Kristabella: Full of Snark Since 1977

Posted By Kristabella on December 8, 2009

I never found that post I wrote on my iPhone. And because I was so exhausted when I wrote it, I don’t even remember what it said besides “I had a good time! I want the Martells to adopt me! Bella told me I’m the ‘best Kristin ever!’ Pig was a theme of the weekend! Which is funny since I was staying at a house full of Jews! Atlanta FTW!”

So yeah. That’s about it. The post wasn’t even that good. I wrote it more for something to write, since it had been nearly a week since my last new post. Honestly, the most blog-worthy part of it was meeting that girl who worked with Slapdick Consulting. And I already told you that.

Instead, I shall tell you something that may or may not make you sad. I have decided………(drum roll)………………I’m not sending out Christmas cards this year.

(Audible GASP from the audience)

So if you’ve been waiting to see what my card was going to be, looking for it in your mailbox, you can stop looking. I have ended a short-lived tradition.

The reason I’m doing it is mostly a cost and time thing. Also, I didn’t have anyone super, duper famous, just a bunch of ex-reality show contestants. My heart just wasn’t in it. Sending all those cards gets pricey. I know a lot of effing people! So I think it was a wise choice to not send them. Especially since I just had to pay my property taxes and that was A LOT of money. (Look at me being a responsible home owner!)

I am sad though. I loved sending cards. For some of the people that I sent cards to, it was a way to keep in touch, once a year, to let them know I still think of them and am happy to know them. But alas, this year they will think I don’t like them anymore and they got booted from the list. (Which would probably only be the case with some of the people.) (Not you reading this, of course.) (Well, maybe you.)

I made this decision a few weeks ago. I knew it was time to be ordering the cards and it just felt like a chore. It felt like the right decision. No typing up labels, and buying stamps and licking close to 200 envelopes! But now that I’ve started to get some cards in the mail from friends, I’m bummed that I didn’t do it. Well, not bummed enough to actually send out cards, mind you.

So there you go. No KJ with a Famous Person card this year. I’m hoping to pick up the tradition next year and just tell everyone that I was on sabbatical or something.

Maybe I’ll send an ecard. That’s free! And easier! Or just tell everyone to look at this post at the old cards to let them know I wish them a holiday season full of cheer.

Can I just pick it up again next year like nothing happened? Have you stopped crying from the SHOCK of it yet? Will you ever forgive me? How about you? Do you send cards?

Category: Holidaze, Land of Random | 22 Comments »
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Posted By Kristabella on December 7, 2009

I know I haven’t posted in a long time. But I was busy last week getting ready for my trip to Atlanta this past weekend. And while I was in Atlanta, I was busy hanging out with Ali and her kids, coloring and drinking wine, so I didn’t post.

I’m back from my trip. It’s almost midnight and I’m pissed off because I spent about an hour on the plane typing a VERY LONG POST into my WordPress app on my iPhone. I typed a whole fucking post and now? It is GONE. Saved it as a draft and it is nowhere to be found. Fucking technology. Now I know…..DO NOT USE THE WORDPRESS IPHONE APP! HULK SMASH!

So you’ll have to wait to hear more about my trip tomorrow. Because I’m exhausted and I need to go to work tomorrow. Plus I should probably plan to get up earlier since it is supposed to SNOW tonight.

But I will share with you one highlight from my trip. On Saturday night, I went to Darcey’s holiday party at her office. I met a friend of hers who no longer works for her company, but is a consultant. At Slalom Consulting. Which is the place that fired me for this here website. So, small world, huh?

She was very nice and I didn’t hold it against her that she works there. Plus, she also agrees Slalom is a stupid name.

And now, my bed is calling my name. Because it’s cold in here. Because I turned the heat off while I was out of town. Good thing the cats have fur.

Kristabella out.

Category: All Things Blogging, Rants & Rants, Travel | 12 Comments »
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Posted By Kristabella on December 1, 2009

So, are you sitting down? Are you waiting to find out if you were chosen as the winner of one of the two Bacon shirts? Are you wearing NO SHIRT right now because you are CONVINCED you are the winner?

Well, if you’re not the winner, take it up with the Random Number Generator Thingy.

First off, I had to count the comments since some of you commented twice (which didn’t count) and my mom also commented and she has a shirt.

So, there were 37 entries. And the first winner is…

Denora!

The second winner is….

Moose! (And yes, I only counted one of her comments.)

Congrats ladies! Email me at fullofsnark at gmail dot com what item, size, color that you choose! Oh, and send me your address too, so I can ship it out to you!

Thanks for participating everyone! I’ll have to do this again soon! Bacon likes the attention.

Category: Bacon, Contests | 3 Comments »
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Posted By Kristabella on November 30, 2009

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Did you all enjoy your nice, long holiday weekends? I sure did. Four days is almost detrimental to everything for me – my sleep habits, my eating habits, my drinking habits, my showering habits. But I had a very relaxing four days of sleeping in, eating and not really leaving the house! It was glorious!

My Thanksgiving was pretty uneventful. Pretty much the same as every Thanksgiving. This time there were new people there, and well, I don’t really care much for new people. I don’t like change. My Aunt is dating this guy, and has been for awhile, and he came with his family, and well, let’s just say, next year I might have to have my own private Thanksgiving with the cats. It will be invitation only.

See, because the other typical thing about Thanksgiving, for me, is that I complain (sometimes out loud, sometimes silently to the voices in my head) about the food. Because while I have never cooked a Thanksgiving meal, I’m pretty sure I could do it better. (Now my family is all “you think so? THEN YOU HAVE IT NEXT YEAR!” To which I say “BRING IT ON!”)

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t awesome either. My corn was awesome. The turkey was kind of dry and the mashed potatoes were not the kind I like. The stuffing was OK, but only the stuff that cooked in the bird. The other stuff was very meh. This could all be because a few weeks ago at book club, we did a little Thanksgiving meal and it was SO GOOD! And man I wish we could bring some new dishes into our repertoire. I mean, it took me years to let them agree to me bringing my corn dish. And it was the ONLY dish that didn’t have leftovers! #CornWIN

Usually my mom hosts Thanksgiving and I berate her on the things she needs to improve on and then she does. My Aunt, she’s mean sometimes, so this was one of those times I complained silently to the voices in my head (and the whole internet) about the food. Those voices are ALWAYS on my side!

Other than that, the only other memorable thing from Thanksgiving is where the title of this post comes from.

Here’s the thing, I have been called Kristabella my whole life. I will answer to it and would have many moons before I even started this blog. My Dad started it and it stuck. My Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Aunt – they all call me Kristabella. Still, to this day. So really, if you’ve spent any time with my family, you’ve heard me called that.

So my cousin Steve, his girlfriend’s name is Kristin. They’ve been dating awhile and she’s not going anywhere, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will not be the only Kristin in this family. This has taken me years to come to grips with.

Anyway, Other Kristin is lovely. We all like her, she’s funny, cute and we’re happy to have her as part of the family. I hope one day my cousin gets off his ass and proposes to her because she’s put up with him long enough to get a ring on her finger.

So Other Kristin spent Thanksgiving with her family, but came by my Aunt’s house at the end of the evening on Thursday. As soon as she walks in, my other cousin, Jaime, Steve’s sister, says to Other Kristin “Hi Kristabella.”

I was sitting on the couch in the family room at the time, probably checking Twitter on my phone. I heard my mom audibly gasp. And then I was like “did she just call Other Kristin ‘Kristabella’?” And my cousin Jaime then proceeded to play dumb like she had NEVER, EVER heard me called that before and that she CAME UP WITH THE NAME. ALL BY HERSELF!

Look, I don’t say a lot of nice things about my father, but I have many memories of him calling me “Kristabella” in this weird accent, and like I say in my About Page, it brings a smile to my face. Still to this day. So no, you didn’t come up with that. My DAD did. And you’ve been hearing me being called that YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

Of course, once she knew I was upset, she kept doing it. She can deny it that she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but I’m pretty sure she was.

And look, honey, I AM Kristabella. All you have to do is Google that shit.

Case closed.

::::

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway! I will keep it open until some time on Tuesday, when I decide to pick a winner. Once comments close, the giveaway is over. Good luck!

Category: All in the Family, All Things Blogging, Holidaze, Land of Random | 20 Comments »
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Posted By Kristabella on November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I know not many people will be reading posts today, but you know what? It isn’t Thanksgiving in Canada and I know plenty of Canadians that will be DYING to read something from me today! (Not really. I’ve had wine so I have an inflated ego.)

Anyway, I’m feeling really good. It could be the wine, it could also be that I just watched that Biggest Loser reunion special. Or it could be that I am really feeling good, better, loving life. So I wanted to just get all verklempt and remind myself that even when things seem down and horrible, I do have a lot to be thankful for.

Amy mentioned how growing up, Thanksgiving was her least favorite holiday. Mine too. I mean, no presents. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to appreciate it. When I lived away from home for 10 years, I very rarely got to spend Thanksgiving with blood relatives. Instead I spent it with friends who were family, friends who I still consider family because through all those years we were all there for each other, transplanted orphans who made the holidays work, even though none of us were with relatives.

And for some reason, this year I’m feeling very thankful. I’m ENJOYING the holidays and this time of year. I’m happy. (Again, could be the wine.) (I haven’t had that much, I swear!)

Anyway, I wanted to list a few things I’m thankful this holiday season:

• I’m thankful for this blog and all of you. Seriously. Every single person who reads this blog, I am thankful that you do. You don’t really understand blogging and the community until you’re in it. It has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life. You’re there when I have to write something that is very hard for me and you give me nothing but support. Not only do I have an outlet, I have friends, some of the best friends a girl could ask for, people who are there when I need them and know exactly when to send an inappropriate ecard to brighten my day. I love you all!
• My mom. I don’t think my mom hears that enough. I hope she knows how much I appreciate her and am thankful I got handed her the day they were handing out moms. I couldn’t ask for a bigger champion. She will tell me I can do anything, ANYTHING, and be there every step of the way as I set out to do it. It’s amazing to have someone like that. I hope you all do.
• I am thankful for my condo. I know I don’t clean it enough and I still haven’t unpacked and still have furniture to buy, but I love every single thing about it – the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, that it is ALL NEW and ALL MINE. I can’t wait to decorate it for Christmas. (People, I’ve never been this person. EVER.)
• I am thankful for my cats. As annoying as they are (seriously, how can you puke THAT MUCH), they love me unconditionally and they provide good blog fodder. And they let me stick labels to them.
• I am thankful for Bacon. I think we all are. Even my Jewish friends. Challah!
• I am thankful for having a furnace. An honest to goodness furnace that I CAN CONTROL! After years of living either in California or with radiators controlled by someone else, I am so glad that when I’m cold, I can TURN ON THE HEAT! I swear, it is the little things.
• Wine. It is the font of wisdom.
• My friends. All of you. The ones inside the computer box and the ones I can reach out and touch and can clink glasses of wine with. I’m really feeling like I have a great group of people here in Chicago.
• My DVR. I’m always thankful for my DVR and it’s ability to record lots and lots or reality television.
• The Real Housewives series. Seriously, could all those bitches be any more crazy? And fabulous to watch?
• My family. Of course. Even though they can be crazy, I still love them because blood is thicker than water. And they’ll always pick you up at the airport.
• Wine. Did I mention I was thankful for wine?

That was sappier than I imagined it should be, but it’s heartfelt. (Again, blame the wine.) I just really am happy. Life isn’t perfect and it sucks balls sometimes, but you know what? My life is pretty great. And I hope you all take time out to remember what you’re thankful for today.

Except you Canadians. Because you just stole our holiday and made it earlier than ours so you could be smug about it. (I kid! I love Canadians!)

Have a wonderful and safe holiday everyone! May your plates be full of delicious food and your glass always be full of booze so your family is tolerable!

Gobble gobble!

Category: All Things Blogging, Feeeelings, Holidaze | 18 Comments »
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