So…December and 2014 comes to a close

Holy Smokes. What a month.  I had all of these great posts planned but then well, life got in the way and I never started one.  I did however make a list of all of the things I wanted to write about.   The list included:

• O’Christmas Tree
• Pittsburgh Glass Center Ornament Making Class
• Bridesmaid dress shopping
• Making a Will and checking it twice- Do you wanna write an Obit?
• The annual Pam101 Holiday Wish List
• Holy Moly- We know each other so well!
• Hey Girl instruction sheet
• Outlander Series Obsession…Continues.
• Merry Christmas!
• Viva La France
• A new favorite quilt!
• Boo got herself a quilt too!
• OMG- blood!
• Cure! We met the Mayor!
• A French Wedding…Could it be any more beautiful? (post will be up early January 2015)

But let’s be real.  A post for each of those things isn’t going to happen.  What is going to happen is I am going to post a photo from the items above and talk about it and then we close the door on 2014.  Because knock, knock…2015 is totally being a creeper and is peering in the window.  

This December I had a wonderful Christmas tree.  A tree full of memories.  A tree that when you look at it, you can’t help but smile and think…Damn, that’s a nice tree.  I loved sitting and just staring at it.  It makes me sad to think about putting it all away. To tuck all of those memories and moments into boxes to slumber for a year until I can enjoy them again.  But oh what a  tree it has been this year, even if the tree topper is a bit crooked. 

There are some things you do and you realize you could care less if you ever do them again.  Then there are things you do and you know you can’t wait to do them again. No, I am not talking about smoking.  I am talking about making Christmas ornaments at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.  I did this last year with Spice and we had a blast. This year Kylie, Nora and her sister, Gaby,  joined me for a fun night of ornament making.  It really is an amazing process.   I love the Pitt Glass Center, if you are ever in the burgh and want to do something fun, check them out.  And now I have 2 new lovely ornaments for my already beautiful tree.

Did I tell you all I am was going to my BFF’s wedding in France?  I can’t remember.  Anyway, Steph called in August and said her and Ben were getting married…in December in France. I said, “I’m there!”  She asked me to be one of her “witnesses” which is sorta like a bridesmaid so that meant…SHOPPING!  Big thanks to the sales girl at Davids for pretending to the bride. I settled on a navy dress that I am pretty sure was meant to be a Mother of the Bride dress but whatever. It fit good and didn’t need any alterations.  The plan was to snag a French man in this dress…spoiler alert- I didn’t.  Oh well…such is life! 

One of the things I do before I take “bigger” trips (meaning flying over an ocean for a long period of time) is try to map out a Will.  Who will get what in case I die.  This last Will I made was quite comical.  I said Lucy could have all my good jewelry but that all my good jewelry was with me so that meant she was getting nothing.  Things like that.  And then I often wonder if I should draft out my own obit.  I don’t find this morbid more of a “face the facts of life” notion.  And when I read a really good obit, it makes me hope that someday mine will be a really good one too. Funny, smart, the kind you laugh and feel like you knew the person. Where their life isn’t just a few lines but paragraphs of warmth, humor, adventure and filled with love.  And that is why I think I should write my own.  If not me…who will? 

The Pam101 Holiday Guide. Whoops, simply ran out of time and energy to do this.  I had jotted down on the list: Uggs, Ray Bans, Outlander books, Sam Smith CD (I have it and LOVE It) and Pittsburgh Popcorn (because it is a great gift).  But the holidays are over…there is always next year.  Oh and the thing about this year is…seriously I knew no one who actually needed anything. Everyone buys what the need, when they need it. Even Lucy and Will couldn’t decide on what gifts they wanted…other than a puppy, which we told them that Santa 100% for sure, will not deliver a puppy.  

My co-worker Kim and I have quickly become very good friends.  To the point where we even have our own little book-club of two and most of the books have Mature Audience warnings and involve kilts, big men and things similar to that.  It’s the best book club in the whole world.  We did a little gift exchange and I love that both of us wrapped our gifts in plaid! I mean..come on! Plaid! Her gift was the perfect representation of who I am.  Fun girl, who owns a cat, who loves to read and is pretty awesome.  It was one of the most thoughtful gifts ever!  Oh the “Box O Kim” I made for her was pretty great too!

Hey Girl is the best. She wrote a little Instructional Sheet for her Auntie KyKy for guidance while I was in France.  Auntie KyKy doesn’t like Hey Girl at all and I am pretty sure Hey Girl could careless that she feels this way. Hey Girl loves her no matter what.  

When I think about this past month (let’s face it past few months) and why I feel like I am more tired than usual and a little more excited about the idea of PJ’s and bed at 8pm than normal…I blame the Outlander Series.  Since the month of September I have read 6 of the 8 books in the series, currently reading book 7. That is over 6000 pages of Jamie and Claire and their love and adventures.  I am finding myself loving the fictitious world of these two more than my own life. Which is turning into a problem.  3am and I am still reading.  I look at today’s everyday man and think…pssssshhh he’s no Highlander. Reality Check Pam101- You live in Pittsburgh, in 2014 (almost 2015) there are no Highlanders.  There probably isn’t a man in this city/region who would kill someone for you and then throw you on the ground and love you in a way that makes the world stop…all while wearing a kilt.  Now…if you wanted a yinzer in a baseball hat, hoodie and sneakers…then that is a different story.  Call me a romantic…but I want the kilt.  And this is why I will probably die alone.  

Merry Christmas Everyone! Hope you were a good little girl or boy this year. Pam101 was, I am always am. Someday…I will be on that naughty list and let’s hope a Highlander is there to find out…what the what…I mean.  Anyway.  I got my Uggs and they haven’t left my feet yet! 

Oh France. You beautiful, romantic, historic, charming and smoky country…how I love you.  Spent 10 days in the southern French city of Nimes for Stephanie and Ben’s wedding.  This needs its own post and I am sure that will happen.  But let me just say I was honored to be there for her.  Thrilled to help with her wedding prep and couldn’t have been happier for the two of them.   I was a part of the family and if I learn French I will be loved even more. Oh and my poor liver is still recovering for the 5 bottles of wine we drank daily.  God Bless those amazing French Women.  So chic, boozy and smoky.      Like I said…a post dedicated to my trip will be a resolution for 2015!

I have been working on Steph and Ben’s quilt for a few months.  And I am happy to report that it is probably one of my most favorite ones yet.  And I am pretty sure they loved it!  It was a great representation of the journey that they have been on to end up being married in France!  Lots of love in this one.

 

And speaking of amazing quilts! Finally got one done for Boo. This too is a great representation of who she is and who we are. She loved it.  Now she can have a piece of me in her house all the time…xoxoxo

You know what sucks...(other than a vampire) Traveling for about 18 hours, having 4 hours sleep, driving an hour to work and then having the lab girl knock on your office door as you are shoving food and coffee in your face and then have her tell you she is here for lab work. SHIT.  So, that happened to me. And I am pretty sure that my blood after 10 days in France, living on wine, cheese, bread and meat…oh and ciggie smoke, is going to ring some alarms when they run tests on it. I am pretty sure I gained 10 pounds while away and that my blood is straight wine.  Amen.  

A tradition I started last year was when my college friend, Dante, comes into town for the holiday…we do dinner at a trendy Pittsburgh restaurant.   This year was Cure.  So much meat. So much goodness.  Oh and the Mayor of Pittsburgh was there. And Adam from Top Chef season 12.  Carissa and Joe were stoked about Adam and Dante and I were stoked about the Mayor. Win Win for everyone.    

So, there you have it.  Why I haven’t written much this month.  This month has been faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Ssswwoooosshhh. Blink. Gone.  I feel like I haven’t stopped moving  since December 1^st.   A brilliant and fun ride it has been.   I mean…I don’t care that I can actually feel  my body telling me to slow down.  Life is short…

And as we say Adios, Farewell, Au Revoir to 2014 this year ends on a bittersweet note.  After sitting empty for a few months I made the decision to sell my condo in DC.  This makes my heart sad but it is a decision that had to be made.  

Resolutions are being made. Resolutions will be kept. This will be up soon too (it’s on my resolution list).

Happy New Year Pam101 readers.  I wish you and yours a very healthy, happy, love and laughter-filled 2015. xoxoxoxox