competition christmas

My apologies for the lack of posting of late - I prepped a full schedule of stories for you this week but my other half has kept things WAY TOO EXCITING here in Switzerland for me to get back to my computer and hit publish. 
What kind of excitement, you ask?
Well you're just going to have to hold your horses until next week, but I promise the wait will be WELL worth it.

For now, you'll have to be entertained with another recap on the Krieg Family Christmas traditions.  As you may or may not have deduced from this blog, I come from a bit of a hyperactive family.  We despise downtime.  Every minute needs to be filled to the brim with heart-pumping, adrenaline-inducing, calorie-torching activity, so naturally our Christmas ends up being an exhausting smorgasbord of competitive games, exercises, and events.

This past weekend got kicked off with our Annual Poinsetta Classic - a scramble golf tournament Christmas Eve day.  If you were following last week, you already now how this event ended for me, and while I do like to be humble by admitting my weaknesses every now and again, I'm going to have to pass at this opportunity. 
My dad and his sister (Aunt Stacey) took home the trophy on this one.

The next morning (Christmas morning!), we woke up to the closest you can come to a white Christmas down on Gasparilla Island:

But don't be fooled - this fog was all cleared up by the time we hit the courts for our Annual Tennis Championship later that morning.

I was lucky enough to paired with the tourney's organizer: my aunt Stacey's funny and quicker-than-he-looks husband Jim.

Despite my absolutely pitiful performance as his partner last year, he decided to roll the dice by placing me on his team for a second year in a row.  I was determined to show him I wasn't the easily aced, erratic, hit-the-ball-over-the-fence player I was last year.  I showed up with a fierceness that even Roger Federer would envy.

The team's were:

• My sister Gretters and my aunt Stacey: A decent player with her moments of brilliance (Gretters) paired with a serious and very stylish tennis pro who seriously cleans up at the old ladies' tourneys - don't be deceived: those 75-year-olds can place balls like you've never seen
• My mom and my brother Sam: Really good (Mom) paired with strong, fast, scrappy, and athletic Sam - in hindsight, a completely stacked and unbeatable team, but they both sand-bagged their way through Jim's team selections making the team appear to be a fair pairing
• My dad and my cousin Em: Really good (Dad) paired with a top D-III basketball recruit with some not-to-be-messed-around-with strength and some serious athletic prowess
• Me and Jim: Plainly pathetic (me) paired with another serious tennis pro with a mean back-hand, unreal at-the-net know-how, and the uncanny ability to place the ball right on the line

Em with her mom, Stacey

who was recovering from a bad case of shin splints

(or so she claims - I'd say she was pretty darn healthy

from those moves I saw on the court)

Sam - always the master of getting into position right in time

While I had all the best intentions, sometimes things don't go according to plan.  I quickly learned (after spiking one ball directly into the bottom of the net and another two courts to our right) that the game involved a tad bit more than will.

But I continued to give it my all as Jim carried us for game after game.
The first-round end result was unfortunately a lost set for Team Jim-Carrying-KK, and a bad one at that.

Dad - after mutilating Me and Jim in Round One

(Well, if I'm being honest: after mutilating ME. 

Jim kept me from going out on nil and forties six games in a row.)

Mom - cleaning up on court 5,

taking her and her youngest (Sam) to the finals

Me and Dad with Santa (aka. Cousin Wyler)

in between rounds

We came back to the finals - vying for 3rd place against Team Stacey-and-Gretters - with a vengeance.  After a few pointers from my partner, I was ready to clean up my act. 

 

 

Unfortunately, a win was not in the cards for us on this one either.  After a long and taxing match (and after far too many opponent match points for my liking), Stac and Gretters were crowned victorious landing them with the third place spot right below Dad and Em who narrowly missed sniping the champion title from the favored Team Mom-and-Sam. 

The whole crew post finals

While the loss saddened my spirit, I knew a luscious latte and gooey cheese danish were exactly what I needed to lift it back up again.  So Mom, Dad, Gretters, Sam and I walked the beach into town to the Inn Bakery to get some goods.  When we arrived, however, we found the doors locked and the staff cleaning.


I thought all hope was lost but then an angel appeared: Reainn from Sunny, Florida heading over to the Fire Department to drop off the left-over $2 doughnuts, $4 danishes, and $5 pastries.  She saw our sad, yet eager, faces and awarded them with a platter of our own of the goodies, along with a few boxes in which to transport them back to our mother ship.

We enjoyed these delicious delicacies (along with my brother's to-die-for homemade chocolate and pumpkin whoopie pies and a fresh Key Lime pie courtesy of Stacey and Jim) that evening as our Master of Ceremonies - Poppy - dished out prizes from our two days of events.

While "Most Stylish" (Stacey), "Most Improved" (Gretchen), "Longest Drive with a 7-iron" (Sam) were all in the listings, Jim and I ended up with the "Most Pathetic of All" (or something to that nature - the exact wording has been pushed from my mind).  While at first I felt a twinge of disappointment (we've discussed this before, but I'll tell you again: I really do like to be the best), the sight of my winnings changed my tune.

A brief (but worthwhile, I promise) digression:

Last Christmas, Stefan was around for the tennis tourney pairing up with my mom and coming in a close second versus the fierce and firey Team Gretters-and-Wyler.  Poppy - a fine connoisseur of art, but always the jokester - procured two elegant and sophisticated paintings as awards for their victory:

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Something along these lines but with an older lady

as the model and the slogan "EXPOSE YOURSELF" along the top

The blow from losing had been tough enough, but seeing his winnings and fully understanding what he had missed out on tore Stefan apart.  For the past 365 days, whenever Poppy's name is mentioned, Stefan strikes a pose and declares: "EXPOSE YOURSELF!" mourning over his long-lost love: the painting he never had.

Stefan's sadness and my desire to make my man happy did not go unnoticed by my brainiac of a grandfather - my award for losing was this very painting, perfectly packaged for me to take back to its true owner.

As Jim and I accepted our winnings (him - a bottle of rum, me - the elegant art), he declared, "We may not have had the best sets, but we had the most fun."  And I couldn't agree more.

I hope he'll take a chance on me again next year.

xoxo
KK

an extra special engagement

So throughout 27 years of fabulous marriage, my parents have never had wedding rings; my mom - never a diamond on her finger of any kind.  It's not that my dad deprived her, she just didn't want one.  Their love was enough on its own - they didn't need anything to prove it.  Lucky for us kids, they decided long ago they'd rather save the money to create experiences for us together as a family (climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, hiking the Inka Trail, cruising the Baltic Sea, learning to cook in Vietnam) instead of spending it on one silly piece of showy jewelry. 

But this year, something in my dad made him change his mind.  He decided that this Christmas Eve he wanted to propose with a gorgeous diamond ring.  But given that over the years my mom has developed a strong aversion to this symbol of love, he knew he'd need to wrangle in the help of us three kids. 

Over Thanksgiving, my dad, sis, bro and I poured through David Yurman's site picking out our favorites.  We finally landed on a simple yet elegant design we knew she'd adore:

But my dad knew he needed to be sneaky about it finding every which way to throw her off his proposal trail.  To make sure she never caught sight of a DY box, we shipped to me (oh how I love being in on the surprises!) and - since my mom and I have the same extra large hands, fingers, and feet - I tried it on to confirm DY's largest size was big enough for us Krieg gals.

The day of the proposal, we were out and about running errands and picking Gretters up from the airport when Dad declared in front of Mom that he needed to do some last-minute Christmas shopping for her.

"Do you think they'll have what I want to give to Mom at Bed, Bath & Beyond, KK?" -Dad

"Hmmm, I don't know.   Maybe at Walgreens?" -Me

"Yeah, I am sure Walgreens would have it.  Or a CVS." -Sam

"Okay, let's make a quick stop.  Liz (Mom) - you're staying in the car.  I'll be quick." -Dad

In he goes quickly snapping up a medium-sized box of anything to set her off his tracks (men's NIVEA lotions and scrubs) that he had the sales lady triple bag to conceal its contents.  As he hopped back in the car, my mom professed:

"OH I KNOW WHAT YOU GOT ME!  One of those new snuggies with the arms in it!!  Oh, I am SO EXCITED.  You know how I love those infomercial goodies!"  And boy does she - more on that another time.  "But the real question is - what COLOR did you get me?"

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"I'm not saying a word.  But you have to promise me, that if I got the right color, you'll wear it at dinner tonight." -Dad

"Deal." -Mom

So home we went to wrap a little box inside that medium box and head to the Pink Elephant for dinner.

He set the box in the center of our table, not saying a word as we toasted champagne, devoured an appetizer of their Island Jerk Wings, shared some Blue Cheese Wedge salads, and enjoyed our entrees of fresh swordfish, beef brisket, and burgers.  Finally, as we perused the dessert menu, my dad passed the box her way. 

After she opened the box and the shock from the sight wore off, she tried her best to convince him she didn't need it: it was too ostentatious, extravagant, opulent - you name it.  But eventually, with Nana, Pops, Gretters, Sam and I on his side, Dad convinced her to put it on.  And boy, did it look good.

"Is it the right color?" -Dad
"Yes.  That's a big, big yes." -Mom

As soon as we finished our second bottle of champagne and headed on home, Mom, Gretters, and I did a little photo shoot after to showcase her new rock and our matching outfits.

Yep, that's right.

Matching mother-daughter look isn't just for 2 year-olds any more.

But that wasn't the end of his slew of surprises.  The next morning - after waiting until all other presents were opened - he presented her with an accompanying bracelet:

While you may think these gorgeous gifts marked the weekend's top excitement, you haven't seen nothing yet.  Tune back in tomorrow for a recap on the Krieg Olympics.

xoxo
KK

a plethora of perfect presents

I made out QUITE well this past Christmas morning ending up with more goodies than I could have possibly dreamt up in my little sugar-plum-filled head.

The goods from my stocking!

Some extra sharp kitchen utensils, 2 fabulous, reusable, 

and easy-to-stash grocery bags, some new running socks

and who doesn't always need another pair of Hanky Pankys?

Among my favorites were the bright pink and orange

 J. Crew PJ bottoms, my creamy brown riding boots,

2 divine-smelling fancy candles, and an overabundance 

of fine jewels - necklaces, bracelets, earrings, you name it!

While I could not have been more excited about my receivables, what really got me going that morning was the host of gifts I had graciously been asked to assist with.

From my parents to my college-aged and football-playing brother, I helped out with two fab presents.

I hand-crafted a pair of tickets to the Green Bay Packers

2nd playoff game (WHEN they make it) January 22nd.  As you know,

we are Wisconsinites, Beer Lovers, and - most importantly - Cheeseheads. 

The Green and Gold pumps through our veins. 

When they make it, my dad will take my bro.

Sam is also a master of party-throwing on campus. For his birthday last spring, he asked for a pig roaster (yes - I am talking about one where you put the WHOLE pig into) so he could throw a Brooks Brothers Birthday Bash Pig Roast. This semester he organized and hosted a Thanksgiving Turkey Roast (where he pit-roasted birds, dished out fresh and savory stuffing by the barrel, and filled glasses with homemade spiked apple cider and plentiful beer) as well as a Holiday Celebration (where he red-and-green-wrapping-papered every wall of the party house, poured up buckets of creamy eggnog, and wore his favorite red onesie). 

So to help him celebrate in 2012, I assembled

the fittings for a blow-out black-and-white bash

- a party my parents loved to throw in their college days. 

Besides having the people and place dressed to the nines

in black and white, they'd serve one of the most dangerous

concoctions known to college kind: the White Russian.

All courtesy of my parents' wallet. 

Not a bad gift for a college kid if you ask me.

From my parents to my lovely grandmother Kaka, I assisted with another gift.  Kaka is Miss. Socialite Extraordinaire attending some type of event almost every. day. of. the. week.  Seriously, this woman has more friends and social obligations that Sam, Gretchen, and I combined.      

Kaka with Gretters and I last spring

So to assist her in meeting the needs of her sizzling social calendar and allow her to indulge in one of her favorite treats: an oaky, buttery glass of Chardonnay, my parents decided to give her a gift certificate:

The card is just the car (not the white table the automobile is sitting on)

made out of black and white Paper Source card stock.

For my mom's dad - an aspiring and darn witty writer whose words you can find on this blog here, they also decided upon a hand-crafted gift card - this time for a creative non-fiction writing course he and my mom would team up and take this January.

For this gift card, I designed a little book with deets on the class within.

Get excited - he'll be guest posting some of his musings come 2012.

Us grand kids also put together a little something for Nana and Pops - our Masters of Ceremonies for this past Christmas weekend - more on that soon. Given their love of music and their new gift of an iPad 2 from the generation above us, we decided to get them some portable, easy-plug-in speakers along with unlimited assistance in downloading their favorite tunes.

From my mom to my dad, I helped out with another super cute gift certificate for a present that was in the mail:

Pacific Dualie Tandem Bike in Green

I guess I sort of forgot that a tandem only

has two wheels when I designed the pic. 

Oh well.  He got the idea.

From my dad to my mom you ask? 
Well, you'll just have to hold your horses - that story is a post in and of its self. 
More on that tomorrow. 

While I positively adored all of my fabulous gifts, it was amazing how right they are when they say "it's better to give than receive."  I got to be in on the surprise for so many delightful presents this year that my Christmas morning could not have been more delectable.

But really the best present for me has yet to come.  This afternoon I hop on a plane and head to Switzerland to finally see my little Swiss soldier after 28 painful days without him.  Getting to spend the next week relaxing with him and his family in the Swiss Alps is what I am most excited about. 

But don't worry - I've stocked up on lots of good stories from my weekend o' fun here, so you've got plentiful posts headed your way while I'm gone. 

xoxo
KK

#1 Do: Make Blueberry Sour Cream Stonewall Scones

Hello Folks,

I bet you never thought this day would come but I am back. Yes, I said it! Back and better than ever! Now, I am not offended if you slyly grinned at the reading of that first sentence doubting the likelihood that you see another post between now and the day the my mother stops ordering gadgets and gizmos off of informercials at 3am - seriously, we have everything from the bumpit to the bullet though I'm certainly not complaining.

But I will be offended if you don't wipe that grin away after the reading of this post - the first of many to come. So, what shall I say to dissuade you from your doubting ways? Well, in true Krieg fashion, I have devised a plan of action with the help of my very intelligent sister. A plan that will not only keep my posts ongoing but will hopefully keep you shaking in your boots for more! more! more!

So, what is this plan we speak of? Well, after much discussion, Kakes and I have decided that while she will stay at the helm filling you in with fascinating updates and depictions of her very glamourous globe-trotting, San Franciscan ways, I will post on Wednesdays (in my do and don'ts of NY style) to try to get you over the midweek hump. While my posts might not always be the longest, most interesting stories, they will certain give you a good chuckle here and there as KK's "key in the door" story are likely occurences in the life of Ms. Gretchen Krieg. Then, as a special treat, we will both post on Friday - buckle your seat belts and get ready to go!

#1 Do: Make Blueberry Sour Cream Stonewall Scones

As KK mentioned in a previous post, we received an AMAZING Stonewall Kitchen gift basket from by boyfriend's overly generous parents - thanks Lisa and Mike! While the basket contained everything from ambrosial jams to tangy champagne mustards and salad dressings, there was one item that I gravitated to immediately: Blueberry Sour Cream Scone Mix.

There has always been something that fascinated me about scones. Maybe it's their longstanding history going back before 1513 in Scotland, Ireland and England, or something about the scone accoutrements (i.e tea, jam, etc.) that makes the scone-indulger appear seemingly more sophisticated, but whatever it is, I did not skip a beat when I was given an opportunity to bake these delicacies on Christmas morning. But while I was thinking that this would be a daunting challenge that would take me hours on end, I was gratefully surprised at the ease of the task thanks to the one and only Stonewall Kitchen. Scone baking once seemingly out of reach, now as easy as 1,2,3...

1. Mix your ingredients (water, butter and Stonewall mix) in a bowl and create a ball of the dough

2.Create a pizza-like shape of the dough

3. Cut the "pizza" in six triangles and pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes

Drum roll...please....10-12 minutes later you have six deliciously home-"baked" scones. Annnnnd a household of impressed and satisfied family members who never knew you had it in you to whip up a couple of scones in under thirty minutes.

So, if you ever fawned at the seemingly sophisticated scholar sitting in the coffee shop nibbling on a scone, please be advised that you have one-up on that refined figure. Not only can YOU look refined as you delight in the deliciousness of the scone but you can also make them, too!

Hope this little tidbit of knowledge helps next time you have house guests!

Until next Wednesday,

Your favorite scone "home"baker

PS next week a less practical and more humorous tale on why you shouldn't go chasing Justin Beiber's tour bus...