This year's ornament

I think I've written about it before, but every year, the one Christmas tradition Scott and I have is to pick out an ornament for that year. It can be cheap, expensive, have some meaning, or just be something we happened to like.

This year, we wanted to find something that commemorates my new greeting card business. We came across this one at Macy's, and it's now on our tree.

Granted, it's not a Christmas CARD per se, but it's a scroll. Close enough, right?

Here's a look at the other ornaments we've gotten each year since we've been married:

2004 - The first ornament

2005

2006

2007 - Christmas in Atlanta

2008 - The year we moved to NYC

2009

Why this year's tree is special

Well, I guess it's not so much the tree itself that's special. It is, after all, the same tree we've used for the last three Christmases. What makes it special is the tree's location.

2009

2010

You might not recognize it because we've moved around some furniture, but that tree is in the exact same spot it was last Christmas. Which is the first time that's happened since we got married six and a half years ago. It's the first time we've been in the same apartment for two Christmases.

So even though every year's tree is special, this one's just a little bit more so. It's funny to say we've put down some roots here, because we feel far from that, but I guess it's a little bit true. There are some options in the cards for being in a different place next year, but all things the same, we'd love to still be in this apartment come next Christmas. But we'll see what the winds of change have in store.

For now, I'm going to enjoy my little tree in my little apartment for the second year in a row.

How we know Santa is from the South

Everybody knows Santa lives at the North Pole. But what they didn't tell you is that he originally lived in the South. Not the South Pole. The South South. The y'all South. I bet you're wondering how I know this, aren't you? It's because I've seen him twice in the last week.

Reason #1 we know Santa's from the South: He flies Airtran (which is based in Atlanta). And he said he had spent the past week in New Orleans. On one of our flights this week, a jolly-looking man with a big white beard sat behind us on the plane. Someone else asked if he was Santa, and he said actually, he was. He travels for a photo company letting kids sit on his knee and make Christmas wishes to the Jolly Old Elf himself. (Super-nice guy. He even let us out of our seats on the plane without trying to push past us first.)

Reason #2 we know Santa's from the South: He eats at Chick-fil-a. While he and Mrs. Claus were visiting a shopping mall in Delaware this week, we spotted the couple dining at my favorite joint. And what self-respecting Southern boy don't like him some fried chicken?

So there you have it. Santa's a Southerner. I was going to suggest replacing his cookies with some waffle fries, but on second thought, we Southerners like both, and you DO want to be on Santa's good side, don't you?

Leaf-peeping in Central Park

Self-portrait

All treat, no trick

I am a firm believer that when you find something that makes you feel beautiful and sexy, you should act on it. Because we don't feel that way about ourselves often enough. Or at least I don't. So whether it's an $80 bra (and that was the cheaper one!) or a $130 haircut, sometimes you just have to go for it. (If you're lucky, sometimes it's a $10 shirt). It's easy to let cost get in the way of feeling amazing. Granted, none of us can just run out and buy whatever we want that makes us feel good whenever we want it. But, you know, occasionally, I think it's absolutely necessary.

If you don't mind, I'll not share the bra. But here's the haircut!

It's pretty windy today, so I had the girl at the desk at the salon snap one with my iPhone before I walked out the door.

Where I've been

I read a blog post yesterday that contained tips on being a good blogger. One of them was to blog often/consistently, or you lose your readership.

Yeah, I can attest to that.

I've been busy lately. If you didn't see the post a few months ago (if you didn't see the post a few months ago, you're probably not reading this now, but anyway) I've started my own business. And I don't know if you've ever started your own business, but if you have, kudos to you, because it's a tough, exciting, grueling, rewarding, and SLOW process.

But I'm not posting this to beg for business. Really. I just wanted to tell you about what's been going on in my life. What starting a business is like. At the beginning it was a lot of running around getting paperwork in order. Most of that part is done now. I mostly just wait. I've been working on new Christmas cards that I hope to have up soon, since we'll be in full holiday swing after Halloween.

I think a big part of starting a business is patience. Which is hard, because if you jump through all the hoops to start a business, you're obviously passionate about sharing something with other people. I just wish other people were as excited about the cards as I am.

So between the business and my regular job, for which I've been staying late a lot because of baseball playoffs, not much time to blog. And not much interesting happening besides the daily grind.

But lucky for you, I've got at least two other posts in the works, so hopefully it won't be another month before I post again, and I promise they won't be about my business :)

Who's next?

So, apparently, I have come face to face with a 2012 presidential candidate. Pretty cool, huh. And would you believe he was naked?

That's right. The Naked Cowboy, aka Robert Burck, has tossed his cowboy hat into the ring for the White House. Actually, make that the Tighty Whitey House. For the briefing, he wore real clothes, and even a tie. He says he's serious, although he began a run for mayor in 2009, but changed his mind.

First change after being elected? Casual Friday every day.

And you know he'll be running against Donald Trump, right? Yep, the mogul himself is considering another real estate acquisition, one of the most coveted addresses in the country. And in keeping with his theme — Trump Building, Trump Tower, Trump Plaza — the White House will heretofore be know as the Trump House. Got a hankering to be vice president? I'm sure he'll be casting soon for "The VP Apprentice."

Personally, my vote is for the Naked Cowboy. Nobody can do more with less.



Note: This post is intended to be fun and light-hearted. Let's not get into real politics in the comments, k?