Holiday Preview & Links

[BDF helping me put up the Christmas tree. Check out the MJ gloves!!!]

I am incredibly excited to start the Christmas festivities this year, because I am in NEED of the 1 week of the office being closed! I know - that's definitely not the right spirit, but I am ever so grateful! Genuinely grateful from the bottom of my heart that Jesus was born right before New Year's and put two holidays bam! bam! in a row! Just kidding...

I am spending all of Saturday baking and cleaning my place. Unfortunately, my mom wouldn't relinquish control of Christmas and insisted on having it at my parents' place. However, I need to do my weekly bathroom and kitchen cleaning. I also have big plans to reorganize the kitchen cupboards with baskets and containers from Dollar Tree. EXCITING stuff, right?

Here are the foods I'll be contributing to the family (dessert) table:

• Rotiboy Coffee Buns 
• Mochi from Mikawaya + Ice Cream
• Blondie bars

Here are some links to occupy your time while you wait for your cinnamon buns to rise or if you need to awaken from your post-feasting food coma:

• This year for the Secret Santa gift exchange, we actually made requests. Felt a little weird. One of the suggestions I made was a table lamp. I found this inexpensive one to show the style I like & man what a steal. For $44.95 I am probably going to scoop one up if I don't receive one for Christmas!
• I went to Anthropologie last Friday (kill me! so crowded) & scooped up 2 white knobs similar to these but hexagonal. $2.95 each plus 40? 30?% off all sale items! Crazy. Run to your nearest Anthropologie!
• Liking these couches from Living Room in Silver Lake. I think my fave is the Dunbar.
• Since my trusty pink mace-on-a-keychain broke, my keys have been eerily light. This is a pretty keychain, but I'd never buy it bc I KNOW I would break it in 10 seconds.
• I almost put up velvet curtains, but I stopped myself at the last second... too theatrical. I do love love love velvet. The second best thing is photoshop velvet bows & ribbons (free)!
• Amazing idea for artwork - Hubble telescope images! AH MAZE ING!!!
• Baby animals = amazing. Baby polar bear = I want to squeal for the entire duration of the video. (I'll spare you)