Nativ(ity) hobby

I haven't been around for a while...

In my defense, finals have almost literally sucked the life out of me. I had French III, AP english, AP US history, Physics, Alg II trig, and even PE to worry about, so I've been stressed out these past two weeks. 

But have no fear, I am here!

This morning on my way to school, me and my friend Cambrea were talking about nativities. And I realized that maybe it's a little bit of an abnormal thing to have 16+ nativities scattered throughout your home. But that's ok, I like it that way :) 

(wow I'm on a rhyming role!)

So I took pictures of some of my favorite nativities for you lovely readers to enjoy.

I love the ornamental painting on this one. It's a simple set-up, but the details are brilliant.

I don't know where we got this one, but I love it because of the fact that it's basically aluminum molded and pressed into shapes and images. The bumps give you the picture..

I can't even begin to imagine how long that took, or how many beads they used.

Actually, I think they're wood shavings... not straw. 

This is made completely out of colored aluminum. 
I kid you not.

This one was kind of blurry, I did my best to edit it... but it didn't turn out like I wanted. I posted it anyways because you have to see the details on my Wise men.

These are my metal men.
I am very intrigued with their "metalness." 
I love the sparkles, the marbled look, and the curly-wirey detail on each of them.

This is one of my favorite nativities. It's so simple. It reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas,
Christ's birth.


xoxo

{The Tao of Gus}

All warm and cozy? 

Good! Get ready for yet another fantastical episode of Psych!

"Serious business? You're going to the opening of a new cupcake store."

"Bring me back a red velvet."

1. Will Gus ever realize he never actually GETS the girl?

"A crime in progress, she's stealing my heart. But I'm not pressing charges."

2. I actually like his cheesy pickup lines. Don't judge.

"That's the weirdest flirting I've ever heard."

3. Gus always picks the crazy ones.

"Whatdoya say we hit the lactose intolerant museum?"

"First of all, do not try to put me in a box. I'm a complicated man who likes complicated women, and brazilians. Secondly, I've seen you take a case based on a cat." "It was suspicious meowing."

"And don't think I didn't see Gus doing that thing with his lip, I really hope this isn't you being some elaborate wing-man."

"I hope nothing terrible happens to us."

4. That was inevitable. But I'm glad Juliet didn't get shot. She's too pretty.

5. This is getting creepy.

"We have a children, of the corn situation happening here."

"Fine, they'll die happy!"

"I'm Burton Guster. I'm just a man. A man who cares."

6. Why is she stroking him? Awk.

"I'm afraid I can't abide by those stifling restrictions."

7. Its a cult. Oh gosh.

"We're so far off the grid, I actually think we're back ON the grid."

8. Gus is lonely :(

9. The plot thickens.

"I don't love you." "Sweet."

"Dude, this is like footloose!"

10. Gus is playing dead! Haha :)

"You listen to me you little snoot, we're trying to help....!"

11. I don't like Internal Affairs

"I'm washing my bloomers. Well, truth be told, their community bloomers."

12. She's sooo creepy. And she has arm fat.

13. He's totally gonna get caught snooping

"Brother Gus, may I speak with you gently but sternly on the porch?"

"That kiss was not just between her and me, it was with everyone."

14. Gus has gone cult-o

"Short-cut the heck outa here!"

15. The plot thickens AGAIN!

16. I liked that puddle plowing :)

"We are not hippies here, we enjoy the serenities of nature."

17. Love circle!

"love love love love love love love..!"

"Eli, I'm gonna need to interrogate your entire herd of weirdos."

"Dare I even ask what you call this flowery gathering of nonsense?"

"The barn of truth."

"Keep it loose, speak freely, get it all out into the open."

"The gord of transparency please!"

"We have a history... he washed my bloomers."

18. Yeah she's a psycho with crazy arm fat.

19. Confusion confusion!

"Maybe when we get two gords we can solve that."

"Where's Jeff's hut?"

"You got a problem with us searching your hovel?"

20. Dead body! And slightly anti climactic. 

"You're so very close to me..."

"I'm a slave to love Jack, and Fashion."

21. Why does he take off his shoe?

22. She just brought him down.

"Are you eve gonna let me forget this?" "No I'm not."

80s Flashback

This morning, while getting ready for the annual Christmas Church Brunch, my mother pulled out a magical gift from her jewelry drawer. 

Pins.

Lots and lots of pins.

She handed them to me in a sort of non-chalont way, and said,

"I've been saving these for my kids, they were really popular to put on our jackets when I was younger."

so beautiful! 

My mom was voted "Most Stylish" by her Senior class. So receiving these pins was like seeing my cool-cat mom back in High School. Where all the girls probably looked at her clothes with a little green tint in their eyes, telling themselves that they would go out and find something like that next time they went shopping.

It's not like she grew up with the money to spend on her fashionista wardrobe. In fact, she grew up kind of poor. She worked for the money to buy her clothes, she did it all by herself. That's what I think she's most proud of. That she did it and no one else did. 

My new favorite commercials to watch are the BareEscential make-up commercials. I think they're message is so true, girls are forgetting that life isn't about being pretty. It's about getting out there, taking action, fixing mistakes, embracing flaws, and being yourself. I see my mom in that campaign. She inspires me to remember who I am. I'm not some princess waiting around for someone to fight my dragon. 

No way.

I'm my own force. And you can't stop me. 

My mom taught me to be my own kind of beautiful.

After all these thoughts ran through my head, I settled down with my pins on the table and meticulously placed each one on my jacket (well, almost each one. I still have a couple left over). I had to  pick and choose some of my favorites, so the end product turned out to be a very glitzy 80s jean jacket. 

Whenever I wear this jacket I think of my mom. Not only because she gave me these pins, but because they remind me of her and her determination to make the best of her circumstances and be a force for beauty.

Winter State of Mind

I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday! My face has swelled up, I'm missing two days of school, and I feel like someone tried to massage the back of my jaw very hard and for quite some time.

It was the first snow today :) 

I decided now was as good a time as any to really get into the Christmas mood early. So here are the things that make me think of Christmas and Winter Wonderlands..

Fleck

The Met

Nan Lawson

Sophie Blackall

NYPL

The Black Apple

Christkindle markets

They're basically in every big city. Just google it and you'll find a Christmas market near you, i hope!

The German Christmas markets are a tradition in my family. We went to the real ones a couple of years ago when we went to Germany for Thanksgiving. They run from thanksgiving time to Christmas - and are a beautiful blend of culture, tradition, and the christmas spirit, just what you need to get in the mood for Christmas!

I went this past Saturday with my two friends, Kristen and Christina. We took the train into the city (it was a very educating experience).

The view from the train was very "old town"

and I liked it :)

The first sight of the Christmas markets! They're always decked out with lights. 

We immediately made a Bratwurst stop (pronounced brot-vurst)

I got a one with sauerkraut (oh yummy!)

It was so warm there and the food smelled so good - I didn't even need my winter coat! I was completely content in my jean jacket.

We stopped for all kinds of food. "Pizza" pretzels, fudge, potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce (very German), and a custard cake with carmel and nut topping. Christina liked it too ;)

Everything there is all handmade. The people who sell it are often the people who make it. All the food is made on the spot, and all of the wood carvings (like the cats), are hand carved. All the glass is handblown, and all of the painting and details added to ornaments and carvings are hand painted. 

This little piggy caught my eye. The colors were so bold, and I loved the eyes on him! He's like a fire pig - I'll call him Charles.

I thought the details on this leaf were extraordinary! Just look at all the little notches on that little wooden leaf! 

The leaf itself was very small - it couldn't have been bigger than my palm.

I loved the magical colors of the hand blown glass. It reminded me of a Christmas fairytale wonderland. The little Budha section amused me (of all places... a German Christmas market..) - but the best thing about these pots was that when you moved a little wooden stick around it it made an eerie melodical vibration. We tried it a couple times, and I got it to work! 

The winter scene above was all handcarved and handpainted, notice the little arc of trees? It's a sort of German Christmas tradition - there was a plaque that represented what the arc stood for, but I forget. It was a beautiful piece, and the arc is one you'll find in recurring German pieces, especially ones with a Christmas meaning.

On the way home we stopped at a Barnes and Noble and look what I found! The new cover for the Sorcerer's Stone! I'm still deciding how I feel about. Not my favorite, I'm still a fan of the old illustrations - but it's not a disaster.

We also stopped at a Forever 21 and Kristen tried on these shoes (she was taller than me!) - she claimed they were easy to walk in, but I think she was wobbling just ever so slightly.

And then on the train ride home, Christina read us Pinkalicious in her best teacher voice - and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

It was quite a night.

{In For a Penny....}

Time for PSYCH! Here are the most hilarious and simply stunning quotes of the episode :)

1. That's so sad :(

"Because of the great oxygen draught!" "Hold your breath people, do your part."

2. I like their bloated faces

"All I see is Gary Bucey."

"There are certain things about a women no one else understands, except me and the news anchor man."

3. Master of women?

4. What the heck was that?

"I'm been told on many occasions that I look exactly like Tito."

"This is my partner Angel Woods."

5. Chateau!? Fancy Shmancy.

"I have a unique gift, and I use that gift to make the world a better place."

"ponies... which they are apparently calling horses."

6. NOT tasty

7. Something's not right here....

8. That's not suspicious at all!

9. Ruh-roh

10. They're up to something suspicious. Breaking a guy out of prison?

"So Frank fooled us, big deal, happens to us every seven days."

"I rob to the rich and give to myself when I'm poorest."

"Do you honestly think that Gus and I were born on the 4th of July!?"

11. Ah! He loves her!

"Same way Gus eased his way into being black."

"I think that we, meaning you, shouldn't say a single word."

"No, I'm not Gus, I'm his cousin.. uh, his cousin.. uh."

12. Gus trying to get out of it? Classic Gus.

"I know I'm in the Dog house.." 

"No, you're not in the Dog house."

"I'm not?"

"No, you're gonna have to work really hard to get into the dog house."

"So i'm in the yard. Still an enclosed area.... at least I'm not in the pound."

SILENCE

"Am I in the pound? Ohmygosh I'm in the pound! Is Gus with me?

Gus: "Leave me outa this."

"We can be adopted together like two unseperable weenie dogs."

13. Lassie is SO outa the loop

"What's WiFi?"

14. Oh no. The look.

"This is awkward."

"If this were a crime, you'd be in cuffs right now!"

"I used to have the same problems, what you need to do is use your diaphragm..."

15. That was weird

16. Gus is obsessed with so many things! Coins, birds, etc :)

"That light little pat on the buns was really what I needed.."

"Well butter my buns and call me a biscuit!"

"We'll take the two nickels."

17. Waaay too soon

"Haven't any of you been paying attention?"

"I certainly haven't, but I didn't think you noticed."

18. Shifty electricians

19. Seal bump!

"What!? Jules has a kid!?"

"Sean, she's playing him"

"Oh!"

20. Oh she's so conny! (you know, con-y. like a con? nevermind)

"I'm not sure that you're aware, but coin enthusiasts are a group of very easily scared - mostly single men."

"Not true!"

21. Oh snap!

22. Penny worth 20 million? Holy crap.

23. Oh crap! Daddy's dirty!

"Will you please just tell me you have a plan of some kind!"

"You're darned right I do!"

"If a 2 million dollar penny is worth more to you than you daughter, than go. Get outa here."

24. Yeah daddy!!

25. So much drama packed into this one little episode!

"So congratulations Frank, your longest con of all was on your own daughter."

26. Good idea Sean. Don't let Frank come along..

27. Likin' the dance moves :)

28. I think I'm gonna cry! He was there all along.

29. This is so intense! I'm bitting my nails!

30. She called him Dad!

"Where are the ginormous ponies?"

"You mean horses. Apparently they're to expensive to rent and they poop a lot."

"You think this is my first suprise party for my girlfriend who's father is a con-man? Actually... it's is. It is my first."

NOTE: Dear Sean, I love you. Will you marry me?

Contact Me!

{NYPL}

Yes ma'am I've done it! You can now officially contact me at:

curlsandfrills (at) gmail (dot) com

I hope to hear from you! Because I like talking to people :)