exchange was so much fun! I got Charissa two musicals on vinyl, which she just recently decided to start collecting (as recently as last week too!), and I made her two headbands, a hair bow, and a flower clip. Jessica was fun to shop for and also so hard because I really just wanted to buy her a ton of ridiculous gifts. But I ended up getting her a day planner, a cookbook (she's been really into cooking), a little panda plush toy thing for her desk, animal print Origami paper, a package of Japanese peach gummy candies, and these cookies filled with chocolate with pandas playing various sports on them. For Sarah I found her a set of vintage paints and made her a earring and brooch set and a charm bracelet, ring, and necklace set. Plus my gifts looked really pretty! And I made out pretty well too!

Charissa got me this lovely vintage Coke tin sign (I love vintage Coke ads BTW. Once upon a time my whole room was decked out in vintage Coke paraphernalia), this adorable! mushroom baking pan, and the cutest record ever! I loved them all so very, very much!

And Jessica got me a gift card to H&M (she knows my weakness's far too well!) and this charming little "Saving up for some Shoes" bank! First off, I needed a bank like this, cuz I've got waaaaay too much change lying around my room, also um, hullo! It's shoes! Like I said, she knows my weakness's! I love, love, love them (and Jess too!)

(Charissa and Jess, I love you both so much! I thank God everyday that he has blessed me with your friendship! I honestly think I would not be the person I am today without all your love an support throughout the years! Thanks for being such wonderful friends/sisters/co-workers/and travel mates! I love you both so much!)

And then that darn lady I like to call my best friend went and made me this.

Wanna know what it is? Well first off, she painted the box. Yes she painted that wood grain. And then I opened the box and the tears started flowing. It's a box for my move. It's filled with the sweetest, most lovely things too! First off there is some tunes for the drive (my car is ancient and can only play tapes or the radio), and a hook up to play an iPod through the radio. And there is a drink cozy, because my car is ancient and has no cup holders. A wooden pencil to write home with. California themed air fresheners so I'll always have a little California with me. My new woodland friend (I really want to name him Steve or Sheldon. What do you guys think?), which will sit proudly on my dash as I drive up the coast, and then find a prominent home in my new home. Then there are some party poppers for when I finally arrive in my new place ready to start a new life. But you want to know the kicker? The real tear jerker? Sarah wrote me a letter for every hundred miles I go. Yep. There's also one for the state line, one for when I leave, and one for my arrival at my final destination. Because I am a curious little cuz I have felt all the envelopes (which I promise WILL remain sealed until their designated opening time), and many of them contain other things as well. I have no idea what, but I am so excited to find out. I can't even begin to express how touched I was by her gift (which the silly thing thought was lame!). I actually think I might have been speechless for a while (I know!). So Sarah, my dear best friend of nearly 18 years, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don't think you'll ever know how much this really means to me. I've never been given a more thoughtful or beautiful gift in my whole life. You are the best friend a girl could ever ask for. So thank you, thank you, thank you! Here's to another 18 years of insanity and wild adventures, because no matter how many thousands of miles come between us, you'll always be my best friend, you'll always be my sister from another mister, and I'll never tire of our crazy antics. I love you! You are truly a wonderful, beautiful, loving, and kind woman. I'm so glad you invited yourself over to my house when we were six.

I really hate to cry in front of others because I look like an idiot,and my nose turns very red and my eyes are even smaller than they usually are, but let me tell you, I just didn't care. Of course Charissa made sure to capture the moment on film, so you my dear readers get to enjoy my ridiculous cry face.