Today

Juno

I liked it. And I want a Paulie Bleeker of my own.

"You're just the coolest person I've ever known. And you don't even try!"

"Actually, I try really hard."

Spoiled!!

A Hanson Family Christmas:

A breakfast of chocolate croissants, coffee, satsuma oranges, and scrambled eggs. Hours of opening unexpected, delightful gifts. Fat snowflakes falling in Seattle for an hour or two?! A leisurely lunch of chilled salmon and brie with mushrooms. An afternoon spent reading. A dinner of barbecued steak, baked potatoes, greek salad, and toasted parmesan-garlic rolls as we watched Harry Potter by the fire. A dessert of See's Candy while we laughed at favorite episodes of The Office.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

I am blessed beyond measure.

Christmas Eve

Today I:

*Slept in until 9am
*Went for a walk in the sunshine
*Enjoyed a cup of coffee
*Did laundry
*Watched several episodes of Gilmore Girls
*Wrapped Christmas gifts
*Read Vogue
*Did a lot of praying
*Enjoyed the sweet Christmas music of Sufjan Stevens, The Carpenters, Amy Grant, Sarah McLachlan, and The Singers Unlimited!

I'm so thankful for all I've been given this day and am looking so forward to hours of cheer tonight at Harry & Sandy's with a few members of my family! God is good.

December Supper Club

A Christmas Tea hosted by Gwen and Erin, featuring warm spinach-and-tomato salad with spiced pecans and goat cheese, three-onion soup, rasberry cordial and champagne, chicken-almond-cranberry tea sandwiches, minature quiche and crabcakes, brie-and-raspberry tartlets, cheese and crackers, english breakfast and herbal orange spice tea served out of a camel teapot, scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, and strawberry jam, chocolate shortbread petit fours, and coconut-almond-fudge cookies. Delightful indeed!

SAG Awards Nominations...

Now this is what I'm talkin' about!!

FILM

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Ryan Gosling (Lars and the Real Girl)
Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild)*
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart)
Ellen Page (Juno)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)*
Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men)
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
Catherine Keener (Into the Wild)*
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

3:10 to Yuma*
American Gangster
Hairspray
Into the Wild*
No Country for Old Men

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Drama Series

James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Hugh Laurie (House)
James Spader (Boston Legal)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Drama Series

Glenn Close (Damages)
Edie Falco (The Sopranos)
Sally Field (Brothers and Sisters)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

Outstanding Peformance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Ricky Gervais (Extras)
Jeremy Piven (Entourage)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Comedy Series

Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?)
America Ferrera (Ugly Betty)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty)

Outstanding Ensemble, Drama Series**

Boston Legal
The Closer
Grey's Anatomy
Mad Men
The Sopranos

Outstanding Ensemble, Comedy Series

30 Rock
Desperate Housewives
Entourage*
The Office*
Ugly Betty

*YEAH!!
**Still no love for Lost...hmmm. It's really too bad.

Radical Christmas

An abundance of laughter, food, gifts, hot pink, games, and good old-fashioned '80s style cheer. Joy!

PNB does it best

Last night, The Nutcracker! It still seems as magical to me as it did when I was a little ballerina...my heart is stirred every year with a pang of longing and regret that after ten years of dancing, I quit to pursue other sports (running, mostly.) It was my dream for a long time to be a part of this cast one day. I really think Seattle does it best...I love the sets & costumes by Maurice Sendak and the choreography matches Tchaikovsky's symphony so well. I know many who grew up with more traditional performances can be shocked at some of the variations in this version, but to me it is quintessentially Seattle...and an essential part of our family's holiday season! (I think we've only missed one performance in the entire run of the ballet.)


The party scene is one of my favorites...



Michael loves the Harlequins and the Chinese Dragon...


My dad loves the Waltz of the Flowers...


And my mom watches Clara & The Nutcracker Prince carefully to make sure he isn't a "weenie prince." (Stanko Milov passed the test with flying colors.)


As far back as I can remember, I longed to be the beautiful, sexy Peacock...

It was so fun to run into many friends before and after the performance...now to bask in the glow until next year.

Traveling, traveling, near and far...

Christmas bells are ringing!

Highlights from the last two weekends...

On a snowy hill above Wenatchee with Leah, Caroline, and

Rachael...it was a Winter Wonder Weekend filled with Christmas cheer!



In Leavenworth Village with Father Christmas



Warming up by the fire



The famous Hat Shop!



Magic!!
A weekend of Christmas carols, snow falling, White Christmas and hot toddies, and the celebration of the first Sunday of Advent...truly delightful.



And then on to a warmer climate...



Nicole and I on our way to the LA Fashion District



Strolling in Burbank after lunch at the Granville Cafe - "The Best New Restaurant in Burbank!" All organic...mmmm.



We made frequent stops at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf...



...and we relaxed with many episodes of The Office.



On a clear day you can see the Hollywood Sign from The Grove.



In front of the Christmas tree with Mandy & Amiliah...



...and Kelly & Nicole with the giant menorah! Happy Christmukkah everyone!



Baby, it's cold outside (even in LA.)

Great friends, lots of laughter (The Groundlings, The Office, and ourselves), SUNSHINE, really good food, red carpets, celeb sightings...the perfect SoCal Weekend. FABULOUS!