The rest of the “loot” has finally made it’s way under my tree along with the first load. It looks even more amazing all piled up like this.
Here’s a bird’s eye shot. You can see the pile of Senseo items. I got the machine and a bag full of coffee. I have been sampling the Colombian variety, which is really quite tasty.
Next up are some clothes. My mom got me this jacket through the organization she volunteers for. It isn’t really a Christmas gift but it’s a really nice corduroy jacket from the Gap.
My mom also got me this button down shirt, which was a gift. It’s very retro and fits really well. It’s never been worn and had its Talbots tags still on it. In this shot, you also see the two-tier Crate & Barrel serving platter I got from my aunt and uncle. I have been in search of serving platters like this for some time, since I do like to host a lot of parties. I will be using it on NYE this year!
These two bags came home with me for the holidays too. They’re pretty nice fashion purses. Another gift is a pair of Kenzie heels (not pictured). I think they’re so cute and remind me of a pair of Mexican shoes. These and the purses came from my mom’s organization.
I have been coveting these teal Hawaiian print boots for awhile and I actually got them for Christmas. There are little roomy, but with knitted socks, they fit fine.
Here’s a collection of items on a pasta plate, which I forgot to get a picture of that didn’t have me in it sporting bedhead. It has a little Italian chef design and reads pasta along the side. It’s black and red.
A collection of things in an awesome bowl from HomeGoods. I actually pointed this bowl out a few weeks before but didn’t end up getting it. It’s a little heavy but has two handles. It’s perfect for popcorn or pasta.
Mom got me these blocking boards from Knit Picks. These frosted petal looking plates I got myself from Crate & Barrel after the holidays. They were originally supposed to go with the following item, but the plates didn’t really fit.
However, these two clear Crate & Barrel dinner plates look great in this two-tier piece with some foliage pieces from JoAnn’s. The top plate was really hard to get in and almost didn’t happen, so the plate will never be removed.
This three-shelf item fits in the oven and allows you to bake a total of four cookie sheets at one time. I can’t wait to try it out!
A lovely selection of items: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Snow White, Miracle on 34th Street, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Thin Man collection, SonicCare toothbrushes, some yarn and some spreaders. The little fish ornament in the top right corner was a gift too! (Not pictured: The Sims 3 World Adventures and DVD-Rs.)
Little juice glasses. Actually I got five but found them at the Crate & Barrel outlet, so I got three more to have a complete set of eight.
They match my water glasses! How perfect. My aunt didn’t even know I had these!
My cousin in Japan sent me this cute little bear figurine. I will add it to my collection of figurines.
Another big ticket item is the Garmin Nuvi. I am so excited about this because in some of the areas I’m unfamiliar with, I can get lost. Now I can avoid such occasions.
I also got a few nice deals after the holidays, including this toilet paper holder. It’s made from bamboo and nicely matches my existing set of bamboo pieces. I have long wanted to store toilet paper in the bathroom but I don’t really have any space and I didn’t want the TP to be exposed to the elements, if you know what I mean. Voila!
I also found this runner and tablecloth. I have been looking for a nice tablecloth for the dining table and this one was only $8 from HomeGoods. The runner is also from HomeGoods.
This cute frame is from Target. It was in the holiday section but I liked the sentiment for all year round. I plan to put this in my kitchen, since the color matches that room.
This pouch I bought to store my Garmin in. I didn’t really want to spend more than $20 on a pouch, and most of the ones they sell for Garmin’s are at least that much. This one is cute and compact. It also can be used as a clutch, which is great because it’s one of my favorite colors!
And the piece de resistance is this beautiful red leather chair from HomeGoods (I’ve been spending a lot of time at that store, eh?). I actually used some birthday money and Christmas gifts to buy it. With all of that combined, I only had to spend about $50 to get the chair. I think it looks really cute. I haven’t decided if it will stay where it is in the living room or if I’ll move it. I still have the tree up and need to finish cleaning before I can really decide.
Well that’s it for 2009. Quite a spectacle of items, if I do say so myself.
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One of the best things I've ever done in my career is work with Kate Hamilton. Her enthusiasm for all things editorial, not to mention her energy and passion for any project she's involved with, is contagious. In addition to being a natural born leader, she's also a creative type, a thinker, a stickler for details, and someone with incredible vision and the drive to get things done. I always marvel at how she is constantly teaching herself new things. She always seems to be ahead of the curve on anything related to social media, and she also has an eye for design. This lady rocks! And she continues to be a mentor to me and others in journalism and communications.