Overdue Debt PAID OFF!!

I finally did it!!  I paid off a huge debt that's been a thorn to my side today!!  I'm so relieved this day has finally arrived for me.  Once I noticed my low balance I knew I had to finish it off.  It became so customary for me to pay it every month I almost forgot it was going to end eventually.  I cannot express how important it was for me to do this on my own.  It was my responsibility after all, but I think sometimes people get the wrong idea on how to handle their debt.  It's time to own up to your mistakes and handle them head on.  If not, you'll never understand how you got there in the first place.

Back to December events!  The infamous holiday party arrived the following Friday.  Everyone at work were pretty excited.  I wore a sweater dress I won off ebay months ago.  I knew I could put it to use one day.  It's hard to dress for these things because it IS a work event after all, but it would be nice to wear something cute other than business casual.  Over the years I have worn a sweater and pencil skirt combo, as well as day dresses.  Since the holidays bring all types of social events to my calendar, I HATE shopping for myself because of the abundance amount of people in the stores.  That's why I'm an avid online shopper.  It's more practical to me because of the range of options available, not to mention, I can go by my price range.  Have to watch that budget!
This year our holiday party was being held at the Four Seasons hotel.  We usually have a trolley service take us to our events, and I love it!  Trolleys are so much fun!  Once we got there we made our way to our sectioned off area.  I enjoyed the buffet selections they prepared for us.  Sorry, but some places have to step up their game.  The menu included an Asian cuisine complete with pot stickers and eggrolls, to the usual mini sliders (they include mini hot dogs, too!), as well as healthier options such as sautéed jumbo shrimp and veggies.  Me and my co-worker friends sipped Prosecco and danced the night away to our very own dj.  We usually have a live band but this dj played a good range of music everyone enjoyed, plus he took requests!!  lol.  We had our reserved area until 9pm and as usual, wanted to take the party elsewhere.  We ended up at The Blue Frog for some karaoke.  We sang some songs and called it a night.  Luckily I went home afterwards because I noticed it was barely 11pm.  Still pretty early in my book considering it was a Friday night, but I was beat!   

LOVE ME A TROLLEY RIDE!

 

I love her navy lace shirtdress!

A bright red sweater for the holidays is always a hit!

They donned their Christmas sweaters to the party!

HOLIDAY PARTY!!

The funny thing about looking back on your life 6 months ago is comparing what is happening NOW in the present.  I work for a law firm and one of the biggest perks is our parties.  We celebrate EVERYTHING!  lol.  We like to have a good time and it's one of the reasons many employees have sticked around for so long.  In this day in age it's unheard of employees celebrating 15 or 20 year anniversaries, but it's not uncommon here.  I love the fact that we've managed to strive with our company's core values.  Regardless, now in the present, we are looking forward to our summer party coming up in July.  It will be held at the Godfrey Hotel at the rooftop.  I can't wait for that one!
Our last holiday party was at the Redhead Piano Bar.  We've hosted it there before, many years ago.  We started to throw some ideas around and it popped up again, mostly because of how much fun we had the time before.  When throwing a party, you need to keep in mind the size of your party and if the venue accommodates everything.  If you book a venue that is too large, the party will look empty, no matter how many people attend.  We've always had a struggle with this because we want the right type of atmosphere so people would stick around.  Believe it or not, if the venue is too intimidating, that affects our audience as well.  Number one in planning a party is to know your demographics.  I'm a single city girl who loves to have a good time, but the majority of my colleagues come from the suburbs from a completely different environment.  They catch the train at Union Station and usually have limited access to commute.  We plan our parties right after work so people could hang around for a couple of hours before catching the last train out. 
One of the reasons I enjoy the Redhead Piano bar is because it's been around for years.  It's a Chicago staple located on Ontario street, which hosts a string of nightlife clubs and lounges.  Who doesn't love a piano bar??  I loved the fact that the party lasted until 10pm when the regular patrons were allowed to come in.  Some of us hopped in a cab and headed to another bar, this time karaoke.  It was a long day indeed, but we couldn't stop talking about it here at work! 

Our Firm's Christmas tree!

Old Hollywood glamour sets the tone for The Redhead Piano Bar

Sing along with the piano man!

 For our holiday party, we are allowed to wear jeans to work.  I wore my red jeans instead for a more festive look.