Small Steps

Daydreaming

Today I divided my day off into three parts:

1. Packing and shipping orders out

2. Enjoying all my new Christmas loot, including ordering a mannequin my lovely parents bought for the shop, loading Tina Fey's"Bossypants" onto my new Kindle, and eating an entire box of chocolate covered cherries.

3. Sitting on the beach enjoying the sunset and contemplating life

Feelin' good : )

Santa Is On His Way!

Three days until Christmas :)

Better get all your baking, cooking, shopping, wrapping, Christmas-movie-watching, Christmas-tree admiring, jingle bells singing, Christmas-light-viewing, eggnog drinking, holiday cheeriness in!

(Doesn't this picture just make you go "awwww"?)

Messy Goodness

"A perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life." Mary Randolph Carter

Its OK to translate quotes only in the way that you want, right? 

Ok, good.

Therefore, my to-do list for today includes:

1. Ignoring the sky high pile of clean laundry on my bed. Hey, at least its clean, right?

2. Ignoring the half-roll of toilet paper left in my bathroom. Sometimes toilet paper magically appears in your bathroom without you having to go to the store, right? We'll just worry about that later.

3. Pretending my car isn't filled with two jackets, a few shirts, empty cardboard boxes, my snowboard and a couple empty coffee cups. If I can't see it in the backseat whilst driving, no one else can see it, right?

4. Oh, that lightbulb in the kitchen is out? You just wait and see how good I am at cooking blindly.

5. Being green and all, we don't want to waste all that water washing dishes when we can just use the plastic. Its good for the environment, right?

Maybe tomorrow I will find a quote about how a clean house is helpful to oneself. Or maybe the next day.

What I've Been Up To

Since I haven't updated the blog in a bit, heres what I've been up to!


We went to Owen's work Christmas party last weekend, and it was a blast. It was at a fancy spot at the Hyatt in Incline, about 15 minutes away. When you walked in they handed you a glass of wine, and had great appetizers that filled you up before the dinner was even served! It was fun to get a chance to dress up and there was a great DJ for dancing later in the night.

Ready to go!

Owen and his best work bud Ryan

Then we strapped our Christmas tree to the Oldsmobile and spent the night decorating it, listening to Christmas music, and baking cookies!

And Tuesday I had my first day on the mountain, on a beautiful sunny day. Squaw Valley's season pass includes a pass to Alpine Meadows this year, another great mountain nearby, so I went there to check it out. Great trails and a lot less walking from your car to the lift, which is fine with me!!

In the Christmas Spirit

I have been working nights this week, and have been watching a Christmas movie before work each day while I am cleaning or working on my shop. Sometimes the ABC Family's movies can be corny, but I watched Desperately Seeking Santa yesterday and may have to add it to my favorite Christmas movie list!

We are getting a Christmas tree tomorrow and I can't wait to decorate it!

Free as the wind

I love how this picture sums up my favorite feeling when I wake up in the morning on my days off. Those days when I have no major plans, nothing important to do, and can just fill my day with what I want to be doing. Can't beat it.

Gobble 'Til You Wobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

I spent the morning eating cinnamon buns and drinking coffee while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Love it. 

Being across the country from my family isn't the greatest on Thanksgiving, but it will be a good day anyways and I have lots to be thankful for!

Enjoy your day : )

P.S. Check out the Black Friday sale at my shop starting midnight tonight. Use code BLACKFRIDAYVINTAGE for 40% off!

Ski Season

Today we walked around the shops in the village at Squaw Valley and checked out skis for Owen. In a couple days the mountain is opening, and Tahoe will be filled with people again. Its been too empty the past month with nobody around!

How awesome is the Christmas tree?

Sewing

I know what you're thinking, TWO blog posts in one day Kristin? Don't you have a life? WELL I have a whole week off, OK PEOPLE. Lots of free time to do whatever my little heart desires. Except spend money.

Today I spent the whole day in my "office," working on my shop. Nerd alert! But I love it! And ever since I hung up Christmas lights in here, its hard to get me to spend time elsewhere. Because I love Christmas lights.

I found a screaming deal on a bunch of vintage fabric last month, and have been trying to decide what to do with it. I needed something simple I wouldn't give up on halfway through. I found this clutch purse pattern online and it was perfect! Not too difficult, took less than two hours (even when I sewed the snap on the wrong side and had to redo it) and it turned out pretty well. Success!

Girls Rhinebeck Trip

While I was home my mom and I did our trip over the Hudson river to Rhinebeck, NY. We have been doing little day trips over there since I was little, and always have the best time. 

Rhinebeck has some great thrift shops, restaurants and is just a cozy interesting place to walk around and check things out, especially in the fall. We had lunch at Gigi's, a little restaurant with great ambiance. I tried duck confit for the first time, in a sandwich with goat cheese and sliced pear. My mom had a great salad with roasted veggies like butternut squash in it. 

We walked around the shops and checked stuff out. We also has AMAZING luck at the thrift stores, maybe a little bit too much (I had to send a box of stuff to California before I left). My mom found this practically new, awesome leather jacket in the thrift store that fit perfectly.

Fun day : )

Suggestions for Success

Baha

Its The Holiday Season!

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Yes, I realize its only November 3rd. But I am a holiday freak.

On my Holiday Activity List:

Watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Drink Starbucks Holiday Lattes

Put up lights 

Burn Christmasy-smelling candles

Watch Family Stone, Serendipity, The Holiday, Elf, and Christmas Vacation, 

as well as ABC Family's 25 days of Christmas

Bake Apple and Pumpkin pies

Make ornaments

Listen to my favorite holiday albums in the car while belting out the words

Drink eggnog

Go ahead, call me corny!

Friendship

While I was home I got to see some of my best friends, which was AWESOME. It was great catching up with everyone after being apart for a long time this year. 

I went thrift store shopping with my bestie Lauren (above) in Albany. She has similar dreams and goals for the future as I do, and it is great to talk to someone who can really understand what you're thinking. Our moms are besties too, and also share the same love for craftiness! 

Lauren has an etsy shop as well, and we are always keeping track of what the other one's up to. I think the quote above is true, and if you surround yourself with positive like-minded people, it helps you to believe you can succeed, which is half the battle!

Be Happy

Hike to Kaaterskill Falls

Starting out!

The hurricane plopped this tree right across the trail.

Getting misted by the waterfalls (and if it looks cold, that's because it was)

Awesome leaves! And an awesome dad!

Just got back last night from a week home in Saugerties, NY. It was GREAT to see the family, relax, and check out autumn back east with all the colorful leaves.

I went on a hike to Kaaterskill falls with my dad on Monday. It is a cool hike in all four seasons. During the fall it has great views of the waterfalls and pretty tree colors, and in the winter the falls freeze over and you can hike right up to them. 

Great day!

Pumpkin Day

Today we had lunch by the lake by the Tahoe City Dam. Great little  picnic table area.

Then we picked up some pumpkins and the "ultimate carving kit." Uh huh, very professional. Hoping mine turns out awesomely tonight.

Loving the fall weather so I can layer up! Makes for more fun outfits.

Lazy Tuesday, because we are old folks

 Since Tuesdays and Wednesdays are our "weekend," I had quite the relaxing day today. Here are some of the fun things I partook in:

I worked on my shop a little and mailed out some of the pieces I sold (yay!). I love going to my local post office, because the older lady at the counter, Ann, is the happiest person you've ever met. Literally. Every time she scans one of my packages, she yells "Up and away!" and places it on the counter behind her. When she's ready for you to swipe your card, she yells "ZAP IT!" She also has a cat named Elvis.

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Then I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks of the season! LOVE THEM. 

Also LOVE this little girl's costume.

An amazing part of fall for me is buying caramel dip for apples....Delish!

Then I stuck a chicken in the crockpot for dinner. I know, very Martha Stewart of me. 

Side note: Taking out the "giblets" from the middle of a chicken was quite traumatic.

Then we were lazy bums and sat on the couch. Sometimes you just want to watch a little T.V. Seen here is Owen (may or may not be picking his nose) in our greatest new thrift find ever, the lounger chair.

Plan on ending the day off by reading on the porch in this little nook while Owen goes and plays basketball at the rec center. Great Tuesday!