Christmas in California

It's finally 'legal' to listen to Christmas Music! People usually give me a hard time if I try to break out the Christmas music before Thanksgiving but now that Turkey day has passed I can blast it with out contention. I have over 200 Christmas songs on my computer...thats over 12 hours of straight music!

Christmas is my favorite holiday/season so I get really into it! I was the girl who snuck a 7 foot live tree into the dorms during my first year at college and I got busted because they could smell it...lol (apparently its a fire hazard in California)
This is my frist Christmas season in California ( in college, we had December off) and its a huge culture shock! It doesnt feel like Christmas time because it was 80 degrees earlier this week! Im used to hats & scarfs, Hot Chocolate in glove adorned hands and strolling down the streets of Downtown Portland listening the Street Carolers...not shorts and flip flops and sunshine :(
I shouldn't be complaining, I know, but I still cant help but miss the weather that traditionally accompanies the christmas spirit...
Just to give you an idea, here are a few pics of what Christmas was like in Washington a few years ago :)

My car was encompassed in at least an inch thick ice!! to de-ice my car I had to tie a rope around my waist and anchor it to the garage pillar so I could repel down the drive way with buckets of hot water and not slide down the drive-way! I would NOT suggest de-icing your car with hot water though...it cracked my windshield!!! LOL

This gives a new meaning to icicle lights...huh?!

Yo Gabba Gabba Phenomena

The amazing husband-wife team that make up Amelia Lyon Photography are not only super talented with a still frame camera but they have recently proved thier brilliant talent with a video camera as well! Justin Lyon has created a fun little show designed especially for preschoolers with the aim of getting them up and moving around. Just think a fun and funky twist on Teletubbies, but WAY cooler :) It's called Yo Gabba Gabba and the show was recently picked up by Nick Jr. so keep and eye out because its bound to be a great sucess!

The Lyons gave me a copy of the pilot show a few months back and I brought it over to watch with two lil kids I babysit for. Now everytime I come over, the three year old always asks for " More Gabba Gabba"! LOL


Anyway, today I came over and the kids and I sat and watched it for the three thousandth time... I know all the songs and dances, so we did that as well ;)

Additionally, Their parents are housing directors so they live on a college campus and I just found out that a bunch of students have watched the show too! Apparently all the RA's ( resident assistant) planned a special 'date' just to watch the show and even assigned themselves characters from the show! Then an entire floor of girls it and now you can hear students randomly singing songs from the show...HAHA... One song called Party in the Tummy is often heard in the Cafeteria even!!

I told you it will be a phenomena!

Chck out this little trailer and stay tuned for the upcoming series :)

GoodBye Red DEVIL!!!

BIIIIG News of the day....
I drove RED DEVIL off a cliff and then bought a new car today!

I thought about waiting until I got home to take a cool picture of it but I was just so excited I couldnt wait that long... LOL

The guys at the dealership took such good care of me, I truly walked away with a blessing!!

Ta-Da!... here's my new car... what shall we name it?

Happy Happy Happy...FEET!

This is me... :)
I began thinking about where my love for Cartoon originated and I realized that it is the way they make me feel... As a child we couldnt always afford everyday luxuries but when you are 7, you dont know any different. I remember crawling out of bed on Saturday mornings and turning on the TV...lying on the floor, closing my eyes and imagining the pictures that accompained the voices I was hearing. We had a TV, but the TV had no picture...only sound. It didnt seem to matter...I remember feeling alive during those times because I was the animator and my imagination was excercised with each 1/2 hour segment. To this day, watching cartoons takes me back to that precious time in my life that serves as the foundation for my current imagination.
Additionally, and perhaps I can blame Walt Disney for this but, somewhere along the way I fell in love the singing and dancing cartoons that in turn birthed a love for musicals.

Since I am reminicing, I should also point out that I have collected penguins for years! I dont know how it started really but once people find out you like something, you end up with a BUNCH of them :) So, every year at Christmas I decorate an entire 6ft tree in nothing but penguin ornaments...and every year I get at least one new penguin ornament so the collection grows

Now all this actually DOES have a point! I am so excited because tomorrow the movie Happy Feet comes out and I am so giddy!!! Cartoons, singing, dancing, & penguins ALL ROLLED INTO ONE! I think this movie was created for me ;)
I am prepared to settle down in my theatre chair and let my imagination run wild...only this time, my eyes will be open!

I read this quote today...

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.
~Henry Ford

Happy Birthday Mark!

Todays my Brother's birthday so I figured I'd give him a little blog-lovin'!!


I also have been thinking and thinking about what to get him for his birthday and I decided the best birthday present I could get him would be a GIRLFRIEND!! So... if anyone is interested let me know...haha




Name: Mark Allen
Birthday: November 12, 1980
Hobbies: Photography, Hacking computer codes, shopping!, collecting music
Occupation: Sells kids shoes at Nordstrom ( Yes, ladies he is good with kids!!)/Photographer
Hometown: Portland/Vancouver
website: www.MarkyMarkAndTheFunkyBlog.blogspot.com & www.markgp.com
Favorite place to shop: Nordstrom

Note: He is the best brother ever! He likes to go shopping with me ( sometimes more than me) and never complains when I run and jump up and down on his bed to wake him up in the morning! He is my fashion consultant whenever I just cant decide what to wear! Just the other day I was buying a pair of UGGS and I couldnt decide the color so I called Mark and here is how the conversation went...
Mark: "hello"?
Shy: "Black or Chesnut" ?
Mark: "oooh, hard one... well black look better with pants tucked out and chesnut look better with pants tucked in ....so, CHESNUT!"
Shy: "OK, great! Thanks, luv ya, bye"

THE END

Oh and the best thing of all is if you marry him, you get me as a sister-n-law!!...lol
OK, so thats my feeble attempt at finding him a girlfriend... any takers?

He's soooo gonna kill me for this!

The Dalirifar girls

I spent the day at the field today. My Dad coached my little sister's soccer team to an undefeated season and today was the playoffs... Unfortunately they lost by one point but they played their little hearts out! The best part was watching my little sister make an awesome kick and we all thought for sure it was a goal, it nicked the goal post at the right angle to where it diverted its direction and the next thing I saw was my dad fall flat on the ground out of pure defeat.......It was hilarious!!! You have to understand my dad is the most competitive person..especially when it comes to soccer, so all the team parents just laughed :)
After the game I stole my little sisters away for a movie and then we took random pictures with Photobooth. I already knew I was a dork, but now I am convinced it runs in the family! ;)

Here are the lovely Paris and Chanel in their first ever photobooth debut...

It's finally done!

They began building last September and it is officially done!!! Yay!!
My brother just sent this sweet pic of the finished product!

Here are a few more before the furtinure gets moved in....
The Great room

The entry...




You know, our parents always go out of town for New Years...anyone wanna party???

While the Cat's away the Mice will play!

While the boss man was away at PhotoPlus, we took the opportunity to PLAY!! :)
Yesterday, Pictage treated our sales team to a wonderful lunch at PF Changs and then bowling!

I suck at bowling! The last time I went bowling, I barely broke 70...so this time my goal was to break a hundred, and LOOK I did it!! I even got second place on my team!
...haha...Im such a dork! Look how many times I gutter balled!!


Here is our team from lane 4... Ian Stone, Kurt Himerson, and me...


Yay!! I want to go bowling again...anyone up for it?!