Russian Neighbor Roulette

I was planning to do the requisite 'Things I'm Thankful For' Thanksgiving post. You know, the one where I tell you I'm thankful for God, my husband, my family, my friends, my health, my boring job in a crappy economy, my house, my dogs, Starbucks, chocolate and Steve Madden shoes.

Yawn. Bored yet?

Yeah, so I was planning to do that post until Nate came home from a run this afternoon and found this on our roof.


Know what I'm thankful for this year? Neighbors who start silly Orange Traffic Cone Wars. Who throw fabulous Halloween costume parties and teach the Southerners to play Euchre (and then let them win!). Who take in your mail while you're on vacation and will check your house for dead bodies when they don't see you for more than three days straight. Who share with you the holy grail of dessert recipes and give you plastic forks on move-in day when you have no idea what box the silverware is packed in.

We kind of hit the jackpot in the Neighbor Department.

Double-edged sword

So ABC has announced the premiere date for the sixth and final season of LOST - three glorious hours on Tuesday, February 2 at 8:00pm. How does this make me both giddy and glum at the same time?

Anyone else out there thrilled to see it back and yet totally bummed to see it end?

What I wouldn't give to be that mouth guard

One good thing about living in Indianapolis? Plenty of commercials from good old #18. I love me some Peyton Manning.

Does anyone else laugh hysterically when this commercial comes on?

Just me? Oh, well. More Manning for me then, I guess.

A very Biltmore weekend

Last week we took a long weekend to visit Biltmore House in Asheville, NC with Nate's parents. Visiting Biltmore at Christmas has been on my list of Things To Do Before I Die for at least a decade. Despite living within four hours of it since I was 10 years old, I'd never managed to get there any time of the year, let alone Christmas. Biltmore House is, of course, not on Nate's list of Things to Die Before He Dies, or even after he dies for that matter. In fact, to hear him tell it, visiting such a boring place might just be the death of him.

Well, I'm happy to report that I have now been to a Biltmore Christmas and that Nate did indeed survive his trip there, too. Many thanks to the in-laws for the invitation that finally, finally got me there!!


It totally blows my mind that they designed and built this castle back in the 1800's - basically with a pencil and string. I mean, that's crazy!



We ate dinner at The Stable restaurant. The original stables have been converted into a restaurant - all those stalls along the wall are actually booths. How cool, is that?


The trees out front were stunning. The pictures really don't do the place justice. The big tree is orange/amber lights and opaque white lights - it looks like spun gold. Which is why I spent three hours yesterday hunting for orange and opaque Christmas lights for one of our trees!


Friday night we did dinner and the Candlelight House tour. No pictures in the house - boo. If you are ever near Asheville, you need to make sure you go. It is just amazing. On Saturday we went back and toured the greenhouses, the grounds and the winery. Free wine tasting? Don't mind if I do!


The leaves were past their peak, so it wasn't quite the same as autumn in Tennessee, but it was awfully good to be in the South!!


Guess who didn't want to have his picture taken?


Got him anyway! For all the pictures from our weekend, check us out on Flickr.

I've come to realize...

1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size …will never make it past the first letter of the alphabet.
2. I’ve come to realize that my job …does not define me.
3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving …I like to catch up with friends and family on my cell phone (hands free, of course!)
4. I’ve come to realize that I need …more family time.
5. I’ve come to realize that I have lost …my creative mojo.
6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when …people aren't straight up with me.
7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk …I'm probably attending a grad school friend's open-bar wedding.
8. I’ve come to realize that money …does not compensate for an unfulfilling, spirit-draining job.
9. I’ve come to realize that certain people …are not worth the effort.
10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always …be a daddy's girl.
11. I’ve come to realize that my sisters …are the best gifts my parents ever gave me.
12. I’ve come to realize that my mom …is one of my very best friends.
13. I’ve come to realize that my dad …is my [super] hero.
14. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone …is a must-have accessory.
15. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook …I remember why I loved college.
16. I’ve come to realize that today …should not be wished away.
17. I’ve come to realize that tonight …is never the night I'm going to bed "early".
18. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow …comes much too soon.
19. I’ve come to realize that I really want to …figure out what I want be when I grow up.
20. I’ve come to realize that life …tends to get in the way of your plans.
21. I’ve come to realize that this weekend …I'll finally get to visit a place that's been on my Vacation List for a decade.
22. I’ve come to realize that marriage …takes a lot of work to be worthwhile.
23. I’ve come to realize that my true friends …are the ones I don't get to see nearly enough.
24. I’ve come to realize that this year …was not what I expected it would be.
25. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should …have been a teacher instead.
26. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified …of never carrying a child.
27. I’ve come to realize that I love …running?
28. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand …God's timing.
29. I’ve come to realize that God …knows what He's doing, even when I don't.
30. I’ve come to realize my past …made me who I am today.

**Thanks to the lovely Cole for the inspiration, even though you stole it from someone else first!**

Signs of the Season

Red cups at Starbucks.

Peppermint milkshakes at Chick-fil-A.

Amy Grant on my ipod.

Sparkly new ornaments in my shopping bag.

Tickets to a Biltmore House Holiday Tour this weekend.


All signs point to one thing...

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME, BABY!!

The sky is falling....

Or pigs are flying....

Or hell has frozen over....

Or aliens have taken control of my body....

Because today I eagerly chose to take a 3-mile run rather than submit to the agony of Jillian's 30 Day Shred for the third day in a row.

Surely this is a sign of the Apocalypse.

Sometimes you just need a little Southern

Cornbread muffins and black-eyed peas for dinner tonight. Because even grown-ups get homesick sometimes.

Become one with the Starbucks

I've been looking forward to Halloween since the last day of September. That's the day we got invited to our first grown-up Halloween costume party. I can't even recall the last time I dressed up for Halloween, it had to be at least 15 years ago, possibly more. So when we heard about the neighbors' costume party, I was stoked. My first thought was "Ooh! Wig!" followed quickly by "Ooh! False eyelashes!" followed by....nothing. I thought about it for days and couldn't come up with a single good idea. Being that it was a family-friendly party, "Naked from the neck down" didn't seem like an option. I had to come up with something.

Then one Saturday, I'm standing in line waiting for my venti non-fat caramel macchiato when suddenly it hit me! My sister made this genius costume for herself last year and what screams 'ME' more than this?


And so, I give you my prize-winning Halloween costume. Made by my ridiculously crafty and creative sister, Katie. She didn't miss a single detail - from the 'Careful this beverage is hot' safety print to the yummy drink order down the side. She even came up with a clever The Way I See It for the back of the cup.


Is that perfect for me or what? Everyone that the costume was genius and I even won second place in the costume competition. Guess what the prize was? STARBUCKS CARD!! CHA-CHING!

Nate won third place for his costume as Master Chief from the video game Halo. Yeah! Another Starbucks gift card for me!