The Christmas Tag

Today I helped my mom set up the variety of Christmas Trees we have each year.  However, this time we went a little overboard and set up 5 trees laden with ornaments.  I find it interesting how my mom comes up with more and more unusual trees every year.  Anyway, I've been channeling the Christmas spirit all day so I figured I'd answer the Christmas tag as well.

1. Favorite Christmas Movie
How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carry.  I just love it. Except that weird part in the middle when they shove food in his mouth....The Nightmare Before Christmas is another must see.

2. What Is Your Favorite Christmas Color?
White, red and brown are my favorite winter colors. They are the majority of my wardrobe right now.

3. Do You Open Your Presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Christmas morning for sure.  Once I stayed with the German part of my family for Christmas and we opened everything on Christmas Eve.  It felt so wrong.

4. What's Your Favorite Winter Fragrance?
Recently I've been using White Citrus from Bath & Body Works because it's still flowery but with a hint of a woodsy smell which fits well with winter.

5. Favorite Christmas Smell?
Shortbread cookies because my mom and I, or just her, make them every year.  Also, that awful smell that emerges the first day you turn on you're heater. It just reminds me that it's time for the holidays.

6. Favorite Holiday Drink?
This year I've been LOVING the Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks.  But Martinelli's always boosts my Christmas Spirit.

7. Candy Cane or Gingerbread Men?
Neither, I don't like mint and never thought gingerbread was yummy...sorry!

8. Favorite Christmas Song?
Each year my high school goes caroling at the local retirement homes.  This tradition has fostered deep love for Feliz Navidad and Carol Of The Bells because they're so fun to sing.  I also really like Auld Lang Syne.

9. Have You Ever Made A Snowman?
Unfortunately not.  As a California native, I've had very little experience with snow.  Probably the only time it will snow this year happened while I was taking the SAT Subject Tests and it wasn't enough to stick.

10. What Is Most Important To You About The Holidays?
Spending time with my cousins who come up from LA each year.  Over the past 8 years these two boys have grown into my psuedo-brothers and I can't wait to see them again.

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season so far! If you decide to answer these questions make sure you leave me a link.

Lazy Sunday

After almost 4 weeks of nonstop social weekends, it's really nice to sit at home with a cup of iced chai and try to knock out some homework. With college essays, my TOK essay, and my EE all breathing down my neck, I need all the time I can get.  Unfortunately, having all this time makes me spend time procrastinating in the strangest ways.  Most people scroll through tumblr or watch a show on netflix.  Not me.  I clean my room, wash my bedding and read a novel about wall street corruption.  I call it healthy procrastination.  I have also convinced myself that sitting down to do homework is unhealthy so I've taken to passing my room while reading my English books and standing and typing papers. My legs hurt a little after two day so it must be working.  It's really nice to get away from people and spend some quality time with my family.  However, I'm sure that by the end of this weekend, my parents will be annoying me and I'll crave my friends again.

Local Sand Sculpture Festival

This past weekend I went to the annual local Sand Sculpture Festival with my parents.  I went in the early afternoon and was amazed by both the sculptures and the amount of people who showed up.  In my town, you're lucky if 10 people show up to an event, there were at least twenty times that number on the beach for the festival.  It was very shocking.  Usually one has the beach to themselves. However, it was a nice change. Here are my favorite sculptures! Beware, picture heavy.

Bathing Beauties

Some sort of Hippo? I have no idea but I love it.

Turtle

Creepy face but cute toddler.  It's really easy to take pictures of children that aren't yours....now I sound creepy

Huge Octopus.  There were actually a few of these but this one was by far the largest.

Amazing Catfish

Non-native Caterpillar.  All the plants used for decoration are invasive species.  

This was my dad's favorite. A dwarf in the side of a mountain

Just a sun chillin'

This one was HUGE! To me it looks like a cross between a rat and a whale but apparently it's a sturgeon.

This was the only sandcastle so it stands to reason that it is the most intricate and impressive sandcastle I've ever seen.

I can't wait to visit again next year and see all the new creations.  It may have taken us a few years to attend this event, but I'm really glad we stopped by this year.  If you know of a sculpture festival in your area, definitely try to check it out for a good dose of culture, think of it like an art show!

Marshall, Michigan

I recently visited my family's hometown of Marshall, Michigan.  It's an old town and the architecture is fabulous!  According to Wiki, in Marshall there are 850 buildings labeled as National Historic Landmarks in only 6.40 square miles! That's just insane. I just thought I'd share some pictures with you from around town.

Honolulu House. Built to resemble similar houses in Honolulu

My great-grandpa's old house

It was really cool to see all the old buildings and the stories my family has attached to them. My family is so anal about all the stories and the family lineage, I've heard all the stories ten times before, but know I have a background for them.  I wish we could have stayed longer and experience all the little shops but we had a lake to swim in!  Ah well, I'm sure I'll be back.

My cousins and I watching the water.

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!! Mine was busy.  Sometimes a lot of family time is too much family time.  One bright side was this adorable puppy!  She’s so cute.  She’s also a little insane. I have many a bite mark on my arms from her, but they were all worth it.

In my family, time is usually spent playing cards but this year the tradition was overrun by iPods,  iPads,  and iPhones.   My cousins and I spent hours on end playing Temple Run and, after dinner, the whole family joined   in and we played Draw Something with each other.  I can't say I preferred this communication but I also can't say it wasn't fun.

My little cousin is a little too proud of his score of a wimpy 260,000 in Temple Run. I’m sorry and slightly ashamed to admit that my family participates in Black Friday every year.  I’m even more ashamed that I like to participate.  Now, you may be thinking that ‘participating’ means going out at 11 and shopping for a few hours. No.  My family starts at midnight and doesn't stop till 5 then wakes up early and shops more.  It’s bad but super fun.  Seriously though, I feel like an awful person but it’s just fun.  This year we started at 11 and went to 3 then woke up later, drove 3 hours and continued. Usually my family doesn't go all the way to Sacramento so we were a little shocked by the amount of people at the mall that morning.  We're used to a couple families but mostly 30 to 50 year olds...well that doesn't happen in Sacramento.  The mall was full of teens. I'm not the type to be overwhelmed by crowds but there were times when I wanted to grab my mothers hand.  As a 16 year old you have to be pretty afraid to do that.  When we were at Macys, a fight occurred upstairs and the women working were saying it had been happening all night.  It was a little terrifying to know that people could get so angry over things. It was bad, but I got a lot of clothes I really like so I think it all equates.  My favorite purchase by far was these heels from Forever 21.  I've fallen in love.

We also watched Cloud Atlas and it was amazing.  Seriously, if you haven't seen it, just go.  I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and good food. I've got to get back to some school work.  Only 50 more pages of Anna Karenina to read tonight! Have a good day!