Time to Get Lit!

This short Christmas season has kidnapped every free moment and stuffed it with peppermint, fake snow, and eggnog. I have been endlessly planning work parties (FOUR of them), the "Time to Get Lit" house party, a white elephant party, my parents annual cocktail party, and a small event at work to make it SNOW for our patients. It was such a hit that we even made it on Buzzfeed - which is thrilling because BUZZFEED! Click to check out the article and video.

So first a quick holiday update before I am on to the real holidays. I decorated my door at work with Santa and his bag of gifts. I made everything with wrapping paper and lots of packing tape, it was a crowd pleaser but I was hoping to catch the eye of Travie and Flo Rida when they were here performing.

They were great but my Santa tactics didn't work on them - probably not my best idea..

 

Our white elephant party was held at Ormsby's this year and we came away with lots of great stuff. J was pretty upset when she had to hand over her present to me. Don't worry she stole it right back!

B and I ended up switching gifts - I received this amazing beer fist koozie which will soon be making it to every UGA football game as well as a CD of B singing holiday songs. Yes, he sings them SOLO  and Yes, it is amazing as it sounds. Quite the imaginative fella.

 He was lucky enough to capture the drinking eyeglass straw and a pretty fancy Duck Dynasty shirt if you ask me.

N came away with peppermint shot glasses - which make Fireball just that much tastier. Her sweater is Ann Taylor and she wants to specific that it is NOT a tacky Christmas sweater :)

Overall a successful evening - especially since we all gave one another drinking gifts!

But then it was "Time to Get Lit" - we decorated every inch in preparation

 

Put up our sweet (leaning) Christmas tree

Wrapped the doors with gift wrap and bows, took down the frames, and put out the props. I have BOXES of costumes for every occasion - everyone loves props!

We spent all night playing and made sure we took many Awkward Family photos all evening.

Boo for blurry iPhone photos though :(

 Cranberry and Lime jello injections were the biggest hit (and headache)

Holiday parties always are my favorite. Spent with the people we love 

the best of friends 

and always the right amount of silliness

That is what it is about after all!

 Merry Christmas! Hope you have time to "Get Elfed up!" 

Refurbished dart boards

You know you have always lived with too many boys when items like this fill your basement.

 

This is what Christmas gifts tend to be in my family - which is why we finally put a stop to gifting at Christmas and why I make 10 or more trips to Goodwill a year. Knowing those few dollars could have gone towards a trip or dinner plans frustrate me. 

Considering no one at Goodwill wants a magnetic dart board either, I chose to re-purpose this gift as best I could using some leftover fabric still lying around from my dresser redo.

You will only need a few items to complete this project:

• Hot glue gun 
• Metal board (a cookie tray will work)
• Scissors 
• Your choice of fabric 
• Magnets

Lay your fabrics out over your board or tray and remove any creases.

Measure out your fabrics and keep enough to pull the fabric taut underneath. Doing this will allow you to only glue the fabric on the back. Glue along the entire side and pull tight from the other end - but not so much you pull the fabric off!

At the corners, make cuts so that you can cut off the overlapping folds. This will keep the board sitting evenly on the wall at all sides.

Unfortunately, I first only had magnets that would not withhold the weight of my makeup products so this project took a pitstop as a photo collage for a few weeks (and still using the magnetic darts!)

I purchased stronger magnetic strips from Hobby Lobby for the round mascara and brushes that also held the heavier items such as foundation. 

 The lighter and more quickly used items were held using small magnets with adhesive backs that will adhere directly to your makeup products. This also will allow you to remove and reapply to new products when your makeup is old or used.

This new room is slowly coming together..

Shoya Izakaya

I cheat when I go out to eat. I bring some of the best chefs in Atlanta and don't even peek at a menu. I let them discuss the options, pick out the best items, and then describe how things are made (or should be), ingredients, techniques, everything. It is the best way to eat and sufficiently try out a menu.

My friends are awesome - just look at this concentration.

Chefs always try little dishes of everything, not only food - fried shrimp to BBQ octopus, pork belly to assorted pickles but methods - raw to fried, braised and steamed, find hidden items I never notice or would attempt (salmon skin anyone?),  and make the experience - satisfying in more ways than one! AKA - FULL. 

Last night we went for a big family dinner at Shoya Izakaya. The only authentic Japanese pub around that serves small-plate style to eat and share among a group the true way. There are even instructions so we remember how we are supposed to do it.

 The restaurant is far down Peachtree Road, past Brookhaven near Super H mart - which is an adventure in itself. We were shown into the tatami room with a buzzer that you used to call the wait staff to bring in more of anything - usually we called for sake but occasionally more wasabi rolls, tuna tartare, or extra sweet refreshing ginger. (My request always!)

We fought over who was able to press the buzzer every time. 

The correct way to eat at izakaya is to linger over your food, eat small plates, share with your table, and drink (it is a pub after all) and it is exactly what we did. We continued our weekend long drinking fest with sake and pitchers of Japenese beer and ordered as the menu enticed us (or honestly, as it enticed B..)

We ordered the menu and only left one lone piece of sushi behind. Which is impressive when it began as this. If you ever need to know, sushi for 8 drunk/hungover/exhausted adults takes precisely 13 rolls. I should be ashamed to admit it - but it's too wonderful to be ashamed of.

  
Sushi is something I have always liked but never appreciated until recently. I am willing to give anything a try - especially with chefs encouraging you on - but this handy list describing how each are rolled is my new favorite. It makes me want to try them all... plus this is good to have on hand for future adventures into sushi tastings.

 

Though the sushi may have been the end, it was far from the beginning. First we had small plates - though too many to mention them all the do not miss items are: wasabi dumplings - pork dumplings covered in wasabi infused wrapping. Just hot enough to kick your sinuses in gear without making me hate my taste buds the rest of the evening.

 

Chicken karage which is battered and fried in what tatstes like funnel cake batter. Yes, I am sure this is horrible for me. Take one and share but an interesting new taste treat.

 As well as tuna tartare - I licked the bowl clean (the recipe at Shoya may be my favorite - which is saying ALOT), chicken, tomato, bacon, pork (etc!) skewers, gyoza, odon (yum), assorted pickles, fried baby shrimp and of course, the sushi. 

I am still full.