Liebster award

It's official. Charlotte from A Love Triangle is the sweetest person I've met through blogging. If you don't already read her blog please do yourself a favor and go do so. She's so talented and smart and kind and funny and just go do it, okay? K.

Thanks to Charlotte, I was nominated for another blogging award. Can't even deal, you guys. I know to some this may not be a big deal but it's just thrilling for me that I have more than two readers so bare with me through my excitement. So, without further ado... onto the rules. 

You must..
- Link back to the blog who nominated you.
- Answer all of their questions.
- Write 11 facts about yourself.
- Link 11 blogs with less than 200 followers and tell them you've nominated them.
- Ask 11 facts for the blogs you nominate to answer.

11 facts: (all of Charlotte's facts were holiday themed which I thought was such a great idea so I'm copying her ;) )

1. Even before my parents divorced we always had two trees in my house. My mom's was in the formal living room and had white lights with coordinating glass ornaments and gold ribbon. So, basically it was the classy tree. My Dad's was in the family room with the big, fat, colored lights and all of our homemade ornaments and mismatched ones we picked out as kids. Basically, the less classy tree ;) Both equally as beautiful and warm. 

Momma's tree feat. my cute momma :)

My Dad's from last year. Definitely smaller than what we normally get but now he likes to pick the "Charlie Brown" trees because he feels bad for them knowing most people won't buy them and take them home.... I know haha but he's kind of the cutest. 

2. Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. I can quote most of it. I even have a hard time choosing between the original and the second one. John Hughes was such a genius. 

3. When I look at houses on real estate websites (like I could afford any of them) I pass them right up if I don't think they'll look good in Christmas lights...

..like this one would. If you don't know off hand this is the real Home Alone house. My boyfriend and I stalked visited with friends of ours. I said I was obsessed! 

4. I think snow is the most magical thing. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
5. On Christmas Eve, my cousins and I would take my Dad's pager (his PAGER people) into the basement where we all hung out and would use it to countdown until midnight when it was officially Christmas. 
6. I get two Christmases :) we celebrate with my Mom's family on Christmas Day and the 26th, deemed the saddest day of the year by my father, is now not the saddest day since we celebrate with him then. 

My dorky siblings and I at my Dad's a few years ago on the 26th

7. I already know how I'm wrapping all of the gifts I'm giving even though I haven't purchased any gifts yet. 

8. Since my Dad's family is German, and we usually see them on Christmas Eve, we participate in the German tradition of finding the pickle ornament one of my aunt's hides in the Christmas tree.

9. I bought my dog reindeer antlers yesterday in the dollar store at Target. He hated them. 

10. I have never been on a sleigh ride but if all goes well I believe I can cross that off my bucket list this December when my boyfriend and I go on our annual Christmas trip :)
11. My favorite Christmas song is called "The Christmas Waltz" and I prefer the Frank Sinatra version (because the Frank Sinatra version of anything is always better). The specific version is on the vinyl of one of his Christmas albums and I love that one in particular because just as the song fades out he says "Merry Christmas!" and if my Grandma is around she always says, "Merry Christmas, Frank!" and it cracks me up and it makes me tear up, I DON'T KNOW WHY, but I guess 'cause she's my favorite and she's so cute and when she's not here one day to do that it will remind me so much of her. Also, I do it when she's not around haha. 

Answering Charlotte's questions:
1. What time is it right now? 3:10 pm
2. Would you rather be a fish or a bird? A bird, for sure. Being able to fly? Absolutely. 
3. What kind of genre of book is your favourite? I love anything with a side of whit and romance. I'm a sucker for romance. And for whit. 
4. When lightening strikes the sea, why don't all the fish die? Could not even begin to answer this haha. It makes me sad because I wish I smart enough to. 
5. What is to the right of you, right now? An empty computer in one of the labs at my university. 
6. Why is your blog called what It's called? I named my blog Ali Rose because I kind of just liked the way it sounded. I hold personal identity very close to my heart so my name means a lot to me as it's representative of who I am as a person. And since my parents are the only people who call me Ali (like seriously, the only two) it feels sweet and nostalgic to me. It was important that my blog seem genuine and I feel that it does. 
7. What goes on-top your Christmas tree? I can't remember which topper belongs to what house but at either my mom or my dad's house we have an art deco, red and green and gold looking glass piece that sits on top (which I love) and at the other house we have an angel (which I also love).
8. What did you leave out for Father Christmas when you were younger? We left him cookies and milk on a special plate. I continued this tradition until I was far too old haha but bless my mother's heart she still took some bites out of those damn cookies. 
9. Which came first the chicken or the egg? I feel like the concept of an egg is much cuter to me so on cuteness alone I'm going to go with the egg. 
10. What is the last film/movie you saw? The last time I saw a movie in a theatre was so long ago which makes me so sad because I love going to the movies (because tubs of popcorn, hello) but I believe it was Let's Be Cops. But, the last movie I watched at home was Home Alone. Twice. Because it's Home Alone. And it's very clear that it gives me the most life. 
11. Your favourite Disney film is....? This is so hard for me because Disney is my shit but whenever I have to choose I pick Cinderella. I hate being cliche but I just love Cinderella. The Little Mermaid and Toy Story are very, very close seconds (along with every other Disney movie because is there even a bad Disney movie? No. No, there is not). 

My questions: 
1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
2. What is your favorite thing to cook?
3. What are your holiday essentials?
4. If you could go anywhere, right now, where would you go?
5. What was/is your favorite subject in school?
6. What is your favorite holiday memory and/or tradition?
7. What are some of your guilty pleasures?
8. If you could pick another name for yourself what would it be?
9. If I handed you a $100 dollar bill what is the first thing you would buy?
10. Who is one of your favorite bloggers?
11. What is (or some of) your must have beauty essentials?

My nominations: (I didn't hit 11 sorry guys! I found as many of my daily reads as I could)
Life With Lolo
A Splash of Mimosa
Raindrops on Roses
Tay Meets World
Andiamo
The Mosby's in China
Sincerely & Sarcastically 

Sorry that was wordy. I'm wordy in general. Gotta work on that. 
Thank you again, Charlotte! You're seriously the best.

There are some seriously festive link-ups coming up (some starting tomorrow!) in this blog land of ours and I will be back tomorrow participating because I eventually want to throw up from all my participation in the festivities. This is how much I love the holidays. The love is real.

I'm definitely off to take a hot, hot bath tonight since the temperature, with the windchill, was supposed to be -1 here in Chicago according to the barista at Starbucks who served me my Chestnut Praline Latte. Not sure where she was getting her information from but who am I to question the woman who makes me a drink that tastes like Christmas magic? Plus, my legs have been numb since 9am when I wandered the city streets in circles in search of said Starbucks. So I believe her.

Happy Monday, loves! Stay warm and toasty and go watch Home Alone.