Heeeeeey friends.  How’ve you been?  Did you have a good holiday season?  I did, because I spent it with people I enjoy and also because my kitchen has gotten a few upgrades, namely this grill pan which I shamefully have not yet used y’all.  Operation get back to clean eating, however, starts on Sunday so I imagine the grill pan will come into play.  Also, speaking of clean eating, have you seen this great little Mark Bittman post where he gives lots of yummy, veggie-based, clean recipes?  Those will be delicious, especially since I am full steam ahead clean eating because I am going to a wedding in late January and I want to look bangin’.

So I’ve been acclimating to my new job, which I still like although this week, as you can imagine, was mega-slow.  I am resolving to go into 2012 with lots of optimism and enthusiasm, especially because I went into 2011 with a general sense of doom and a feeling of failure in regards to my career search.  New job, new attitude, old cliches!

This will be a sort of scattered-about, catch-up post since I have been VANISHED IN JOB LAND (sorry y’all).  I’ve been meaning to post about this trip I took home to Sarasota way back in November, but it clearly isn’t going to happen.  Instead I’ll just post a few pictures of the Siesta Key Crystal Classic, an international sand sculpture competition that was taking place the weekend I was in town.  If any of you watch Sand Masters, most of those folks were present.  The sculptures were only partially done when I saw them, but they were still 100% amazing.  Here are a few of my favorites:

So that’s awesome right?  PS if you didn’t already know, Siesta Key is an awesome beach in Sarasota that currently holds the #1 spot on Dr. Beach’s Best Beaches in America list.  Siesta is famous for its white, pure sand that has the consistency of sugar.  The beach is also incredibly wide.  It is an unbelievably beautiful spot.

Anyways, RESOLUTIONS!  Do y’all have any?  Mine are pretty vague:  MORE VEGETABLES, MORE BLOGGING, MORE SLEEP (I really need 8 hours guys I have to stop lying to myself), MORE GRATITUDE, LESS WHINING.   I think that about covers it.  What about you?

While you ponder your goals for next year, here are a few items with which I have been 100% obsessed lately:

1) Sand Cats.  I didn’t know these guys existed.  They are tiny, adorable cats that live in deserts in North Africa.  They are THE BEST and I want one so much y’all.

LOOK AT HOW CUTE THAT IS LOOK LOOK LOOK.

2)  Barbara Cook‘s tribute at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors.  Barbara Cook is legend and they got an incredible line up of ladies to serenade her, including Kelli O’Hara, Glenn Close, Audra McDonald who I love love love, Patti Lupone and, of course, my sister’s good friend Sutton Foster (who I also love love love).  Here’s the video:

Wasn’t that the best guys?

3) Also the best is Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend,” which is probably my new favorite song.  I mean, look at this music video:

Why can’t IIIIII dance like that y’all?  If I did that I’d look ridiculous but Robyn looks like a Swedish angel from Ikea-heaven.  WANT.  Also, have you seen SNL’s spot-on recreation of said video?  Taran Killam doesn’t really look like a Swedish angel, but he is rocking that pink fuzzy crop top:

And because I am THOROUGH and I adore all of you, here is the side by side of the two videos.  You’re welcome:

Okay so I’m going to stop here now, before I talk about how I am reading Stephen Sondheim’s giant compendium where he talks about all his lyrics ever (I. Die.) and how I am watching Dr. Who and DAVID TENNANT JUST WENT AWAY NOOOO WHY and also before I talk about how I joined Pinterest and so can you!  After all, I need to leave some content unwritten for next year’s resolution of WRITE MORE BLOG THINGS OKAY.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and Happy New Year everyone!