Happy Holidays!

We are back from a fun Christmas weekend with the families. There was lots of relaxing, talking, board game matches, good food, and of course presents! Ben and I also squeezed in some last minute shopping in SF and a quick drink with friends in Oakland. Now we are off again to ring in the New Year with Jesse and Meghan in Tahoe!

Star Struck

One time on a flight from LAX to Dallas, Ben found himself in First Class next to Blair Underwood. I thought that was pretty cool, but last week Ben had the opportunity to fly back to California from Texas on the company jet! I was totally jealous, and then I found out that Brad Pitt often rents the jet for transportation to/from his current filming location in Canada! Now I can only imagine the type of plane Ben got to fly on...!

Downpour!

Luckily I'm not the Wicked Witch of the West or I would have melted long ago! I do love a rainy day, but I picked our stormiest day so far to be running experiments in labs on opposite sides of the campus. I was also extremely foolish this morning and decided to wear cute little slipper shoes, definitely the wrong choice when one is dodging puddles (picture this).

Uh oh, time to brave the storm again!

Moms Just Know

Right after Ben and I returned to the US from the trip where we got engaged, I called my parents to let them know we had made it back safe and sound (they already knew about the engagement, we called them from Belgium). After I inform my mom that we were in the car and about to start our 4 hour drive home (keep in mind we had come from Abu Dhabi, UAE via Doha, Qatar and London and so had been traveling for 30+ hours), she starts to ask questions about wedding plans!

Mom: “What colors do you think you will have?”
Me: “Um… I don’t know Mom. It doesn't really matter...we can figure that all out later. I am really tired.”
Mom: “I think you should have purple. It is your favorite color.”
Me: “Um... (picturing light lavender)… I don’t think purple (Ben shaking his head no)...”
Mom: “Oh….”

Well my mom was a trend setter as it appears that purple is looking to be THE color of the season. And I have to admit she was right, Ben and I like the look of deep, dark purple so it is a possible wedding color (my bouquet perhaps?). What can I say, Moms just know!

Toasters & White Kitty Truffles

Making our Christmas Lists yesterday, Ben and I had some fun looking at the weird and random stuff out there. He found the perfect one for me due to my huge obsession with poached eggs and toast, and I think I found the perfect stocking stuffers! This is why I heart Christmas!

25 Days of Christmas

To make sure I don't rush through the holidays but slow down and actually enjoy them, I am stealing an idea from the Oh Happy Day Blog and will do a holiday activity every day! So far Ben and I have found our tree and decorated it, hung lights outside, went out for a romantic dinner to The Sows Ear in Cambria, and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I have so many other ideas and am really looking forward to the next 20 days!