A Christmas Review

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Smelly Danielly

While we still went here, there, and everywhere, Christmas didn’t seem as busy this year. There was much more time for naps even though they didn’t do anything other then make me cranky. I am a bad napper.

We started off the month of Christmas with a little Tree decorating.

We then headed over to my Moms to do her Tree.

And as tradition would have it, I also went to my Zia Marias to decorate her tree.

That’s three trees for me!

This year we did the usual, Midnight mass, presents in the morning, and then off to Casa Ciavarro.

I forgot how deathly that whole experience is.

You’re lucky if you make it home by 2am after Mass and visiting and all that goes on with it. Then we have to be up by 7:30 in order to open our gifts to each other, shower, change, and hit the road by 8:30 to be there for 9.

Side note, do you see me clutching my pink blanket like a 5 year old!?

Chad bought me a lot of little things and wrapped them all up so it looked like he got me double the stuff I got him. Sneaky guy.

Top gifts from Chad this year include Lululemon pants and yoga mat, loose leaf Earl Grey Tea, a Diners Drive-Ins & Dives book, and Body Shop essentials.

I got him thoughtful gifts, as I usually do, including 2 books read by Don Draper in Mad Men, 30 for 30, and some special mementos framed.

Christmas morning at Casa Ciavarro.

Yes, it’s true, I turned 85 this Christmas.

Not only did I get this book on gardening, but I also received yarn, knitting needles, a book on knitting and crocheting, a pill splitter, and all 7 seasons of the Golden Girls (all of which I asked for). Yup, it looks like 2011 is the year I get comfortable with soft foods and retirement!

The chaos and disaster of presents is the best part of the morning.

And then there is Tractor. He blends in so well.

Chad was the good Uncle who built Jonas’ Lego space ship thingy. I was too busy figuring out what Cacti I was going to plant in my garden come Spring.

Christmas dinner was spent with my parentals and family this year.

Nonna is always in charge of carving the turkey.

There was only 11 of us this year. Only.

Zia Paula tried to make Zoey look cute, but she ended up looking Asian instead.

The parentals spoiled us as per usual.

Mom got me the Golden Girls because Chad wouldn’t and she got Chad the Pacific because I wouldn’t. See how it all works out in the end.

The madness didn’t stop there. Dinner with the Ciavarros on Sunday and Rossis on Monday capped off our Christmas festivities.

It was a whirlwind few days, and I’m glad the madness is all over. Now it’s onto the New Year!

It’s Me, the Cynic.

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Smelly Danielly

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Another year, another round of family and presents.

Christmas is always fun because you get to see people, eat good food, and open things specially picked out for you, but in reality, it’s just another day. This isn’t me being cynical, it’s just me realizing that we put all this pressure on certain days to be more amazing then regular days, but the bottom line is, they are just days. The sun comes up, the sun goes down, whether its Christmas, or your Wedding day, or a Tuesday.

I’ve been through quite a few ‘momentus’ days in my time. There is all this build up, this pressure, this expectation of what it is going to be like, and then it comes and then it goes, and you realize that the build up is better then the day itself. I’ve always found that about Christmas. I love the decorating and the preparation, the shopping, and the planning, but the day itself, well it’s just a day like any other day, and then, in a matter of hours, it’s over.

And then there is New Years Eve. For some reason this has become very important to us as a society. New Years Eve. I’ve never really been a fan. Again, there is all this pressure to make it amazing. Lets get all our friends together and get dressed up and drink as much as possible and then stay up ALL NIGHT LONG! No thanks. Ok, maybe I am cynical about New Years Eve. Every party, event, or gathering that I have ever been to has never fulfilled my expectations. It’s not that my expectations are very high, it’s just that there is never that magic, that spark that turns a night from fun to amazing.

Maybe I’m just an old goat.

I think I am itching for a change. A life change. I’ll keep Chad, but maybe we can change the things around us.

I can feel it in my bones. 2011 – the year of change? Sounds good to me.

Merry Christmas <3

Posted on December 25, 2010 by Smelly Danielly

Lots of love to all my readers, new & old.

Merry Christmas, from two crazy Italians!

Christmas in a 1920s Village

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Smelly Danielly

Something that I have been meaning to do for a very long time is to head out to to Burnaby Village Museum during the Holiday Season.

Experience Heritage – Stroll down the streets of a 1920s village exploring at your own pace. The village is a combination of heritage and replica buildings on a 10-acre site that represents at typical tram-stop community along the B.C. Electric Railway. Period costumed townsfolk welcome visitors and give demonstrations in the homes, businesses and shops. Popular stops include the blacksmith, the print shop, the garden at the farmhouse and the General Store.

I use to volunteer there when I was in high school. They have paid “period costumed townsfolk” who work some of the bigger and more important stops in the town, while the volunteers worked the smaller stops, or helped out where they can.

I have a lot of memories of the time I spent here. I met celebrities (including Susan Sarandon), was in countless photos with bus loads of Asian tourists, and basically fell in love with all things ‘old school’. Plus, I got to dress like I lived in the 20s every day. Sweet deal if you ask me!

We were suppose to go with our former best friends, but they are too busy/obsessed with high school girls basketball and ditched us at the last minute, so we went alone. I guess it turned out to be a pretty fun date night in the end.

Mannequins dressed in tradition Christmas outfits. Slightly freaky, especially the dude in the suit!

This is the exact table Chad and I plan to build for our next place. Clearly, we will need a big eating area.

I love the old farm house. Interior design inspiration!

This is the house that a man (the photo on the wall) and his friend build. He lived until he was in his 90s and left his house to the Museum. It was very cute inside.

Seaforth school was one of my favourite stops when I use to visit as a child. One room school house with bottles of ink and quill pens. As a kid, I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, so this was the place to be!

The Burnaby Post was a newspaper owned and operated by woman in 1920. It took her 3 days to print the paper. I wonder if shes on Twitter?

Papa Ciavarro works in the Printing Industry and his old company, Pacific Press, donated money to put this shop together. It was neat to find out we had a little personal connection to the Village.

I once spend a very cold weekend in this log cabin telling all the visitors about it and answering questions. This is actually where I met Susan Sarandon. I use to know everything about this place.

A Motor `Cycle`

The General Store, another favourite! Chad said that everything in here reminded him of his Grandma Heagles farm. Super old tools and nick knacks. If only she still had them. Le sigh.

The Barber Shop. It totally reminds me of hit scene in a Mob movie, or real life for that matter.

Christmas if you were rich.

I am available to move in right away!

This 1920s Mansion and its surrounding property was left to the city, and that is what the village itself is built on.

It is so beautiful inside.

The train station is a new addition to the village (since the last time I was there). The train use to be house beside the Ice Cream parlour, but money was raised and it was refurbished and now sits in this beautiful station.

Dry Goods!

This was where I worked my very first day. Canada Day is a big thing at Burnaby Village Museum and I was stationed as a greeter at the front door. Only thing was I was super sick with a cold and it was rainy and cold and I was dying by the front door. Worst day ever. But, its where everyone came to buy their fabrics and clothing, so really, it was right up my alley!

I love Burnaby Village Museum. It was my favourite place to go as a kid, and I had some great experiences as a volunteer. Now, Ive finally seen it at Christmas, with all the lights and decorations! Such a beautiful holiday adventure for people of all ages. It is so neat to see the history of your city in the living town.

Now, I need to go back in the Summer to see everything in the daylight ;)

For more photos, check them out here.

Maybe Tomorrow

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Smelly Danielly

Today was not a good day for me.

I was consumed with this overwhelming feeling that I was the only one with this unbelievably large pile of work and stress on my desk. Everyone else in the office has gone on their Christmas Holidays or completed their ‘Christmas rush’ tasks, and here I am, with 20 styles that need their trims ordered and 10 styles waiting to have their final costings done.

My job consists of juggling lots of plates at one time. For the most part I am pretty good and it and enjoy the variety it provides me, but every so often, all the plates become too much and I feel like I’m going to collapse under the weight of it all.

It also doesn’t help when the contractors email you info at the last minute and tell you they need your half of the work done the next day. I’m really sorry, but I don’t just sit here on my butt waiting for you to give me work.

My days are meticulously planned out.

Things keep getting pushed back, and I hate having things pushed back. I just want to finish them and shelve them and not have them carry over each day.

Thus is the life I guess.

Everything I attempted to finish today was halted by road blocks, which then made it seem like I got nothing done all day. It was so frustrating. Missing button prices, fabric that wasn’t logged in, retails I couldn’t find. Nothing seemed to work out.

While I take pride in the insane amount of stuff I can get done in one day, I think I also need to realize that there are going to be times when I can’t make everyone happy, and I can’t, physically, get it all done in one day. Today was one of those days. Actually, this week is going to be one of those weeks.

I need to order trims. I need to put the contractors on hold.

My brain never stops working.