christmas crepes.

every year, mama makes crepes on christmas morning. while the preparations are underway, we circle like vultures. when the breakfast bell is rung (metaphorically, of course), we all jump in and stuff ourselves with berries and cream and deliciousness. it's tradition and it's the best.


after crepes, we all head to the movies in our pajamas. that's right, the davis family rolls into whichever G-rated delight they please...in their pajamas. it's the only way to do movies on christmas day. believe it, baby.

'twas the night before christmas

it's been a WIIILLLLDDDD weekend...erm, week. christmas is cool like that, eh? so, here's a quick update on what i've been up to.

pops and i rang in christmas eve with a little off roadin' on the quads. the snow proved too much for us but we had fun while it lasted. the pups did too. they love nothin' more than racin' alongside the quads as we tear through the hills...good times, good times.


later that night, we headed down to the howe's for an authentic mexican dinner. enchiladas? DEE-lish! it was quite a spread. and what's better than good food and good friends? not a dang thing, i tell you.


after we'd stuffed ourselves with enchiladas and guacamole, we bundled up and headed out for a little christmas eve caroling. that's right, caroling. the visit list varies and this year there were only two on the list: rada lund and the goodey household. rada lund is 104 years old this year. yes sirree, 104! i swear, that lady gets more fiesty every year. at this point, she can barely see or hear but she was happy to see us gather around her bed for a quick visit.


after rada, we were off to the goodeys. i started babysitting for shannon goodey turner when i was about 13 or 14. many years later, the turners are still great friends. this weekend, eric and i had a little talk. we've got a long history of love and adoration. and i may or may not have "promised" to wait for him. the way things are lookin' for me on the dating scene, he may just be stuck with me. time will tell. in the meantime, i'll start working on ideas for care packages.

all in all, christmas eve was a delight. stay tuned to get the haps on the big day. it may or may not include delicious french recipes and pajama clad movie goers. you're gonna love it!

grammy.

my mom is the cutest grandmother around. she loves her grandbabies so much. from levi, hope, kyra and harmony to little lilli, aidan and alex in georgia or mr. jayden, grammy is the best! i love watching my mom moon over her grandkids.


sometimes these little ones get crazy, but they always behave when grammy's on duty. it's funny to watch. they learned quickly that tantrums get them nowhere at grammy's.


jayden is usually very serious. but when grammy picks him up and starts playing with him, he's all smiles! it's the cutest thing to see. he just chatters and giggles like she understands every word he's saying. adorable!

and so, to you mama, i raise my glass (martinelli's, of course). may you have many more grandbabies. and may some of them be mine!

the best part of my christmas trip so far.

holiday on the hobby

have you heard? only 6 days 'til christmas! i'm so excited! mostly 'cause this year i'm taking a good chunk of time off of work to visit the fam up in the great state of washington. oh, i can'[t even wait to see my (sort of) newest nephew! i'm gonna kiss his cheeks off! but enough about that.


miss allie hobbins played hostess this week aboard the hobby family yacht. we were supposed to be a part of the 100th annual newport boat parade but it was cancelled because of the weather. the rain was comin' down but we were all warm and snuggly in the cabin. we cruised the harbor for a bit and rung in the holidays with pizza, hot cocoa and plenty of games. thanks to the hobbins family for their generous hospitality. can't wait to go out again!

holiday festivatin'

until i make the trek to the evergreen state, i'm livin' it up in california. with all the light shows and whatnot, a body's guaranteed some serious festivatin' around christmas time. true story.


the first stop on our holiday festivatin' trip was 5 tunis in laguna niguel. it's the most incredible house i've ever seen. first off, there are TONS of christmas lights! the best part is that when you get there, you tune your radio to a specific station (90.5FM for the locals that might actually pop by for a visit) and the lights flash to the music playing on the station it's incredible. for video of the magic, click here.

after the tunis delight, we headed over to the ritz carlton. this year, there is a GIANT gingerbread village made in the shape of a sand castle. it's incredible and oh so festive.


i'm pretty sure these things are going to have to become holiday traditions! and, to hear miss tristen talk, what we've seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg! there are lit houses aplenty to view and many other socal christmas festivities to attend. i'm skippin' town on saturday, so i think i've seen all i can see at this point.

there's always next year, right? i sure hope so!

proud parents (and auntie).

i might get in trouble for posting this one of shari, but it was just too tender to pass up. isn't my sister-in-law beautiful? and how cute is my bro?! oh man, here come the tears again. excuse me for a minute.


okay, i'm back. i still can't believe how amazingly gorgeous shari looks for being in the thick of giving birth. man, oh man. if i could be half the wife and mother she is, i'll thank my lucky stars! my future husband will too!

and here's one of the proud papa.


oh, man. i can't WAIT to get out to georgia and kiss those little peaches! in the meantime, i'll have to satisfy myself with webcam games with miss lilli. oh how i love being an auntie.

bring on the eggnog.

the past week has been a whirlwind of holiday activity. here's a quick recap:

summer and i headed over to the orange county performing arts center for dicken's a christmas carol. it was jolly good times and got me right into the christmas spirit. after the play, we had some fun with the statues outside the theater. yeah, i know. we're ridiculous. i never professed to be anything other than than. besides, you know you love it.


and then came the boat dance. the huntington beach young adults hosted a newport harbor cruise. it was fun-filled night of dinner and dancing. after some bbq, m'girls and i got down on the dance floor. don't worry, mama, i was every ounce the lady you taught me to be. wink, wink.


then on saturday, i fulfilled my lifelong dream of getting up at the crack of dawn to freeze my bum off on a fishing vessel. true story. deep sea fishing, m'friends. i even caught a fish! if ever you decided to try your hand at deep sea fishing, be sure to make friends with the deckhands. they make life a lot easier.


the rest of the weekend was filled with cookie parties and mixers. good times, good times! i even fired up the christmas playlist finally! i'm super excited for the holidays. life is good, my friends. yep, real good.

by the way, i hate eggnog with every fiber of my being. just thought you should know.

vilkommen, bienvenue, welcome.

it was another wild weekend and the blog post is forthcoming, but i just couldn't WAIT to get this one up!

we've got twins in the family now! that's right - TWINS! last night, shari davis (married to my bro, ben) delivered two - count 'em TWO - healthy baby boys! yay yay yay!


alexander keith was born at 7:26pm and weighed in at 5lbs 11oz.


aidan scott was right behind at 7:27pm and weighed in at 5lbs 7 oz.

congrats ben, shari and lilli! we're so excited for the new additions to the family! our thoughts and prayers are with ben and shari as shari is recovering and those little boys gather strength to head home with their big sis!

book club virgin no more.

i've always been a voracious reader. i love nothing more than snuggling into my blanket with a good book. that said, i've never been part of a book club. weird, eh? maybe not.
at any rate, tonight i had my very first book club experience. it was most cozy and quite wonderful. we discussed "the proper care and feeding of husbands" by dr. laura. i know, i know. no, i don't have a husband and it's true that i'm not generally a fan of the doc. in fact, when i heard what we'd be discussing this month i thought, "hmm, maybe i'll wait 'til next month to join." i'm glad i didn't wait! this book is fantastic. i think the principles are applicable to marrieds and singles alike. the most important thing you can do is read it with an open mind. soon, you'll be seein' things her way! this book motivates women on so many levels. you won't be sorry you read it!
thanks to all the ladies that helped make the experience so positive! i loved your insights! can't wait for next month!

sabbath day schennaningans

i'm not sure why we had cameras in our bags. prolly 'cause we're photo fanatics like that. either way, that tristen. so stylish. so klassy. that's right, klassy with a k. and don't you forget it.


aren't you so jealous of tristen's cruella deville coat?! yeah, you know you are. i know you are. we all know you are.

weekend wackiness.

you see, it all started with a gumball...


...and some crazy girls.


then came a woman whose one true love happens to be a cream cheese filled pretzel.


throw in a handsome young man,


a lover's spat,


and a pic in front of cinderella's castle...


... you've got the makings of a fab-o night at disneyland.

oooh! and right now, it snows on main street. that's right, snow. in southern california. it really IS the happiest place on earth. really.

kinda fun.

this has been going 'round for a few weeks and i've ignored it. but i'm throwin' in the towel. here's how it's goin' down:

rules:
* grab the book closest to you. now.
* go to page 56.
* find the 5th sentence.
* write that sentence in the comment section.
* don't go looking for your favorite book, or the coolest one you have -- just grab the closest one.

here's mine: "grandson," he said, "there are two wolves living in my heart and they are at war with each other."

give it a go. you know you want to.

hark the bells

tonight was the annual ocmco concert. it was fantastic! auditioning for the choir was the best thing i've ever done. singing in the organization has been a blessing and an honor. i can't believe i've only been with ocmco for a year! either way, it's been a most fantastic year!


this concert was titled "all the bells on earth shall ring" and the program lived up to it's title. we had a bell choir this year. it was gorgeous. and, of course, there were a few brett stewart originals. we even had a glockenschpiel! yeah, that's okay, i didn't know what it was either. it's like...a xylophone. 'cept cooler.


speakin' of cool, don't i look so hot with my stage makeup?! lookout boys, i'm breakin' hearts tonight! me and my eight pounds of lipstick. smooches, anyone?


oh, and a shoutout to our concert photographer, heather morris! i stole the pics from her. for more info on her hilarity and daily escapades, go here.

to dance or not to dance? not even a question.

we rustled up the girls for 80s dancing last week. it just so happens that the very same night, south county experienced torrential downpours. after workin' up a sweat on the dancefloor, the cool rain was too much to resist. we took our dancin' to the streets and were soaked in seconds! good times, good times.


mom, if you're reading this, i just want you to know there were no boys around. none at all. they weren't sitting outside watching us re-enact flashdance or taking photos of said re-enactment. they weren't oogling our hot bodies or cat calling. not at all. nope, not one bit. promise.

vince vaughn is a dreamboat.

after the food coma wore off, i spent all of saturday doing my spring...erm, winter cleaning. it was a most productive day and i was totally in the zone. around five o'clock, i pulled myself out of the fog and had a chat with miss angel. we made plans to see a movie. we bypassed internment camps (boy in the striped pajamas) and hot aussie hugh jackman (australia) in favor of doofy men and leggy blondes. that's right, we saw four christmases with vince vaughn and reese witherspoon.


it was pretty cute. now that may or may not be because i'm a fan of vince vaughn and tend to place him firmly in the hot men category. yes, i recognize he's a total doof, but there's just something about him. yum! miss reese was great in the slapstick-esque scenes. it's not exactly a classic but it's a fun holiday film. maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't. but either way, that vince vaughn is so hot right now. true story.

the what?

benjamin scott davis

this be my brudda. ain't he cute? today is his birthday. that's right, the big 2-8.


happy birthday, old man. i'm so glad you got borned. life just wouldn't be the same without you.

like a bath after a long day.

it's been a delicious couple of days. and i'm not just talkin' about the garlic roasted turkey or rosemary vegetables or the...sigh...pecan pie. no, the deliciousness extends way past all of that.


generally speaking, my life is lived at jet setting speed. don't get me wrong, i love all of it. most of the time. but, when the holidays roll around, it's time to slow down. i love it. i love the laid back days filled with cooking and games and laughter. it's sleepovers with your bestie and pride and prejudice after a day of turkey and pie. it's a beautiful thing. the kind of beauty that puts a smile on your face and makes you sigh with contentment.

i'm grateful.

viva la vida

because sweet hookups are where it's at, angel and i were able to score tickets to the coldplay concert last night. two words: uh mazing. seriously, i was a fan before, but i'm officially a fanATIC now. they're incredible live.


oh that chris martin. such a sprightly fellow.

angel's friend lorie made a quick trip down from the high desert to join us. ain't see precious? i think so.


like i said, the band was phenomenal live. tons of energy and they really worked hard to connect with the audience. it was a super fab vibe. if you ever ever EVER get a chance to see them, take it! granted, the hookup prolly won't be as sweet as mine, but it'll be worth it!


p.s. i'm in love with the drummer.

if you've got a quarter hour to spare.

sure, he's a totally awkward and not-so-seasoned actor but once you get past all that, it's not so bad. the interviewer is super lame and her interruptions are slightly annoying, but robert is a dreamboat. oh that hair!

shaken not stirred.

what do you get when you cross ingrid, jason and a couple of ukes?



magic, my friends. musical magic.

survey says...ugh.

we braved the crowds on friday for a viewing of the most anticipated movie of the month. that's right, twilight.


i spent most of the day friday reviewing what the critics said about the movie. i was a fan of the books and was looking forward to seeing robert pattinson and kristin stewart doing their thing as edward and bella. the first review i read about twilight said:

I think Edward Cullen has Asperger's syndrome... Bella should totally go for Jacob instead, but then he could do way better with any of the townies... Edward looks lame ripping trees out of the ground and jumping around the forest like Tom Cruise on Oprah.

there were many scathing reviews. by mid-afternoon, i was almost considering bailing on the show altogether. here's what some other critics had to say:

Combines the plot of HBO's True Blood with the intensity level of Saved by the Bell.

How can a teen romantic fantasy not be at least some fun when the leading man's lipstick is several shades redder than that of the ingénue?

i must say, when edward entered with his highly-pigmented lips, i had to laugh. that critic was spot on. poor, poor bella. shown up by her hyper-made up vampire boyfriend. the girl didn't stand a chance.

and here was my favorite quote from the critics:

These aren't vampires. These are fairies.

classic! all in all, i'm not so much a fan of twilight the movie. yes, robert pattinson is hot but it just didn't do it for me.

now, if you'll excuse me, i'm off to write the screenplay for the second movie. these people need some help.

she's baaaack.

just kidding, she isn't. just kidding, she is. just kidding, she isn't but she was. just kidding. just kidding. just kidding.



kristin weig is the best thing to happen to snl in a long time. true story.

curse you ABC.

pushing daisies, my tied-for-most favorite show in the whole world, has been cancelled. for the full story, click here.

ned the piemaker is basically the hottest thing since...well, ever. my broken heart may never recover. i guess i'm stuck with reruns of the first season and repeated watching of miss pettigrew lives for a day. sad. what a world, what a world.

um...seriously.

this year, i'm on a quest for the most delicious thanksgiving dessert ever. i'm partial to pecan pie m'self. but this, this little darling, comes mighty close to pulling me away from my long time fave. in truth, i don't even really like pumpkin all that much. but i'd certainly be willing to give this flaky little bit a chance. ooey, gooey pumpkiny deliciosness? yes, please. for the recipe, click here.

hee-diculous.

have you seen that movie with jim carey where his life is being filmed 24 hours a day without him knowing it? i can't remember the name of it, but i couldn't help but make the connection when this little tidbit came across my email.

Online TV Shows by Ustream
you know, in the end, jim carey's character is horrified to learn that he's the star of his own reality. he feels used and violated. and i know puppies are a bit of a lesser being (i mean that in the nicest way), but i can't help but think they'll feel the same way. you know, as soon as they realize they're lives are being invaded. it just ain't right. but i can't stop watching.

the waiting game.

while we count down the hours and minutes until the release of the most anticipated tween movie since harry potter, m'girls and i are keeping busy.


angel's got a throwback to 311. 'member them? great band, great music. edward's amber eyes are most delicious.


tory's makin' a very bold statement about what she wants in a man. edward can take me to that grassy meadow and sparkle for me anytime!


and me, well, i just miss home. and, on behalf of the people of forks, i'd like to thank edward for puttin' it on the map. well, technically, it was stephanie meyer but she doesn't have amber eyes and her skin doesn't sparkle in the sunlight. i don't think.


look, ma! puffy paint! aren't we crafty?


see you friday! for the diehards, right at 12:01am. unfortunately, i'm a fan, but i'm not a diehard. at 12:01am, i'll be snug in my bed. but i'll be dreaming of you. and all the eighty gamillion screaming teenage girls waiting in line with you. i'll be rollin' in friday night. yeah, baby. i'm a fan.

hee-larious.

okay, seriously. i can't even handle this. these guys are in heels. HEELS! and they're doing the choreography from beyonce's video. i just can't even handle it.



we're the dancers. freakin' high heels! oh, man.

merry christmas! merry christmas!

yeah, yeah i know it's a bit early yet, but after last night's ocmco rehearsal, i'm more excited for christmas than ever! ocmco's annual christmas concert is wednesday, december 3 at segerstrom hall in costa mesa. you simply MUST come! one of our directors is also the composer for many of our pieces and he is incredible. we did a run through with the orchestra last night and the scores are phenomenal! i'm so excited! this is a GREAT way to ring in the holiday season!


to buy tickets go to www.ocpac.org. there's a link to "all the bells on earth shall ring" and that'll take you where you wanna go. if you can't find the link, just type ocmco in the search box. oh, and do it fast 'cause the hall is selling out! don't wait or you may be too late!

i heart rhyming. and ocmco. and the christmas season.

yet another musical tidbit.

for those of you that don't know or haven't figured it out yet, i have a most obsessive personality. but, hey. at least i'm consistently obsessive, right? the objects of said obsession aren't always or ever related, but you can almost always bet that there's an obsession a-brewin' in me head.

one of 'em is miss lisa hannigan. yeah, 'member that hauntingly beautiful (cliche but oh so fitting) voice that shared the song volcano with damien? that's lisa. she went her own way and started her own gig. right now, she's touring for jason mraz. lisa's adorable and completely loveable on stage. she's got this gorgeous, smoky voice. and the irish brouge is nothin' to thumb yer nose at neither. she's just a sweetie. see for yourself.



have a listen to her album and see if you don't love it. it's a bit of the acoustic folk again (like i said, obsessive) but i think you'll like it. i'm a fan of an ocean and a rock and keep it all. but i'll let you pick your faves. lemme know what you think.

old soul.

i'm sick. and while i wait for the nyquil to kick in (all you holistic health nuts need to back off about me poisioning my body, okay?), i will share with you what got me through a most horrific day of phlegm and faintness and a lost desire to live to see another day.

ready? it's a big'un. prepare to have your mind blown.


ta-da! mind blowing, right? right?! okay, okay. let me 'splain.

iron & wine rocks. that's bulletpoint numero uno. i've always been a fan of acoustic folk. what? my mama was a hippie. okay, i don't know if that was true, but i really do love acoustic folk. i just love the old soul quality of it. and iron & wine is as delicious as it comes.

oh, and as i perused their website today, i was dee-lighted to find that one of their songs is being featured on the twilight soundtrack. random but awesome just the same. now are you convinced?

give it a listen. lemme know what you think.

oh, mine eyes are feelin' mighty heavy. lights out.

the athens of the south

why travel all the way to greece...


...when they've got the same stuff in tennessee?


no, seriously. nashville has a full-size replica of the greek parthenon complete with 42 ft. statue of athena. crazy, eh?

brother newton and the church of ingrid

last night, instead of sitting at home on pins and needles for the election results (was it really a surprise?), my ladyfriends and i rallied for a trip to the house of blues in anaheim for an ingrid michaelson show. good times, good times.

i missed all but the last one and a half songs of the first opening act (not a fan) but managed to catch the second opening act, newton faulkner. he's fantastic. such charm, such wit. and i'm pretty sure artists hate when you make comparisons, but i'm also pretty sure he'll never read this, so i'm going to do it anyway. he reminds me a lot of john butler trio. now, i'm no guitar officionado, in fact i'm about the furthest thing from it, but to my untrained ears, the sound is similar. that said, newton faulkner live is ALWAYS worth the price of admission. check him out.

such a jolly troubadour, that newton.

and then there's ingrid. dear, darling ingrid. i like to call her sass with spectacles. okay, that was kinda lame. bottom line, the girl is a riot! i was lovin' her wit almost as much as her music. there's something about artists that are not only self-aware but can laugh at themselves that is just super endearing. she definitely knows how to connect with her audience. it helps when you're music isn't half-bad, either. in miss michaelson's case, she's the total package. her vocals are strong - she's got that low-ish gorgeous voice that jumps up into a higher register in the blink of an eye. it's pretty amazing. and the laughs keep coming. like i said, good times.

and yes, that just so happens to be a ukelele. clearly, ingrid michaelson is a woman of many talents.