Goodbye, November

Whoops, I totally fell off the blogging wagon over the Thanksgiving break. I had a great break and am refreshed with some blogworthy ideas for December. I didn't meet my goal of posting every day in November, but I did have close to 40 posts, so I am letting it slide. I read somewhere that comments are like crack to bloggers, and I am so thankful that I am getting comments with more frequency. Please keep 'em coming!

What did I think of my break?

• Niece's dance-off party: awesome. (And yes, I was too self-conscious to participate.) The best moment for me was a toss-up between my seventeen month old nephew constantly jumping in trying to replicate his uncle's somersault and my pregnant sis-in-law spinning on her back break-dance style.
  
• Thanksgiving: yummy. (Missing dessert? Sad - darn you, cramps!; Missing helping to clean up? Mildly guilt-inducing) I forgot to do a post in advance of the holiday of things I am thankful for this year, so if you don't mind reading another one after the fact, I will post it later this week. I have so much to be thankful for.
  
• Shopping: guilt-inducing. The only items I purchased this weekend were for me, and I will probably return them. (I think I can find better versions of the short-sleeved sweater dress and the ruffled cardigan.)
  
• Friends' engagement party: fun. (Almost) makes me wish I could do it all over again. No worrying so much about the budget and people-pleasing this time!
  
• Meeting up with The Hubs's high school friends: always great. He went to a small, all-male school, and I love how close they are. And how they always hug hello and goodbye.
  
• Putting up the Christmas tree: Victory is mine! We didn't get around to putting it up last year (shocking!), so I was determined to do so this year.
  
• Relaxing and Napping with The Hubs: fabulous! He worked several days of 14-hour overnights at the hospital before the break, and we were both having a hard time of it. (I actually cried at work over some frustration coupled with the comments of an insensitive coworker. Googling "med school spouse" helped.) He had off Thursday-Sunday, and it was so, so nice to get to be our "normal" selves.

How was your Thanksgiving break? Did you score anything on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I'm wishing there was a Cyber Week, because I couldn't even tell you how many emails flooded by inbox today with ONE! DAY! ONLY! DEALS! I didn't look at any of it.

Pretty Tea Towels

So many cute tea towels out there, so few that "go" with my current kitchen. (Grey countertops, cream, grey and terra cotta tile backsplash...can't really deviate from that without clashing.)

My dream kitchen right now is all white with fun punches of color. These cute ones from Martha would work great in said future kitchen!

Macy's, $10 for 3

I've Got Moves You've Never Seen

The theme for my 9 -year-old niece's family birthday party this week is a dance off. How fun is that? (Although being the shy one that I am, I'm a little terrified of actually participating.)

Thank goodness for YouTube to remind me how to do The Pizza and the Q-Tip:

Of course, I could try to memorize the Evolution of Dance:

Or maybe Lisa P's Adventureland dance:

Got any tried and true moves to share?

On a side note, I just love hanging out with my nieces. When I asked them after Halloween why they didn't save me any Starbursts, they left this for me at my in-laws' house. How sweet is that?

That Face!

Do you ever look at little kids and think of what beautiful adults they will someday be? I am smitten by this little girl.

I wish I knew how to knit. I started learning once but only produced an uneven half-scarf.

Available here. (The cowl/poncho, not the cute munchkin.)

Sub Tub

This weekend, I'd like to live a life of ease and take a bubble bath in this porthole tub.

So we sailed on to the sun,
Till we found the sea green,
And we lived beneath the waves,
In our yellow blue-grey submarine

via here

Are You Still a Teenage Girl Too?

Hopefully I'll be able to catch New Moon when I get back Sunday night if a friend is willing to see it for a second time. (Chances are good, since we're essentially teenage girls.)

It's been a while since I read the books, and I remember rolling my eyes quite a few times during the first Twilight movie. Luckily, I can refresh my memory with this CliffsNotes version, which begins like this:

PALE GIRL: Hi, I’m new here.

PALE BOY: I hate you. I love you. I want to eat you.

PALE GIRL: Let us go yearn for one another in the woods.

PALE GIRL: Did you just stop that van with your bare hands?

PALE BOY: No.

PALE GIRL: Yes you did.

PALE BOY: No I didn’t.

PALE GIRL: I saw you.

PALE BOY: You are clearly a crazy person.

PALE GIRL: I’m not.

PALE BOY: Look at me over here in the sunlight.

PALE GIRL: Ooooooh, sparkly.

And how great is this shirt posted on All Things G&D? (I suppose this is a spoiler alert if you haven't read all of the books.)

Are you a Twilight fan?

Yay Friday!

This weekend we are headed down to San Antone for our friends' wedding*. We are staying right near the Riverwalk (over half off with my awesome hotel-finding skills!), and I am hoping all of the holiday twinkly lights are up. What are you up to?

A few things I enjoyed this week:

The Youngsters are having their own little youngster!

These sassy grandmas via The English Muse (also see the cute videos she posted on What is Twitter? and What is Flickr?)

How to make DIY chevron artwork like this from Makeunder My Life


Posters for your optimistic and pessimistic sides via {Black. White. Yellow.}



* As I write this post Thursday night, I should be packing** but cannot access my closet because Sleeping Beauty / Husband goes to sleep by 9 so he can get up at an ungodly hour to leave for work*** by 5. The hours suck on his OB-GYN rotation, but he got to deliver his first baby today! (He's moving up in the world, before this it was just placentas and other fun stuff.)

** Usually I like to try on the outfits I pack for a trip, and I just realized I haven't even tried on the dress I'm wearing for the wedding since I last wore it almost two years ago, when I definitely weighed a lot less. I'm crossing my fingers that it looks okay, because I don't have a backup planned.

*** Insert some other word. Work would imply he gets paid.

Good Choices, People

The 2009 People Sexiest Men Alive list is out. While there are several choices I don't get, here is where People and I are in agreement (The Hubs notwithstanding, of course):

Finn or Mr. Schuester? Tough call

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my dear mom's birthday. We have been through a lot in the last few years, and I have learned so much from her about strength, love, and forgiveness in times of pain and upheaval.

I love you so much, Mom.

Color of the Day

is yellow. I need more of yellow in my home.

I love everything about this house featured in Country Living