Not Different Bad, Different Good

Christmas...What do I say about this Christmas? I would say that it was a pretty damn good Christmas.

I did my best to man up and stop hating life for the curve balls it throws at me and I checked my feelings at the door. 

I got dressed up in a cute new outfit that I got for Christmas and I hung out with my family, drank a few mimosas and enjoyed a really great night.  Last year I had to work on Christmas, and although at the time it felt like the happiest day of my life, I think that this year beats it...And no, not just because I got to drink mimosas with  my family.

This year was so much different. It's the last Christmas where I'll be living in my parents house. It's possibly the last Christmas that I'll sleep in the same room with my sissies and watch The Grinch on Christmas Eve. It's the last year that I'll go Christmas shopping with my dad to pick out the perfect present for my mom.  

It's not necessarily different bad. It's different good. I'm growing up. I have learned so much in this past year. I've learned about myself and about the people around me and what it really means to be a family.

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This year, I gave lockets to most of the women in my family (I didn't think everyone would wear them.) I am really terrible at buying gifts, so it was a quite a relief to find something so early that I knew everyone would love.

I won a blog giveaway a while back and fell completely in love with my prize, so I bought everyone living lockets.

 Let me tell you, they were a hit and the best present I've ever given. 

This one is mine. The ribbon is for pancreatic cancer and the star is the "Army Strong" deal. I would highly recommend these babies. Such a huge hit on Christmas day! I may even try to host a giveaway if the designer will work with me! I'll keep you posted :)

My other favorite gift I gave was my mom's. I always have a hard time buying for her. How do you show your love for the most influential person in your life who has done more for you than anyone else?  It's hard. Well, I opted to go sentimental instead of material. 

Our tree is covered in ornaments with my face on them and also some really weird ones that I made. I was a strange lil' thing. So, I decided that since I hadn't made her an ornament in a while I'd give her a few for Christmas. 

I used my favorite materials. Paper plates, paper sacks, and toilet paper tubes. 

You would think that it wouldn't have been all that great, but they were a hit. (she won't admit it, but I know in my heart that they were her favorite gifts ;)

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Christmas day was really a great time. I looked adorable in new Christmas outfit.

 I finally figured out how the work the hair wand I got last Christmas, I wore my locket (I hadn't put it on yet in the pictures...) I got some great gifts, ate delicious food and spend some quality time with my family. 

Today, I went to work, left early, and hung out with my girl who is heading back to her real life as a Marine on Friday. 

We ate way too much food at the Cheesecake Factory.

And she let me walk into Victoria Secret...so...of course, this happened.

Then I hit the gym in my Muggle Sweatshirt, killed it, fell down (so embarrassing.) And here I am. Over-describing two days in one giant blog post.

If you stuck with me for this long, please, treat yourself to a cookie. You deserve it :)

Happy Wednesday and may your Thursdays totally rock your socks off.