Best Presents Ever

  I hope everyone had a happy holiday.  This time of year it is really easy to let all the work and family stress overwhelm you until you are nothing but a big ball of Grinchy goo.

  Its because of all this stress that sometimes people just get overwhelmed and run out of time to shop so they go with a gift card or just put some money in an envelope.  Which I have nothing against,  but this year I was given two presents that someone put a lot of thought and live into and that made them quite possibly the best presents I have ever received.

  Both of these amazing presents were given to me by my girlfriend. And I know some of you are thinking, 'Of course she got you cool gifts. That's what a girlfriend is supposed to do.' But I can tell you from my experience that is not always the case. More often than not, people will  buy something just so they can cross a name off their list. Sure it might be a cool gift,  but does it have any meaning behind it.

  The first gift my girlfriend gave me was a set of three ornaments. Which is really awesome because I had been looking for the perfect ornament to put on our Christmas tree. I wanted to be something special that somehow tied into this being the first Christmas my girlfriend and I spent together. So, years down the road when we hang the ornament up we can both smile and reflect.

  The ornaments were snowmen and Christmas trees with little picture frames in the center done in a style that I can't really describe but I like. And to be honest, I'm including a picture, so you can see for yourself. Inside the picture frame of one of the snowmen, she had written, "V + J: 2013".

  Sure it was such a simple thing, but it meant so much. She could have got anything at all and I would have been happy. However, by giving me those ornaments it not only shows she put a lot of thought into her gift, but also that our first Christmas together was special to her as well.

The Perfect Ornament 

  The second gift she gave was a drawing of a giant pair of pants and on a Post-It Note, two stick figures. The boy stick figures asks the girl "Are these my size?" and the girl responds with a loud "No".

  What does these mean besides being a cool piece of art? It means my girlfriend thinks my pants are too big. Which is true. You can't argue with the truth.

I have issues with buying the right size pants

  The picture is also a promise of an adventure. One day we will go out into this crazy world in search of a pair of pants that will fit me and whatever happens along the way happens. It is probably one the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me just for the sheer fact of how creative it was and the story behind it.  I have it framed and every time I look at it I think how lucky I am and get a big dopey smile on my face.

  Based on just the amazing time I have spent with my girlfriend and these two incredible gifts alone, this has been the best Christmas I have had in years.

Thank you

My Art Fair On The Square 2012 Thoughts

  Weekends can be a little tough. Sometimes it is so hard to find something to do. Especially when the temperature is in the high 90s. Luckily, this weekend it was pretty easy to come up with something. Kelly and I decided to brave the heat and went to Art Fair on the Square.

  There were lots of cool booths displaying everything from paintings and blown glass to sculptures and rugs. I even bought my first piece of art.

  We only stayed for about two hours because of the heat. Seriously, I was glistening all over the place. However, while we were there, I couldn't help but notice a few things.

  1. Why did almost every adult I see have a cup of beer in their hands? Is the idea that if people get drink enough they will be more likely to buy art? I mean, it's an outdoor art fair, not tailgating before a Green Bay Packers game. Plus, doesn't walking around with cups of beer violate some kind of public intoxication or open container law? I guess as long as drunk guys are using horrible one liners to pick up statues of the female form, it's all good.

  2. While some of the booths always seemed to have people coming and going, other booths seemed emptier than a bottle of vodka at Chelsea Handler's house. I couldn't help wonder if the people at the more popular booths look at the empty ones and taunt them by yelling, "My art is better than your art. Na-na na-na boo-boo."

  3. Some of the places that sold these really awesome photographs that were matted and framed. They usually ran for around $150 to $800 depending on the size or type of frame. And for the most part that makes sense. What doesn't make sense is when you are selling a post card sized copies of the same photographs that aren't framed and aren't always matted for between $20 and $50.  In what cracked out universe does that make sense.

  4. Smoothies that cost $6. Really? Really!?! Really!!!. What the frak is that about. My one smoothie is going to cost more than a foot long corn dog and fries. Were these smoothies made with fruit collected from Mount Olympus. It's not like they even come in cups that would make you go, "Holy crap, this thing is ginormous." No. It's just a regular sized cup. Apparently, someone is taking pricing lessons from the movies theaters.

  And lastly...5. Why do some guys do that thing where  they sort of take their shirt off, but not really. You know, the guys who lift the fronts of their shirts up and over their head, so basically you see their chests and stuff, but they never really took their shirt off. It just looks like they have a piece of cloth going from one shoulder behind the neck to the other shoulder. And to clarify, this is fine if you look like you spend a few days in the gym. It's not fine if you look like you spend a few days a week swallowing basketballs whole. And for God's sake, don't strut down the road like you are working the runway at this years, Hottest Man Alive Competition. No! You stop that right now; pull your shirt back down and grab one of ten pound bags of carmel corn before you go any farther.

  These and a few other thoughts popped into my head as we made the rounds at the art fair. I can't say that in the seven hours away from the fair I've come up with any answers, but I do know I have till next year by this time to figure them out. After all, who knows what thoughts and questions I will have next year.