Merry Christmas, Baby (You Sure Do Treat Me Nice.)

MC and I are back from our holiday visits to both of or families, and we had a really wonderful time. So did Chi, who got to stay at my mom and pop's and be spoiled with attention.

We're home just in time for us to both play some shows on New Years Eve (did I ever mention that we're musicians? I'll post about that some time!), before dancing away the stroke of midnight at the Bang!

Before we took off for our week of familial madness, we had our own little gift exchange.

 Why am I so obsessed with giving MC tiny versions of things as gifts?

 And why does he give me such horrifying cards?

MC gave me this beautiful antique Lucite World War II Air Force Sweetheart pendant. Thinking of the airman who ordered this and sent it home to his girl just about makes me cry.

Same goes for these antique World War II Air Force Sweetheart EARRINGS! What's really amazing about these is that they were modified by hand -- created by splitting up the wings on a pin! The airman responsible for these gets even more credit. (As does MC!)

He even got me a personalized Urban Dictionary mug, to match the one I got him!

I had one adventurous commenter who took me up on the offer to supply my recipes for the vegan food I made for our trip, and I'll transcribe them shortly. In the meantime, here's my favorite recipe for what I like to call Spirits Strength Vegan Hot Coco:

  1/3 Cup Cocoa

3 Tbsp. Honey or Agave

3 Cups Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, or Soy Milk

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Vanilla 

Pinch of Salt

Sugar or Stevia to Taste

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

Mix the cocoa and cinnamon in a pan, and add the honey or agave. Mix with a fork vigorously to make a paste, and then add your non-milk and put on a range at medium heat. Mix studiously until smooth and combined. Add sugar or stevia until it reaches desired sweetness. Add the vanilla and salt. When the coco is hot enough for your preference, pour into the mug your boyfriend just got you, add some Dandies vegan marshmallows (and some rum, if you're the drinkin' kind) and watch some TrueBlood or 30 Rock on DVD.

Have a great New Year! See you in 2011!

Top 7 Sources of Simultaneous Holiday Stress/Joy!

MC and I are traveling to visit my family and then his family. And we'll be the only vegans present for MANY days! 

It's stressful to prepare, but isn't it also kind of enjoyable? Here's a list of things that bring me holiday stress, while simultaneously bringing me joy! Maybe you can relate?

1.) Mending, washing, and packing clothes:

There's something kind of meditative about getting all your tights, skirts, shoes, ties, and everything else in order for your trip. Plus, I LOVE our vintage Samsonite suitcases (I have the exact set pictured in this ad!)

2) Preparing all of our vegan food:

Thank God for cashews, Daiya cheese, Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, etc.

MC and I will be the lone vegans staying with both of our families for the coming week, so I have a lot to prepare. But of course -- I LOVE cooking! So really, I can't complain!

 What I'm making:  

Creamy Potato-Kale-Cauliflower Mash, 

Shitake Miso Gravy, 

Nutritionally Dense Salads, 

Creamy Tomato Sauce 

(to go with our younger, pickier family member's favorite Kamut Pasta), 

Pecan Pie, and 

Apple Pie. 

 (Recipes upon request!)

3) Rereading my favorite Anais Nin books: 
Namely: Fire, Little Birds, and House of Incest. (Nin used the word "incest" metaphorically, to symbolize the kind of narcissistic love in which people don't actively love each other, but rather simply love the reflection they see in their partner of of themselves, and the experience of being loved.)

It's sort of masochistic to launch yourself into an intense read while you're busy, and have little time to pick up a book. But I can't help it, when I crave a book, I NEED it!

4) Finishing up personalized gifts:

 Does it take a lot of time and energy to write out little poems and transcribe recipes for the people you love? Sure. But is it incredibly satisfying? Of course!

5) Making treats to enjoy while doing holiday work:
We all need fuel, right? This vegan egg-nog is thick, delicious, and NOTHING like that gross Silk brand soy stuff you find at the store.

 It has some unusual ingredients, but I think unexpected elements are often what make things yummy. I actually have a theory that this is why vegan food has had a bad reputation! If you try to veganize omnivorous food with everday ingredients, it's kind of 'meh.' But if you get adventurous and use ingredients that sound weird, you can make something that tastes amazing!

(Again, recipe upon request!)

6) This crazy trinket I just found on the floor at work:

 

It's a decoupaged wooden pendant that says "Suck It"! :D I promise, I'll turn it in to our Lost & Found. But it totally made my day.

7) The love scene with Butch and Fabiana from Pulp Fiction:

One of my favorite moments of on-screen intimacy. Sexy and sweet.

Okay, technically this is not related to the holidays. But my beloved friend Perry reminded me the other day that you can never stress that hard when your favorite songs and movies are always waiting for you to revisit them. :)

My camera is back -- these are the last pics from my phone!

Good God, it's cold out!

Raw Wool Cardigan: Free People

Plaid Flounce Skirt: Free People

Over-the-knee Socks: UO

Sock Garters: Sockdreams

Ankle Boots: Thrifted

I hunted for little shearling-lined ankle boots at my local charity shops all of last year, and finally found some this fall at out local Ragstock.

I like the little contrasting detail on the back!

*Sigh* Skirts that are a perfect length in the front are always too short in the back!

Do any other high-waisted girls have this problem?

Office Christmas Party Pics

MC and I went to our office Christmas party this past weekend. But I forgot my camera, so all I had was my phone!

60's Purple Velvet Dress: Vintage via the Getup

Faux Pearls: Vintage via the Getup

Shoes: Nine West

Bowtie and Shirt: Brooks Brothers

Cord Sportcoat: Thrifted

It was a ton of fun! I was excited, since I missed our work's holiday party last year, because I was in the hospital!

  

So this year, I really made the most of it. I even wore my favorite garter belt, just to add a feeling of old fashioned specialness!

More shock and scandal!!! ;)

Once again, just kidding. It's nothing these days, but it was risque a few decades ago!

Dressing for the first snowfall of the year.

 

It seems like the colder it gets, the more items I wear from Sockdreams at a time.

Top: BDG

Plaid Flannel Shorts: UO

Tights: Sockdreams

Grey Wool Over-the-Knee Socks: Sockdreams

Sock Garters: Sockdreams

Crazy Ankle Boots That Look Like Old Fashioned Footballs: Irregular Choice

Belt: Thrifted

Green Corduroy Jacket: Thrifted

Don't you hate it when your boyfriend is better dressed than you?

Just kidding. Who could hate that?!

Shirt and Sweater: Ancient JCrew

Pants: Levi's

Shoes: Sperry via Jcrew

Bowtie: Brooks Brothers

These pics are actually a couple days old, but I must publish them now to memorialize MC's goatee, which he shaved off last night!

RIP: MC's Facial Hair

He knows how much I love the leather-jacket-with-bowtie look, originated by Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music.

Tuxedo Vest: Vintage via Antique Store

Pants: BDG

Blouse: H&M

Shoes: Coconuts

I told MC to converse with this little panda statue at Zingerman's Coffee, who proceeded to make off color jokes about the political momentum of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Seriously, once we got him going, he would not shut up.

So I read him stories and lulled him to sleep.

MC and I have our office Christmas Party tonight, so I'll try to get a shot of us looking (hopefully) dapper, even with not a beard in sight.

So long for now, goatee. You will be missed.

Intersection of Art Nouveau and Seventies Glam

My favorite place to be.

Handkerchief dress: Ancient Ralph Lauren

Cable knit cardigan: Thrifted

Platform peep toe heels: Miss Me via Modcloth

 Ah, inspiration...

 Who's that in the background? Ah, my old friend Dumpster, we meet again!

I haven't seen him since we collaborated on that Electro-Dance single ages ago...