Scenes from the Weekend

It was a busy weekend indeed with lots of cooking, baking, eating, shopping, decorating, and most of all getting oneself into the Christmas spirit! Here are some photos from the light parade that we went to over the weekend along with my baking my first batch of Christmas cookies.

How did all of you celebrate the long weekend? I would love to hear about it!

Advent Calendar

Today starts the first week of Advent for those that celebrate Advent and what better way to kick off the Advent season than with this super cute Advent calendar seen over at Sweet Paul. I wish I had the time and creativity (sigh) to create this.

Holiday Madness

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was one of those crazy shoppers this morning and let me tell you its was so much fun! One of my friends who has never done "Black Friday" came along as she wanted a doorbuster from Target (which she got!). We had a blast and we both got some good deals. I just love being up so early and participating in one of my favorite hobbies! Everyone is in a good mood (usually) and believe it or not we didn't have too long of lines and parking was not an issue (always a nice perk who you are going to several places).

Now that I am home its time to let the decorating begin and then this evening I will be taking in the the Christmas Light Parade! Oh I just love Thanksgiving weekend.

In the meantime I am in search of a wreath for my front door. These are the two styles I am really loving.

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Have a wonderful weekend and let the holiday cheer begin!

Thanksgiving Bliss

Just the husband and I but we sure had a feast fit for a King and Queen. He made it all besides the dessert. (the pumpkin sandwich cookies were sooo yummy!) It was all so good! We then went and saw the Blindside. I love Sandra Bullock and I thought she did an amazing job. This was a great movie and seeing it today really made me feel that much more thankful for all I have been blessed with.

{photo via me: recipe here}

Happy Thanksgiving

May there be there laughter and gratitude today as you gather around the table with the ones you love.

Happy Thanksgiving. xoxo

{image via here}

Love x's Two

This quote is a good reminder that at the end of the day who was it that inspired me to do my best and made me smile, for the lessons that taught me something, and to stop and enjoy the small moments in life.

{photo via here}

Love x' Three

This post is a really special post to me as it reflects the friendship I have with two very special ladies. My good friends Lisa and Brooke. Our friendship bond all began in college during our Delta Gamma days at the University of North Dakota. Brooke and I are from the same home town and went to junior high together but didn't really know of each other until our freshman year of college. Soon we became the best of friends. My good friend Lisa is a year younger than Brooke and I and we embraced her into our own pledge class the following year. We have been through some unforgettable moments (esp during our single days) and some moments that still make me giggle just thinking about them. We are the girls that are there for another no matter what. From clothing advice, listening to dating recap stories, being proud of a friend accomplishing an important goal, being in one another's weddings, traveling to attend each others bachelorette parties, having girls weekend, surprising friends for their birthdays, which books to read, dishing about celebs as if we really know them, and the list goes on and on.

and what is so neat about all of this is even though I no longer live near them we are still as close as ever. I can not wait for what the future holds of us and all the memories that have yet to be made. Some people may not be able to relate to this sort of friendship bond and others may. All I know is that this friendship is a friendship that I am ever so thankful for. I feel this photo and quote sums it all up.

{Image via}

What do you all value in friendship?

Love x's Four

I love sunsets. I am def a sunset person over a sunrise person. Nothing ends a day better than capturing an evening sunset. Whenever I am able to take in a sunset I feel thankful for the moment I am in and where I am at.

Here are some of my favorite sunset shots that I have been able to capture over the years.

Chandler, Arizona- Neighborhood street view

Sailing in the Caribbean

Maui, Hawaii

Maui, Hawaii

Anyone else thankful-enjoy sunsets like I do or do you prefer sunrises?

Love x's Five

I may not live in a very big or fancy home, nor may it be my dream home for that fact, but I am thankful for what I do have. Someday, I look forward to redesigning my next home by putting in hardwood flooring, french doors, and white glass cabinets in my kitchen amongst a never ending list of "ohhs" and "ahhs"of decorating items that are on my want list.

Someday I would like to have a dining room like this. Loving the buffet table and of course those doors.

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I also would love to have a claw foot tub and a chandelier in my bathroom or dressing area.

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and of course a cute, quaint backyard for entertaining over pitchers of wine and sangria.

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But really what matters is that you live in a home where there is love. This weekend I toured and donated some food/ house hold products to children residing in a children's home. This place was amazing! This children's home relies heavily on volunteers so its amazing to see how much support they receive over the years. Each home is separated by age and if the children are male and female. Each home has a set of house parents that look over the children. During the tour we were able to go inside the homes. They were beautifully decorated and all the kids were being typical kids. Some kids were watching their Saturday cartoons and in the other house the kids were playing RockBand. It makes you realize many of these children came from having nothing to pretty much living in a castle. They may not be able to live with their families, nor had a voice in where they wanted to live, but it's humbling to see that even though this home may be temporary its a home filled with love.

Love x's Six

Oh how I heart stationary. I love sending and receiving cards/ letters in the mail to my friends and family. I love how a small gesture can most likely guarantee a smile. Its also fun to go back and reread cards and letters that a person has received throughout the years. Some of my favorite keepsakes are the letters that were written to me by my grandmother. Being able to reread those letters brings back a lot of happy memories and yes... a lot of smiles.

{Image via weheartit}

Love x's Seven

Being an aunt is something I value very much. It is almost like being a second mom in some ways. I am lucky enough to be an aunt of three amazing children, miss K, Mr. C, and little miss C. Now that I live far away I only get to see them one- two times a year but when they see their auntie they know its all about having fun and getting spoiled.

This is my oldest niece, Miss K. She is in the 8th grade, straight A student, and talented volleyball player. She in so many ways is my "little sister". We have a very close bond and I am so proud to be her aunt.

This is my nephew/godson Mr. C. Very smart, loves sports, building thing, oh and bugging his sisters! He has a big heart and he certainly holds a special place in my heart.

Little Miss C and her lipgloss (just like her auntie, she is obsessed with lipgloss). Little Miss C is my girly girl. She started Kindergarten this year and I just love hearing about all the fun things she is learning and hearing "I love you" from her little voice.

I am so very thankful for these three musketeers as its never a dull moment when they are all together. Most of all I love all the moments that I get to have with them and of the memories that are yet to be made.

Creative Placecard

As I prepare my shopping list of what I all need to buy for our mini Thanksgiving meal (just me and the husband) I came across the cutest place card idea.

{via the partydress}

Love x's Eight

Having a job is something I am very fortunate to have. But I don't really see my job as a "job" if you know what I mean. I can honestly say I wake up every morning and actually look forward going to work. I have come to realize that if the worse thing stopping me from wanting to get up in the morning is because I just want those extra five minutes of sleep I have it pretty well made.

I always thought while I was in undergrad and graduate school that I would want a job where I will be the one making a difference in a child's life. Perhaps over the years I have and maybe I haven't. Though, the one thing I have learned is that its the children I work with who have made a difference in my life and that is something I will never take for granted.

{Via weheartit.com}

Love x's Nine

Now that you know I love the beach can you guess what my favorite thing about the beach is?

Sea Shells (besides that ocean breeze smell)! Oh how I love walking up and down the shore collecting sea shells. During a visit to Coronado Island one year I found a sand dollar that was in perfect condition, and during our honeymoon my husband found a conk shell while scuba diving. Talk about a keep sake!

But what really makes seashells so special to me is that I make wishes on them. (I do not believe in shooting stars maybe because I have never seen one). I have to say there have been some wishes, big and small, that have come true and most of all I like to think that seashells are truly my lucky stars.

Shell Beach, St. Barts

Shell Beach, St. Barts known for its massive piles of nothing but... Shells!

What do you love most about the beach?

Love x's Ten

Since, I usually do not directly blog about myself I thought with Thanksgiving approaching it would be fun to do a list/ series of things that I love aka thankful for and to give you all a chance to get to know me. Since, Thanksgiving is ten days away I was reminded by miss Lisa (who is doing this on her blog that today begins day 1 of the Thanksgiving series.

PS: if you love books and to read this is one blog you must check out).

Hands down a big love of mine is the beach! From the chilly Pacific Ocean to the warm Caribbean I can be found beaming from ear to ear. Being at the beach makes me feel so relaxed. I would love to live in a coastal town but pretty sure that during my working years of life that won't be a possibility. So, in the meantime I will keep that dream alive by making that a retirement goal.

Flamands Beach - St. Barts

Honeymoon St. Barts June '07

Black Beach in Maui, Hawaii June '08

Vero Beach, Florida Summer '09

Do any of you love the beach as much as I do? If so, which beach do you love visiting?

Smitten with Plaid

I have to come realize that if something has stripes, polka dots, argyle, or plaid on it I will count it as being a winning piece in my book of "likes and wants".

Here are some plaid items that I adore

{via country living}

{Via country living}

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{via forever 21} aka forever 30 for me!

What designs do you all adore?

Books Books and more Books

While I was out doing some Christmas shopping over the weekend I found some items I am hoping to find under my tree this year!

I love cupcakes (as I have mentioned before) and therefore over the past few years I have started collecting cupcake cookbooks. I'm really loving the hummingbird bakery cookbook.

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Love Pink? Yes, Love all things girly? Yes, Love Barbies? YES! YES! YES! I loved my Barbies so much that I played with them until I started junior high. Oh, how I must read this book and plus it would look so cute on my night stand.

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Need I say more about this book?! What I would do to be able to have a box flown in just for me.

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I city that will always make me smile and remind me of one of the best moments of my life

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Love Notes

Today my husband is getting ready to leave for a week long work convention and so being the loving wife that I try to be... I packed his suitcase with... love notes! I can't wait to hear the phone call when he finds his surprise.

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Be Happy

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Be happy its Friday and that means the weekend is here! Hope you all have a nice weekend.

This is what all fall days should be like

Love this photo! To me this is the best way to spend a lazy fall day. Its crisp enough out to sit outside without freezing, and yet a person is able to spend countless hours getting lost amongst the pages reading about all the adventures that we dream of.

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What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

The Perfect Travel Kit

I saw this wash and sew kit and thought what a neat idea! (It would make a perfect stocking gift for the traveler in your life as well.) It contains four soaps, a needle and thread, and safety pins. So no matter where you go your emergencies are covered.

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Plus isn't the packaging ever so cute? I have to admit I am a big sucker when it comes to packaging.

Creative Pies

Who is ready to bake?! I am trying to find a yummy Thanksgiving dessert and so far nothing is jumping out at me. However; I came across these fun pie designs on martha stewart. I think the honeycomb pattern is so adorable. I think it may be time for me to put on my apron and start being creative.

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Do any of you enjoy making pies? If so, what is your favorite pie that you enjoy making or better yet what is your favorite kind to eat?

Hello Sunshine

Happy Monday! Lately, I have become smitten with the color yellow. You see 99.9% of the time I am drawn to black and pink so this is huge for me! Perhaps its because when I see the color yellow I feel calm, optimistic, and happy. Plus, all these feelings are feelings I hope to experience more of.

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{Paris photo I took}
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What is your favorite color? Are there certain colors that instantly make you feel a certain way?