A Very Brandi* Christmas

Matching sister outfits Gram's fireplace Jillian was good Penelope likes to wrap Girls' gift exchange ...

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The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

If you haven’t noticed, I am using lines from the classic Christmas movie “Elf” as my subject of my gift postings. J Bo and I still crack when Will Ferrell climbs the escalator in those yellow tights. Sometimes hearing what other people want for Christmas inspires you to add things to your list or sparks ideas for your family and friends. Today, I feature items that are on some my dear readers’ gift...

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I'm a human, but I was raised by elves.

Sometimes I fret over finding the perfect gift. Other times, I just buy something and trust that the giftee will return the present if they don’t like it. With Christmas around the corner, here are some ideas for people those people that see to “have it all.” Tickets: If you know an upcoming band of performance is coming up that the receipent enjoys, the experience of going to a concert is a great...

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12 Cocktails of Christmas (part two)

And the 12 Cocktails of Christmas continue! Five golden rings One of the best parts of this song is belting out “Five Golden Rings.” Someone wearing five golden rings on their fingers would be considered a “Golddigger” in my mind. Therefore, here is a feirce recipe for a Golddigger. This drink contains Goldschlager - cinnamon schnapps that has little gold flakes floating in the bottom. I must...

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12 Cocktails of Christmas (part one)

When I was four-years-old, I was in a preschool program that also had a Kindergarten for five-year-olds. I was a little advanced for my age, so with my parents approval, I got to go to Kindergarten early. At Christmas, we preformed a play for our parents in which I portrayed the part of 10 Lords of Leaping in the 12 Days of Christmas. Every time I hear the song, I think of my first acting role....

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered

The 2008 Brandi* homemade holiday cards are on their way to your mailbox, well those readers that I had addresses for. You might recognize this year's design as "the most favorite reindeer of all..." And now for the unveiling: Taaaa daaaaa! Boy, do I love reindeer games! I've had some readers inquire about how long it takes and how much it costs to produce my almost famous cards. Here is the...

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Lips with the Furrrrrrr

Chances are, if I ask most of you to describe my man friend Brady in three words, “trendsetter” wouldn’t be one of them. In fact, it probably wouldn’t even come up in the top 20 words my dear readers spit out. For the second straight year, Brady is growing some lip fur for charity. That’s right folks; Mustaches 4 Kids (M4K) has sucked my boyfriend in for a second straight season. Mustaches 4 Kids...

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Stay Wet USA

Tomorrow, December 5th, is truly a cool day to get totally wasted. Cinco de Drinko, er December, marks the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment which legalizes alcohol in the United States. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this joyous occasion. The origin of Prohibition in the United States dates back to May 1657 in Massachusetts. Some people were pissed that others were throwing back...

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Ways to Survive Holiday Travel

Let’s just say that I experienced a mini-travel hell on Monday night. I handled it like Jackie O. visiting France, but I must say at one point I almost cried. If I didn’t prepare, I could have been stuck in a closed airport (that actually had the lights out) for seven hours before being put on a plane, just to watch them de-ice it and then boot me off. Air travel can be crazy this time of...

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Thanksgiving Dinner: To Feast or Fight?

Thanksgiving is all about eating dinner with family together at the table. This means there are bound to be some sticky conversations or for some little talking. Here are some tips for creating a great dinner conversation: * Let’s say that cousin Joe brings his hoochie-of-the-moment to dinner. Strike up some chatter by paying her a compliment. Tell her that you like her airbrushed nails or two-toned...

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For those of you who have never had the pleasure of visiting the Bonkowski residence, you would know that I live off of a major “route” that goes through Robinson Township. However, while the area may be a little busy, we have a little turkey problem in our hood. Because they are building more houses and tearing down woods, the turkeys roam my yard – they’ve even chilled out on our porch. Since Thanksgiving...

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Celebrity Spirits

Over the last year, rehab has become a cooler celebrity hot-spot than Les Duex. From Britney to Lindsey to Eva Mendes, it seems like ever week a new starlet is hanging out at Circe Lodge in Utah. While some stars are leaning on a sponsor to stay sober, other celebrities are become more involved in the alcohol industry. Here are some famous people whose names you may see behind the bar at your favorite...

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Merry Go Round the World

Reader Brian recently asked for my opinion on a “Stock the Bar” party. I told him that this theme works well for a housewarming or a couple’s shower, but is hard to pull off on a random night. I mean you don’t want to force your friends to bring you a $20-30 bottle of alcohol and then serve them keg beer and tortilla chips. Brian’s real goal was to have a party where he could serve a number...

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A is for Apple

For a party earlier this month, I attempted this recipe for mini-candy apples. While my finished product can use a little work to perfect, I thought I would share this cute and easy recipe from Family Fun. Mini Caramel Apples Ingredients: - 4-inch lollipop sticks - Melon baller - Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples) - Butterscotch or peanut butter chips - Chopped nuts,...

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44th President

So I took my readers advice and went to Grant Park tonight. I stood outside for 5 hours to see a glimpse of our new president, but man...it was worth it.(Above: you can see Obama behind the brown podium)Here's a recap of my Election Day:* I voted before work on some shady Illinois voting papers where you color in an arrow. Apparently some polls have computers in this state, but us residents of one...

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Happy HallowBradyBirthSteelersRuleElectionDay

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Vote Tomorrow

I am taking suggestions for Election Night signage and activities to do while I wait for Oprah to announce Obama.This is my ticket to tomorrow night's rally. I couldn't get it to paste so you could see my name.Don't forget to vo...

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Hello Birthday!

Today is the birthday of one of my all-time favorite cartoon character...Hello Kitty! My cousin introduced me to Hello Kitty in 1st grade and I was hooked. I was even more obsessed because, at the time, there was only one place in Pittsburgh to purchase Hello Kitty items, so being in love with Kit was very exclusive. In honor of Miss Kitty's birthday, Sanrio (the makers of Hello Kitty) are...

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If you dress like a slut on Halloween, will you turn out to be a slut?

All over the news this week, there have been a ton of stories about risque tween Halloween costumes. According to The Today Show , mom's are outraged at the tummy baring options for kids these days. Shot of Brandi* readers, you know how I feel about this subject. I think it's just wrong for people to slut up classic cartoon characters and I applaud creativity. However, I don't think...

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Dia de los Muertos

As a “marketer” by day, trend analysts have been telling us for years that we need to consider Hispanic Americans when we are planning because their presence in the United States continues to rise. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007, 15 percent of the estimated total U.S. population of 301.6 is Hispanic. More and more bars in Chicago are piggybacking the popularity of Cinco de Mayo...

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Halloween-ie

Non-reader Margaux called me this week in a panic. She had three days to pull together a creative, cute Halloween costume. First thing first, I directed Margaux to a past Shot of Brandi* blog posting for some inspiration. While my ideas didn’t excite her, I e-mailed Margaux some additional last minute ideas. With Halloween one week away, let these ideas inspire you too! Morton Salt Girl: Okay, chances...

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Apple a Day

Back when I was a toddler, I had an addiction to apple juice. I would demand that my bottle be filled with my beverage of choice. However, my parents began to notice that there was a little more of me to love, so cut it out of my diet. Don’t worry, I found ways to satisfy my obsession. I manipulated my great-grandmother, who baby sat me, to sneak in the goods via an oversized purse. I would later...

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Trick or Drink

Two years ago a colleague from Milwaukee told me about the most adorable party her condo community was throwing – an adult Trick or Treat or “Trick or Drink.” The community was filled with twenty and thirty –something couples, so each house served a different cocktail or shot and neighbors went from house to house enjoying “treats.” I think this is the most wonderful idea for almost any place –...

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Decoding the Dress Code

Earlier this year, I mentioned that I attended my cousin’s wedding in which people from the groom’s side wore jeans to the reception. I was in awe. During my rant about dress codes to my mom, she made a good point…”If you don’t dress up for a wedding, what you dress up for?” I was discussing the whole “jeans at a wedding” thing with some co-workers. A bride-to-be mentioned that she listed the dress...

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