holiday love and light

It has been a hard weekend for me so let's get light! You know from this blog of mine that I love holidays and it's no different with Christmas. When Jason and I first met, he had just moved to Los Angeles and wasn't sure if he was going to stay or not. We weren't serious yet but we decided to make a list of all the things we wanted to do (and that I hadn't done since I am from the LA county). We would have to finish the list before he could leave. Well...he never left. And actually, we haven't finished that list. Anyways, we like making lists of fun things to do. We made one of the things we wanted to do this month to celebrate the holidays. Here's a little bit of it.
1. DECORATE
First off, shut off the TV. Put on some Christmas music and pour some (spiked) egg nog and get decorating. Trim the tree, hang up paper snowflakes, put twinkly lights where ever you can, get creative! My friend makes her own wreath with different branches from her neighbor's yards and another cut out all different snowflakes and taped them together to make a garland.

2. DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS BAR HOP
Jason and I want to get super dressed up and hit up some historical bars around downtown LA. Here's a couple on my list...
Bona Vista Lounge at the Bonaventure Hotel (revolving lounge at the top of a hotel)

The Gallery Bar and Cognac Room at the Biltmore Hotel (one of the last stops of the Black Dahlia)

Broadway Bar (eh, it looks interesting. And it's historical)

And if we are lucky we might find a band and...
3. DANCE!
I would love to find a place where maybe a big band was playing and just shake it! We might just have to...

4. CRASH SOMEONE ELSE'S HOLIDAY PARTY
One time Jason and I were invited to go with a friend to a company's holiday party. We didn't know another soul but it ended up being a blast. There was a comedian who made fun of different people who worked for the company (wasn't embarrassing for me!), an open bar, lots of good food and once people were twisted it got weird. It always does.


5. THROW A CHRISTMAS PARTY
Have everyone dress up nice, make some crazy punch, put out typical holiday hors d'oeurves like deviled eggs and (veggie) pigs in a blanket and tack up some misteltoe.

6. TAKE A PHOTO WITH SANTA
We took one a couple years ago but this time we wanna take one with our pup Leon. Family photo!



7. BUILD A FORT
By the Christmas tree. (Done!) We dragged our mattress out to the living room and rented 'Midnight in Paris' and ordered pizza. We don't have enough sheets to really go all out but you still get that junior high sleep over feeling with the Christmas lights on all night.

8. HOME TOWN CHRISTMAS WALK
This might be my favorite Christmas tradition. Every year since forever, one evening before Christmas my parents and I go to dinner somewhere in the downtown area of my hometown (when I say downtown, think Main St. USA) and then we walk around and look in all the closed for the night shops and then make a stop at the live Nativity scene by the city hall. (Unfortunately) for Jason, he is now involved in this tradition, where we probably will tell the same stories over and over again. And then we drive around and look at the same the Christmas lights. It's the best.