A Fa La La LaLa Land Christmas

Hi, my name is Leeann and you can find me over at Join the Gossip, but today I am excited to be guest blogging for Kori! That's me below, in the red pants, standing next to Kori. This photo was snapped a few weeks back when we went to the set of Pretty Little Liars. Also with us are the wonderful bloggers, Annemarie of Brunch At Saks, and Kate of Nautical By Nature.

Annemarie, me, Kori, Kate

Now that we're all friends, let's get down to business! Christmas in Lala Land, aka Los Angeles. We may not have snow, or reindeer...or even temperatures that feel like it should be Christmastime, but we have The Grove and Farmer's Market! The Grove is an outdoor mall that was built right next door to the Farmer's Market, which has been around since 1934. So it's a great mixture of old and new and the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit.

Fun fact: remember during the first season of The Hills when Lauren and Heidi went to a winter wonderland to see the fake snow fall? Well, that was at The Grove!

Pretty lights, snowfall every night at 7 and 8pm, dancing water in fountains, Santa's cottage, and festive window displays adorn the walkways. And the tree is nothing short of magnificent! It's 100 feet tall with more than 15,000 lights and 10,000 festive ornaments.

Of course, no shopping center in LA would be complete without some Hollywood magic. This year there's a Happy Feet Two display featuring a lit up igloo to play in and adorable penguins to pose next to. So cute!

No matter how old you are it's pretty hard not to get into the Christmas spirit at The Grove and Farmer's Market! If you live in Southern California, be sure to make the trip this year. And if you're in town for the holidays, be sure to add it to your sightseeing list. It'll be worth it.

Merry Christmas from Leeann at Join the Gossip!

Must Have A Mustache?

Good morning all!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far.  It will be Christmas before you know it, can you believe it is 5 days til Christmas Eve?  Wow, I can't believe how time flies.  I've been done shopping for a while, but ran to Urban Outfitters the other day and found these adorable mustache highball glasses.  So, I ask, what's with the mustache trend?  I know it's been around for a while, but am I the only one who doesn't get it?  Can you enlighten me?  Check out some examples.

All images courtesy of Pinterest

Check back tomorrow through Thursday where I have some fabulous guest bloggers lined up!

What Christmas Means To Me...

Hi Everyone!  It's Heather from ...this & that... today on Blonde Episodes.  I was absolutely delighted when Kori asked me to guest post about Christmas.  Kori say's "the sky's your limit".  So, here goes...

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday - besides, of course, my birthday!  It's special to me for a number of reasons.  Let me explain.  I'm the oldest grandchild on both sides (mom and dad and step-parents) and it was always a very special time in my childhood.  It's about getting together with family and "now" friends (I have a lot of close friends that I consider family) and about giving.  I don't necessarily meaning giving "gifts" but, rather just giving.  I enjoy being with friends and family and celebrating and being thankful for what we have today and right now.  And of course the New Year as well but, that's another post entirely.

Yes, there's holiday parties and don't get me wrong those are fun too!  Let's see...getting dressed up, giving "Santa" gifts and simply getting together with those special people in our lives to celebrate the holiday, year-end and exciting things to come!  And right now I do have several people in my life dealing with difficult situations - loved ones being sick and in the hospital right now -- so, my heart goes out to them as well.  And let's just say that they are making the best of celebrating with those loved ones, too!  And that is what counts.

Let's not forget what the holiday season brings...  Snow!  Well, obviously this depends on what part of the country or world we live in.  Myself, I live in the Arizona, a.k.a. the Valley of the Sun and I would have loved for all of the rain yesterday to to be snow!  Oh, yes, I really, really do wish this.  I'm not too worried because I can head up north and play in the snow or just wait (and keep my *fingers crossed*) for my trip back to Chicago for New Year's weekend.  So, that brings me to snow and all things about it.  I've lived in Arizona for 11 years and I miss the snow.  Really I do!  I miss snowball fights, snow angels, snow forts, snowman.  Oh, and ice skating.  The best is ice skating (outside) while it's snowing. 

My tree.

Alright, as you can see I'm a bit sentimental regarding the holidays.  Christmastime is about the family and friends - those that are dear and near your heart.  It's a very special time to me and also a time that I get to give heartfelt gifts as well.  Sometimes they aren't much but, the present "gives" that special little smile like "wow, you remembered" or "wow, that's a very cool gift".  You know what I mean?  I'm sure you do.  It's not necessarily about the cost of the gift but, the gift itself and what it means to you and the recipient.  Right?  Right.  Anyhow, I'm on a budget this year and I'm sure most of you are as well and I think "most" of my gifts are pretty heartfelt and several of them I have made myself.  Yes, I'm a crafty girl.  If you follow my blog you know all about Blondie's Shop.  I've made some cross-stitch items, well had them, and completed them and decided to give them as gifts this year.  Pretty cool, huh?  I thought so.  Still...have no idea what to get my brother-in-law.  I like to be unique in my gift giving and not give the "norm" however, I think I might be out of the loop on that this year.

The holiday season means a few more things to me...  Putting up my Christmas tree!  This year I did it the weekend after Thanksgiving and it was fun.  However, this year I put it up by myself.  It's a tad bit different this year being single for the holidays but, I'll survive.  I enjoy deciding "which" ornaments to put up and how to style the tree with ribbon and which color to use, etc.  It's a design process...you know what I mean?!  And let's talk about wrapping the presents.  I love to coordinate all of my presents and use festive ribbon.  You see I really want the gift "and" the package look fabulous - makes the recipient not want to open it.  Ha-ha, I know.  Oh, and holiday movies!!!  The oldies and the new ones...

I'm looking forward to my sister and her husband's annual holiday party this Saturday.  I'll be staying overnight so that I can enjoy myself at the party and not worry about driving home.  Then Sunday morning I'm sure will go to breakfast and then back to her place for more cookie making.  Yes, you read that correctly - more!  We made a ton of cookies for the party this past Sunday and will make more for all of her kids - she's a teacher.  Anyhow, I'm pretty excited about the party.  Last year's party I did not attend because I was in Europe on my extraordinary vacation.  I'm also looking forward to Christmas Eve at my sister's this year.  I'll be staying over as well so, that my sis, her hubby and I can share Christmas Day morning together and I'll be making my signature cinnamon vanilla pancakes (courtesy of Dad).  Oh, and then we will be heading to the movies and then Chinese dinner at their place (something regular they do and I'm partaking "with" them this year).  Yes, I am staying over again because I have Monday off and then I'll head home.  And we will be sitting in front of their fireplace with hot chocolate and wine and having a ton of fun!

I'm on the left and my sis is on the right.
Fun times as always!

Christmas time also reminds me of all the things I am thankful for - for the year and all of my life lessons I've learned "before" it comes to an end.  It's a serious time of celebration for me and a very positive part of the year!  I'm looking forward to a fun holiday time this year, what about you?  Any fun plans and/or traditions that you have?  And my New Year's will be fun too, and you?

I wish each of you a fabulous holiday season!  So, what does Christmas (or the holiday season) mean to you?

Heather
a.k.a. Blondie from ...this & that...

PS - A special thank you to Kori for being a great find - not just virtual but, real life friend!  See you soon my dear.

all images via {pinterest}

Thank you so much Heather dear for filling in!!!!
Now on to the winner of my Pretty Little Liars Giveaway!
Katherine of Riddle Me This!!!  Send me your info honey and I'll send your DVD!!!!  Congrats!  Stay tuned for another giveaway soon!!!!

Rain, Rain Go Away...

I'm starting to feel like we are going to float away at any minute. If you are in California, you know what I mean. I envy those of you with some good old fashioned snow. Here are some fun images celebrating the rain. 3 More days until Christmas!

Festival of Lights

For those of you who don't live in Southern California, you might not know about the Mission Inn in Riverside. The Inn is an absolutely gorgeous piece of Spanish architecture that demonstrates the true history of California. Every year they decorate the entire hotel with gorgeous Christmas lights. It is definitely a sight to see. There are horse-drawn carriages, gingerbread houses, caroling, and more.

For 125 years it has been the center of Riverside, host to a number of seasonal and holiday functions, as well as occasional political functions and other major social gatherings. Pat and Richard Nixon were married at one of the two wedding chapels, Nancy and Ronald Reagan honeymooned there, and eight other US Presidents have visited the Inn: Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Gerald Ford, and George W. Bush.
Social leaders that have stopped at the Mission Inn include Susan B. Anthony, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Collis and Henry Huntington, Albert Einstein, Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Hubert H. Bancroft, Harry Chandler, Booker T. Washington, Helen Keller and John Muir.

The list of entertainers who have toured the Inn is extensive; Lillian Russell, Sarah Bernhardt and Harry Houdini were early visitors to Frank Miller’s hotel. Other guests have included actors such as Ethel Barrymore, Charles Boyer, Eddie Cantor, Mary Pickford, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis (who was married at the Inn in 1945), W. C. Fields, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Fess Parker, James Brolin and Barbra Streisand, Raquel Welch and Drew Barrymore. Comedians and musical entertainers such as Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard and Tears for Fears have stopped by.

The Inn continues to be a getaway for notable individuals to this day; Arnold Schwarzenegger has stayed there during his tenure as Governor of California and the Osbournes have also paid a visit in the past few years.

If you ever get a chance, whether it be at Christmas or another time of year, you must pay a visit to the Inn.

Christmas Past

I am so excited that it's finally cold again here in Southern California, so I decided to post a few vintage pics of Christmas Past. What do you think?

The Rockettes

So I'm taking Mom to see the Christmas tour of the Rockettes tonight at L.A. Live and can't wait! It should be so much fun!!! I didn't know much about them though, so I found out some interesting information.


The "Rockettes" are a dancing group founded in 1925 by Russel Markert. Originally they were called the "Missouri Rockets." The Rockets were such a success that a countrywide tour began, and at the end they landed in New York.

Roxy Rothafel was a New Yorker who had just opened the new Roxy Theater. After seeing the Rockets, he knew that this was just the group he wanted for his theater. Roxy doubled the groups size and changed their names to the Roxyettes. Eventually, the name was changed to the current Rockettes.

At present there are more than 150 members of the Rockettes, allowing the famous dance group to not only perform their New York Show at Radio City Music Hall, but also to tour the nation, delighting audiences all over with their famous kick line.

Hope we have a great time! Have a fabulous weekend friends!