O Christmas Tree

Tuesday night I went to bed with a plan in my head. I was going to wake up early, so I could walk to school again. You know, work off the Thanksgiving indulgences and whatnot? Well, that was Tuesday Brittany's plan. She clearly did not coordinate well with Wednesday Brittany because when I woke up, I was just not feeling it. I wasn't really feeling much of anything actually. So in a very uncharacteristic move for me, I decided to take a midweek Holiday!

My extremely saucy stay-home attire

Pajama clad and coffee mug at arm's length, I worked from home. It was really quite the treat! I think I can count the number of days I have ever missed class from elementary school to now on one, maybe two, hands. Like I said, a highly uncharacteristic move and yet, it felt so right! I can see why Mental Health Days seem so contagious.

I wasn't completely lazy though. I found some fantastic new blogs that I absolutely adore. With every new link I was more and more amazed at how creative people are with their blogs. The designs they have, the way they use photos, their topics; it's all just so delightful to see. Of course, I had you in mind too. So here are the links to these lovely blogs:

http://lalalovelythings.com/

 http://dancingbranflakes.blogspot.com/

http://www.notyouraverageordinary.com/

If you have a favorite blog that you like to read, please post the link in the comment section. I would love to see it. 

Today was also the Christmas decorating day for my house. My house at school, that is. You've already seen my home home decorating. Things aren't quite as extravagant here, but we do our best to make it festive. So every year we do a Secret Santa gift exchange among all the roommates. Today, we drew names for this year's celebration. So exciting!

Anticipation!

Then, we started assembling our Christmas tree. It might not look particularly glamorous now. But just you wait.

Now look at her! Beautiful! Majestic almost. 

I also set-up my personal tree for my room. I must say I am very proud of how it has turned out. 

It is even expertly decorated with:

Heart Garland

Peppermint Candies

Cat Cut-Out

and Bubbles!!

I went a bit crazy with the bubbles actually. It's impossible to just use them once though. They are so simple, yet such delightful fun!
Now that the house is decorated and with December rolling around tomorrow, I really feel like the season is upon us. I, for one, am extremely excited! If you celebrate the season, have you all decorated your houses yet? Are you getting excited?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Thanksgiving was a fantastic success!! I ate, watched the dog show, ate some more, played some board games with the fam-bam and ate even more. Needless to say, it was fantastic! I was borderline overwhelmed with the amount of food at home. I'm used to buying one thing, finishing it, and buying another. None of this stockpiling of food. It was phenomenal!

Of course, there were other wonderful aspects of going home. I got to see our adorable "puppies" Lucy and Lola. Such cutie pies!

Lucy

Lola

My sister, friends and I also saw the Muppet movie. Let me just tell you, it was fantastic! I really loved it. It was cute, happy and stayed true to the original Muppets we all love.  Jason Segel was perfect for it. Plus, there are cameos out the wazzoo. Essentially, I highly recommend it.

Finally, some wide-scale Christmas decorating took place. I'm not talking about a string of lights and maybe a blow-up decoration. No ma'am. We go big. I'm talking about lights, light-up figures, painted wood cut-outs, blow-up figures, the works! I took a little video of the finished creation, just so ya'll can experience our little segment of a Winter Wonderland.

As you can see, the holidays are a pretty big deal to my family. I wouldn't have it any other way either!

Here is a song to listen to while you watch the video. Hopefully, it will get you in a festive mood.

How was your Thanksgiving? Are you excited for the holiday season? It's coming up fast! Only three weeks until I'm back home for Christmas Break!

Homeward Bound

My title of course, refers to my eminent journey home for Thanksgiving break, and not the delightful tale of Shadow, Sassie and Chance; three housepets that become separated from their family and must band together to make it back. I do, however, highly recommend that movie for a lovely family night in.

Back to the discussion at hand. I am currently attempting to paint my nails while simultaneously writing this post. So far, I have only messed-up my thumbs, which happens when I do absolutely nothing for an hour after painting my nails anyway. So, I consider this technique a success. You may ask, why are you painting them now anyway? I would say that you are a very perceptive reader and that I am in a time crunch. My dad is picking me up to go home primarily because I am positive I would embark for home and end up in Albuquerque. He should be here soon and I wanted to update you on my excitement and horrible packing skills before I leave. Look how dedicated I am to you! Plus, I wanted to get my nails painted before I go home and didn't do it last night. Good story, I know. 

So, I will be home for essentially three days. Sunday is a travel day, so I don't really count it. Now keep this time period in mind when you see this..

This is my packing for three days. The sad thing? I am actually quite proud of myself for condensing it. All I can think is thank goodness I don't have to fly to get home. The baggage fees would probably cancel out any benefit.

Finally, I will leave you with the self-designated theme song for my journey. Simply because I love this song and would like to work it into conversation as often as I can.

Now, I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy yourself, you deserve it!

"I Should Walk to School Today"

The title of this post are the words of a crazy person. If someone you love and care for mutters these words, you must keep them under close supervision until this wild notion flees their minds. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience.

I decided to walk to school on the 18th of November, year 2011. It was a gloomy Friday, seemingly on the brink of rain at any moment. This should have been a tip-off that this was not my best idea, but my mind was already set. I couldn't turn back now.

 The journey to school wasn't too bad. By the time I got to the first downhill slope, I was feeling pretty happy with myself both for navigating my way along back roads and for my steady pace. This pace was soon to be my downfall because as we all know, where there is a downhill, there is also an uphill. So I'm slowly making my way up the modest incline, when I begin to feel extremely hot all over. You wouldn't think this is particularly odd if it were a summer's day in June but no, we are talking about a brisk, fall day in November. I soon roll my sleeves up, even contemplated taking the sweater off altogether, but I thought that would look odd seeing as all of the people passing me are wearing jackets and long sleeves. I didn't want to be singled out as the newbie to walking, you see?

So, about twenty five minutes or so have probably passed since I embarked on my quest. I can see my destination on the horizon. As I am passing some residential buildings, I smell the unmistakable scent of illegal drugs being consumed. I turn my head to see the front of the house I'm passing and I lock eyes with this rather haggard looking lady on the porch. At that moment I knew that she knew that I knew what she was doing. (Did that make sense?)

So skip forward a bit, and I am on campus approximately fifteen minutes or so before my class starts. This is perfect timing because I am, quite literally, a hot mess. I needed to collect myself in the bathroom, do a little maintenance work and whatnot. Here is when I even shocked even myself with my cleverness. Arrogant, I know, but wait til you hear what I did.
 ...
I dried my shirt under the hand dryers! Clever, right?! Don't get me wrong, I looked like a nutcase crouching under the dryer against the wall, but it was effective. I was just lucky no one walked in at that exact moment because I can safely say that that would have been equally awkward for both of us.  Anyway, I was able to make myself somewhat presentable for society and went on my way. Needless to say, this was quite the adventure for me. Overall, it went well. I was pretty proud of myself for accomplishing this feat and conquering these hills.

 More to the point, I am stoked that one day I can tell my children that yes, I did walk to school, uphill-------in a blizzard!! Little exaggeration doesn't hurt.
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Sisterhood Inspired Playlist

Photo from axousc

According to the prevalence of sister themed posts on Facebook, I am under the impression that it's Sister's Week. Whether it's officially this week or not, I would like to take this time to dedicate this post and the following bumpin' playlist to my own sister and the friends with whom I view as sisters. These wonderful women have always been there for me, through thick and thin. I know that I would not be the same person I am today without them.

So, I feel that when it comes to thanking the people who mean the most to you, Sisters Week should be every week. (Cheesy I know, but I can't help it.)
These following songs are in honor of this sisterhood connection. I hope you enjoy them and remember to thank the important women in your life for everything they do.

1. Sister Sledge- "We are Family"

2. Destiny's Child- "Girl"

3. Aretha Franklin- "Respect"

4. Dionne Warwick- "That's What Friends Are For"

5. Bill Withers- "Lean on Me"

6. The Rembrandts- "I'll Be Ther For You"

The Joy That Is a Friday Off

Happy Veteran's Day Everyone! 

The USS Carl Vinson in San Diego Photo from DVIDSHUB

I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the service members who have sacrificed for our country. What you do and have done is deeply appreciated. 

Now, I hope everyone has had a thoroughly enjoyable day off. We need to get these calm days in before the hectic frenzy of the Holidays start up. I had a rather lovely day. I meant to finish a lot of work and I did get some done, not much though. Tomorrow will be my big work day. Cross my heart. 

I did volunteer at the center though. So I was partially productive, at least. It felt good to be back there helping out. I still go every week, but for some reason it felt like I hadn't been there in forever. While there, I was posed this rather impossible question, "What would you recommend I do on the internet to get the most benefit from my computer?" I was rather baffled, I must admit. I definitely could not sum up the best way to utilize all the information on the internet in the fifteen minutes we had left in the session. The other volunteer and I decided that the answer to that question relied upon the person's own interest. It's not an entirely satisfactory answer, but you try to come up with something any better. 

After the center, I decided that I should treat myself to a hot beverage. Not just any hot beverage, but hot chocolate made with milk. That might not sound too remarkable to you, but it was a little bit of heaven for me. I usually make my hot cocoa with water and while it is still super tasty, it doesn't quite have the decadent flair I was looking for.

Photo from Allison's Aromas

I was even feeling particularly daring and topped the whole thing off with cinnamon. An idea I stole off the new ABC show Once Upon a Time. The main character has mentioned it a few times and made it sound so tasty that I had to give it a go. I was not disappointed, let me tell you. This delectable drink was the perfect accompaniment while I watched the second part of the last Harry Potter movie with my roommate. It was the perfect thing to be sipping while watching Harry conquer evil and well, just watching Ron period. 

Mr. Rupert Grint (Ron) Image from harrypotter.wikia.com

After that lovely little break, I have officially been ruined for any chance at work tonight. Instead, I think I might just have to finish up Hunger Games. I absolutely love it! I am at the point where I just need to know how it all resolves. That seems like a good option for tonight. I also have plans to paint my nails, as they desperately need it. 

So, I'm going to stop chitchatting and hop on it then. Hope you all have a lovely Friday night as well.

Short Musical Snippet

Here is just a quick song to keep you moving about your day. Hope you enjoy it!

By the way, halfway there to the weekend!

Thanksgiving Anticipation

Fifteen days until my Thanksgiving Break! Woo!

Pure Artistic Ability Illustrated in Doodle Form

Isn't that a bit crazy to hear? I know I've been talking a lot about time and how fast everything is going. I also realize that I will probably start sounding like a granny pretty soon if I keep this up. Can you believe it, though? Two weeks before Thanksgiving. Two weeks before all of that delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and apple cider. As you can tell, the food is a pretty big deal for me. No more soups and salads for me. At least, none for three days or so. I am also strangely excited for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I mean, we watch it every year. But, for some reason, I am really excited to see it this time around.

My friend Joni will be home for the break as well. So, in addition to the usual Thanksgiving traditions, we have some pretty lofty goals to accomplish in the two short days we are together. These goals are of the utmost importance and include a trip to Coldstones so I can get pumpkin pie ice cream with graham cracker bits, and a trip to Starbucks so we can get Pumpkin Spice Lattes together. Like I said, very important goals to accomplish. Of course, all of our endeavors are not dedicated to the quest of consuming pumpkin flavored food. On the contrary, I also plan for us to see The Muppet Movie and Happy Feet 2 with my sister. The picture below was my attempt to include the wonderfulness I have planned for this break in doodle form. I am supposed to help pick out outfits, to explain the dress and jewelry drawn on the right side. Yes, that is supposed to be a dress and jewelry, thank you very much.

More Doodle Mastery

So, now that you know what I am excited for, I want to know what you are looking forward to. Is there a special family tradition you have? Is there a special appetizer you cannot wait for? Are you just excited for the extra day off? Leave a comment and let me know.

Rain Drops are Falling

San Diego experienced a rainy day yesterday.. The news predicted about an inch of rain but I swear, you'd think we were about to experience a Category 3 Hurricane. People were putting up sandbags and drivers took the rain as their personal invitation to drive like crazy people. I, of course, cannot point the finger at others without acknowledging my own fascination with the strange phenomena of water falling from the sky.

Being in seventy plus weather for too long, I have no idea how to dress properly for anything colder. Naturally, I layered on almost all the winter appropriate clothes I have. Here we have exhibit A in the wardrobe department:

It says, "I wear a lot of clothes for the rain"

After the clothes assembly, I embarked on my journey to school. Little did I know then that I was taking my own life in my hands by doing so. Bum Bum Baaaaa!!!
That was a little dramatic. I'll admit. But let me tell you what hapened. I was driving down a car lined street. The rain was pelting down on the window and the trees were billowing left and right. As I was about to pass a giant palm tree, I noticed a branch come loose and fly down to the ground. BAM!! It landed right in front of Little JoAnna (That is the name of my car)! It was seriously like one of those movie moments. I could not even believe it. I don't think it would have done too much damage if it fell on my car, but it was pretty big and I like to exaggerate. I should have taken a picture of the offending branch, but I was being hurried by an impatient, oncoming car. So you will have to use your imagination on how big it was. Needless to say, I now have a renewed zest for life. Live like you're dying, and all that.

Now these pictures may make you think that such a horrible storm might never pass, but fear not! No matter how bad a storm may look, it will always end. Yes, I do want that to be part of a bigger moral lesson.

There is always going to be a rainbow

You just have to look for it

After such an eventful day, battling the elements, I had a very basic plan for my evening. It almost worked out too, but no dice.

I will keep this plan in my back pocket for future evenings in. It never gets old, after all. Plus, I am only in the beginning phase of becoming addicted to the book. That means I will create evenings in on my own just to read it. I already cannot wait.

The Calm Before the Storm

Picture from Flickr by Meyer Felix

Happy November everyone! Didn't October feel like it just blew by?! I remember being excited that September was over and now look at us. It must be true what all parents inevitably say, time speeds up as you get older. Soon you'll hear me saying, "Christmas already? It was just here!"

My goal of the month: Make it to Thanksgiving.

An admirably easy goal, I feel. November is already shaping up to be a bit of a crazy month, however. It seems all my teachers had the same idea to make December a cake walk by having us turn in everything the month before. I mean, I will be a happy camper next month, I just have to make it to that point. But, me being an eternal optimist and this being Sunshiny Beat, I remain confident that it should be okay. I just have to take everything in stride. Complete one thing, then start on the next. I'm not too concerned as of now. Then again, I think that is why they call this period the calm.

There are some things, however, that I am quite excited for this month. You always have to look for that silver lining, afterall. So, here are a few of those linings.

There are several movies I am super excited to see. I will likely get made fun of for all of them, but I can handle it. First and foremost, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. Yes, the fourth book got a little crazy and I have no clue how they are going to put it in movie form, but I must say I am excited to find out.

.

Now, we have Happy Feet 2 and I will admit, I am out of hand excited to see it! It combines everything I love in life in a movie. This could be a bit of an exaggeration, but I stand by it.

Finally, The Muppets new movie. I love the Muppets. I love Jason Segal. I love Amy Adams. Enough said.

On the music front, we have the release of Big Time Rush's second album Elevate on November 21. They have already released their new single "Music Sounds Better with You" and it might be a bit premature to say, but it is my favorite song of theirs yet. I can't wait.

http://www.btrband.com/us/music/music-sounds-better-u

Last but certainly not least, November brings us Thanksgiving. I am extremely excited to visit home, eat a lot of delicious food, see my family and drag my sister to all of the movies I just mentioned. Basically, it has "good time" written all over it!

As you can see, my tastes appear to align perfectly with a pre-teen, maybe tween, girl. But, what is everyone else looking forward to? What is going to help you get through this month?

So Concludes a Delightful Trip

Theme for the Weekend and Everyday

Halloween was a fantastic success! 

As you know, my friend Taylor came down to visit for the weekend and it was just a lovely trip. We had our Halloween Party on Friday, carved pumpkins and went out on Saturday and had a lovely TV day in on Sunday. I hope to post some more pictures of the party decorations and whatnot later on this week. But, I do have two I can share now to hold everyone over until then.

Taylor and I in our insect costumes

As evidenced in this picture, I finally finished the tutu! It took one Big Time Rush marathon, one brownie care package, two hot beverages and seven hours of work, but it was finished! I was very pleased with the results. I had my doubts halfway through, but I persevered and kept tying tulle. I'm sure happy I did because I think we both turned out adorable. I noticed that a lot of tutus were being rocked this Halloween. From insects, to clowns, to birds, tutus definitely make any costume more fun. That's my belief anyway.

Next, we have Big Time Rush pumpkin expertly carved by Taylor. It took some failed pumpkins from past Halloweens, but we finally got the hang of letter carving. Again, I was very pleased with the outcome. As I am sure the BTR boys are too to have such devoted and artistically inclined fans.

So that's all I have for now. How was everyone else's Halloween?! Positively spooktacular I hope!