A plug for awesome causes

I know we are all in rough times when it comes to the economy, but we are blessed to be healthy and (for the most part) with family this upcoming holiday season. A couple of fellow bloggers are humbly asking for some news-spreading and awareness for causes for those less fortunate than us, and I am happy to get word out, as small as my audience may be.

Amy, the writer of a fabulous party planning blog that I love, Stem Parties, is also an awesome philanthropist. She is the Chief Event Planner for Operation Shower which gives military moms-to-be "baby showers in a box." As she puts it, imagine going through such an exciting time in your life and preparing for a child, and your spouse is a world away doing the world's most brave and dangerous job defending our country. Operation Shower brings some happiness to these families with its boxes. Click here for more info and directions to donate. And if you blog and would be so kind as to spread the word, please do.

Additionally, Aunt Becky at Mommy Wants Vodka, my favorite, snarkily written comic-relief mommy blog (okay, technically my only blog like that, but seriously a hilarious and often heart-touching read) is hoping to raise money for March of Dimes. Her daughter, Amelia, was born with a neural tube defect resulting in an encephalocele and, despite the odds, is doing very well. Not only will Aunt Becky be walking in the March of Dimes, she is attempting to win a cash award through Divine Caroline that she will donate to MoD. There will be a link to donate on her blog, but even taking a moment to vote for her would be much appreciated. Click here to vote for the blog.

Thanks all! Happy Halloween!

She wears a cupcake collar

So, Clover is officially a spaz. Actually, she's just a hyper puppy, but she looked certifiably insane at training yesterday. In hindsight, it was my mistake. I didn't give her and Paisley enough time to play off some energy before taking her. So she spent much of the hour wiggling around on her back and biting her leash... and then me when I tried to remove said leash from her mouth. When I told Mr. Kingston that some puppy was a psycho at puppy school, he said "I know exactly who you're talking about. She wears a cupcake collar." Yep, that's her. So next week, I'll have to leave work a bit earlier and make sure The Girls get in a good 30 minutes of play. It's another reminder of how very different they are - with Paisley, she was so shy that all she wanted was my attention, so she responded very quickly to commands at training. Clover, however, is a social butterfly and wants to say hello to every being she encounters and couldn't care less that I have steak-shaped treats in my hand. This will be quite an experience.

And I broke my lap top. I dropped it, to be exact. I'm so peeved. Not that it's her fault, but I was carrying it back from the printer in the spare bedroom and Clover ran in front of me. My feet stopped, but my pretty purple lap top kept going... straight onto the floor. Bing spent at least an hour with me last night trying to get the darn thing working. We kept getting the infamous Blue Screen Of Death. He thinks it's probably the motherboard since the computer can still detect the hard drive. So I have to figure out how I'm going to salvage all my pictures. And get through the rest of the school semester without a personal lap top. Just a little extra something I wasn't expecting to deal with.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. I'm hoping to be off on a company sponsored mental health day, but we have a temp (yes, the temp who served as the decoy for my work shower is real) that I may have to train tomorrow, so I may end up in the office. Saturday is Halloween, if y'all didn't know, and I'm hoping we can find something to do. Last year we were at a wedding and then went to a concert. I'm thinking this year Mill Avenue might be fun for people watching. Or maybe we'll stay in, make a yummy dinner and watch the scariest movies I can tolerate. Sunday is my father-in-law's birthday, so we'll do brunch and then probably spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and maybe give Paisley some special time at the dog park.

Hope everyone has a great Halloween weekend!!

Puppy school!

Guess who's going to puppy school at Petsmart tomorrow?
This girl!!




I did Petsmart training with Paisley too. And though Paisley still has some issues, she did learn a lot and it was good for socialization. I really like the trainer at my neighborhood Petsmart, so I'm excited for Clover that she'll be doing training with him. She'll learn to sit, lay down, come, stay, take it, leave it, and drop it. I'll likely do the next session of skills which will focus on leash walking, waiting, and other intermediate skills.

And of course, I'm looking forward to the super awesome cheesy graduation photo. I have to put it on the refrigerator next to Paisley's (which I conveniently can't find on my computer).

Good luck at your first day of school tomorrow, Clover!

Busy Baking Bee

I've had a very productive day in the kitchen. I have a champagne themed jewelry party at a coworker's house tomorrow and I offered to make cake balls for it. Inspired by Mr. Kingston's favorite cake flavor, I made them cherry chip.

If you haven't made cake balls before, here's the process: first, you bake a cake (I use boxed mixes). While it's still warm, remove it from the pan and mix in a tub of your choice of frosting. For these I used a cherry chip mix and cherry frosting. Last time I made them I used spice cake and cream cheese frosting. After you mix the cake and frosting, you'll want to chill it. I chilled mine overnight, but as little as 3 hours will work.



When the mixture is firm, roll it into balls. Mine are probably about a tablespoon each. I got just over 3 dozen out of the mixture.



Next, I melted Wilton candy melts to dip the balls. I used regular baker's white chocolate last time and I think the consistency with the Wilton candy melts was better. It also went further for less money. I used about 1 package for 2 dozen and with the baker's chocolate, it took a package per dozen.



After they were hardened, I tinted the spare chocolate pink and used a pastry bag to drizzle the cake balls to give them a little something extra. Here they are all packaged up and ready for the party.



But that's not all I did today. I also made these cute candy corn cookies.



When they're dry, I'll package them in bags with a Halloween ribbon and take them to work on Thursday (I'll freezze them until them) in a jack-o-lantern bucket. I don't usually get fancy with my presentation with work treats, but I think it would be a cute touch. Plus I already bought the ribbon.

So that was my domestic Saturday.

We are lucky girls

Can I brag, just for a moment? I have a wonderful husband. He always does sweet thoughtful things for me. He'll run an errand with my car and wash it and fill my gas tank while he's out. He sends me texts during the day just to say hello and that he's thinking of me. He told me to go out and get the KitchenAid mixer he knew I really wanted after the wedding. When I was doing boot camp, he would untie my shoe laces and slip my shoes off when I was sore, then run a bath for me on really rough nights. They're all just little things, but they mean a lot.

Mr. Kingston shows Paisley (and Clover, but this is a Paisley post) lots of love and tenderness, too. He's always loved her, from the moment he met her. Paisley's not the friendliest of dogs. She's a protective little barker and shies away from people. Mr. Kingston's the only man she's never barked at. And he's always done sweet things for her, too. He used to bring her toys and treats and bought her a little jacket so she wouldn't be cold. He made her a shark fin for her costume for Halloween last year. On his birthday last year, she happened to have a vet appointment and he came along. She sat with him the whole time while he whispered to her how good she was being and how it would be over soon. In the mornings, he'll sit and have a chat with her and tell her to be a good girl and he'll play with her when he gets home. They just adore each other.

Anyway, when I got home from work yesterday, she looked funny to me. Her coat, which is normally smooth, was all bumpy. It was like she literally had a rash under her first. My first thought was flea bites, but I didn't see anything on her coat or on the bedding or anything. She also wasn't scratching except for attempting to rub her ear on the carpet. I googled and discovered it was most likely an allergic reaction. I called the animal hospital and was told I could wait and bring her in the next day (it was urgent care hours so it costs more) but if the reaction got worse, she could have issues breathing or swallowing. So off to the vet we went. It was my second trip in two days since Clover had a check-up the day before. Paisley's not a fan of the vet... at all. From the time we get out of the car, she tries to run the opposite way. But she was a trooper - they checked her out and confirmed that it was an allergic reaction and gave her an IV steroid and a Benadryl injection, along with instructions for more Benadryl twice today.

After her big trip to the vet, the little girl was just kind of "blah" which they told me to expect. She played a little with Clover but was just kind of quiet. Since I'd been texting Mr. Kingston about it, he knew that Paisley needed some extra love. As usual, she got excited and squealed and did her happy dance when he got home, but calmed down really quickly. After he got settled, he took the blanket from the couch, folded it neatly, fluffed it, put it on her favorite spot and proceeded to "tuck" her in and tell her she was a brave girl and to feel better. It was one of the sweetest things ever. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but my heart just filled with love for him. He's just going to be a great dad one day, and I'm so happy to have married a man who can be so tender and caring.

Alright, I'm done bragging. For now :)

BOO!! Cute printouts at The TomKat Studio

I heard about a fun Halloween tradition called The "BOO" Game a couple of years ago. It's mostly done in neighborhoods. Essentially, you secretly leave treats at someone's door with instructions to pay it forward to two other neighbors. The instructions come with a sign to hang in the window so that a particular neighbor isn't "BOOed" more than once.

Since Mr. Kingston and I don't live in a neighborhood and we don't know our apartment neighbors, I was thinking it would be something fun to do at work. Who wouldn't like to get a cute treat on their desk and the opportunity to brighten someone else's day?

One of the blogs I follow, The TomKat Studio, featured these super cute BOO signs and instructions. Best part is, the download is free! The TomKat Studio has a ton of cute party paperware, if you will, including "party circles" (cupcake toppers), invitations, announcements, etc. The whole Halloween line is very cute! Check it out.



Now I have to figure out how to customize these to an office setting...

Welcome home, Clover!

We picked up Clover yesterday and brought her home. Well to Mr. Kingston's parents' home, since they invited us over for their famous carne asada. Clover and Paisley seemed to get along well, and played in the house and the yard most of the afternoon. I was completely amazed at how tiny she is - it's hard to believe Paisley was once so small. Here's Paisley with her mini-me:



Last night, the little girl slept until 4am! On her first night home, Paisley was up at 1 and then at 5. Unlike Paisley, Clover wasn't crate trained by her breeder, so I was pretty much prepared for the worst - and a long evening. Luckily though, she tired herself out from whining after only about 5 minutes, and she wasn't too loud. Today, I was home with them, as I will be tomorrow and Wednesday. We made quite a few trips outside, and similar to Paisley, she's not a fan of wet grass. I wanted to see how she'd do if I left her in the crate, since she'll be in it when I go to work. Each time, she quiets down a little faster.

We also have to work on her eating. She was free-fed at her old home, but potty training is easier with scheduled feedings since it can be determined approximately when she needs to be taken out. So I'm trying to give her 4 small meals and get her to eat as much as I can to break her of her grazing habit. Once I go to work, she'll get three meals, and then go down to 2 at about 6 months. Funny thing is, Paisley and Clover seem to only be interested in each other's food. So I don't think Paisley has eaten much today either, since I try to get her to eat her own and she has no interest. Oh well, she'll eat when she's hungry.


I've noticed that Clover is more whiny than Paisley. Not just in the crate - Paisley rarely whined then. But Clover will stand at my feet and whine, for who knows what reason. She's more friendly with people than Paisley though, which is what we were hoping for. Clover also has Paisley's tendency to go after cords, so I can't forget to watch her carefully. Paisley was a little too rough with Clover at first, but now she seems more gentle. Clover got her with her sharp little baby teeth and Paisley didn't like it too much. But it's good for Clover to learn not to bite so hard during play if the consequence is a yelp and losing her playmate. Luckily, Paisley doesn't seem too jealous. I try to give her lots of love and kisses and special play time when Clover is napping, which is often.

We're Married!!

So it's been a few days since I posted, and it's been a loooong few days.

Thursday, Mija and I got up to go to boot camp at 5:30am - she's nuts. She hung in there really well though. After boot camp, we took naps and then got ready. Mija, Bing, Mr. Kingston and I met my other 2 bridesmaids (and one of their husbands) for lunch in Glendale. We then got manis and pedis while the boys played in Mr. Kingston's parents' garage. We rehearsed and went to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Toward the end of dinner, things got hairy. Mr. Kingston's grandmother apparently had an episode of low blood pressure and possibly a reaction to the pepper in her meal. She lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital. The dinner came to an abrupt halt and we ended up leaving early so that family could go to the hospital. My bridesmaid went to the hotel with me where I took Tylenol PM and proceeded to sleep for 8 - count them, 8! - hours. Mr. Kingston was updating me on his grandma's status, and by the time I went to bed that evening, it had been determined that she would be okay and released the following day. We were disappointed she would miss the wedding, but thrilled that she was on the mend and in good hands.

Friday - our wedding day - started early with hair and makeup appointments at 7. It went by pretty quickly though. After my hair was done, I went down to the reception site to have a look around. I was absolutely in awe of how perfectly everything was coming together. My flowers were amazing! My cake was incredible! The linens were perfect! That's when I started to really get excited. After what seemed like days, it was time to walk down the aisle. It was hot out, and even though poor Mr. Kingston was sweating like a mad man in his suit, he was so incredibly handsome. Our ceremony was short and sweet, with a few laughs here and there. And when our friend finally pronounced us husband and wife, we shared the sweetest kiss ever. Walking down the aisle, I was full of emotion: love, happiness, relief. I'm pretty sure my face went through a few expressions - at one moment, I seriously wanted to cry with relief that the hard part (as in nerve wracking being up there in front of everyone) was over, then remembered that I should be smiling. It was so nice to see everyone and meet more of Mr. Kingston's family and friends. We tried to fly through photos to get everyone out of the heat and into the reception area - amazingly, we stayed on time the whole day.

First dances are awkward, I'm not going to lie. We're not skilled at dancing to begin with - we really only dance here at home, and it's usually being goofy. The night Mr. Kingston proposed, we did slow dance, but it's very different when all eyes are on you. So we laughed through a lot of it, and tried to do a spin or two to break up the monotonous swaying. We were relieved to get through it. My dance with my dad brought me to tears. I was so thankful for a beautiful day, but anything to do with my dad gets me emotional. I was able to enjoy it after a few moments, though, and it was nice to get to spend that time with him. I'm so blessed to have wonderful parents.

We had a great DJ (I got compliments on the music all day), but we didn't really have much of a dancing crowd, except for a few kids who took to the dance floor. I did dance with Mrs. ESPN's little girl, Chatty Cathy though. We greeted every table and thanked them for coming during lunch, but I still felt like I didn't get much time with anyone. The day flew by and before we knew it, it was time to cut the cake. Just before we cut the cake, Mr. Kingston's parents presented us with a poster of childhood photos with "You are my sunshine!" written above. My dad, brother-in-law and sister gave toasts. They were very sweet, and Mija's was hilarious incorporating a few funny memories. We cut our cake and it was so delicious. Instead of shoving cake in my face, Mr. Kingston got the photographer. From that point, the reception winded down and ended a bit early. We all got ready and went to Dave & Buster's where we had appetizers and played games. We ended up staying out pretty late, but it was a really fun evening.

Our wedding day was just wonderful! I'm so happy with how everything turned out, and we had so much fun. I hope everyone else did, too. Mr. Kingston's parents had a nice BBQ for us at their home yesterday, and we got to see his grandma. She's feeling much better, and she said she was so happy to have me in the family. His family really are very nice people, and I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed each other's company all weekend.

Today, we bring home Clover. Mr. Kingston is currently on a motorcycle ride with his brother, groomsman, dad and uncles. Hopefully, we'll be able to go get our pup soon after he comes home.

The meeting that wasn't

My friends at work just surprised me with a party! My boss scheduled a meeting with me regarding some work we're bringing in a temp for. He even had me make desk procedures for her to follow. When I got to his office, he said we needed to go get a box. I had seen some coworkers heading to a conference room just before I walked over, so I was a little suspicious. But then again it's close week - everyone has meetings daily. But he kept on blabbing about how they had a timeline for this stuff for the temp and yada yada yada. When we reached the conference room I'd seen my friends go in, then I knew. But it was still a surprise pretty much up until then, and it was so wonderful that they went to the effort of throwing me a celebration and giving me and Mr. Kingston a generous gift. Mr. Kingston will be excited about the left over cherry chip cake, too.

I feel very special this afternoon - I may have a small department, but I realized just how many people I've made friendships with.

Too excited to sleep...

Remember that Disneyland commercial with the cute little kids that were too excited about their trip to Disney to sleep? And then it turned out their dad was having the same problem? Wasn't that little boy just the cutest thing ever laughing as he lisped "I'm too ec-thited to sweep!" Yeah, well, sleep deprivation is not cute in actuality. I'd been told that getting sleep the night before the wedding would be difficult. That's to be expected. I was told to secure a half dose of Ambien just to help me get some Z's.

No one told me I'd go weeks without a restful night's sleep. Last night was the worst. I tossed and turned for at least an hour after going to bed. Paisley woke up at 2:40 needing water. Of course, that meant playing her little game of drinking water and then running around in circles between the dining room table and coffee table before scampering back to bed, where she jumps on Mr. Kingston and then burrows under the covers right where I was laying. So then I couldn't fall back to sleep. And as per usual, I woke up at 5:30, an annoying half hour before the alarm is set to go off. I should have taken Tylenol PM last night - it's helped a few times when I'm really tired. It turns my brain off when I can't. Stupid me. Mr. Kingston snoozed away in a Nyquil induced coma (he's been fighting something for a week) while I stared at the wall.

I can only hope that sleep finds me again on Friday night after all the excitement is over. I can't even really nap because to-do lists (of things already done) run through my head. So send some sleepy vibes my way in hopes that I can wake up Friday morning refreshed and vibrant for my wedding day.

Weekend wrap-up

As I predicted in my last post, we had a fun and relaxing weekend. We spent much of Saturday with Mr. Kingston's mom. We went to lunch and then to Costco for BBQ food and supplies, then went shopping. Mr. Kingston needed a new wallet, his mom needed shoes for the wedding, and I was along for the ride. We stopped at Old Navy and I got a cute top and we all got party blowers for their 15th birthday celebration. Mr. Kingston had me laughing so hard when he was playing with his in the car. I took a video on my phone and watching it still makes me laugh. He's just hilarious. So we had a fun early afternoon.

When we got home, Mr. Kingston hung his collection of tattoo art in the spare bedroom. His tattoo artist, M, is really awesome, and we both really like her watercolor paintings. She even has some of her favorites put on messenger bags and other items. Anyway, I really like Mr. Kingston's collection of her framed art, so I was happy to see it find its home on the wall. We watched the Arizona/Washington football game and looked for Mija and Bing, who were in attendance in Seattle.

Today, Mr. Kingston went to hang out with his groomsman, S, (who is actually dating and has a baby with M) at their home while I worked on my project for school. When I was finished, I went and met up with them and our photographer and his family. Our wedding gift from M&S is a tattoo session for each of us, and Mr. Kingston cashed in on his today. He got a four-leaf clover with a horseshoe and diamond, symbolizing our new pup and good luck in our new adventure. It came out really nicely - M always does amazing work with color. After he was all bandaged up, we all went out for sushi and it was pretty entertaining.

So our weekend wasn't really anything out of the ordinary, and not even really anything to write home about. But it was relaxing and perfect. We laughed a lot and spent great quality time together. I feel like my batteries have been recharged, though I didn't get nearly enough sleep. I couldn't have asked for a better "last" weekend, and I feel so ready for Friday to be here. Only 2 days of work this week and then the festivities begin!

Lasts and firsts

This is a week of “lasts” in many ways. We're down to the last 7 days. Last night, we had our last Wine and Office Thursday before getting married, something that’s been a tradition of ours since early in our relationship. Fittingly, it was the Jim and Pam wedding episode. This is our last weekend before the wedding – it seems like such a milestone. At some point during the week I’ll introduce him as my fiancé for the last time. I’ll use my maiden name for the last time (socially, at least, until the paperwork is done).

This week of “lasts” will be followed by a moment, day, week, and year of “firsts.” Our first kiss, first dance, first morning to wake up as newlyweds. I’ll glance down at not one, but two rings on my left hand. I’ll say “this is my husband” and be called “wife” for the first time. I’ll get to use my new name for the first time. We’ll bring home our first pet that we’ve chosen together. My husband will come home to me in the evening for the first time. We'll go on our first big trip together. We'll send out our first Christmas cards as a married couple. Many things in life will seem brand new, and it’s so exciting! We have our whole lives ahead of us.

Our “last” weekend should be pretty relaxed. Mr. Kingston’s parents are hosting a BBQ for us the day after the wedding and we’re going shopping with them for food and supplies. I may or may not bake some cookies – I made cake balls last night and they were a hit at the office. I have a project to work on for school. With everything for the wedding finished, we get to simply enjoy our time together. I didn't necessarily plan it this way - I feel so fortunate that everything fell into place so easily and allowed us this stress-free weekend. I’m feeling amazingly calm. While my heart still seems to be beating a little faster than usual due to excitement, I’m cool as a cucumber.

I’m so excited for the next 7 days and all that will come with it. Our families and friends will be here before we know it. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of Mr. Kingston’s family and to seeing my own. I can’t wait to see Mija – it feels like she’s been gone such a long time. I feel so honored that so many people are coming from both near and far to share in our day with us.

My sweet friend Lauren gave me a Kreativ Blogger award! There's a badge for it somewhere but I'm somehow not talented enough to make it show up. So while I'm waiting for a report to run, I decided to do the obligatory 7 Random Things About Me that goes along with it. This could be hard since I did 50 things about me not all that long ago. But we'll give it a shot. Thanks, Lauren!

1. I haven't weighed myself since I started boot camp 10 weeks ago. I still wear the same clothes but my arms look more toned, and I have more stamina, balance, and strength. So even though my goal was to lose weight (which I don't believe I have), I'm happy with the overall changes to my lifestyle and mindset. I'm happier not stressing about my weight. It's been very freeing, and I feel more accepting of myself than I was when I was a pant size smaller.

2. I'm scared of clowns. They really just creep me out.

3. Despite the fact that my mother is what I would consider pretty liberal, I'm fairly conservative. I've discovered that this is different than Republican. I don't align with a political side, I align with my "side" on issues.

4. I did NOT name Paisley after the country singer Brad Paisley. I am asked or hear that probably 1 in 3 times I tell someone her name. Honestly, being a fan of hard rock and metal, the thought of a country singer's name never crossed my mind.

5. If I had the time - and I probably will after I'm done with my masters - I'd get a second job serving tables in a heart beat. I loved it. Working at an upscale steakhouse was some of the most fun I've ever had working.

6. I always wish I'd gotten into photography. The class in high school was always really full, so I never got the chance. But I think it would be awesome.

7. I never get flu shots. I haven't had the flu for as long as I can remember, except maybe ( I never went to the doc) when Mr. Kingston and I got sick last year. Still, I won't be getting one this year.

So that's 7 random things about me. Now I get to play tag.

So, I choose:

Mrs. ESPN

Obviously I need to get out there and find more followers...

Introducing Clover!

Mr. Kingston and I had been talking for some time about getting another puppy as a sibling for Paisley. We agreed that the new pup would be our wedding gift to each other and have been waiting for the right time and the right litter. Well, we finally struck gold. Here is our wedding pup, Clover:





She's currently 7 weeks old. We'll get to bring her home on October 18th, two days after our wedding. Fortunately, I'll be off Monday and Tuesday, so I'll be home to help with the adjustment. When I got Paisley, I (stupidly, in hindsight) got her on a Sunday and went to work on Monday. This should be a better transition.



We had a great weekend all around. Saturday we were kind of lazy all day, but cleaned and straightened up. My sister and her boyfriend are staying with us the Wednesday before the wedding and I had some stuff to clear out of our guest bedroom. Yesterday, my parents visited, and my mom brought dinner. We had a very nice evening chatting and I showed them all the wedding stuff. My mom also brought the box for the wine ceremony that my grandmother made. She has all the pictures, so I don't have one to post, but it exceeded my expectations. It's beautiful. Only 11 days to go!

This month...

...we get married! Amazing. I can't believe it's here. It should be a great weekend. I'm off on another company sponsored mental health day. Paisley's getting her shots updated in preparation for being boarded for the wedding. I've got my last hair cut as a single woman. I'm having lunch with Kristi and Baby Connor. With just about everything scratched off the to-do list, I can actually enjoy my day, and my weekend. My parents will come up on Sunday to hang out with us. It'll be happy to see them, but also emotional as it will be our last visit with them before the wedding day.

Also this month - and on our wedding day - is Mr. Kingston's 25th birthday. He jokes he'll never have another birthday his whole life, which makes thinking about him telling our grandchildren that he's 25 pretty amusing. I hope to also make his birthday special and not forgotten over the years. I'm very excited about his gift, and I hope he really likes it. Since his groom's cake is also kind of a birthday cake I hope he really likes that, too. I know no matter what, it'll be a fun day.

We also have a lot of other birthdays in the family this month. I have 5 cousins (including biological and spouses) with birthdays, 2 of whom were married on their joint birthday. Our groomsman's girlfriend's son turns 6, and Kristi celebrates her birthday at the end of the month. Considering how scatter-brained I've been, I hope I remember them all. And there are probably more I'm missing, too.

I'll have a busy month even aside from the Big Event in 15 days. I have a midterm due for school on Monday. I also have a project due on the 13th. The good thing is that once the next two weeks is over, things will be smooth sailing for a little over two weeks before my next school assignment is due. I was a little worried about doing school this semester with everything else going on, but so far it's all worked out really well. my reading assignments are very managable and I don't have quizzes every week like I used to. So there's wiggle room if I need to set it aside for a few days and then catch up.

I'd also like to participate in Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month: Pumpkin event. Basically, I'd bake and share a recipe with pumpkin in it. Not too hard, but I'd like to think of something creative if I do it. So if you have ideas...

So here's to an amazing October, for everyone!