This Christmas season I’ve been completely obsessed with Owls and Nutcrackers. Completely. Anytime I see one, I really do run over to oooh and aww over it. My co-worker(s) Julie (Hi Julie! Hi Amy! Amy is my bosses daughter and both girls are my awesome friends at work.) head out after work to shop sometimes so when Julie and I went out this year to do Christmas shopping after hours I always ran towards nutcrackers. I even stop to take photos of displays of Nutcrackers at The Bay.

Aren’t those adorable? Look how tall/skinny they are. Funny looking, but oh so classy. I LOVE THEM. I think I’ll start collecting them. But, since it’s Christmas I decided not to buy myself any of them at all. Who knows what I’ll get for Christmas myself, and plus — Christmas isn’t about me. It’s about others. I can’t be buying myself stuff all the time right?

On Friday we had our Department (Graphic Design/Marketing/I.T.) Christmas lunch which consisted of Amy my bosses daughter, my boss and I.

I want to learn how to fold my napkins like that. They look like little boats!

Amy and I! Hi friend!! My lips aren’t blue, that’s a figment of your imagination. I don’t have hypothermia. I’m just a cold hearted person.

We headed out to a Chinese restaurant and had the most delicious food I have eaten in a long time. My plate, my bosses, then Amy’s. I feel like I have the most food! Hee, oops.

Fortune cookies. The next greatest thing after a nice full belly of chinese food.

We also ended up getting a free roll up Chinese calendar. I haven’t seen one of those in years!

After lunch we decided that we wanted to do a bit of shopping in the downtown area of the city we rarely frequent. I found a new favorite store.

It’s an interior decorating place, which also sells accessories. I could spend hours in these types of stores. I kept smacking my hands off my cheeks (via Home Alone kid) and saying GOSH I LOVE THIS PLACE. So so often, that everyone probably got tired of me saying it. But oh, I will definitely be back! I want our apartment to look exactly like the inside of this store. It’s cozy, warm… and smells so good!

(Thanks for the photo, Amy!)

I ended up buying a scarf there for $10, and my Boss got a necklace. A beautiful one for 12 bucks! Twelve bucks you guys! It looks fantastic too.

We popped by another store which I spotted these cute piggy banks for my nephews. My Christmas present idea flopped since I put it off too late. I had planned on going to a ceramic place and painting their own piggy banks. The four year old would’ve gotten a piggy bank with tons of monkeys, and trees on it. The five year old would’ve gotten dinosaurs! Except, I went in too late and they were all sold out of the size of the piggy banks I wanted. So, that’s my plan for next year. I have a whole year to plan for it — so it should work.

I spotted these and nearly bought them for ten bucks each. But they’re not as personal as me making them myself, so I opted out.

Being girls and all, we craved some chocolate and went to this one very fancy spot. Of course, eying nutcracker obsessed this year I spotted this little fella. He’s a Nutcracker Pirate Christmas tree ornament! He wiggles his body when you pull down the string. I squealed. Naturally. My parents are probably reading this blog post as we speak. So pssst, you’re getting these things for Christmas. Minus the nutcracker ornament ;)

We came back to the office and I snapped a few photos of … myself in my new scarf, and of course Amy too. So fun! The afternoon flew by. Random but I think since I use mascara on my eyes every day that they’re slowly disappearing/breaking off. Maybe I need to get eyelash growth products.

My boss and I drove back to our other office and there, we swapped Christmas presents. She got me a nutcracker for Christmas!!!!!!!! Best boss everrrrr.

I slow danced with it, and kissed it a little.

Then took more photos with it…

P.S. is my hair really that nasty on the ends? Why is it blonde? Weird.

Then placed it on my desk so I could stare at it during the work week when I’m at my desk. Is that not the most perfect gift I could ask for? I LOVE IT. I love it all together with my white ceramic vases and glass Christmas tree I picked up recently. 

Such a fun afternoon! I love Christmas!