*enjoying my new kicks – burlapesque texture with lime green laces and stitching, uhm…yes, please!

Time is flying lately.  Last I checked I was on my way home from school then an hour at the grocery store, dinner, downtime, and a shower later and *poof* it’s time to rock and roll again.  Phew.

In the midst of busyness, Saturday was just what the doctor ordered!  I took care of some school business, had a coffee date with my dearest Janel and then I lived it up for Andi’s girls night birthday get together.

I knew it was going to be a great night because check out this sunset on the way to girls night.

Ahhh…Maaaa…zing

Pedicures (with pUrPLe polish!) then shopping and Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner.  Where have these gals been all my life??

I know it must have been fun because I forgot to take more pictures.

Also, be sure to check out Andi’s new adventure over at The Cookie Nook.  Think Julie and Julia only with Andi and Martha’s cookies.  You can even sign up to be a taster.  What fun!

Ok, be back soon with ideas about calendars, new jet stream pics, and a recap of our first ski day!

You know it is going to be a good day when the gal before you in the drive-thru line pays for your Eggnog Latte.  Don’t you just love the season of red cups?  I continued the pay it forward and bought the next car’s drink because it feels good to pass it on.

Something else that felt good today was the extra 50 minutes of plan and no kindergarten classes.  Oops, did I just say that?

And you know it was a good day when the last line of the film says, “I’m Jonny Moseley and winter starts……NOW!”

The annual Warren Miller ski film did not disappoint.  I had a few favorite parts but the best was the travel feature at the end with Chris Anthony.  They traveled to a part of China only available by two days on a horse sled where people have been skiing since the beginning of time.  Anthony has been a part of the films for 20 years and now hosts the movie nights around the country.  I’ve been a fan of his since Storm and I couldn’t resist a photo op.

Phew, I’m beat.  I’ve got a full day and a full weekend of birthday parties, a ski day, and a coffee date.  Better get to bed.

Speaking of bday’s – A very happy happy happy birthday to my Aunt Robin!

I used to think people who ate organic food were extreme and even a little silly.  Now days, after Dan’s scare with cancer a few years back, organic is a way of life for us.  We eat organic food, use natural household cleaners, and most importantly we use natural and organic health and beauty items.  It never occurred to me that what I put on my skin has almost more of an impact than what I put in my mouth.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients of your lotion? – no paragraph of unpronounceable chemicals can be good for our body to absorb!

I am a sucker for new “products” so I’ve done my fair share of testing and experimenting with products I believe to be safe.  Here are a few of my most recent favorites.  I’d love to hear if you have any you love!

1.  Origins Checks and Balances Frothy face wash.  Such an awesome minty smell and you only need a teeny tiny bit to really lather up!  I love this for the combo skin factor because it makes my skin tight but not dry and the price is nice considering how long it lasts.   (really anything Origins makes totally ROCKS!)

2.  South of France Soap Bar in Shea Butter.  Silky smooth BIG bar of soap.  I just love using large bars of soap, so gratifying!  I’m picky about body soap but this one gives moisture and lather and the scent is light but stays with you even after the shower.

3.  Burt’s Bee’s Garden Tomato Complexion soap.  I like to use this one at night in the shower for my face.  The smell is exactly like picking tomoatoes in the garden which makes me feel carefree.  It is pretty drying and super cleansing so I like to use it at night before I put on extra moisturizer.

4.  Big Sexy Hair Organics Shampoo.  I have experimented with lots of organic shampoos and found a few that I like but I spoiled myself with this once after a hair cut and could never go back to anything else because of the body and shine.  Plus, if you keep an eye out at TJMaxx/Marshalls, you can find it for $5.99 as opposed to the $24.00 price at Beauty Brands!  What a steal!

5.  Hot Tools 2inch Curling Iron.  This sucker is huge!  Tambrie introduced me to this thing and I laughed the first time I saw it because it is giant.  I love it because it give my hair a little curl/bend on the ends but it is mostly like using a flat iron  (okay, I know it has nothing to do with being organic or natural but since I cut my hair off last year, it has taken me a while to be excited about anything hair related!)

6.  Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Mascara.  This is such a cute package, I couldn’t resist and the price was nice considering it is organic.  I like it because it isn’t sticky and it doesn’t flake off too much by the end of a long day.

Is anyone else a product junkie like me?  Again, let me know if you have any favorites!

Oh, and if you are in the market for some natural baby items, check out my friend Kelly’s online store, baby, naturally.  She’s got everything from cloth diapers and natural toys to organic laundry soap!

So, this one time…at Wal-Mart, I decided to buy some rice crispy treat ingredients.

I don’t think I’m going to get any rice crispy treats this time though.

Hmmmmmmmmm…

Dang dogs!

Also, on an unrelated note – I guess I’ve got Thanksgiving on the brain because I was wondering if someone is missing their turkey baster?

I can picture the glow of my desk light and the dust on top of my Aiwa 3 cd disc changer.  I remember the awful smells wafting from around the corner from my first floor door room at Truman State.  I recall the pages of prayer journals filled with worries, hopes, and dramas as I struggled to find the flow of my first semester in college – my first few months living away from home and being completely in charge of myself.

Its funny how even though those days are way long gone most of those memories are still right here in the now.

And all this flashing back just because Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer came on the radio tonight.  Music sure can send you back in time.

How about you, dear reader?  Where were  you 10 years ago?

I had such a blast hanging out with Tambrie last night ordering dinner out, talking shop, brainstorming Christmas gifts, making last minute Michael’s runs, and sipping Starbucks.  In between trick-or-treaters and watching Elizabethtown, she taught me how to crochet and I now I am addicted (why do you think I put this off for so long!?)

She told me it would be a little hard in the beginning until I found the flow.  She said I would need to learn how to use my fingers and my muscles to hold the yarn and that I might even go through a period of dissolution, just like teaching.  I struggled a bit at first to find the flow and then when I did I still made it harder than it had to be by forcing the needle and pulling the yarn.  I do that.  I try so hard I make it harder than it has to be.

I’ve got to be honest, October was really tough.  I’ve been down more than I’ve been up and I think part of that had to do with the unending sickness that lasted all month.  I am taking steps to put me back into a good place.  I am still riding high from our recent snow storm (eventhough the snow has completely melted already) and I have Christmas on the brain.  Yes, Christmas.  In my opinion, it is the most wonderful time of the year and all this other stuff in between – just filler.  There, I said it.  In any case, it is November now.  And while, in the past, this has also been a hard month I do have hope.

I took things slow today and started out Fall Back morning with some coffee and crochet.  I put some background music on and let my fingers find the flow.  It worked.  I stopped trying to force things and I just let my muscles get comfortable with the tension and movement.  As I look at this month, my old October self would normally see it as a long-haul.  As in, all the weeks are full 5 day weeks, no break until Thanksgiving, no relief.  However, as I understand the rhythm of the yarn I see this as a chance to really find some flow.  No interruptions, no sickness, no conferences, meetings, snow days to get us out of sorts.  I hate saying it but I think it will be really good for me.

So, here’s to November – a fresh start to finding the flow and one month closer to Christmas!

Little late getting these together but I don’t want to overlook what was before looking forward to what’s to come.

First off, some chilly sights around the neighborhood.  Happy Halloween!

And what is a snow storm without a trip to the park?

Quattro is definitely a snow dog and a boy after my own heart.

Dan is off in the country hunting with Jason and I got crafty tonight with Tambrie.   I still have more snow pictures to share even if it is nearly all melted now so I will be back because the time change says it’s 12:30am but I know it is actually 1:30am.  Time for sleep.  Night, night.

Snow Day:  Day One pictures

A few sights on the walk to and from the store for pumpkin bread supplies…

After a little play outside it was time to get cozy inside while the snow kept falling.

Check out this SNOW GLOW!  Love it.

And a view from the kitchen where the pumpkin bread was baking.

and the bread…mmm!

And if you didn’t hear – I got the magic call last night announcing another snow day for today!!!!

It has stopped snowing now but we got A LOT of snow.  I think the final totals for our house were around 18 inches (yes, I measured!)  Snow day TWO pictures coming up tomorrow!  Right now I have to muster up enough energy to finish out the work week tomorrow.  It’s Halloween party day, I’m gonna need the energy.

Oh man, if there ever really was a pause on life, this is it.

Remember yesterday when I talked about being broken down and beat up?  I wished and crossed my fingers for a more gentle day today and God certainly gave me the gift of pause. SNOW DAY!  There really is not a more free gift in teaching or the world for that matter.  A chance to have a whole work day put on pause to be picked up the next day with no remorse or consequences.  A chance to do the to-dos that just can’t seem to fit into the 8-5 timeline while at school.  A pause! (I was so giddy after the early morning call that I lay in bed awake for a whole hour before I fell asleep again!)

It also seems sweetly appropriate that the print pictured above resurfaced in my life again this week.  Last season, after continually coming back to admire it in the hellohandmadepaperie Etsy shop, I finally made the leap to purchase only to find out it was no longer available, dang hesitation!  I emailed the owners and they were so great to get back to me when the print became available this past Monday.  No hesitation this time, I got the second to last one ever!

Can you see why it is so special?  Not only is the print a picture of snow but the drifts of snow are made up of the lyrics to “Let it Snow”.  Happy early Christmas present to me.  There could not be a more perfect picture to capture this day or my heart right now.  Cozy and calm.

I do believe I am going to slip on my new soft clunky black boots and hike to the store to get ingredients for some killer pumpkin bread.  It looks like a pillow fight out there so I better bundle up!

Feeling a bit like this broken down brick building.  Today was rough all the way around from start to finish.

One big bright spot?  The chunky snowflakes falling outside right now.

Holding on to that soft peace and hoping that tomorrow is a little more gentle on me.