My mom, bless her, arrived with a box full of food from various Houston asian delis. BBQ pork, pork pot stickers, shrimp and pork dumplings … it was at least 20 pounds of pork. Her heart is in the right place and the guys weren’t complaining.

Me? I stay away from meat whenever possible. I’m against eating animals but I feel it is doubly wrong to throw meat away. The tender feelings keeps me from eating animals also doesn’t want them to die in vain. I’ve gotten into vegetarian pissing matches with my mom before and I didn’t want that to be the theme for this year’s festivities. Since I only see her once a year I decided to go with it. I enjoyed the lovely gifts of food she brought along with everyone else.

So I don’t know if it’s the abundance of rich food and meat, or that nasty bug making the rounds, but today I kicked off the day by purging the contents of my stomach. That’s one.

The lovely Amy modeling a clay flower I made in my first ceramics class.

I started my first ceramic class with lofty goals to throw lovely vessels and dishes. That entire nine-week session was like one gigantic first pancake. You know – the one you inevitably ruin and have to throw out? I made two things worth taking home, this little flower and a small turtle. The folks at the lab must have appreciated the amateur quality because they put them on the Kids Class shelf. Thanks guys. Amy fell in love with it tonight and I insisted that she take it home.

I bought these a year ago but forgot to use them. We broke into them tonight  and everything inside broke within two minutes, I threw them out. I won’t ever buy anything like that again.

Do you like Kilimanjaro Sully? ‘Cuz that’s where you’re going! That’s right, wave bye-bye!

Brushes for dogs that have hair. Blue is practically naked. He’d also have a nervous breakdown if I came near him with these.

My mom is a wonderful oil painter. When I was a child she would collect small jars to clean her brushes with. She used turpentine and to this day I still love the smell of it. That probably explains a lot about my inability to do math or grasp geography. Anyway, ever since then I’ve seen small jars as covetable. I picked these up at a Mexican resort two years ago out of habit. I decanted the innards into existing jars in my kitchen and recycled them.

 Party favors. That nifty gun that shoots spinners? Total piece of crap, it doesn’t even work. I would happily pay double the amount for a toy that 1) works and 2) doesn’t break after playing with it for five minutes. Really. I gave that and the GoGos to Amy, whose son is really into them. Merry X-mas!

Amy brought Lemon Tahini dressing over tonight. Matt was instantly hooked. I made up a jumbo batch of it a while ago, promptly O.D.ed on the stuff and stuck it in the freezer. Enjoy!

Another vessel I made. I actually like this piece but I like Tabby more. Merry X-mas Tabby. If I keep offloading my stuff onto her, Matt won’t allow her to come over.

Decorative tins. RECYCLED. I got rid of three other items, but to protect the innocence of those involved, they shall remain a mystery. Okay, Tabitha was involved.

Someone gave this to me (and I’m sorry if it is you, I appreciate the thought). The pictures are amazing but I am not the kind of person that decorates cupcakes. Really, I don’t even have a single cute cupcake picture on my Pinterest board. AND the kids like to look through it and insist I make a cupcake that looks like a three-dimensional haunted house. Not. Going. To. Happen. FREE.

Oh wait, I simply have to make a cupcake that looks like a turkey farting out afterbirth. What could be more appetizing?

Or this rat? How did they ever get the tail so pink and a revolting looking? Happy Pinning folks!