Ugh, the worst part of being on vacation is the end of it - returning to work. So now that the fun has ended, I'm back on the grind. But oh, what fun it was!!!
I started the break in my hometown - Detroit. Saturday afternoon the girls and I met up for our annual trip to Mongolian Barbeque. We try to alternate between Dearborn and Royal Oak and ended up at the later this holiday. Here are some pics... you can tell we were having fun and eating well!
Chiquita and I topped it off with an Apple Pie a la Mode from Cold Stone then April and I went over to a cool corner boutique called Incognito, where I bought this cute Puma bowling bag in Navy and Cream. It looks really good with the Navy blazer I found at H&M in New York last month!
And April found this fabulous bag that people keep trying to snatch from her...
Sunday I tried to finish up my last minute shopping. The stores weren't nearly as bad as I expected and after a quick sprint into Pier 1 for wrapping paper (I love to wrap and I have to have a special theme each year) and a brief stint in line at Best Buy, I was on my way to my Mom's to hang out with her and brother for Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was nice - always good to hang out with family and friends.
My brother decided to take a few pics of himself in the bathroom after Christmas dinner... gross...
I thought someone bought me this long mink for Christmas - turns out it was my Granny's coat... but my aunt actually did give me a gorgeous one for Christmas... I haven't taken a pic in it yet
I got the Bose iPod docking speaker system that I wanted a few days before and the Cole Haan lunch tote 2 months before (I couldn't wait for it!) so my major gifts were done and I thought that was it for me! But there were quite a few other things for me under the tree and a few people slipped some $ in my pocket!
Tuesday morning I was off to Birmingham to spend a few days with my "other family" :) It started with a Christmas trip to Saks Fifth Avenue! I will take a "no surprise/pick it yourself" gift over a horrible "can you please hand me the receipt gift" any day!!!! I got this pair of Cole Haan G-series boots and a very sexy pair of bronze Miu Miu jeweled sandals!
After a long lunch of filet and shrimp at Kobe Steaks, a trip to Best Buy to get a couple of iPod RoadTrips - a black one for Rickey and a white one for me -
we headed to the house watched some movies and hang out with the kids for the rest of the day. Most of my week was relaxing like that - lots of movies, some good food, a trip to Build a Bear - which was a really fun experience - and breakfast with an old college friend at Cracker Barrel. On my way back from Cracker Barrel I was distracted by the Adrienne Vittadini sign at The Summit shopping area... they were having a 40-70% off sale!!! I found some beautiful leather knee boots - but they were a little too big in the calf...
But I did buy some cute jewelry that was one clearance... this necklace and bracelet...
Then I get back to the house in Birmingham and Summer is sitting outside with Ty the Superdog in the car with her...
Since I had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport we hit up the Galleria Mall. I came up on two shirts at Forever 21, each under $15...
That afternoon I hopped on the plane back to Detroit for the rest of my holiday vacation and relaxed around my grandparents' house. No big plans for New Years, so Sharon and I went to Brio Tuscan Grille at Somerset in Troy for an early dinner that evening. The food was excellent!!! We started with the Lobster Bisque soup and ordered two very tasty dishes. You know we had to take pictures... (Sharon lost the only photo of us together so these were the 2 I took). I had the pan-seared halibut with lemon butter sauce and capers, sauteed spinach, tomatoes and artichokes...
She had the gorgonzola lamb chops (you can see one on my plate too) with lemon drizzle...
I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!!!
Well, that's it for my vacation! I had a lot to say, but I was gone for a long time! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! I'll give my resolutions in the next blog... but many of you can guess what they are since I have the same ones every year...
The item of the day is a David Yurman sterling silver and pave diamond disc necklace that I was shown at Saks as the sales lady insisted that it was "too die for". It looked really good on - with a low cut top and a blazer - very casual yet glamorous! I don't know if I would die for it, but trying it on was so worth it after seeing the look on Rickey's face as he glanced at the price tag before speed-walking out of the jewelry department!
