Santa Baby

Last night's Elf Party was fabulous! I totally wish I had taken a picture of my costume, but I'm sure they'll surface from other peoples' cameras soon enough, so I'll post one when I can. In the meantime, just imagine me dressed in red velvet santa-suit style pajama pants and a green shirt, with an elf hat that has ears sewed onto them. What I DO have to share today is some of the pictures I took last night. There aren't as many as I had planned to take, since I was busy schmoozing and belting out BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE with my friends.

I think for sure one of the biggest highlights was the cake that Luke brought:

Also, the fact that he was daring enough to put some syrup on his spaghetti:

H. Stubbs won the child's costume contest as Frosty The Snowwoman:

Her little sister, E. Stubbs was DEFINITELY a favorite as well! She was the ghost of Christmas past.

What's even better is that when I got home, I had some treasures waiting for me in the mailbox!

I recently ordered some personal stationary from my favorite Etsy shop: PLAIN JANE'S CARDS. Jane makes such beautiful cards using great fabric patterns. She had posted some updated patterns lately and I found one that was just too "me" to pass up! So I ordered some and then had her personalize them for me so that I could use them as stationary to send notes to friends! Here they are, personalized with my nickname, AMO!

I just adore them! They're perfect for me!

I also got this super creative Christmas card from my mentor & friend, Brian Brooks and his beautiful wife, Hannah:

One of the fun things about it is the silhouette on the back to represent their dog Louie. So so sweet!

All in all, yesterday was pretty amazing! And if you don't believe me, just watch this quick clip of Corbett as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Lounge Singer!

I Can't Stop Partying

Welcome to Christmas Party Update Central

I still have one more party before I head home for the holidays, but I figured I'd go ahead and do a weekend party recap!

On Friday, we had the Westside Leadership Party and I got to create a new Christmas game for everyone to play! I think it went very well—getting people to do creative silly stuff is so much fun to watch (and participate in)!  The game involved the following supplies:

A roll of toilet paper
5 Red Vines
6 toothpicks
10 marshmallows
3 pieces of gum
5 paper clips
3 rubber bands
and 3 pieces of string/raffia

As part of the game, each group (4 people) had to pick out a hat the name of one Christmas Carol. They then had to use the supplies to create a visual representation of that Christmas Carol. I had little H.Stubs judge to decide which one was the most creative. And the winner was:

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER!

There is nothing quite so quality as seeing Evan dressed up as Rudolph, complete with red vines shoved up his nose!

Then on Saturday, I went to Heather J's Birthday / White Elephant Gift Exchange Party and it was jam-packed with good times! I got to hang out with friends, talk about New York, make awkward poses while hanging from the pull-up bar in their house, and of course I got some rad gifts! I got chocolates and biscotti—not bad for a White Elephant Gift Exchange! I must admit, though, the real fun times happened when this little guy made his appearance:

That's right, a bonafide fiber-optic peacock!

And then this afternoon, I joined up with some friends for a Gingerbread House Party! A few years back, I got to make a gingerbread house with my friends Cory and Chase and we decided to make a gingerbread crack house. I don't even remember why, but it was hilarious!  Here's a pic of us back then trying to make our crack house:

I had so much fun making that one back then that I decided to relive the fun by making another gingerbread crack house at the party! Here's what I started out with:

And here's how it actually turned out . . . after a long fight against frosting and graham crackers. It is quite literally a cracked house ;)

You see, it's perfect! The front looks just like any normal house on the block, and the real business goes on inside and in the back. Kelsey said, in reference to my creation, "It's like a mullet. Business in the front, party in the back!" The top of the house is covered with weed growing on the top and the inside contains "the lab." The back of the house even comes complete with an escape ladder to use when the cops come by to bust the joint!

Here are the other (read: more serious) gingerbread houses that were made by the others:

Erica's Lighthouse

 Josh's Tugboat

 Kelsey's Gingerbread House

Brian's Gingerbread House

Tomorrow night I have an Elf Party to go to and I'm so excited! Elf is one of the best Christmas movies ever and spending the evening quoting it and eating all of the 4 main elf foods is gonna be rad!

And as promised, I wanted to show you the fun postcard I designed for my community group! I truly love how fun these people are and I'm thankful that they went along with the zany idea to take pictures with the snowflake glasses on!

(click to enlarge)

Green

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . 

The time for having great hang times with friends at Christmas parties!! I know that the Christmas season is all sorts of jam-packed with one event after another, but I can't really complain. I enjoy getting to reconnect with people in the midst of busy weeks. It challenges me to make conversation and fun times count more because, like me, my friends are busy during this season and the time I get to see them is fewer and far between.

Another great thing about these parties is the delicious food I get to enjoy. Since moving to Seattle, I've gotten to experience a whole other style of cuisine. There are so many things that people make here that I never had in the land of Tex-Mex and Barbecue. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE those things as well and I will definitely enjoy them when I get home for the holidays, but it's interesting to try new foods too!

I'll share one funny thing that happened lately involving holiday parties and food. So, my workplace organizes a holiday party every year and we all sign up to bring delicious treats. Last year, I was one of the last ones to sign up because I couldn't figure out what to make. This year, I wanted to get a jump on things and go ahead and get my name on the list before I was stuck trying to make something difficult—those things usually don't end well. There were two people already signed up on the nearly blank sign-up sheet and I figured I would make a salad, because y'know, they're simple and don't require watching 8 hours of a cooking show. So I rushed to the list and made my mark:

(click image to enlarge)

That's me, first on the salad list, and let me tell you, when I figure out what kind of salad I'm making it will DEFINITELY live up to its description on the list!

The best thing though, is that AFTER I wrote that down, my other co-workers joined the fun! I love that the people I work with


1) Tolerate my shenanigans.


2) Know how to have fun.


3) Are just as mysterious as I am.


4) Make me feel awesome!

Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!

Joy To The World

Okay so if you haven't been following me on twitter (ps: all my 'tweets' are on the right-hand side bar . . . over there ------->) then you know that every day since December 1st I've been sharing one random Christmas fact about myself. Well, since I needed to 1. get back into the blogging habit and 2. embed a video for this fact, I decided to carry it on over into Blogville. :D

So here it is: Amo's Christmas Fact #20: I made up a Christmas Rap once.

Okay, so really it's just a funny beat. But what happened was, I was carrying around this ring sizer thing one day and started shaking it and I thought, "Man, this sounds like sleigh bells!" So I figured I would capitalize on that and use it to aide me in making a 'phat rap beat' and adding in my own HO HO HO/record scratch ;)

It's 100% real and 150% ridiculous—just the way I like it! :D

PS: 3 more days till I leave for Austin! crayyyyyzaaaayyyy! :D

Back Again

Amanda Martinez is a fan of

Parachute

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It's SOOOO true! I'm a fan!

I LOVE this band so much! So much so in fact, that I'm thinking of singing their song, Winterlove for my work's Holiday Party! I know it's gonna be this huge brave thing, but since moving here to Seattle, I've noticed that a lot of the things I do lately are huge brave things. So why not, y'know? The great thing about the people I work with is that they are not as judgmental as others, so I'm sure that even if I suck they'll at least pat me on the back. ;)

Here's the song (i would of course sing a girl version subbing the "her" for "him" and sounding slightly less manly ;) heheheh)


In other news, Kelley gets here on tomorrow and I'm SO excited to have her here!! She's been such an amazing friend and I really really really love spending time with her! :D And we get to have lots of fun together for the next 2 weeks!

Here's just some of what we got planned:

- Space Needle
- Experience Music Project
- (maybe) Ride the Ducks
- The Aquarium
- Exploring Neighborhoods
- Parachute/Kelly Clarkson Concert
- Justin Nozuka/Sam Bradley Concert
- Pie Night

and that's just the beginning! We're gonna be having sooooo much fun!

And then, in just a few more weeks, I'll be heading home to Austin for some much needed family time :D

I can't WAIT to hug all my friends and family! :D They make my heart happy!

I Want To Be Small

Today my mom called me because my niece, Vanessa wanted to talk to me! A lot of times I talk to Vanessa and I don't understand some of what she's saying. Partially because of poor reception with the phone, and even more because she's 4 and doesn't say every word properly, or says it but doesn't know how to phrase it so I can understand.

But as I was talking to her today, this is what she told me:

"Manda (that's what she calls me), today I went to the store and I got to see Santa Claus! I got to talk to Santa and I was telling him what I wanted for Christmas. I was telling him about the Little Pet Shop Toys I wanted and the barbie I wanted and the Dora doll I wanted and the Princess stuff I wanted and I was so happy to see Santa. But But But But...Santa didn't listen to me. And he didn't want to talk to me. And I kept telling him what I wanted and he didn't talk back to me."

You can imagine my confusion at this ridiculous Mall Santa Claus not doing his job...or department store Santa thinking he's so above his holiday job! But then later I talked to my mom, and here's what SHE told me:

"Oh well, I took Vanessa Girl (what my mom calls her) to the store with me today and she saw Santa Claus. And she was talking to the Santa Claus."

To which I interjected: "Yeah I know, she said he wouldn't talk to her"

And then she goes,

"Oh yeah, that's because it was an inflatable Santa that you put in the front yard. But she just kept talking to it and it just kept standing there. But she was really excited to see the Santa."

THEN I BUSTED OUT LAUGHING!!

And my mom was like, "What's so funny?" (she really didn't know???!!!??)

And I told her:

"I'm sorry, I'm just totally picturing her standing there talking to this Santa and getting so frustrated because this 'figure' associated with Christmas won't give her the time of day! Ha Ha Ha! She was so upset when she was telling me about it earlier and I couldn't figure out what she was talking about! Now it's just cute...because she totally expected it to be real! She's so young and so free of any barriers that would keep her from seeing the world through a grown-up's eyes!"

And my mom agreed and said she'd never thought of it that way.

But man, it was just so great for me to have experienced that story! I was like, man... She must have been so upset! She just wants to tell Santa what toys to get her for Christmas and has so many expectations of the world around her, that nothing has popped in her mind to say "oh that doesn't exist" "oh you're just being a child- that's not real" And for some reason, it just made me smile all day! :D

Then I had the chorus to this song stuck in my head for a few hours as I kept thinking about the situation:

The Show Must Go On

I decided today that since Christmas movies are playing non-stop on TV and the Christmas songs are blasting in the stores, I may as well take a moment to share with you all MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES. I really only have 5 favorites, so I'll share them with you here!

1. THE POLAR EXPRESS



Okay so this came out in 2004, which means I was 23 when I saw it. And I felt like a kid again after seeing it. It was made so intricately and so astonishingly well. I got the DVD for Christmas the year it came out and was soooo excited! And then I bought it again a few months ago because they re-released it in 3D! If you can afford it, go get the 3D version! It's so cool!

--- My Favorite Line From The Movie---
"The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on. "


2. RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER



This used to be my #1 before THE POLAR EXPRESS. I don't know what it is, but I love stop motion animation just makes me smile. It's old-school, but it's still awesome!

--- My Favorite Line From The Movie---
"That's why I'm a misfit toy. My name is all wrong. No child wants to play with a Charlie-In-The-Box so I had to come here. "


3. BABES IN TOYLAND

Here's where it gets tricky...

I'm not talking about the traditional Babes In Toyland with Annette Funicello. No, you see, in 1986, there was a Made-For-TV Remake of Babes in Toyland and I fell in love with it! What's funny is that I've tried for years to convince my brother that it exists...and I still don't think he believes me. Well, if he checks out my blog, then he'll know. ;)



And yes, that is a young Keanu Reeves! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I really love the CINCINNATI song they sing in it too! And I love that it's got a twist on the original. :D

--- My Favorite Line From The Movie---
"Why don't you keep your business out of other people's noses? I think I wrote that down wrong, but you know what I mean."



4. RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR



This is a follow up to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Again, it's got the stop-motion animation that I love and it introduces some funny new characters. I remember seeing it as a kid and wanting to visit the Archipelago Islands and experience life in all the different years! This movie makes me smile a lot!

--- My Favorite Line From The Movie---
"Those Ears!! Those Ears!! Those Ears!!!"


5. SCROOGED



This is my FAVORITE version of the Christmas Carol story! It's so dark and comedic! Bill Murray is totally nuts in it!! And I love Carol Kane's performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present. And Bobcat Goldthwait is hilarious in it too! I really love the twist it gives to one of the most traditional stories for Christmastime.


----------------------

Okay, well that's my list. What are some of your favorites???

there's no place like home for the holidays

so for those who don't know, my family flew me down to Austin for a holiday visit! I got to spend 11 days at home seeing everyone and having a blast. The best part about it was that it was a BIG SURPRISE FOR EVERYONE! I'll tell you about it and then I'll share some pics!

So originally my dad and stepmom were gonna come up and visit me in Seattle for Thanksgiving, since my dad was on leave from Iraq. But then they decided it would be easier, cheaper, and cooler to just fly me down! So they did! It was so surreal being back in Austin, and truth be told, I was kinda worried it would be too early for me to go back- you know, cause i might just move back if i realized how much i missed it. But I'm back in Seattle, and realizing more and more that this is where I belong! :D

We originally thought that my dad was coming in on Sunday, but he didn't get in till Monday at noon. You can imagine the shock when I showed up at church on Sunday. I made it halfway through the parking lot before Steph Pyles (an MCA second year student) ran up to me, shouted my name and tackled me with a bear hug! It was so awesome!! And all of a sudden, everyone crowded around me and just hugged and loved on me! It was so sweet!! It was so good to see everyone! And I didn't realize it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, until all the youth kids, my small group kids, and other youth leaders kept asking me, "Are you coming to Pie Night...Are you coming to Pie Night...Please come to Pie Night" Pie Night, for those who don't know, is the big Thanksgiving Party for the 3 different youth groups that are affiliated with my ATX home church, GTaustin. The three would be: Ten Student Ministries, Unique Reflection (in Liberty Hill) and The House (in Manor). So when we found out my dad wasn't coming in till Monday, I agreed. It was so much fun- like I had never left! I went to lunch after church with a bunch of MCA peeps- to EZ's!! It felt so great having an Alamo Bowl again! :D

After that, I got up the courage to venture back into the MCA offices and hung out with Dave and Mike and met all the new MC guys. Then I went to go help set up for Pie Night. They let me lead the Christmas Movie Game, create a skit, and do my infamous TURKEY DANCE hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! The highlight was seeing one of my small group girls- Keaton, and when i tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around, screamed my name and jumped into my arms, and gave me the biggest hug! it was so awesome to get such a sweet reception! I had so much fun at Pie NIght!

Then I went to coffee with Laura Sexton...soon to be Castagnola! And had such a great time hanging out and talking. And I got to stay the night with her at the Hardy House! It was so great!

Then on Monday, I surprised the Norphy's when I showed up to morning workout with Master's. Midway through, me and Christina left to go grab coffee at Genuine Joes and it was so wonderful to catch up with her!

I had to leave before lunch, but had a blast going to morning prayer and hanging out with the staff and third years in the office. Then we went to go pick up my dad at the airport! It was so great to see him!!! HE WAS THE ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP!! And just so you guys can get a feel for how awesome my dad is, apparently he met a fellow soldier at the airport and offered the guy a ride home...to Killeen...which is...an hour and a half outside of austin, so that the guy didn't have to take a bus and delay his return home! But before we took him, we invited him to join us for lunch at Cheddars (yumm!!) and my dad paid for the guy's meal. My dad is so my hero! I love him!!

So then after we got home, my dad opened some of his presents and shared some stories with us and we had such a fun time just enjoying his company. Then it was time for bed. The next day me, dad and cindy went to breakfast and just hung out. I also got to have lunch with Elaine Zuniga at Chili's! I love hanging out with Lainer! She is such an inspiration to me!

I also got to have lunch with Carrie Sue at Chuy's- good ol' Tex Mex! And I finally got to meet Fancy, her cute puppy!

And for the FIRST TIME EVER i went shopping with the family on Black Friday. Talk about MADNESS!!! I really don't do well in large hostile crowds. The first place we went to was Wal-Mart and it was utter chaos. I took one look at the crowd and was like, um... i'm gonna go check out the books. And when I got to the book section, sure enough...it was just ME AND THE BOOKS! ha! no one was looking in the book section! hahahahahahaha!! Then we went to Target and I was looking for a pink care bear for my niece (the big thing she wanted for her birthday) and got trapped in between 4 carts on either side in the toy aisle. I was so done with shopping! I started sweating and getting dizzy. It was bad. I grabbed the care bear and got outta there!

The week was full of family gatherings, meetings with friends, and spending quality time with my dad. That also included sharing my testimony with my dad, which was a big deal for me. and it was so freeing! I absolutely love my dad! We celebrated Thanksgiving with the family and celebrated Christmas on Sunday. The time at home was so great- I got to see my mom, sister, and my niece and hang out with my family! And I got to have dinner with the MCA staff too! it was so good to be back in Austin, and I am so grateful for the path that God has me on! He's been so good to me! And now I'm back in Seattle and so thankful for where God is taking me from here on out! Trusting Him has been one of the best things ever in my life!

Now, here are some pictures from my time in Austin! I hope you all enjoy! I didn't get to include a lot of details from my trip, cause it would take hours to write out...but if you want to know, just ask. :D

[CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE]