Revisiting........

some of my favorite moments of the holidays in Judiland......
It's the least I can do to get me through FRIDAY!





Kicking off the holidays at a super fun girls party--Michelle, Cathy, Terri, Patty and I.  Yes, they are all as fun as they look!  Put us all together and we write the book on F*U*N!



Hanging out with my wild and wonderful friend Patty in front of one of her many many trees. 
 She's the Hostess With The Mostess....caterer to the stars (of Pittsburgh!)!  .



Christmas Eve afternoon martinis...made by Carmen.   It's my favorite drink of the year!  It's the only time during the entire year when Carmen has the opportunity to make our drinks and leisurely sit with me and enjoy the pleasure of just being home and together--with no phone calls, no beepers, no schedule.  I'm  not sure if he is just the best martini maker in the world or if  it's just the aura of it all but it's magical.   I wait for it all year. 




Toni's First Christmas Eve martini! Daddy made it just for his little girl and  she liked it! 



Our Christmas Eve table.  I set it the night before.  What fun I had putting this together!
 I was so proud of how it turned out!



My Christmas Eve dinner place setting....just waiting for me!  You can't see it here but I had alternating red and green plate chargers and alternating red and green goblets and alternating white and green napkins. 
Yes, I drove myself a wee bit crazy with it.......




Loving our gift from cousin Sal....his home made wine!  Yes, it was HEAVY!  Yes, it tasted like home made wine...the perfect pairing for shards of Pecorino Romano cheese (and not much else...if you know what I mean.....haha!).   



Santa Carmen arrives at my sister's on Christmas Day!  He surprised everyone with fun gifts...I got silver plated personal salt and pepper shakers (for the girl who has everything, I guess!)




Getting some special  love from Santa Carmen!  He makes a good Santa...doesn't he?



My sisters and I hang out with our beloved father after an amazing dinner on Christmas Day...sporting our fancy crowns (an Irish Christmas dinner tradition)! I assure you that even though he doesn't look like he's happy....he was! 



Martini time on Carmen's birthday...shaken by me!   Not as good as the one Carmen makes on Christmas Eve but it did the trick....I was birthday-celebration ready!




Toni and I toasting Carmen on his birthday.....she's developed a liking for martini's rather quickly!  Perhaps it is true...the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!!!



A fun day celebrating everything with my spirited girlfriends....Kate and Angela.  I just love these two!



Pre-dinner martinis at Franco's on Carmen's birthday.....they were yummy!



An  impromptu New Year's Eve Happy Hour....while we waited for the salt trucks and plows to come and take care of our roads.  It  had started snowing around 4 pm on NYE...making the roads rather nasty.  So, no one could go anywhere until it was safe for the car services and cabs to come and  pick everyone up to go to their respective places!  The snow was a blessing in disguise--- it turned out to be the only  relaxing time we were able to spend with our New Year's Eve-New Year's Day house guests. 

  I have many more holiday memories I have close to my heart that were not captured in pictures......I hope you enjoyed the ones I could share with you!   



Although the past few weeks have either been no-work-weeks or short-work-weeks and I only have 2 work days this week.....I am so ready for FRIDAY.   And, I am so so ready for a regular weekend....void of all the trappings of holiday bruhaha on top of all the normal weekend obligations and commitments. 

I'm also ready to get back to more consistent meal times and regular exercise.  The scale is not showing any major gain and my back-to-work clothes and  my jeans are just fine and I don't think I stuffed myself silly (unless you count the episodes with the peppermint bark....thank goodness that's all gone...) and I am sure all the work I did over the holidays could be considered exercise!   But, I think the irregular eating and all the out-of-ordinary foods that I consumed and the odd sleep schedule and everything else just has me feeling very icky.  

Yes....icky. 

But, seeing those pictures and recalling those moments helped with the icky-ness. 

Happy Friday!